Stuck with an hot grumpy stranger, ok that's fine. but man this book was HOT in all the right way possible.

a must for this summer.

I absolutely loved this book!  It had everything I want in a rom-com - humor, heart, amazing characters, and a slow burn romance that had me swooning.  Sharon M. Peterson knocked it out of the park again with her sharp wit and loveable characters.  I'm a huge fan of her writing and this one might just be my new favorite.
The story follows Ellie, a single mom with a string of bad exes, who suddenly inherits half a house and cafe. The twist?  The other half goes to Gil, the grumpy (but ridiculously handsome) grandson of the previous owner.  Ellie and Gil have nothing in common - she wants to stay, he wants to sell - but they are stuck living together for six months if they want to claim their inheritance.  Cue the hilarious tension, flirty notes, and aaallll the chemistry.  
I especially love the thoughtful inclusion of Gil's brother, Mikey, who's an adult with special needs.  His relationship with Gil and Ellie's son Oliver totally melted my heart.  And the way Ellie and Gil slowly opened up to each other?  Chef's kiss! The banter, the tenderness, the healing -  it was all so perfectly done.
This book is funny, sweet,  and packed with emotion.  I laughed, teared up, and I didn't want it to end.  If you love enemies to lovers with forced proximity, small town charm, and meaningful side characters, you need this book in your life.  I love love loved it.

Ok, this makes it official. Sharon M. Peterson joins my list of auto buy authors!! I absolutely loved this book, even more than I loved The Fake Out!

This author knows how to write great characters! They are fun, they have great personalities and have heart! And most importantly, they are not exchangeable, which is especially important in a series of loosely connected books! From the start, I adored Ellie and her son! And Gil was a great addition.

I love the representation of ADHD in this story! And we love a queen who goes to therapy!

The banger was top nodge and I had several laugh out loud moments, which made this even more enjoyable!

And me personally, I really like a slow burn romance and it was refreshing to not be smacked in the face by unnecessary spice!

Highly recommend to everyone who enjoys a great romance!

The story centers around Ellie, Gil, and little Ollie, a trio that felt so vivid and authentic, it was as though I was living alongside them. Their chemistry, individual struggles, and growth were beautifully written, making it genuinely difficult to say goodbye when the last page turned. Even the secondary characters shone brightly, adding warmth, humor, and depth to the story without ever overshadowing the central romance.

Emotionally, this book is a journey. The author manages to blend heartbreak and healing with laugh-out-loud humor so seamlessly that I often found myself in tears—sometimes from sadness, other times from sheer joy. The story doesn’t rely on spice or drama to engage the reader. Instead, it leans into emotional resonance, wit, and heart, making it a standout clean romance that still delivers all the feels.

A particularly charming touch is how each chapter begins with a quote from a child explaining what love means to them. These little gems were not only adorable but also thematically spot-on, reflecting the emotional nuances of the characters’ journeys.

Heart warming and hilarious. Another great laugh out loud romcom from Peterson. Don’t miss out on this one.

This was a really sweet fun one!! Ellie and Gil’s relationship was so silly and fun. I loved him taking care of her and I can so empathize with feeling like you have to do it all. I thought Ollie’s story and how much Ellie grew as a person from him was lovely and the ending made my heart warm. Subtracting one star because I cringed every time Oliver spoke incorrectly. I know he’s a kid but I feel like he switched from talking like a normal kid to talking incorrectly and it grated on me. I also loved Mikey’s story. As someone with a sibling with disabilities it really resonated with me and I thought it was a really sweet plot point in the story. Thank you so much for the ARC!

Enemies to lovers at its best!
If you're in the mood for a lighthearted, feel-good romance with just a wee bit of spice, this book is a perfect pick.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ellie and her son Oliver and Gil seemed to blend into the story so easily.
I was a bit unsure of the quotes at the start of each chapter, I'm not sure they are necessarily and confused me a little but i loved the post it note conversations we got between the main characters!
To wrap the book up i would have loved an epilogue to have a glimpse into the couples future.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Sharon M. Peterson for the ARC in return for my honest review.
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i was grinning that cringing grin all the way through this book and more than once i laughed a little out loud. yes out loud. it was just a gorgeous bright, light and beautiful book. i could put it down even if i wanted to. i just wanted to be enveloped into this books pages and continue right until the end. the only thing is when i came to the end parts i was sad that very soon it would be finished. because this book truly was a little gem.
we are brought to Ellie who is having to start her life over in a small town. she was taken in by a grumpy old man here. so she owes it and him alot. on his death she is given a tue gift though, he has given her his house and his cafe! winnnerrrrrr. oh yeh, there is one small thing though. one tiny teeny thing that she needs to do to have her whole future come true. just the teeny tiny fact that half the house has also gone to his grandson GIlbert. and oooooh they just have to live together for 6 months to get their share. oh no indeed. and this is made harder because Ellie wants to sty and build her life here and he just wants to sell. they dont get on. they dont get on. they dont... hmm alot can change in 6 months. and boy did i love seeing it happen.
there is so much more i could say about this book but i want you to meet all the lovely points fresh and new like i did. you will be rewarded and smiling to when you come across all the special people and special moments in the book.
there is way more emotional depth to this book that you will anticipate going in. not least the story of what happened for Gilbert and his grandfather which had my heart breaking.
every single character held there place to perfection in this book. i adored them and adored this book.

Ellie and Gil’s story was so sweet. Getting to know the background of them both was a lot of fun. The two of them seem like an unlikely pair at first, but their banter and friendship comes together really well.
The slow burn paid off for sure! My only complaint was that the ending felt a bit rushed - even an added epilogue would have helped I think.

If you are looking for a lighthearted, uplifting romance with little spice then this book if for you. I loved the relationship between Ellie and Oliver (he is adorable) and how Gilbert fitted in seamlessly. I adored the short chapters and all of the quotes at the start of each chapter. This book is like cotton candy stuffed into a book - it will cheer you up and make you not want to put the book down. I would have loved to see more about Ellie and Gil in the future but nevertheless this was a truly enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend this book to romance lovers, in particular those who favour lighthearted romances and little spice.

Thank you to net galley, Bookouture, and Sharon M. Peterson for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a fun romance book! I loved the concept and I loved the characters! The romance was so cute and sweet!

Let me tell you… this book was like a warm hug with a cheeky wink. It's the kind of romcom that hits you right in the heart, makes you snort-laugh, and low-key has you kicking your feet under the covers at 2 a.m.

We’ve got:

A single mom trying to hold it all together ✅

A broody, emotionally repressed contractor who’s hot, handy, and hiding a soft side ✅

Forced proximity that’s actually believable ✅

Banter that is top-tier ✅

And a kid who doesn’t feel like a plot device but an actual whole person ✅✅✅

What I loved:
The chemistry? Off the charts but in a slow-burn, “wait, do I actually like you?” kinda way. I adored how their emotional baggage wasn’t brushed aside — it was unpacked, slowly, like an overstuffed suitcase full of regrets and cute inside jokes.

Also, this book nailed the small-town setting. It didn’t feel overly sweet or fake cozy — it felt lived in, flawed, real. Like the coffee shop owner knows your trauma and your usual order.

What I wanted more of:
Okay, I needed the final act to breathe a little longer. The resolution felt a teeny bit rushed after so much delicious build-up. Gimme 10 more pages of post-closure cuddles and confessions, please.

Final thoughts:
If you're into books that feel like a Netflix romcom with emotional depth, spicy chemistry, and small-town healing — The Fix-Up is your next favorite. Sharon M. Peterson is officially on my auto-read list.

📚 Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Especially to fans of Abby Jimenez, Katherine Center, and anyone who believes love can show up exactly when you’re not looking for it.

It was a fun and easy to read romance about two people who initially disliked each other brought together by outside forces, having to share a house for six months. Gil and Ellie, the banter they shared was something I loved, I also enjoyed they way that got to know each other. Ellie's son Oliver was such a delightful addition to the story, i thought his bond with his mum was excellent. This was a joy to read, I loved the ending, which was brilliant.

thank you to Netgalley and Sharon McPherson for the opportunity to read the ARC.

This is a book that made me laugh and cry but still was a book worth of a five stars

We have Ellie Stern, a single mother who is sure that her "man picking" is broken, because every man that she goes on a date ands up being a literal red flag. The man that helped her when she just arrived at the city died and left her the house, but some years later after his death someone comes knocking on the door saying that he is that man's grandkid. Durign the rest of the book we see how Ellie and Gilbert manage all their problems to the point that their "disgust" ends up being something else.

I loved this book, Gilbert was a green flag, when Ellie sayd that she didn't want him in the house because she had a kid he respected that without a second thought and also he started noticing things that she does, helped her with things she couldn't do. And at the end, she saw that not every man is as awful as the ones she met before.

This was a great book. So many times a book is described as a rom-com, but it’s not really funny, just silly. But the dialogue from all the characters was witty and actually funny. I would like to know some of these characters in real life.

She takes a rather hackneyed plot device of a man and a woman who share in a joint inheritance and have different plans for the house and cafe they have inherited. And they have to live together for six months. But it still works out well.

Ellie is a single mother who has had very bad luck with men in her life. But she does have an adorable, sweet son and has rebuilt herself in the small town of Two Harts, Texas. She is rather nasty to Gil when he shows up to share in her inheritance. I wasn’t that fond of her at first but, as she grows to trust Gil and be nicer to him, I warmed up to her and could buy the idea that Gill had fallen for her.And Gil seemed like a real dream of a book boyfriend. I really enjoyed following them to a HEA.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Love comes in many different ways, sometimes it's instantly and sometimes love comes softly.

I'll compare this book to planting a seedling and watching each step until it grows into a beautiful flower.

Gil and Ellie both have issues and past they need to push and work through, just like a seed needs to push through the dirt to one day pop out of the ground. Initially, the tiny plant is vulnerable, but you see its potential and with proper care you watching it grow and then suddenly it's blooming and you're in awe how from one tiny seed you have this beautiful flower. You can enjoy a flowers instant beauty, but there is something extra special and magical about watching it grow every step of the way. This story was like that, magical and powerful and a joy to be there every step of the way.

It's always a delight to read a Sharon Peterson book, and The Fix Up was no different! I have read The Fast Lane(Ali's book) before this and had a knowledge of Two Hearts. Ali's book was fun, but I adored this book about Ellie and Gil! Gah- if you love a strong heroine, single mom and an MMC who is a strong, silent type you will love this book! There is also a little mystery regarding Gil's family and how he came into Ollie's inheritance.

I appreciate the way Sharon's characters feel so genuine and real. She really weaves heart and empathy into these characters and as a nurse, I appreciate some of the medical/caretaking aspects visited in this book!

If you love an emotional, but uplifting romance this is a book for you! Highly recommend! Only thing that could have made it better was an epilogue with Gil, Ellie, Oliver and Mikey!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Such a sweet rom-com story! I started off thinking Ellie was immature and I wasn’t going to like the book, but I really loved both Ellie and Gil (and Oliver and Mikey and Ollie and all the characters!). No spice, just a wholesome book that I couldn’t put down! This was my first book by Sharon M Peterson, but I will be reading all her books soon! I highly recommend this book! 4.75 stars!

Loved it. I really couldn't out it down until it was finished meaning no sleep for this girl!
I enjoyed all the moments, was moved to tears in spots and laughed out loud in others. It was the best opening to a story I've had in awhile and now I forever live with the phrase broken man picker referring to certain people in my life. This book is a journey and I will re travel it again in the future.

Every time I see that Sharon M. Peterson is working on a new book I get excited. She always mangages to write a romance novel that hits everything I want to see in one. There was plenty of yearning between Ellie and Gil, you could feel it on the page. I think the two of them had great chemistry and I loved reading their story. Gil was so sweet with Oliver and that really helped you root for Ellie and Gil's happy ending.
I also loved the writing for this book. I found it to be very funny and an easy read. Exactly what I was looking for after coming home from a long day at work.

Like every Sharon M. Peterson I've read before, I'll be recommeding this to my friends when it's out!