By: Lauren Landish
What a sassy read! This is all Small-town, backcountry, prodigal son returns for his brother’s wedding tropes are perfect for a summer read.
Let’s get into it…
Getting in quick and getting out unscathed is his only goal until he meets potty-mouth, straight-shooting Hazel Sullivan. The problem? Hazel wants nothing to do with anyone with the last name Ford. Interested? Keep reading…
Wyatt Ford isn’t exactly looking forward to his hometown return to Cold Springs, but he couldn’t miss his brothers’ wedding. Being sucked into family drama and small-town politics is the last thing he expected. When Wyatt learns the new ‘tech-driven’ subdivision his uncle is pushing has divided the town and his family, he might just need to use his last name for good.
Hazel and Wyatt meet in an unlikely place, Puss in Boots, a local bar where no Fords are allowed, except Winston, Wyatt’s younger brother- A.K.A the groom, and he’s only allowed by default by marrying Hazel’s BFF.
Their meet-cute is not so cute as Hazel is in the middle of beating one of the regulars in a game of pool, but when he stiffs her, things get outta hand (to say the least). One look at the scrappy Hazel and Wyatt is hooked, only she has no interest and holds no bar in sharing her opinions of him and his last name. Unfortunately, for Hazel, part of her bridesmaid duties meant lots of close time with the best man.
The Good, the Bad, the Meh…
The Good:
The sass! The shit that Hazel says in her Southern accent made me laugh. The dirty references- The Fat Pussy ( a burger) and who could forget the foulmouth parrot? Talk about a side character! Speaking of… Grandpa Joe, we needed more of him. His zippy little one-liners are hilarious.
I love love love a book with strong female characters, and Hazel doesn’t fall far from the tree. Her aunt Etta is as outspoken as they come, and when she speaks, everybody listens.
It’s a perfect small town, loudmouth, family drama, and not because of the wedding, read. It really checks off all the boxes, including the perfectly spicy scenes. Wyatt standing up to his family-especially liberating to read. I love how he sided with the town even before he truly knew what his manipulating Uncle was up to.
The Bad:
I really don’t love that Hazel is so dead set against Wyatt strictly because of his name. The past feud between Etta and her uncle got repetitive, but it did add some humor.
The Meh…
Their first hook-up. I was like uh, oh just like that huh? But hey sometimes it does happen that way. At first, I found Hazel to be a bit bratty so it took some time to actually like her character.
This has a good amount of spice and a quick summer read. The drama is between the town and Wyatt’s family which is refreshing to not have it all about the couple.
Madyn Rose 
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