This book was read thanks to NetGalley.

I LOVED THIS BOOK, THE STRONG BUT CRAZY IN LOVE MEN ARE MY FAVORITES AND THIS IS THE CASE WITH HIM AND I LOVED HOW HE PERFECTLY FITS HERE. IT HAS FAKE MARRIAGE TROPE AND I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IT HAS LOVE AND LAUGHS AND EVERYTHING

Emma St. Clair does it again! I fell in love with her funny banter with the Love Tropes series, but The Buy-In might be my new favorite book of hers. Marriage of convenience is such a fun trope and I felt like it was done seamlessly in The Buy-In. It was believable, the chemistry was there and I was here for every second of it.

I loved Pat. Like loved him SO MUCH! Despite his manly and muscular football appearance, he is a true hopeless romantic at heart. While his brothers find his life of restlessness annoying and impulsive, I loved that he was all-in as soon as he stepped foot in Sheet Cake. Pat is gentle and caring, especially when it comes to Lindy and Jo and I loved seeing a hero that was not only a dreamer, but also emotional. His acts of love had me swooning. The ADHD rep was spot on with his character.

Goodness, I just wanted to give Lindy a hug. Her backstory is incredibly heartbreaking. Poor girl has the world on her shoulders and is doing the best she can. Her fight to maintain custody of her niece Jo had me in my emotions throughout the entire book. Despite having the odds stacked against her, Lindy is such a fierce heroine, but has high defenses and hardened walls. Yet she makes Pat want to settle down and plant roots, even though she has a fear of being left (again).

Sweet, precocious Jo had my heart from her first appearance. Her character brought the comic relief, but also the heart of the story. Add to it the supporting cast of the residents of Sheet Cake and I cannot wait to see where this story goes next. St. Clair did an amazing job of world building and I can already tell that the next book is going to be just as good as this one.

The Buy-In is a marriage of convenience, second chance close door romance that brings witty humor packed full of emotions in between. The pop culture references were spot on and had me laughing the entire book. A huge thanks to the author for an advanced copy!

Excellent! Characters are flawed, funny, and relatable. Loved all the scrapes they got into -- the situations were hilarious, but somehow still totally believable. Great chemistry between Pat and Lindy, I was definitely rooting for them! In the last third of the book, the internal monologues got to be a little much for my personal preferences, but still very enjoyable.

In this new novel by Emma St. Clair, we see Theodore "Think Tank" Graham, retired football player buy a town in Texas to make over with his grown children, including former NFL player, Pat Graham. But this isn't just any town. It's Sheet Cake, Texas, home of the Annual Sheet Cake Festival, and Pat's former flame, Lindy. Pat is determined to win her back--and convince his brothers and sister to help transform the town.

While this novel requires an immense suspension of disbelief, its whacky antics and unexpected turns made me laugh out loud at times, and the book was a joy to read from start to finish. It sucked me in from the very first page and was immensely binge-able. With equally interesting side characters, I am already looking forward to the next book in this new spin-off series!

Thanks to the author for my eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

#thebuyin #netgalley

Emma St. Clair is a master at romantic comedies! She does it again with The Buy In, I loved reading this fresh storyline. It was fun, witty, silly, and of course full of romance.

my first emma st clair book and oh my gosh im in love. i loved the story and the ADHD rep. i wish it wasnt as strung out and repetitive as it was but it is so good!!!

"Dad, you can't just Schitt's Creek a town."

It all picks up with Sheet Cake, Texas. And a romance that had an abrupt end 5 years earlier. Dreams died and were made smaller. Tragedy struck Lindy's mom and her sister Rachel skipped out on her responsibilities.

This story was cute and sweet, stressful and frustrating. At times it felt a little repetitive and strung out. Lindy has abandonment and trust issues, and Pat has terrible timing. But together they equal more than when they are apart.

What got to me was the capital words to emphasize them. It's SUPER annoying. I should have started counting at the VERY BEGINNING! I took off an ENTIRE star because of it.

Point made. But cute book. I'll even give the next one a read if I'm lucky enough to score an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. The above review is my own.

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first Emma St. Clair book and it definitely won’t be the last. This book is definitely a rom com and a second chance at love. With depth and some quiet characters. It had me cracking up all the way through especially during the grill incident lmao. I loved Pat and his family and their relationship with each other. Especially with his dad Tank! I also loved Pat and Lindy’s relationship. I am so happy for the happy ending! Can’t wait to read the second book of the series. Thank you NetGalley and Emma St. Clair for giving me a chance to read this book!

I am obsessed with anything this author writes. This romcom did not disappoint! In fact it’s now one of my favs of hers. Loved the main characters, the small town feel and the comedy.

I am a sucker for romcoms and this was no exception. Someone please sign me up for the next flight to sheet cake, texas!

From the main couple’s storyline to the added commentary of the people of sheet cake, this was such a fun read. I haven’t read that many small town romances so this was something new and I found myself loving it!

You have a second chance romance, marriage of convenience and the best side characters ever.. how can you not be in love with this book?

so excited to see the stories of the future characters expanded!

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙞𝙥. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙—𝙢𝙖𝙣-𝙣𝙞𝙥? 𝙀𝙬. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙣𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮.

★ ★ ★ ★.5

I adore this book. It’s one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. I had a huge, giddy smile on my face the majority of the time I was reading this.

Pat is now my new book boyfriend and it’s going to take a lot to knock him off that top spot. He is honestly perfect.

Firstly, Pat loves romance shows. Need I say more? He also does the most adorable giggle (well, it’s adorable in my head) when he’s nervous. It makes we want to reach through the book and squeeze him.

I’d say Lindy’s character was fine. There wasn’t anything particularly special about her. However, I did appreciate how strong she was. She had a lot of things she was dealing with and she handled it all so well.

My favourite thing about this book was the mental health representation - Pat had ADHD. I feel like the author handled it so respectfully. It wasn’t done just to tick a box but rather it actually played a part in the story. It also taught me a lot about the condition aswell which makes me really respect the author. As a mental health sufferer myself I always think it’s important to raise more awareness around mental health conditions.

I was addicted to this book from the very first chapter and if I didn’t have to face the real world (essays…you suck) then I would have finished this in a day. I highly recommended you go read this book right now.

✦ Tropes included: second-chance romance, single parent, marriage of convenience

3.5/5 stars

This book is very sweet small town romance just as the cover suggests! I had no idea it was a closed door romance, but it is!

This is my first time reading a book by this author and the first thing I noticed is how much voice there is throughout the book. Does that make sense? Like I can picture the tones of their voices and stuff based on the writing. Anyways, the dialogue was my favourite part of the book, the banter was really fun! I've been enjoying small town romances more lately too.

I'm beginning to see a pattern of my preferences, and it's that I'm not a fan of stubborn characters. Lindy is a very independent character that is in need of help, but doesn't ask for it. With a marriage of convenience to Pat, her ex-boyfriend that she never got over, she still has trouble accepting his help. I get that, but to a certain extent. It took a long time getting into this book fir her to finally let her guard down and let Pat in. Again, this is totally a me thing!!

Either way, I am very intrigued to read about Winnie and James in the next book. James is a grumpy grump and Winnie's boss, and I'm very here for it!😍

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the earc in return for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. I fell in love with the characters and their friends and family. I'm so excited this is a series because I can't wait to read more. I found this book laugh out loud funny and I was rooting for the main characters the whole way through. This book is a must-read for Romance readers!

Have you ever read a story that you wish you could live in? Yeah that was this book for me, I didn't want it to end but at the same time I couldn't put it down. It was such a light, fun read for me; I enjoyed every second of this adorable story. This story is a dual-POV following Lindy's very comlpicated life and Pat's, the ex football player that broke Lindy's heart. To both of their surprises Pat's father, Tank, buys the town that Lindy lives in. After Pat makes an alarming visit into Lindy's life she is unsure of what to do, proceed and follow her heart or keep her walls up because she now not only has to protect her own heart but also her niece's, Jo. This book is by far one of the best rom-coms I have read, I cried, I laughed, and most importantly I fell in love. I cannot wait to read the next book to know about Pat's brother, James.

Initially, I got hooked with the book's synopsis (esp the mention of Schitt's Creek) and I must say consider me surprised for really liking it!

We have sweet, second chance romance. Romantic comedy. Marriage of convenience. Small town with a nosy internet community. Redeeming hero. What else could I ask for?

Pat's father bought a small-town named Sheet Cake. Coincidentally, it is also the town where his college beau, Lindy, is from. Upon seeing her again, Pat is set to win her back, Sheeters be damned.

I love the fact that our couple dealt with their issues of the past earlier in the story. While there's still doubts, especially from the heroine, her issues were written in a way the reader is able to relate with her. Their romance was so sweet, it didn't need to have any steamy scenes to make it better.

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.Thank you NetGalley for the oppurtunity.

Am I the only one who was expecting there to be a lot more poker in this story considering the title and cover? 🤷‍♀️😅

I loved revisiting the Graham brothers whom I fell in love with when I read Harper’s story in the Love Cliche series (which was my favorite in that series, btw). And I loved the cameos of other characters we saw in that series as well. The family dynamics of the Graham’s were some of my favorite scenes and can i just say that I wish Tank were my dad?
A satisfying start to a new series and it will be interesting to see what hijinx continues to happen to the new and old Sheeters.

Schitt's Creek but cut out the loss of fortune and make it a quirky rom com? I was absolutely hooked. The story starts by living up the the quirky promise of the description. Pat finds out the small town his father purchased is home of "the one that got away", he then launches into a crusade (a poor one) to try to earn her forgiveness. He soon finds out she is in the middle of a custody battle and one of her weaknesses in her application is being a single parent, queue marriage of convince trope.

Pat is both charming and funny, he's does come off as too perfect until you remember that his impulsivity is his worst trait, it just happens to work out for him in this story.

I wasn't a huge Lindy fan. She's okay, but even with the Jo story line she come off as selfish. The good news is the rest of the books in the series follow the brothers so hopefully we see less of her and more the Graham brothers.

The story
Lindy lives in the small town of Sheet Cake in Texas. She is a freelance writer who is the caregiver to her 5 year old niece Jo. Her mom has dementia and Lindy had to move her to a home. When former pro footballer Patrick Graham, who Lindy dated in the final throes of college, appears in town after his father has practically bought the town, things are re-kindled. But Lindy struggles to trust Patrick after he left without a goodbye before. And Patrick wants to prove to Lindy that he can stay the course. Can they make it work the second time around?

My thoughts
When I discovered that this book connects to another book of the author’s (Falling for Your Best Friend) where the main character is Patrick’s sister Harper, I decided to first read that story before this one. I am glad I did, although it wouldn’t have been essential. I found myself smiling at a few parts of this story, the banter and witty discussion that takes place between Lindy and Patrick is just so sweet! I was really impressed that Patrick kept at trying to prove his love for Lindy, never giving up on her. The dual POV improves the story, and gives depth to the feelings of both characters. A great, entertaining read! Thumbs up 👍 from me!

Patrick Graham is surprised when is father tells him he has bought a TOWN, but as soon as he hears the name of the town he realizes that is where Lindy lives - the one that got away. Five years ago they had a short relationship - supposed to be temporary because both had places to go - and Pat blew it by leaving without saying goodbye. He has always regretted it.

Lindy was supposed to travel the world five years ago but then her sister abandoned her newborn and Lindy has been taking care of little Jo ever since. When her sister suddenly sues for custody she is desperate to find a solution. And that solution comes in the form of a fake marriage to Pat, who just wants another chance.

I really liked the story and the different characters. Pat and his family, Lindy and adorable little Jo, the townspeople. The Neighborly App, loved it. I just sometimes thought the story dragged a little and the big climax of the book was a bit of an anti-climax. But overall a very enjoyable, feel-good story. Also very clean, no hot bedroom scenes :-)

"'You are my solid ground. My place of rest. My forever home.' 'That sounds a little like a description of a grave.'"

The Buy-In was my first Emma St. Clair but you can bet it won't be my last. When Pat's dad, Tank, buys the small town where his ex, Lindy lives, Pat's determined to win her back. One way to do so is a marriage of convenience to prove that Lindy is the right person to care for Jo, her 5-year-old niece.

Okay, first up, Pat is a total cinnamon roll hero. Like the definition of it. He's sweet, charming, kind and compassionate rolled into one pretty package. Prepare for all the swoon-worthy moments from both sides. He and Lindy had amazing chemistry and I loved the tension between them. Lindy was also such a strong-willed character and the perfect match for Pat.

"Could the man be any more irresistible? It's like he's completely composed of the human equivalent of catnip."

I also adored the small town of Sheet Cake and the book's supporting characters. Lindy had the most supportive best friends ever, Jo was the cutest kid ever and Tank may be the coolest father figure in any book ever.

For me, this was a true romantic comedy with witty banter and funny moments sprinkled throughout. I really liked St. Clair's writing style and I'll be going back for more. Specifically, I cannot WAIT for grumpy James's story. I need it now 😅.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.