Second Shot of Whiskey: A Small Town Southern Romance Standalone Novel

Wylde Fire has the feel of a small-town romance, which is one of my favorite romance tropes. This one, however, left me somewhere in the fair to middlin' range. That's not to say the story isn't entertaining, it is. And I really liked several of the characters. I do think that there were quite a lot of them introduced here, I suppose as a series starter. The problem with that is while we're getting to know everybody else, we're losing focus of the romantic couple who should be the focal point of this book. That's what I would've liked to have seen more of. I mean we get lots of Sam and Holly, and they have plenty of chemistry - chemistry between the sheets, on the table, on the desk - well, you get my point. And there's nothing at all wrong with a good, steamy romance, but I really wanted more of them falling for each other stuff than we're given. I loved the banter between them, and they felt like great friends, but lust and friendship don't mean love. It just felt like they went from fooling around and fake romance to madly in love without any of the fun middle stuff. That said, the story did keep my interest, and in addition to Sam's family, we have some angst for Holly. Angst that is sure to affect even the most cynical of us. Thankfully, that angst is tempered with wit and lighter moments, so it has a good balance. In the end, I did have a couple of unanswered questions, and I'll be interested to see if those get answered later in the series. I'm also keen to see how both the series and writing grow with future books. This one was worth the read, and I enjoyed the premise if not all of the delivery.

4.25⭐ Wylde Fire the first in Sarah Robinson's new 100 Proof Series was a fabulous read. That hooked me on from the beginning. As it was fast-paced, fresh, sexy, fun, heartfelt and at times a little emotional. And for the couple of hours it took to read I was completely entertained and absorbed. Not to mention, I loved the two epilogues and can't wait to find out who is getting married and more importantly who he's got pregnant. Would happily recommend. **I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for N honest review**

As a long time fan of the fake relationship theme, I can happily say that this book delivers on its promise. Even though you know right from the beginning that Sam and Holly will be unable to fight the attraction drawing them together, you still want to know what it will take to finally tip them over the edge into the committed relationship they’re resisting. Most of this book I found to be fun and funny. But like all good roller coaster rides, there are some loops and a few sudden drops. Take that as my warning that you may want to keep the tissues handy for this book’s ending. It's emotionally fraught and I, personally, had a great deal of difficulty reading through the tears. Though it's marketed as a standalone now, I hope the author does return to the Wylde family to tell us more of their stories. I haven't gotten nearly enough out of these characters yet. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley.