In a Jam by Kate Canterbary is live!
A small-town, slow-burning, friends-to-lovers, single-dad romance with all the feels, I am completely obsessed with these characters, and I absolutely adored this book!
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Blurb
When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm–under two conditions.
First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second–and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding–Shay must be married within one year.
Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.
Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.
A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.
Until Shay returns to their hometown and turns his life upside down.
Review
5 chemistry-filled, slow-burning stars
Oh, Kate Canterbary, you (once again) own my heart with this book. A small-town, slow-burning, friends-to-lovers, single-dad romance with all the feels, I am completely obsessed with these characters, and I absolutely adored this book!
Shay’s life has just been completely upended. Dumped by her fiancé on her wedding day, she’s completely lost and has no idea what to do with her life. She recognises that she lost herself in her relationship, trying to be the perfect girlfriend/fiancé, and it was all for nothing. So, when she learns that her beloved step-grandmother left her a farm in small town Rhode Island in her will, she grabs the opportunity like a lifeline – even if it’s only temporary. But the stipulation of the will states that Shay has to live there for a year, and she has to be married within that year, in order to hold on to only place in the world that feels like home to her.
Noah owns the farm next to Shay’s new home (Canterbary fans may remember him as “the Jam Man”, a very small side character in The Walshes series). He and Shay knew each other in high school for the one year that Shay spent living there, and for most of that time, he was hopelessly in love with her. As an awkward and shy teenager, he never made a move on the popular girl, but they were the closest of friends. Now she’s back, all grown up and gorgeous, and Noah knows he’s in a world of trouble.
“She was the one who got away … she’d always be the one.”
Noah’s life is hectic. Not only does he run a bit of a farming empire, but he’s the sole guardian for his precocious six year old niece, who thinks she’s a pirate and constantly swears like one. For him, Shay was the one who got away, and is the only girl he’s ever loved, and even though he knows nothing will come of it, he wants to help her. So even though he’s a bit of a reclusive grump, when he learns about Shay’s situation, he jumps in to help, offering to marry her to meet the terms of the will, and to work together to bring her property back to life.
It’s a fun set-up, and I loved watching these two former friends find their way back to each other again. This is a long book, and a lot of that is spent just with Shay and Noah together, and I couldn’t get enough of it! From their friendly banter to them faking a relationship to save Noah from the town’s population of single women, to random deliveries loaded with carbs, and drunken rescues, these two are there for each other in all the ways, and each and every encounter is sizzling with chemistry.
The smile I’d caught yesterday, the lightness in her – I hadn’t realized I’d missed it until it was there again, bright and warm and magnetic.
I was so fucked.Thank God she didn’t know I was half hard and fully obsessed with her.
The attraction between these two is off-the-charts. They’re both feeling it, but neither of them are confident enough to act on it, and every single moment between them feels like foreplay. Their flirtatious longing is so fun, and the build-up is an epic slow burn, and as their feelings for each other continue to develop, it gets harder and harder for them to ignore. Until they just can’t anymore.
“What’s happening?” she asked, leaning back just enough to speak. “With us.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“Me neither.”
“Do we have to know?”
She shook her head, scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Do you want to stop?”
Another shake of her head. “No. Not at all.”
“Then twist my arm,” I said. “Show me what you want, wife.”
Holy hot damn, it turns out our quietly surly hot farmer is a demon in the sack, and the sexy time is so freaking hot! The physical connection between these two is on fire, and a little bit kinky, and a reflection of the trust and love that they have for each other. It’s sexy, intense and emotional, and I was right there with them for all of it! I felt their connection, and the feelings building between them, and I loved watching their relationship shift and change.
“I just – I want you to want me,” she whispered.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, wife. I do. I want you so much it would scare you to know the half of it.”
“You can’t scare me,” she said … “But go ahead and try.”
And, of course, it’s beautifully swoony. Noah and Shay feel so much for each other, and though it may take them a while to actually get there, every step of the journey is so full of everything, and I loved watching them work their way up to it.
I’d never meant to fall for these people. I hadn’t come here looking for a patchworked family. And I hadn’t expected for any of this to start putting me back together.
“This is where you belong, Shay. This is the home and we are the family you’ve always wanted … You belong here and you belong to me.”
And let’s not forget little Gennie, who is an absolute scene-stealer. She has a pretty big role in the book, which I loved, and thought was so realistic given Noah’s life as a single parent. She has her own challenges to deal with, and both Noah and Shay are there for her every step of the way.
Kate Canterbary writes the most wonderful characters, and like so many of her other books, I’m having trouble letting these ones go. I loved both Shay and Noah so much, and even the side characters that are brought in along the way add so much to the story. The amazing characters, fantastic development, engaging family story and deliciously sweet and steamy love story combine to create an absolute gem of a read, and I loved it so much!
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Friendship, Rhode Island
About the Author
USA Today Bestseller Kate Canterbary writes smart, steamy contemporary romances loaded with heat, heart, and happy ever afters. Kate lives on the New England coast with her husband and daughter.
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