I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Following the death of her husband, Willa Lieu-Endicott moves to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Moving into her late aunt's home, she's surprised by how much work is needed, but also how cosy the town is. Her closest neighbour is flirty and handsome handyman, Hudson Daws, her complete opposite, but the man who's got her heart fluttering again. Running into each other again and again, whether it be in town, or because the dog has escaped into Willa's home, they can't keep apart, and neither has it in them to push back too hard. But they're older now, and have been burnt in love before, so are they willing to risk it all again?

I'm going to admit this was a little bit of an impulse request on NetGalley, but it was such an enjoyable book that I'm pleased with myself. Unlike the majority of romances these days, the couple in Do Me a Favor are older, and have had past marriages come to an end, whether through death or divorce. Hudson married too young, and has two adult children who no longer rely on him as much as they once did. He may not be the only handyman in town, but he's the one who helps the people when they need it, and Willa is no different. Welcoming her to the neighbourhood, he knows he wants more than friendship, but Willa is coming to terms with her own loss, and the conflicting feelings she has over her marriage now it is over. I liked the ghost writing aspect of the book, and the 'sexy cookbook' story line was so fun. Definitely a book I enjoyed, and I'll be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.

A sweet uncomplicated story of two adults learning to take the lemons life has thrown at them and make lovely lemon meringue pie.
I enjoyed Hudson jumping into & embracing his feelings for Willa. But also recognizing that Willa wasn’t ready for all the big feels and happily took his time showing her he was for real.
And Willa was a joy to watch as someone who had the rug pulled out from under her but managed to lean on her new found family & friends and start the second act of her life.
If you are looking for an angst free story that will bring a smile to your face, then Do Me A Favor and check this one out.

Such a delicious slow burn read - complete with fully fleshed out characters.
Cathy Yardley is a new writer I’ve never read before, and it was a joy to discover her talent. Will be reading more from this author

3.5⭐️ rounded up

I enjoyed this more than I expected to!

I really liked Willa and Hudson as characters, them being older than your standard romance leads meant that they had more life experience. Their stories didn’t need to be supplemented with overinflated minor issues or traumas to make them interesting, as they had already lived full lives and had well-rounded interests and passions. Willa was a widow, but she was so much more than that. She wasn’t defined by the tragedy of losing her husband, it was simply part of her story.

The relationship between the two MC’s unfolded in a realistic way, nothing ever felt forced or manufactured. I could easily picture this couple working out in real life. This was a slow burn, but again this felt realistic.

Overall this was a lovely story that would make for a great book club read.

Such a lovely, cozy read set in a small town.

Loved to read the romance between a widow and a handyman. A nice easy read.

I loved the idea of a cookbook writer and a handyman finding romance and peace in their 40s.

Do Me a Favor was a funny, heartfelt, and at times, emotional read. They each have their own dramas and lives but learn that they are better together, that life is better with someone you love by your side even if that first step is scary. I was rooting for Hudson and Willa from the start.

Yardley does a fantastic job of writing extremely funny and relatable characters you can't help but cheer for!

Thank you to Montlake, author Cathy Yardley, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 23, 2024

4 STARS

Noodle the dog wanders away from home and brings good guy handyman Hudson into Willa's life. This heartwarming rom-com was a fun smooth read.

Do Me a Favor also veers into women's fiction territory, as the life lessons and reflections seem to rival the romantic plot as far as thematic weight/emphasis. The two main leads are approaching middle age and reevaluating what they're doing with their lives. That said, both characters feel fairly youthful and could easily read as late 30s/early 40s. Regardless of your age, any reader can relate to the carpe diem messaging. I loved how Willa and Hudson's personal passions were featured in the plot and interwoven into their DNA as characters (as opposed to being used as momentary props or talking points in scenes). Willa and Hudson support each other's goals and encourage each other to be their best selves!

READALIKE: Between the small town setting, single dad stuff, and culinary adventures, I feel like fans of Tarah DeWitt's Savor It might love this book and vice versa.

A rom-com involving a widowed cookbook writer and a divorced handyman. A cute second chance romance for two middle aged adults. The characters are relatable and the romance is a slow burn, but there isn’t anything that stands out to make me love and rave about this one.

Loved, Loved, LOVED seeing an older female character (46) start her life over again after a tragedy in her past. honestly it was refreshing to have that older perspective on life and how being set in your ways can hinder being able to ask for help.
unfortunately thhat was pretty much all that was really enjoyable, the writing style was good which is what kept me entertain, however i found the characters to be a bit bland

Willa, a widow in her mid-40s, inherits a house on an island in Puget Sound and gets a job ghostwriting a cookbook for a social media "sexy chef" (looking at you, Donut Daddy!). But guess what? He's NOT the MMC. That would be divorced local handyman and Certified Cinnamon Roll Hudson, who BTW has a grown daughter named Kimber (Jem fans represent!).

The problem for Willa is that she lost her mojo after her husband died, yet she's supposed to be writing a sexy cookbook for the sexy chef. And that's where Hudson steps in. He gets her to let go in all sorts of ways, not least when he invites her to his family's house for a BBQ and she inadvertently eats an entire cookie edible. (Shenanigans ensue, and it is delightful.)

I love a romance with older characters, and this book demonstrates why. We get a glimpse of the whole complex life that Willa has had until this point, which has included plenty of joy, creativity and grief. With older characters, you don't need to manufacture some trauma that happened in high school and that the 20something character is still obsessed with. Willa's trauma has been made over decades, and it feels richer and realer for it. It fuels her search for a purpose and, refreshingly, a steady income.

I also appreciated that Yardley wrote Hudson's ex-wife sympathetically. This woman certainly made choices that you could view with scorn, but she was never treated as a psycho hose beast, which I often find is the case when any Other Woman (past or present) appears in a romance. Life is complex and we all have a past. Yardley gets it.

My one criticism would be the timing: the bulk of the love story takes place over a single month, and then the characters make a huge decision that felt a little unrealistic to me. I also think it needed one more sex scene, because Hudson is HOTT and he and Willa are blazing together.

Overall, a solidly written romance with lots that I loved.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this digital advance reader copy.

This was a cute and easy romance. The characters are pretty good at talking about their feelings and I appreciated that there was no drama just because. The food descriptions made me hungry and I would definitely try one of Willa's experiments!

The plot was a bit too simple for me, with no real obstacles to overcome. Still a nice, relaxing read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the copy.

Do Me A Favor is a sweet romance between middle age characters that each have established lives, and baggage. The formatting and feeling reminded me very much of Cathy Yardley’s previous book, Role Playing, which I loved. One major issue for me was the handling of the type 1 diabetes aspect of the story. I may have missed something, but it seems implied that T1D is a ticking timebomb and dying at fifty was a foregone conclusion for the T1 diabetic character, which is just not true. Aside from that, I really enjoyed it.

4.5

This was my first time reading this author and now I wanna read more of her books. This book hooked me from the start and honestly I haven’t read many later in life romances that are primarily focused on the romance but this one was so good and made me want more.

I loved all the characters, I loved the double pov, and I really liked how it also tackled themes like loss and the relationship with adult kids too. It was a great read. The plot was good, willa is a 46 year old widow who is struggling financially and emotionally yet trying to restore her life. Hudson is a 41 year old and divorced. He has two adult kids, and all three lived at the family farm with his parents, Also he’s a *hot* handyman that loves his family and has always put them first. Both of them learn a lot in terms of romantic relationships and about themselves which I love.

This was a cute read that even made me think a lot and I loved that. I totally recommend it!

Cathy Yardley knows how to write a story. She can capture the sweetest parts of "getting to know you" parts of relationships. We watched Hudson fall hard, meanwhile, Willa was fighting for her life with the goats just trying to survive. It was a great take on the single dad troupe.

This one was a little bit too long for me. I wanted to see them together as a couple longer.

I enjoyed this one. Cathy is an auto-read for me.

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, flirty, quick read. Yardley does it again with lovable characters and believable chemistry. This book felt really tightly plotted - sometimes a little too much, and I wanted a bit more time with the characters. But overall very good.

I love my little hags. They were so cute and I love how genuine their relationship felt. They really wanted to get to know each other and I loved it. I'm also a huge fan of the end of the book. He took time to pursue his passions and it was fun.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I liked this story and that the characters are older, very well written, although it lacks an epilogue.

We live in a society where we often get told to follow our dreams but one thing I don't think we always hear is that if life gets in the way the chance isn't gone. I recently found this myself when I got the opportunity to move to New York City 10 years after I thought that was a dream I needed to let die. Do Me a Favor very much gives this message while also being an adorable romance with great characters.

Hudson and Willa are two people who gave up their dreams to support the people they loved and had wonderful experiences. However, now they are both in a place where they can make some changes. I loved that they encouraged each other to be the best version of themselves and find what makes them happy.

If you are a fan of romances with main characters in their forties, something I think we need more of, neighbor romances, reading about food, or small town romances this one is for you! Do Me a Favor is my first Cathy Yardley book but it won't be my last!

This was sweet and I enjoyed that it was more mature MCs. Emotionally, they both felt a little young at times, but given their pasts, it's understandable. I loved how everything resolved, and really enjoyed the side characters.

Do Me a Favor

A sweet and cozy read about a small town romance with the man next door. A later in life romance between a widowed cookbook writer and a small-town handyman living next door. Loved the supporting characters, the antics of the animals and the sweet story line.