[Thanks to NetGalley & the author for providing me with this ARC]

This book definitely is the right choice when you’re in the mood to treat yourself to a nice, uncomplicated story that flies by. It did have a hallmark feeling to it so if you’re not into cliches and predictability then this one is not for you.
For a short feel good romance the characters where surprisingly well fleshed out and I enjoyed the different communication styles between them.
While I didn’t connect with any of the characters on a deeper level, or the book in general, I definitely still enjoyed the story.

Disclaimer: The ARC was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The ARC category in no way impacts the rating of the book. All of my reviews contain my honest opinions.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Sy is a chef/cheese maker who moves to the small town of Bennington where she meets Maddie. Maddie is a hometown girl who is into construction. The two of them hit it off pretty quickly and I was so here for it all.


I like the slight slow burn between them even with the third act conflict which wasn’t really that much if any at all


All in all it was a fun read

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This story had elements I usually like, I’m a sucker for books that include renovations, and I like reading about MCs with interesting careers not usually seen in lesfic (cheese maker ), and while this started off well, the ending was not as strong.

The MCs are Sy, a Latino chef who has moved to a rural town to work on a goat farm and make cheese. She’s also, for inexplicable reasons, bought a house sight unseen, and the house requires serious work. Enter Maddie, a contractor from a local family business who is also the BFF of the owner of the goat farm. Maddie is also one of three queer siblings, including her younger sister Logan and her trans brother Jack, and Maddie’s BFF Clover is also poly, so there’s plenty of diversity.

Maddie and I both think Sy is an idiot for buying a rundown property without checking it out properly, and having no idea how much it will cost to fix it. Since Sy wasn’t expecting the property to be so bad, Maddie suggests that she save costs by doing some of the renovations herself; hence, the ‘sweat equity’ title.

This sets the MCs up to spend lots of time together since Maddie has to show Sy what she needs to do. They’re also mutually attracted and don’t fight that for long. The banter between them is sweet, and I enjoyed the first half of the book.

I also liked that they discuss safe sex before jumping into bed, but I found myself skimming through a lot of the second half, mostly due to the sex scenes, since I’m not a fan of scenes with strap ons, and they featured a lot here.

Both MCs also have some family stuff come up, and I found the stuff with Sy’s Dad a bit much, while Maddie’s remained unresolved. There’s a bit of drama at the end, but it’s not a full breakup like normal in lesfic, so points for that. But then the book just kind of ends. I know this is book one in a series, so some stuff will continue in the next book, but it was still weird.

I’d probably give the first half 4 stars and the second half 3 stars, so we’ll call it 3.5.

I enjoyed this book. I loved both Sy and Maddie enough that I was willing there not to be the 80% fallout!! And there wasn’t, not really! I loved the idea of cheese making and falling for someone so hard that you decide to make a business of it, I lived Maddie’s family and I liked the renovation part - although it seemed to be completed very quickly!!!
The only thing i didn’t lové was the ending- I wanted more. It felt rushed and not quite complete.

**Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in return for an honest review.**

I'm sad that I didn't like this book more. Everything about it just felt average. I was cringing at line and really didn't feel any sort of connection with the characters. I still don't regret reading it though. Just overall very average of a read.

2.5 / 5 stars. i am always interested in a burned out character finding passion again, but i feel like a lot of what transpired in the book fell flat to me. i ended up skimming a majority of it. the spice in the book was okay, nothing to ride home about and some of the dialogue made me visibly cringe. the writing was okay, the dialogue could use some work, i just found the story to be uninspired in the end.

This story covers my 2 favorite things. Food and construction. Sy is hired to put a small-town cheese maker on the map. She buys a house sight unseen and regrets it. The house is a mess but her bosses best friend Maddie is a contractor and brings the price down if Sy helps with the work. As they spend time together, they find a attraction that neither can resist. This is a lovely romance with a lot of love and laughter. What an
enjoyable read.

Sweat Equity really surprised me with it’s story line that was both passionate but also included self growth and discovery. Both main characters have different struggles to overcome yet in tackling their issues they only grow together, which was a nice touch to the relationship dynamic and proved believable. The characters were very well developed and didn’t feel like fake people. The relationship progressed at a slower pace that was more relatable.
This book was lower in angst than a traditional romance and it was a nice break. There were some financial or ‘how did that work out’ questions I had for the resolution of the issues but at the end of the day I guess it’s ‘book magic’ and I was okay with it.
When I finished thee book, it felt like it was destined to be a series, which I hope happens.

Maddie's BFF has hired a new cheesemaker for her business and she can't wait to meet this person. Not only because she will work closely with Clover but also because Sy bought a house before even seeing it. As a contractor Maddie doesn't mind taking on the task of making the house a home for Sy but she hopes they won't butt heads in the proces.

This was a sweet instant attraction romance where both Sy and Maddie play it down to casual dating despite both falling hard for each other. I felt something missing in the story to pull me in more. I enjoyed their journey, but when I put the book down I wasn't wondering how their journey would continue. I was a good read but not an addictive read which is fine.

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

This book was good, and had the makings of something great. I think it definitely could have been improved by another round or two of editing. There were no issues exactly, but there were quite a few moments that felt clunky or odd sprinkled throughout the book, enough that they actually pulled me out a bit.
Early on I found myself frustrated by the characterizations. We were told, several times what the characters were like without actually seeing any depth to them early on. I'm aware that character development takes time but the main characters felt pretty flat for about the first third of the book, meaning it took until about halfway through for me to really care about anything happening to them.
I found the sex scenes awkward to read, and the second one in particular was bad enough that I started skimming it. That being said, I did appreciate a frank discussion about consent and safety being on the page in a way that felt true to the characters. It feels like we don't see much of that so it was nice to see it written on the page, and in a way that kept the mood going for the characters.
Ultimately this wasn't a bad book, but I don't think it was as special as it could have been and I'm not 100% sure why.

<b>Heat Factor</b>: Detailed lesbian dildo play

<b>Character Chemistry</b>: Immediate attraction becomes a relationship that we’re pretending is less serious than it is

<b>Plot</b>: Just vibes

<b>Overall</b>: This was well-executed for the type of story it is, but I think this type of story is not actually my jam

I’m going to say this straight out: I almost DNFed this book when I got about a third into it and couldn’t tell what the conflict was going to be. The nice lesbians were lusting after each other and not doing much about it, but there didn’t seem to be any reason they couldn’t be together. But, I didn’t feel much like reading anything else either, so I stuck with it, and things did pick up a bit once they started sleeping together. There still wasn’t much of a conflict though; this is one of those slice-of-life contemporary romances where people have some flaws and make mistakes but also work on communicating and being kind to each other and slowly work their way into being in a relationship. And I think I need to stop reading them, because I prefer some bonkers with my romance, thanks. Or at least an external plot.

Given that big ole caveat that I’m not quite the right audience for this book, it was decently executed. Here are the deets.

Sy moves to a small town in Vermont to become a cheesemaker. (Honestly, #goals.) Because she needs a place to live, she buys a house sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a major fixer-upper. (Understatement.) Maddie is a general contractor and best friends with Sy’s new boss. To make sure Sy stays in town, Maddie teaches Sy how to do some contractor-y stuff, so Sy can DIY part of the house renovation. I guess she’s the nicest contractor ever.

Given the set up, we get a lot of them spending time together doing DIY projects. Of course, we can’t just paint the cabinets, we also have to go to a kitchen auction to get a new stove, which naturally means that we should go out to dinner afterwards…In other words, the intimacy builds slowly and naturally between the leads. They do a lot of doing their best to communicate their feelings, which I generally liked, though some of the check-ins around sex seemed like overkill. (Saying “I’m going to ravish you!” is not that kinky. Sorry, not sorry.) And while there’s a minor third-act break-up based on stupidity and miscommunication, it’s not drawn out thanks to secondary characters quickly staging an intervention to address said stupidity.

I have another admission to make: I might have been more invested in the Sy’s mom’s relationship with Sy’s estranged dad than I was with Sy and Maddie, because give me a second-chance romance with 50-year-olds who were star-crossed lovers in high school any day of the week. Talk about drama and actual impediments to overcome!

Anyways, if you like a calm romance between people who are just trying their best to be nice to each other (but also play with dildos sometimes), you might enjoy this. For me, I’m gonna go find a bodice ripper with some serious ravaging.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

This was cute and unpredictable. I loved all of the characters, and the little town it was set in felt so real! I even learned some things about home renovation B)

This book is cute but not for me. I suspect plenty of people will enjoy it, but it was too corny for me. Both characters are nice and sweet together, but I wanted more tension and chemistry.

Short summary: Sy moves to Vermont for a job making cheese. Little does she expect the contractor who shows up at her dilapidated house to be so darn attractive.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a fan of Aurora Rey, and I have been for many years now. Always look forward to reading another one of her books.
Sweat Equity is another fab book, the characters are realistic, the story is believable and has little angst. It's a sweet romance, family-orientated with family humour. It's a lovely story.

4 out of 5

🏹📙 ARC REVIEW 

🌼 SWEAT EQUITY – AURORA REY 🌼

☆☆☆/5 
🌶🌶/5 

weird title for a very basic story. 

Sy bought her house without seeing it and could potentially regret it as it's falling apart but here comes Maddie, contractor and ready to fall in love with the house and its owner. 

I'd suggest this book if you're looking to pass the time and be entertained without getting caught up in tension or drama. It features well-developed characters and a pleasant setting. However, the plot lacks substance as the main characters meet, are attracted to each other, and little else unfolds throughout the majority of the book. While they form a relationship and profess their love, the story lacks depth.

i skipped some chapters here and there because it was not moving at all and the story still felt easy to follow and understand

This is the second book from this author that I’ve read and ultimately did not finish. There is nothing in particular that I didn’t like, the writing was fine, the dialogue was fine. It was all just very…meh.

The story just didn’t grab me, the characterization felt pretty surface level and the chemistry was lackluster. I did skip ahead to see if the chemistry built but there was some cringe dialogue during a sex scene that I just couldn’t enjoy. Unfortunately this was a dnf for me.

Really good book. The relationship between Sy and Maddie was slow and steady with quite a bit of heat thrown in. There's some really hilarious moments and sweet moments as well. The relationship between these two is an ongoing one that seems to progress on a slower pace to happily ever after. I feel this book is part of a series and I look forward to the next one. I would definitely recommend this author to my friends and family.

Maddie’s best friend and goat-farm owner, Clover, has hired Sy Travino to come work for her as a cheese maker. Sy bought her first ever house sans house inspection and has never seen snow in her life. And the reason Clover is telling Maddie all this is not just to share the gossip, but in hopes that Maddie can help Sy with repairs and upgrades to her house. Maddie needs the money, Sy needs a house to have a roof that won’t collapse on her head (and a winter coat, and snow tires, and a shovel!) and, more than that, Sy needs a friend.

Having left the restaurant life in LA for the quieter, though in some ways harder life of being a cheese maker, Sy is starting over. She has no bed, no couch, no oven to cook on. Just an air mattress in her car, a house that needs so many repairs — so many expensive repairs — and her confidence. Lucky for Sy, Maddie takes a small bit of pity on her and offers to teach her to do some things for herself to help offset the costs. Like demolition, laying tile, painting … all with some hands on teaching.

This is the first book in the Renovation Romance series and is a cozy slice of life involving a contractor, a cheese maker, and a cat. There are Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas trees, and a lot of sex. Sy and Maddie hit it off from the beginning, and they’re off into dates and flirting from day one. By the end of the book, not much has happened save Sy’s house is finished and she has a working stove.

Maddie likes being in control, likes having everything in its proper place, likes knowing all the answers. Her last romance left her with a bad taste in her mouth, but it doesn’t stop her when it comes to flirting with Sy the first time they meet. It does, however, cause her to be slower to trust her own feelings, slower to call what they’re doing dating — let alone using the “girlfriend” label — and reluctant to talk about feelings when they could be having sex, instead. Maddie uses sex to distract Sy more than once, and Sy falls for it time and again, yielding to Maddie’s preferences and opinions.

That’s not to say Sy is a pushover. She’s just not in a hurry. Sy is patient, centered, and thoughtful. When new events happen — such as her mother meeting someone — Sy tells her that she needs a little time to figure out what she’s feeling. That she’s not angry or upset, she just needs to digest the information so she can focus on her mother’s happiness and how that makes her happy. Sy is honest with her feelings, more willing to talk things out, and just as willing to give Maddie the space she needs.

There isn’t really a larger plot to this book. No action scenes, no drama or angst or evil rivals threatening to kidnap baby goats (I couldn’t help the pun). It’s just two women becoming friends, becoming lovers, and being happy. The writing is fine, the pace is a little on the slow side — languidly drifting through the seasons without any seeming need to actually get anywhere — and the characters are pleasant enough. Personally, this book wasn’t quite to my taste, as I did want something more to happen, some tension between the characters, but that’s not what this book is. This book is … well, cozy.

If you want a cozy read with fall leaves and snow and sapphire spice, give this book a try.

So Sweet

Sy has hung up her chef hat to be a cheese maker instead but the house she has bought needs a lot of work to be somewhere she can call home. Local renovator, Maddie steps into help, especially since her best friend just happens to be Sy’s new boss. Working together to get the job done without breaking Sy’s budget, the two of them realise they don’t just make a good working team.

As always, Aurora has delivered a story packed with amazing chemistry, imagery to capture your imagination, and a scenario so good you end up fully immersed in the story and budding romance. I really loved how there was a little tension in the beginning between Maddie and Sy, but how quickly they came together to achieve amazing things and support one another through new and exciting, and challenging times. They had a lot of fun together, especially because renovation jobs really do provide those opportunities.

There was a good balance of drama throughout the story though. Maddie was dealing with personal issues relating to their family business that meant she was sometimes pre-occupied. Sy really became that support, just someone to listen and be there, rather than trying to solve everything and I was so glad she had someone.

I really enjoyed the story and hope there will be more from Sy and Maddie in future, as I’m excited to know what it holds for them.

This is a beautiful well written romance. The main characters Sy and Maddie were great and relatable. I enjoyed it a lot. I recommend. Well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.