This is the sequel to The Last Lavender Sister, which featured Aster and Brynn. The MCs here are Marigold, Aster’s sister, a dreamer who orbits around her family making sure everyone is taken care of, and Alexis, a food critic who does a hit piece on Aster’s restaurant.

This sets up the conflict in the book, because Marigold hits back, which has repercussions for Alexis’ career. Alexis decides to make amends and returns to the town to stay for awhile and hide out while the furore dies down. Marigold is none too happy to see Alexis and acts out every time they cross paths, so this a full on enemies to lovers trope. They had some chemistry, and were kind of cute together, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by the match.

The problem I had with the book is I didn’t really like Marigold, I know I was supposed to because she’s all sunny and selfless, but she was actually just pretty boring. I did like the family sub-plot, and I enjoyed Brynn and Aster more in this book than in their own.

Alexis was much more interesting, and her family was as opposite from the Lavenders as you could get. Her sister Aspen (was also annoying that three characters had such similar names) is a piece of work, and her mother isn’t much better. She also showed a ton of personal growth throughout, and I liked that she owned her mistakes and was trying to be better.

Given the family circumstances I also didn’t buy the ending, it was too out of character for Marigold for me. This also suffers from the usual problem with Brayden’s books, every character sounds the same. And while in her earlier books the banter was cute, now every character has banter with every other character and it gets old quick.

It’s an ok story, but not one of Brayden’s best.

Love a good ole fashion lust at first sight, then enemies, then lovers storyline when there is actual chemistry and good banter involved. Feel like we get taken on a complete and fun ride.

I was a big fan of the family dynamic of the lavender sisters and it was nice to "see" Aster and Brynn again. And go get them Dad Lavender!

I loved the slow burn romance The Last Lavender Sister and was excited to read the second book in this series which features Marigold Lavender, Aster’s sister. Marigold helps run the family store in Homer’s Bluff with her older sister Violet and pines for the day someone special will come into her life. While she waits for love to find her she excels at helping others. When a food critic picks a bad night to review her sister Aster’s new restaurant, Marigold jumps on social media to defend her sister and the restaurant, slamming the reviewer, Alexis Wakefield as a vindictive, spiteful critic.

Alexis Wakefield loves her job as a food critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. In this age of cancel culture, she is shocked and surprised by the backlash her review receives thanks to some small town nobody’s need to defend her sister’s honour. Let go at the newspaper, Alexis retreats to her mother’s home only to find little sympathy and less support than she expected. What’s a food critic turned pariah supposed to do? Where did she feel the most comfortable before her career came crashing down around her? Strangely enough, Alexis heads back to Homer’s Bluff with her little dog Carrot.

I have mixed feelings about Marigold. On one hand I loved everything about Alexis Wakefield. She is a wonderful enemy in this enemies to lovers romance. Kudos to Ms Brayden, I don’t think I’ve read a better nasty character in this trope. Alexis is drawn so well. Her soft side (her love of Carrot) and her relationship with her family, as difficult as that may be, have shaped the woman who arrives in this tiny Kansas town trying to figure out how to reinvent herself. Alexis is so strong a character that Marigold pales in comparison. She’s nice. She’s friendly and she’s kind. She cares about her family. She’s bland. Even when she gets upset that Alexis had come back to Homer’s Bluff her reactions are muted. I did enjoy the happy moments mixed with the challenges faced by family and friends but felt the overall mood of the book to be one of melancholy.

3.5 stars bumped up to 4 stars for the most excellent Alexis Wakefield.

A copy of this book was received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via Netgalley for review.

This book has 2 main characters Marigold and Alexis. Alexis is a food critic with a large following and she can make or break a restaurant. When Alexis gives Marigold's sister a bad review, Marigold tries everything to make her retract her review.
What Marigold finds is that Alexis is not as awful as she thought. It will take more than sweet talking to get Alexis to give her sister, Aster, a second chance. And what will definitely get a second chance is what happens between Marigold and Alexis.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Melissa Brayden is a machine. Her latest work is an enemies to lovers romance that really hits all the simple truths of this trope. Marigold and Aster have just enough sugar and spice to bring this autumn feeling in full force.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

4.5 stars
‘Marigold’ started a little bit slow for me but I quickly became endeared to the title character; she lives in a little bit of a dreamworld but her love for her family is unbounded and quickly surfaces when a food critic trashes her sister’s restaurant. Alexis is said critic but when Marigold calls her out very publicly for her callous and cruel style, she can’t help but reassess her behaviour and is strangely intrigued by the boldness of Marigold Lavender.
It has been a while since I’ve read an enemies to lover story that pulled me in as much as Brayden’s latest and I enjoyed the banter between the two women. They shamelessly flirt and the chemistry fills the pages and even when you can’t fathom how they could stand to be in the same room as one another, these characters bring out beautiful vulnerabilities that help it all make sense. I loved the Lavender family because each of them have their own well rounded presence and personality to add to Marigold’s story and for that I became far more engaged in the story once it got going.
A gorgeous and delicious sapphic romance in the unmistakable Brayden style.

It was nice revisiting the Lavender Sisters as they are a force to be reckoned with (and the brother too obvi).

In this second book of the series we get Marigold's story. The middle child and only single sister of the siblings. She takes great pride in taking care of everyone as she feels like it's her duty as she doesn't have a family of her own. Not sure if I liked this as it hits a bit close to home at times.

In waltzes Alexis a food critic trying Aster's food. She had a lot to say about it and didn't use her nice words. Hence the drama ensues with Marigold taking to the internet to tell the world how she feels about that.

The enemies-to-lovers trope isn't always easy to execute and while I did enjoy this romance it sometimes felt a bit off with the over-analyzing. The side characters also play a huge part in this book but I guess that's small town fun for ya.

An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

After Marigold Lavender’s announcement she was gay in “The Last Lavender Sister” I was hoping we’d get her story. And here it is! I was also really happy to catch up with Aster and Brynn as I really liked them.

I thought this was a pretty good read. Marigold and Alexis are opposites and this has a bit of an enemies-to-lovers trope, which I love. Alexis is a food critic and writes a pretty vicious article about Aster’s restaurant. Marigold takes offense and makes a video that goes viral and gets Alexis “canceled” and fired from her job. Afterwards, Alexis decides to go back to Homer Bluff (Marigold’s hometown) and lay low for a while and reflect on her career choices.

Marigold and Aster have great chemistry right from the beginning. I really liked how they were with one another and the care they showed for the other. I loved all the family dynamics. We don’t always get to see such loving family support in romance but “Marigold” has it in spades.

My main problem was the whimsical way in which Marigold speaks and goes through life. After a while she started irritating me and it lessened my enjoyment. I also had issue with all the witty banter. I’m good with it when it’s among close friends/relatives but it’s too much when it’s with strangers as well. Everyone has witty banter with everyone here. Alexis would meet someone for the first time and there would be witty banter. I just found it odd and unbelievable, especially with how Alexis is when we first meet her.

My favorite thing was Alexis’ arc. Her development was great and I found it fun to read. Although, how one person with no following can cause someone to be canceled is something that I found to be a bit of a stretch. Regardless, I liked how it opened her eyes to want to makes some changes for a happier life.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cute enemies to lovers queer romance with well fleshed out characters, and I think one of the more understandable conflicts. I liked the inclusion of different types of queer families, small town charm, and a quite normal 'fancying the pants off your partner'. This wasn't my favourite queer romance ever but I really enjoyed it, and the dual perspectives were done well.

Gotta love a sweet and swoony sapphic romance that has ALL the character development, interesting (and hilarious) side characters, and a sausage dog called Carrot. While I was new to the Lavender sisters and the author's work, I didn't feel like I was missing out and it was easy to imagine myself in the lavender farm hanging out with everyone. Will definitely be looking out for the author's other books!

Both a fish out of water and an enemy to friend storyline, Alexis comes from San Francisco to review a restaurant in a small rural community in Kansas, it does not go well but she meets Marigold, who is then so incensed by Alexis's review that she posts a video which 'cancels' her. I quite enjoyed the side story of the cancellation, which had some interesting reflections on the role of critics. The story was engaging and the characters well written, there is a small town folksyness to this book which didn't always translate well for me, based in the UK, otherwise an enjoyable read with lovely family dynamics.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Another great story in the lives of the Lavender family. This is a stand-alone book but I would recommend the other just to expand time with this family and their hometown. Ms. Brayden gives us the arc of Marigold, the always giving sister without much fuss for herself. Then we have Alexis stepping into the restaurant ready to give a review that let's just say doesn't go over well with Marigold.

The story moves along so well, you feel like you are there watching this enemies to lovers tale fold out before you like a 10 course meal. Ms. Brayden brings out just about every emotion from the reader, I was laughing, crying, cheering and cruising these MCs but in the end I just wanted them to fall in love....no spoilers

Not sure it there will be anymore tales from Homer's Bluff, but I would definitely visit there again if Ms. Brayden makes it so.

Thank you BSB and NetGalley for the ARC

‘Marigold’ is a wonderful, touching lesbian romance. I cannot get enough of Melissa Brayden’s stories: they have everything I love about romance books.

Marigold Lavender and Alexis Wakefield have a classic meet-disaster, which acts as the impetus for them both to reassess their lives. They spend more and more time together in the small town Marigold and her family live in, a big change from Alexis’ home of San Francisco.

I loved following Alexis’ trajectory, as she makes true connections with Marigold and the whole Lavender family, and also with herself and what she wants. Brayden’s books always contain the best emotional journeys for the main characters and this is no exception.

‘Marigold’ is a story full of family, grief, love, dreams, and dogs. Also, the cover is utterly gorgeous.

This was my favorite Melissa Brayden book in quite some time. We've already met the Lavender family and have come to love the Lavender sisters, but I think Marigold has been my favorite so far. She's sweet, she's funny, and she puts her family's needs above her own at all costs. She's uber-protective of her sisters, which is how this story rolls out. A social influencer trashes her sister's restaurant, and Marigold takes it upon herself to settle the score. The only problem is, she's intensely attracted to the enemy.

Brayden has shown a lot of restraint in her writing this time around. There's more substance than cuteness, but that's not to say that there aren't some of those moments for readers who love them. I personally could have done without the cutesy names of the donut flavors, and the silly exclamations, but truth be told, that's Brayden's thing and there's certainly an audience for it.

This was definitely a book that I looked forward to picking up again and again.

We met Aster in The Lavender Sister and Marigold was such a character that I’m glad MS Brayden indulged us with Marigolds own story. The book starts out as a big-time food critic is coming to review Asters restaurant Marilyn’s. Just before Alexis get to the restaurant Asters fiancé Brynn goes into labor and Aster must leave giving the reigns to her sous chef. The critique did not go well. Alexis not only said the food was bad but was very harsh. Marigold in turn sent off a video to social media of what a horrible person Alexis was. Everyone gets an opinion, but the nastiness didn’t need to be there. Alexis followers turned on her and she was fired. Alexis and her dog Carrot end up going back to the scene of the crime Homer’s Bluff to do some soul searching. Melissa Brayden is the Queen of sexy banter. The conversations are always witty, fun and flirty. How she brings these two together and the chemistry is off the chart. You will love this book.

The Last Lavender Sister is a favourite, maybe because Aster is so different from most of Melissa Brayden’s characters and yet she’s just as wonderful. With Marigold, starring another Lavender sister, Brayden goes back to tried and sure, with a twist. The first third of the book is all bright and peppy, all technicolor glory. A bit exhausting, to be honest. There’s more to Marigold (both the character and the book) than meets the eye, however.

Marigold Lavender is quick to rise in defence of the people she loves and she does exactly that when an out-of-town food critic publishes a less-than-kind review of her sister Aster’s restaurant. Alexis Wakefield has made a name for herself, away from her Hollywood-famous sister Aspen (if the name sounds familiar, you’re not wrong), with her witty and sometimes downright snarky eatery reviews. When Marigold’s video goes viral and Alexis loses her column, she goes back to the scene of the crime for reasons she can’t really explain even to herself. Homer’s Bluff feels safe and she needs safe to figure out her life.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers romance where lust gives way to big feelings neither MC knows how to navigate? Then, just when you think this book is the perfect summer read, light and breezy, Brayden hits you with potential tragedy. Not only does worry about a well-loved character appear but the MCs start showing their layers of vulnerability and uncertainty and the technicolor world begins crumbling into a much more relatable story. Feelings everywhere. And in the end, once again, Brayden gives us endearing characters to root for and a heartwarming HEA to brighten the day.

Also, Carrot is such a great name for a dog (and what is it about Melissa Brayden and carrots?).

“Marigold straightened, ready to go to battle with this overly attractive human surely carved from Satan's personal soap. Alexis was sent to Earth to torment her.”

It’s difficult to find true enemies to lovers in real-life romances. Usually it’s more like rivals or vague dislike of each other. Marigold, however, gave me the true real-life enemies to lovers that I’ve been wanting!

This book was sweet, sad, sweet again, and incredibly hopeful. I loved Alexis’ growth as she realizes she doesn’t need the cruel persona she’s crafted online to survive and how she finally gets that feeling of belonging and embracing love with the Lavender family. Marigold had to make some hard choices as well, especially towards the end and it really showed her bravery to accept that she deserved good things. And of course the 🌶️🌶️ was top tier as always!

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this arc 🍩💐

Melissa Brayden does it again with Marigold! I never have trouble losing myself in one of Brayden's novels, and I'm especially fond of the Lavender sisters and their charming community.

Marigold has the weight of her family on her shoulders, and has stepped into the role of caregiver after her mom's passing. She has to go through quite a bit of soul searching to find her happily ever after, but she gets there by the end.

I really enjoyed the arc of Alexis' tale, this lady has quite a journey to make. Between her career and her unsupportive family, Alexis has to dig deep to find the strength to make the changes she needs to find her best life.

Melissa Brayden's books always paint such a vivid picture of life and love. What a pleasure!

Similarly to The Last Lavender Sister, I particularly liked the first half of this novel. Marigold and Alexis had sparks flying from the get go, and I loved the premise of their meeting, as well as Alexis' downfall. However, it then felt as though it lost its spark a bit - particularly with Marigold's character. She had little growth, so she felt underdeveloped. Meanwhile, Alexis had so much development, particularly with her job and her relationships.

Overall, Marigold is a sweet romance. For me, I enjoyed reading this novel mainly for Alexis' story of redemption.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The second book in lavender series centered around Aster's older sister Marigold. Marigold finds herself in a verbal back-and-forth with famous food critic Alexis following a brutal review of Aster's restaurant Marilyn, while battling a budding attraction. The story was fresh, fun, and light on the angst which I appreciate. Enjoyable read!