Carpentry and Cocktails by Nora Everly

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Title: Carpentry and Cocktails
Author: Nora Everly
Series: Green Valley Library #5
Published by: Smartypants Romance
Release Date: April 28, 2020
Format: eARC
Pages: 248
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Source: Smartypants Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 New Release Challenge, Lenoreo's COYER Quarantine Edition
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

Everett Monroe can’t keep his eyes off his gorgeous tenant.

He’d like to put his hands on her too, but she’s prickly, closed-off, and gives new meaning to the word disgruntled. In other words, she’s his perfect match and he’ll do anything to make her see it too.

Willa Hill has finally left her teen runaway past behind and wants a fresh start—alone. Men are nothing but trouble and she’s had enough man-trouble to last a lifetime. Too bad her irresistibly sexy, nerdy-hot landlord doesn’t agree.

When their mutual yearning becomes a white-hot fling and passion crosses carefully drawn, albeit one-sided boundaries, Everett finds himself in love and Willa finds herself in a pickle.

Because, unfortunately, when she returned to Green Valley, her problems came too. When the past she escaped crashes into the future she finds herself wanting more than anything, will Willa stay in Green Valley?

Or will she run away again?

Carpentry and Cocktails is book #5 in the Green Valley Library series. It is a full-length contemporary romance novel, and can be read as a standalone.

My Review:

I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — This was a sweet story with a hero that was SO easy to love, and a heroine that grew and came into her own over the course of the story!  For me, something about the pacing and the writing kept it from a higher rating…otherwise it was a solid romance.

As I said, I easily fell in love with nerdy Everett.  He was adorable, with his blushes and his fandoms and his D&D playing.  It was kind of interesting to have a hero who was typically hot, but who was bitten by that because exes wouldn’t accept his adorable personality.  They missed out big time — he was the SWOONIEST.  I loved how much he loved his family, that he wasn’t afraid of being a mama’s boy, that he was protective of the underdog, that he genuinely cared about the people in his life.  I ADORED the way he pursued Willa — how he pushed at times, but pulled back at others.  How he rooted for her to find her independence and strength.  How he really didn’t falter.

Willa was totally different than what I had been expecting from her appearance in Crime and Periodicals.  She had an outer shell that looked tough, but she was MUCH more fragile and broken inside.  It was actually hard to see someone who grew up in an abusive environment gravitate towards an abusive boyfriend/husband.  My heart broke for what we learned of her childhood, her life with Tommy, and how her Momma still treated her girls.  It was really satisfying to watch her come into her own with the help of her sisters, Everett, and Sabrina.  I found the way the chapter quotes for her went from Tommy/Momma to Everett to be really symbolic.

The two of them together had solid chemistry, from friendship to heat.  I will admit that I wasn’t as into their steamy scenes, but that might have just been me.  I enjoyed the connections they made when they were talking and teasing the most.

One of my highlights in this series within the series is the antics of the teenagers — Ruby and Gracie are HILARIOUS, and I loved what they brought to the table helping their loved ones find love.

I also, strangely, really enjoyed the glimpse into D&D playing…not being a player, this was the first time I think I finally grasped that the stories are made up by the Dungeon Master.  I had no idea so much imagination was involved.  It wasn’t that big a part of the story, it was just something I enjoyed.

I know this review looks pretty glowing and doesn’t seem to match my star rating.  I’m not sure I can explain what it is that was missing for me.  It’s an untangible quality…like I said, the pacing of events didn’t always work for me, my mind wandered quite a bit.  I think something about the writing didn’t quite fit for me either…it’s not bad, just not me I guess.  But despite all that there was definitely a lot to love, hence why I’ll be rounding up!