Thank you to author and publisher for the arc!

Surprisingly a fun and fluffy read with a tad of spice. I was surprised by how quickly I managed to finish this book, it was the perfect read for a slow Sunday.

I do have to say that even though it was an enjoyable book, a lot of the plot and tropes were predictable and a bit mainstream. I just wish it had a little bit more originality

DNF at 10%
This book is for someone but just not for me. I found myself already getting uncomfortable and not looking forward to seeing where the story went. I also just didn’t feel any sort of connection or enjoyment in the chatacyers

3.75 🌟 - Thank you to Netgalley, Holly Rose and Star Siren Press for this ARC. I will be giving my honest review. At the start of the book I thought I wasn't going to enjoy the book that much, because I wasn't a massive fun of the writing style often finding some of the dialogue a bit immature, but as we learnt more about the characters I couldn't help liking them. Jason is the epitome of the most perfect man and the way he treated Rose is just everything women look and wish for in a partner. Some things within the book were cringe, but also some moments were funny.

The amount of religious connetations/themes running throughout the book and Jason's family's faith made reading this slightly uncomfortable to me as I am an atheist. Luckily, after about 30% of the way through the book, religion wasn't mentioned as much (thank god).

The language within the spicy scenes was SO good. I've read a lot of smut & this was perfect. There was no disgusting language that feature predominantly in romance books which gave the book a refreshing feel. I also feel like this book was written for women by women, phenomenal, no notes.

Overall, I had a good time whilst reading this book and I'm interested to see what happens to Heather in the next book.

This was a fun book! I love any books that have a wedding aspect of it. And this one was wonderful. This book handled some harder topics very well.

I want to start off by thanking NetGalley and Star Siren Press for sending me an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review of my thoughts.

The first thing that truly had me so interested in seeing how it would play out was the difference in religion for the main characters. And how that would play into their relationship together and with their families. I think it was well portrayed, but it is not actually a main point within the storyline, so if that might deter you, I don't think it should.

Jason and Rose were so cute and sweet together, I like the dynamic of the two characters because they just fit so well together in my opinion. I didn't really like the dynamic between Rose and her sister Lily and Jason and his mom. Both had tension in their relationship based on how the sister or mother viewed Rose and Jason. It just felt off to be and came off super judgmental.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and was not bothered by the amount of curse words or sex jokes. but heads up, that is heavily present in this book.

💕𝓕𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓑𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀💕

I loved Follow Your Bliss, the first book in the Dream House Girls series by Holly Rose! The book follows Rose, a talented wedding dress designer who has moved back home while she gets her budding bridal business off the ground. Feeling like she needs more space to work, she seeks out a rental of her own - if only places to rent weren’t so expensive! Enter Jason, a carpenter with a sexy social media presence who is also renovating a church into his home. With an extra apartment space to rent, Rose can hardly refuse his offer to rent the space to her!

Rose is a character who has obvious past traumas with relationships, including the absence of her own father in her life. Because of this, she chooses to keep men from getting truly close to her. Jason is still recovering from a bad relationship of his own, and he brings his fair share of trauma into the equation. However, he holds onto hope that he will find a girl that he can settle down with (and that his mother approves!)

The two characters compliment each other perfectly. Rose allows Jason to loosen up and experience the life he wants to live, while Jason helps Rose see that it is okay to be vulnerable and let others in.

I was a bit cautious at the beginning when religion was being brought into the equation with Jason’s mother. My fear was that religion was going to be used as a tactic to pressure the main characters to change to fit into the box provided by Jason’s mother, and while she did push, Jason ultimately chose his own path while staying true to himself and his faith.

There was a moment of anxiety representation in Rose that was handled beautifully by the author. Seeing a positive depiction in how Rose discussed her anxiety with Jason, and how Jason listened and responded appropriately, was really touching to see!

💕You’ll Love This Book If You Love💕
💕Golden Retriever MMC
💕Carpenter/Social Media Influencer
💕Deck Daddy
💕Anxiety Representation FMC
💕Wedding Dress Designer
💕Sex Positivity
💕He Falls First And Harder
💕Childhood Crush
💕Slow Burn
💕Spicy

**I received an advanced copy of Follow Your Bliss - all opinions are my own**

Follow Your Bliss is a delightfully spicy romance about a spunky wedding dress designer, Rose, and a hopeless romantic woodworker, Jason. This romance leans into the friends-to-lovers trope, with two old friends from school reconnecting many years later, as well as the under-one-roof rope, when Rose is in need of a place to live and Jason just happens to have a spare room in the home he’s renovating.

If you liked On the Plus Side by Jenny Howe or One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, this is another delightful romance featuring a charismatic plus-sized woman you’ll be sure to enjoy. This was similar to the Take A Hint, Dani Brown series by Talia Hibbert, but with an American twist to it. I most appreciated that the focus of this book wasn’t on the main character’s journey with her relationship to her body, but that when it came up in natural moments of self-consciousness, it was clear that the romantic interest found this concern utterly absurd because of how beautiful he found her.

The build-up to the characters finally getting together was great and you really did feel the romantic tension building in delicious ways. I found it really satisfying to see the ways in which they both supported each others’ careers and were invested in each other’s success. I was also really pleasantly surprised by the ending (won’t give it away) and felt that it really was true to these characters and felt well earned.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I was absorbed from the start. The spicy scenes were well-written and believable, I was rooting for the characters, the underlying messages about body positivity, empowerment, and sex positivity were great, and this was just a really fun read. I’m certainly going to keep an eye out for this author going forwards! :)

It started off really good! I went into this thinking I was gonna love this book, but it wasn't for me personally.

It was ADORABLE in the first few chapters.
Their banter had me GIGGLING when they were still in the "this is just a crush" phase.
But the more I read, the more I felt the dialogue was leaning more towards cringy territory.
I do appreciate an unfiltered character in books, but it felt so forced it had me audibly sighing and telling my kindle “WE GET IT” every time.

I did love how the fmc has an assigned ringtone for each different character in the book, it felt like I was in on an inside joke whenever her cell rang😅

All in all, although it didn't work for me, I encourage others to give it a go, fans of zero filter characters, spice, explicit language would enjoy this.

think some people will really like this book, but I don't think it was for me. It was entertaining, but lacked substance:

The actual premise was cool, because the FMC (Rose) is a wedding dress designer, but is a commitment-phobe; due to her parents getting a divorced and her mom influencing her ideas of men onto her and her sister, which is fairly common and real. I think her character was little to inconsistent at times and I would have loved it if we had more of her getting back into dating journey.

The MMC (Jason) is a artictect and has a whole brand/social media, where he makes custom furniture and sells them. He was sweet, but I couldn't help getting the ick from him and I totally understand he was a mamma's boy, but that was the entire book was him living up to his mom instead of his own thoughts and wants. Granted he did after the 3rd act conflict and it made some sense, but you're in your twenties, grow up.

The religious aspect I think was thrown in because the author needed a reason why the mom didn't approve of Rose, because his ex would have been enough.
There is some OWD, the woman wouldn't take no for an answer and we never got an apology, nothing happens between our MMC (Jason) and her and he doesn't entertain it.
Before I get into the review; gentle reminder: you might enjoy this book more than me so please don't let my review put you off 🙏🏻

I'm so in the middle with this one... this was cute until it wasn't...as much as I'm all for being unfiltered and by "all for" I mean I'm literally the most unfiltered person you could meet in real life😂but there's a fine line between being unfiltered and overdoing it... which unfortunately is what happened here... The amount of sex jokes, the dialogues between the protagonists just felt so forced, I felt as though the author milked this behaviour to the point that I was like OKAY WE GET IT YOU'RE OUTSPOKEN AND PROUD lol 🙆🏼‍♀️

Jason is so sweet but his family drama, the religious mum drama just sucked the fun and cuteness out of the book, topics like this aggravate me ( in fiction books ) they're often portrayed judgemental or overdone in my opinion.. because how many times are we gonna mention your mum doesn't like me??? Don't get me started on the mama's boy who's scared to face his mum??? I didn't even know how I feel about the ending anymore even though I loved the romance plot so much

Rose loves designing wedding dresses, she doesn't trust men and only casual dates. a hurricane is coming and her friend Jason talks her into going to Florida with him, to avoid the hurricane.

Holly Rose's "Follow Your Bliss," the introductory book in the Dream House Girls series, provides a hot and compelling adult contemporary romance with a good dose of comedy and emotion. Although the "dream house" aspect may be an overall series trend, this novel targets intensely on the growing relationship between Rose Guidry and Jason Soniat.

The writing skills of the author are flawless and through her captivating writing style I was engaged throughout the book with without getting bored at all. I could visualise the plot unfolding little by little in front of my eyes. It was a great read for me while drinking a cup of coffee.

Rose, a gifted wedding dress designer who's come back home after her city big dreams didn't quite work out, has the emotional scars of old heartbreak and a strong conviction in staying away from romantic entanglements. Her present assignment creating the wedding party dresses for her old friend brings her face to face with Jason, the bride's brother and Rose's ancient middle school crush.

Jason, a likable and crafty social media do-it-yourselfer, is willing to wade into dating again after a hurtful past relationship. He's also set on earning his mother's seal of approval for his new girlfriend, a potential obstacle since Rose has tarot card readings, tattoos, and professed commitment-phobia.

The chemistry between Rose and Jason is electric from the beginning, sparked by witty repartee and playful flirting. When a hurricane compels them to evacuate jointly, their relationship intensifies quickly and turns into a hot and satisfying romance. Rose is masterful at creating those smoldering moments and the build-up of their physical relationship feels organic within the framework of their growing emotional connection.

But their return home as a couple is not without its challenges. Jason's hesitation to share their relationship with his family sets off Rose's long-standing abandonment fears. The resulting family drama puts their new relationship to the test, making both characters face their past wounds and entrenched habits.

Rose expertly balances the lighthearted and humorous elements of the story with the more vulnerable and emotionally intense paths of her protagonists. The dual-POV enables readers to fully grasp each character's motivations and insecurities, making their ultimate union all the more satisfying. Readers who enjoy the "forced proximity" trope will delight in the hurricane evacuation that ignites their romance, while readers who enjoy "small-town romance" will find the familiar patterns of coming home.
Comparison to Rosie Danan and Tessa Bailey seems appropriate. "Follow Your Bliss" provides much the same mix of hot romance, snappy dialogue, and realistic characters dealing with the messiness of contemporary relationships. The novel is sex-positive and avoids shying away from talking about the characters' lust, providing a fun level of heat.

Overall, "Follow Your Bliss" is a lighthearted and fun beginning to the Dream House Girls series. It's a nicely paced romance with interesting characters, hot chemistry, and a good emotional journey. If you like adult contemporary romance with humor, emotion, and a little spice, you'll definitely want to grab this book. It does a great job of laying the groundwork for what is shaping up to be a charming and interesting series.

This was a fun and cute story! The characters were very likable and real, and I really loved the parents’ role in the book as the older/wiser confidantes. The pacing was really good in the book, and a fun story to follow.

unfortunately this was not the book for me.

our MMC is loveable, with a deep character development because of his struggles with his faith. sometime he’s not a good partner to our FMC, but no one is perfect. the FMC however is very brash and not a very deep character. I couldn’t find her to be likable and i didn’t see why the MMC was so obsessed with her. if you like the insta-love trope and a truly likable MMC, this book is for you!

the story was interesting, but did have some cringy dialogue. overall, i think the story and romance fall too far in the realm of fiction for me to fully enjoy.

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

**Features:**

- Old crush/friends to lovers
- Navigating family drama and past relationship trauma
- Open door romance

**Synopsis:**

The last place Rose imagined she would be when she tried starting her career as a bridal dress designer was back home in New Orleans digging up a now deconsecrated church yard in the middle of the night. Yet that’s where DIYer and influencer Jason, now the owner of said church and yard, finds her. Lucky for Rose, Jason is an old friend and brother to the bride for whom she is currently making a number of dresses and thanks to their strange encounter, she is able to rent out part of the church Jason is converting into a home. Sparks begin to fly, but if Rose and Jason are ever going to truly be together, both will have to break down the walls they built as a result of past relationships.

**Thoughts:**

This was a cute and steamy childhood crush/friends to lovers romance that I found entertaining, but had trouble getting fully invested in. Rose is the fiery, fiercely independent female protagonist while Jason is the patient hunk with a heart of gold. The two have great chemistry on the page and start having lustful thoughts about each other almost immediately. However, because they have a history together, this didn’t really feel like ‘insta-lust’ to me. Despite their chemistry and some pretty spicy moments, both characters have had traumatic relationships that shaped their attitudes towards romance and emotional availability in ways that makes them have to work for a true relationship with each other. I loved how this book depicts this process and their evolution made this feel like an actual partnership.

This story goes back and forth between Rose’s and Jason’s perspectives which made it possible for us to engage with their internal struggles and journey. I found Rose’s perspective a little stronger, but there were some incongruities in the way both characters thought and acted. Additionally, a lot of the interactions that dealt with the characters’ personal struggles felt slightly overdone and ended up stagnating rather than developing in a way that felt authentic. I think this is a lot more obvious in Jason’s case both due to how much he leans on his mother’s opinion and his attempts to reconnect with this faith. I wasn’t expecting to have a character that discussed their faith so much and where it is not an automatic turn off for me, the execution made it awkward. Though I appreciate a story that depicts some of the issues of dating a ‘mother’s boy’, I know this is a big turn off for some readers. Overall, this is a fun read for the right readers and will probably find some fans among those who can truly relate to what the characters are experiencing.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Star Siren Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If an Elsie Silver book and a Lucy Score book had a baby, it would be this book right here

This book was like the perfect Rom-Com. It had me kicking my feet, giggling, and rolling over in laughter. And the banter was SO good.

The characters had so much depth to them that it made you feel connected to them.

The only thing I wasn't hugely fond of was the breakup over something that could have been so easily solved with one simple conversation which is why I gave it 4 stars and not 5.

ACR:
I think some people will really like this book, but I don't think it was for me. It was entertaining, but lacked substance:

The actual premise was cool, because the FMC (Rose) is a wedding dress designer, but is a commitment-phobe; due to her parents getting a divorced and her mom influencing her ideas of men onto her and her sister, which is fairly common and real. I think her character was little to inconsistent at times and I would have loved it if we had more of her getting back into dating journey.

The MMC (Jason) is a artictect and has a whole brand/social media, where he makes custom furniture and sells them. He was sweet, but I couldn't help getting the ick from him and I totally understand he was a mamma's boy, but that was the entire book was him living up to his mom instead of his own thoughts and wants. Granted he did after the 3rd act conflict and it made some sense, but you're in your twenties, grow up.

The religious aspect I think was thrown in because the author needed a reason why the mom didn't approve of Rose, because his ex would have been enough.
There is some OWD, the woman wouldn't take no for an answer and we never got an apology, nothing happens between our MMC (Jason) and her and he doesn't entertain it.

GoodReads: meganerowe
Fable: Megan Rowe
StoryGraph: megan_r1

I'm a sucker for rom coms, and love a "he falls first" trope... but I struggled with this book.

Rose is cute, but her inner dialogue seemed forced outgoing, and like it was a personal challenge to make everything as sexual as she could (and I like my books real spicy).

Jason is sweet but he gave me the ick. His family drama, the religious mama drama sorta ruined the fun and cuteness out of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Holly Rose, and Star Siren Press for the ARC!

3.75/5 stars. i'm giving this a 3.75 but there were definitely moments in the book were in bordered more on a 4, however, at the end of the day it feels more solidly like a 3.75. i had a lot of fun with this, i felt like while it had a lot of traditional romance tropes (roommates, friends with benefits, even a little grumpy x sunshine if you squint), it felt really unique. i really enjoyed both of the main characters, rose's individual character journey was probably my favorite part of the book, and i liked the other non romantic dynamics in the book as well. the only things i didn't really enjoy were more of my own personal preferences rather than stuff i thought was "bad", i kind of thought they got together too early (which i understand completely, as a big part of the main conflict was rose's relationship with commitment and jason's relationship with his family about his relationships), but my own personal preference is for a little more of a slow burn. i also didn't super connect with the religion aspects, even if i understand and respect their place in the story, they just weren't for me. overall, definitely a solid romance read that i would recommend, just wasn't one that totally worked for me.

thank you so much for netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Cute, but the religious drama didn't work for me. Likely someone else's cup of tea.
Thank you Star Siren Press & Holly Rose for this ARC!

I read the first chapter and was worried I would DNF (I was so worried this would be religious propaganda because of the celibacy angle), but by chapter two I was SOLD! This book is so sex positive, super spicy, and so romantic. Can't wait to read more from this author!