✨Book Review: Rocky Road by Becky Wade✨

I received this book as an arc reader from Net Galley! The synopsis of this book is what made me want to request it! I expected a lot more mystery from the story that was was there, I found the main plot to be quite underdeveloped! I did like the banter and scenes between Jude and Gemma, but there was storylines of side characters which I didn’t find added to the story and ended up confusing me more than anything, especially as the book was in third POV! I feel like the idea of the book could have been executed a lot better than it was but I am still hoping to read more from this author in the future! Rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️

4 stars out of 5.

I really enjoyed reading Gemma and Judes story and I think I liked this book a little more than the first in the series. The story was very charming and I really enjoyed getting to know Gemma and Jude plus we got to see all the other characters from the first book. Overall, the story flowed pretty well but I did find it dragging on a little bit in the middle. If you are a fan of mystery and romance this book is for you. I am excited to read the 3rd book in the series where we get Max's story and more from Fiona.

In Rocky Road, we met Jude, who is an FBI agent. The FBI is working to take down a man named Cedric for various crimes. Gemma is Cedric's cousin, who Jude convinces to help take him down. Jude will pretend to be Gemma's boyfriend in order to get close to Cedric. The FBI has strict rules about romances between agents and informants, is Jude willing to risk his job over it?

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another wonderful romance from Becky Wade. Gemma and Jude’s relationship is so sweet, Gemma’s teasing had be smiling from the beginning and Jude has such a beautiful, caring heart. Love the FBI aspects of the story, and also the mystery around Gemma’s great grandmother. Appreciated the faith storyline that ran through the story as well.

Can’t wait for Max’s story and to see what happened with Jude’s mother’s relationship.

Definitely recommend, a 5* clean, Christian romance.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so very good, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was such a pleasure to read. I enjoyed all the characters in the story. Jude and Gemma were just great together.

FBI Agent Jude Camden latest assignment involves posing as boyfriend to perfumer Gemma Clare. Yet what should stay professional becomes quite difficult as Gemma is creative, bold, and feisty. Likewise, Gemma finds herself drawn to Jude and soon a romance is hard to avoid, even if it starts off as fake.
A fast-paced romance with some suspense and intrigue thrown in. I enjoyed the banter between these two well detailed characters and found there was just enough tension to balance the romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beautifully written with deep, delightful characters that you wish you could meet.

I have loved every Becky Wade story I have read, and this book is no exception. In Rocky Road, Gemma, a perfumer, is approached by Jude Camden, an FBI agent and lesser-known son of the infamous "Camdens." He asks her to go undercover with him as a cooperating witness and pretend to be his girlfriend so he can make contact with her cousin and catch him in the act of selling their family's trade secrets. Gemma loves her family and the perfume world and is willing to take the risk to protect her family's legacy. Spunky Gemma and rule-following Jude butt heads as they navigate their fake relationship that has some real-life sparks.

Becky Wade does it again! Rocky Road is a charming story full of quirky characters with believable flaws, snappy dialog, and genuine faith struggles I can relate to. I love the family dynamic between Gemma and her family and Jude and his brothers and mom. Another great story from Becky Wade, 100% recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author Becky Wade. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Okay, so the plot of this book was what drew me in and I really loved the chemistry and banter between Jude & Gemma but it took me a while to really get into the book. Like the first meeting of Gemma & Jude was certainly amusing and from the moment he met her, Jude found Gemma to be beautiful, I really liked that but as individual characters, I barely felt connected with them. The third person pov didn't help either. So while, I enjoyed reading this book, in my opinion, it could've been executed better. But I still felt like this was a page turner and I'm looking forward to read more books written by the author.

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review

I don’t believe I’ve read a book by Becky Wade that I didn’t like. They are all romance novels, but there’s a lot more to them. If you’re in need of some relaxed reading, this is for you. Becky’s characters are usually quirky and fun and this one is no exception. Absolutely love the way she portrays Gemma, one of the main characters. It is so well done that you almost feel like you know this person in real life. The character development is outstanding for both Gemma and Jude. It’s very enjoyable to sit in the backseat and observe them on their journey examining their own lives (with their strengths and weaknesses) and slowly getting used to wanting to do life together. The author obviously has done her research and the reader learns something about the perfume industry (the “nose” and more goodies) and there is a bit of suspense. For those of you having read Memory Lane, you’ll get reacquainted with Jeremiah and Remy and Wendell and Marisol. I like her writing style and sense of humor. Favorite line, “...if she let everything ruffle her feathers that threatened to ruffle her feathers, she’d be a very agitated chicken.” Favorite scene: The balloon episode on the boat. On the more serious side, “Sadly, one of the biggest obstacles to Christianity is the way some Christians treat people.” “I get why it’s almost impossible for people to separate God from the hurt the church caused them.” Ouch! But very true, let’s take it to heart. Overall, be sure to set aside a good chunk of time, it’s not a quick read, but oh so pleasant!

When the book comes out, I will be posting this review on Amazon as AllyBerlin. Many thanks to Becky Wade and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Small-town romance meets big mystery and some action in this story about an FBI agent and the woman he must protect. Having a family member with dementia, I understood many of the challenges and experiences dealing with the great-grandmother, who may be a supporting character, but is an important one nonetheless. There are even some WW2 moments. Overall a sweet, clean and fun read. I feel like I would have had a better base understanding for the story if I'd read the first in the series, but it's not a necessity.

We met FBI agent Jude Camden in Memory Lane, the first of the Sons of Scandal series and I was looking forward to his story, i was not disappointed. I am glad that I read Memory Lane first although you can read Rocky Road without having done so. Jude is such a good guy, rule follower, caretaker of others, handsome in a smooth way, and smart. Gemma is a perfumer and has her own business. Bubbly, outgoing, and sassy, she is opposite of Jude in many ways. Juke and Gemma meet to work on an undercover sting to take down her unlawful cousin from France, part of her French family's perfume empire. It is fun to watch Gemma and Jude meet and get to know each other and try to maintain a working relationship. The is a delightfully fun read, a little slow to me in the beginning but the end is sweet with romance, grace, and justice., There is a side story about Gemma's great grandmother, who has dementia and wants to remember her own love story. Gemma, her mother, and grandmother are a lovely, quirky group of ladies who show each other such love and support. Highly recommended romance with a little suspense, intrigue, and faith.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. All thoughts are mine only.

This book was a cozy mystery romance with small town vibes. I enjoyed following Jude's journey as a straight-laced, rule following FBI agent who falls for the sassy, rule breaking Gemma. The side story of Gemma's great-grandmother Gracie who was a code-girl in WWII was very sweet and complimented the main story nicely. The banter between Gemma and Jude as well as the scenes that included Jude's brothers, Jeremiah, Felix and Max were highlights, for sure. Overall I think that if you are a fan of clean and wholesome, christian romance then this book would be a perfect fit.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rocky Road, the second book in the Sons of Scandal series, was fun and at times suspenseful. I enjoyed both the characters and the plot of the story; can’t wait to read book three! The author does a good job giving pertinent background information so this can be read as a standalone.

Thank you to Becky Wade and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Rocky Road is Becky's second book in the sons of scandal series. We were very much anticipating Jude's story, but unfortunately we felt it lacked in many areas. The storyline felt a bit rocky and did not flow easily. While we love Becky's books, this one struggled in capturing our attention. We are hopeful for a good conclusion to the series with Max's story!

Rocky Road by Becky Wade is the second of Sons of Scandal romance series. And it has proved to be such a fun story.

Jude Camden is a straight laced undercover FBI agent set on a mission to catch an illusive criminal by posing as Gemma's boyfriend. Gemma Clare at first is resistant to helping the FBI since they put her father in prison. But knowing her cousin was part of the reason, she agrees to cooperate. Then the fireworks begins.

Although it is against FBI regulations, Jude falls hard for the feisty red-headed Gemma. Even though they are so opposite. But their relationship is a slow burn, drawing Gemma in as well.

Becky Wade has such a way of taking you on this journey with humor, insight and a bit of mystery. Her dialogue pulls you into the story, with family interaction, a WWII mystery and faith realization. Although you do not need to read the first book, Memory Lane, it would help introduce you to some of the secondary characters. I did laugh out loud at some of the banter between Jude and Gemma and the ending held me on edge. I definitely loved this story. I look forward to learning about the next family relation in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advanced e-copy of this book. All views expressed are my honest opinion

Rocky Road by Becky Wade is a witty, suspenseful romance. The characters of Gemma and Jude, polar opposites, sets a delightful plot for the book. Not having read the first book in the Sons of Scandal series, I initially thought that there were too many plot lines in Rocky Road. However, Wade did a fantastic job of including enough information and drawing those plot lines to a satisfactory conclusion.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own. Releases Feb. 14th.

A Christian romance…yes, please!

He’s a FBI undercover agent…
She’s a perfumer…

An unlikely match that is brought together by an undercover operation. They must fake date to play the part.

There is A-LOT of things going on in the book with several story lines going on at once. But a clean romance is much appreciated! This one also has a little mystery intertwined.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC! Pub date is Valentine’s Day…perfect timing!

Such a fun story! I enjoyed learning more about the perfume industry. The chemistry between Jude and Gemma was so much fun to watch! Gemma was such a great character--I loved her wit and ability to rise above the circumstances with a good sense of humor.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Book 2 in her Son's of Scandal series, Becky Wade delivers another wonderful inspirational love story.

Another gripping story following the FBI. You kind of know where it will end but have no idea how the complicated storyline will unfold. A reminder that God is gracious and loving towards all, even in our brokenness.

This was such a fun rom-com! Though second in the Sons of Scandal, this book can stand on its own. There are some spoiler-y elements if you haven't read Memory Lane, but you don't need to read that story first in order to enjoy this story. This book follows Jude Camden, the younger of the Camden brothers, who has set himself apart from the fame of his family and opted to work for the FBI in order to make a difference. When an undercover operation requires well-pressed put-together Jude to pretend to be dating exuberant sunny Gemma Clare, there's bound to be some hilarity. And of course, the sparks fly as well in spite of their best efforts to not fall for each other in real life. In addition to the romance element, there was also a bit of mystery as Gemma seeks out the answers to some family secrets.

This book had a couple of the best romance tropes - the fake dating trope, of course, and the grumpy/sunshine trope as well. These are 2 of my favorites - the fake dating because it allows for the couple to get to know each other before they fall madly in love, and the grumpy/sunshine because it typically results in hilarious banter, as was the case with this one. I had many laugh-out-loud moments with this book due to the back-and-forth banter of Gemma and Jude as they pushed each other's buttons and Gemma pushed the envelope as far as she possibly could. While I would call this one "faith light" in that God doesn't play a major role in the story, there are definitely faith elements within the book and especially towards the end when Jude has some faith revelations. This one was fraught with character development as both characters were shoved outside of their comfort zones to make the fake dating relationship work and then came to realize how much that was needed. The family dynamics within both of their families was a big driver in the story as well, and I loved that family played a big part in both of their lives. As a plot-driven reader and mystery lover, I also thoroughly enjoyed the background story of Gemma's family's secrets and how that story element played out. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and was a great distraction from a hectic week. This is one I'd heartily recommend to fans of contemporary romance, rom-coms or even romantic suspense as there was some mystery and action within the story itself. Special thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.