Oh we do love a next door neighbour romance and when it is for older mcs, it's even better! Willa moves from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Hudson is the handyman next door. Cue sparks! This book covers grief in such a beautiful way. I am intrigued to read some of Cathy Yardley's other books now.

This was a cute book. A second chance at love for two lost people. When he offers to help remodel her home she gets some much needed inspiration for her sexy cookbook.

I liked these characters and their individual stories. I rooted for them the whole time.

Thank you NetGalleg for the ARC.

Really enjoyed the book. Liked that there were "older" characters, and a slow burn romance. Overall a cute romance!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I requested a bunch of romance on here because I wanted to try it out. However, romance is just not working for me at the moment. I think its more me than the books themselves so I will be giving this one a neutral rating.

I just couldn't connect with the characters on this one. I felt disconnected and bored so this book just wasn't for me. I bet there is an audience for this one and I hope they love it.

Willa & Hudson ❤️

⏲️After cookbook ghostwriter Willa’s husband dies, and her great aunt leaves her a Victorian home on an island near Seattle, she moves in, trying to find her new path in life. Only problem is that the book she’s trying to write has very little theme, apart from the YouTuber who likes to cook shirtless.

🐾Even the neighbour’s dog Noodle appears at Willa’s house, the island’s handyman Hudson comes to fetch him. Hudson’s spent his life looking after those around him. Divorced at a young age with now grown up twins, he’s immediately drawn to Willa.

🍪If Willa can’t make a life out on the island, it’s going to be hard to keep a relationship with Hudson going.

📚 I adore Cathy Yardley’s writing and was so excited to read her latest instalment. The pair of forty somethings who are very different, but who are drawn to parts of each other makes for a heartwarming, comforting story. The side characters support their relationship, rooting for them to succeed. The ending wasn’t what I expected, although the pair get together (thankfully) in the end.

Read an eARC copy courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher
My rating 4/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Pub Date 23 Jul 2024

I love a romance with mature MCs. Makes me feel seen. This book is fun, spicy and charming. And the secondary characters are so well-rounded, I’d happily read their own books.

Do Me a Favor is a very touching and funny romance involving a couple in their 40s. One is widowed and the other is a divorced single dad with grown children. They both have baggage that is to be expected with people who have lived for multiple decades. Loss is an issue that permeates this book. But they are kind and caring with and respectful of each other. It is sexy and funny. I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to more from the author.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

A nice romance between 40-somethings who are both dealing with challenges. Willa is a recent widow, she's got writers block of a sort. and she's new to the neighborhood. Hudson is a single dad who works as a handyman. They meet cute then start a relationship based on well, favors and then they realize their feelings are deeper than they expected. I liked this more than I expected given the tropes and that's because of the storytelling and the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

4.5 ⭐s!

Another Cathey Yardley book with MCs in their 40’s? After reading Role Playing, the decision to accept this ARC was a no-brainer. It didn’t disappoint!

Do Me a Favor is about a widowed cookbook ghostwriter and the divorced handyman who lives next door and how they both learn it’s never too late for a fresh start. I love that. And more so, I love that both MCs are in their 40’s (she’s 46 and he’s 41, if that makes a difference). Both have lived through a lot, but together realize there’s still so much *more*.

I also really enjoyed reading about the different family dynamics. Willa’s mom is an immigrant from Saigon, and her dad’s family came from Poland a few generations ago. I thought Yardley depicted this whole dynamic really well. The expectations and all that. Those really don’t go away, no matter how old you are.

Hudson, on the other hand, comes from a tight-knit family in a small town/island. He basically was a single father to his twins since he and their mom divorced when they were 3, raising the kids with the help of his parents. It takes a village, and he had that. I loved that dynamic, too.

Watching how these two seemingly opposite people—worlds— not only collide but really, truly work was heartwarming. This was sweet, tender, and low angst but not lacking in swoon worthy moments.

What do I have to do to get an epilogue?! Lol. Thank you so much for the ARC!!

Overall this was a cute romcom! Willa and Hudson really grew on me throughout the book. At first I didn’t care much about either of them, but towards the end I was rooting for not only their relationship but for them as individuals.
My biggest complaint with the book was hearing about Steven’s poorly managed diabetes. I have several friends with diabetes and they’re all able to enjoy life without neglecting their symptoms.

Thank you Montelake for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I liked her book she wrote last year called Role Playing. I liked that the couple was older and it is the same in this book as well. Although the first book was about gaming which is probably why I enjoyed it so much! So I decided to request this one.

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Willa and Hudson. They were decent characters and have a lot going on familywise for both. I liked that Hudson had adult children and I am sure that is relatable for many. It’s something you don’t see in a lot of books. He is still parenting them as well, haha. Willa is a ghostwriter who just inherited a house and is dealing with family drama because of it. I don’t blame her for wanting to hold onto it and get some peace far away from home.

Their interaction starts with a lost dog and from there they spend a lot of time together. She interacts with his family and really gets to him on a deeper level because of it. I did think their relationship was cute and as a handyman he was there for her even when it came to a skunk!

One thing that I wasn’t a fan of was the weird third act breakup situation. I understand why Willa felt the way she did but it just added unnecessary drama and I just didn’t like how she decided to share her feelings. Another thing that didn’t feel right was how Willa talked about her husband who passed and had Type 1 diabetes. I can’t speak for those who do have it, but many have shared their issues with it in their reviews on Goodreads.

Overall, this was a cute book! He was a great handyman and I am glad they both found love.

First thing first, the food and recipes written about in this book was done so well, I would love to have a companion recipe book!

With two main characters in their forties, this book delves into leaning into taking care of those we love but also doing something for ourselves that we’ve put on the back burner while supporting our loved ones.

Hudson is a complete flirt and I loved it. This book has great communication between the main characters, and for the most part they are dealing with external drama.

This authors writing is always a treat to read!

I was kindly sent a widget for this book by Cathy/Her PA, so I want to thank them for that. Unfortunately, I wish I could've loved this book more. The plot was kind of glossed over by how porny it was- and no, I don't mean corny. They both just seemed like horndogs the whole time, and it really diminished the quality of their character. I think because I loved Roleplaying so much, I had high expectations for this book. Roleplaying was my first Cathy Yardley book, and I adored it so much. Do Me a Favor was vastly different from it. I liked that Maggie and Aiden had problems, and I liked how they grew as people over the course of the book. It seemed to me like Hudson's growing happened in the last 20% of the book, and all so quickly too. Willas problems didn't really present themselves til near the end too, and when they did present themselves, it was hinted that she just needed to have sex in order to write a sexy cookbook. I think Willa and Hudson were sweet, and I loved that he was a single dad, but I think I just hoped for more.

Cathy Yardley has carved out a refreshing niche for herself in the romance genre, focusing on characters in their 40s. I enjoyed last year's Role Playing in spite of some choppiness and this upcoming release is even better. The story is fairly simple, being entirely character driven. And the leads' chemistry is off the charts.

Finally a heartfelt romance for us grown folks! This has a good storyline, enjoyable characters with good development, great messages, and beautiful chemistry. Luved this read! ❤️

Unfortunately this one is not for me. The pacing I could not get into and I am only leaving feedback per Netgalley requirement. I have seen SO many positive reviews and opinions on this book so I am sure I am just an outlier.

I will be featuring this book on my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) in the near future,

I really loved Role Playing and was excited to see another romance from Cathy Yardley featuring characters in their forties. In Do Me A Favor, recently widowed Willa is 46 and single dad Hudson is 41. Willa is left her aunt’s house on an island near Seattle. The house needs some work, so Willa hires her neighbor and handyman Hudson to take care of it.

This was a light read with no third act breakup and a bit of steam. I liked that we get to know both Hudson and Willa’s families and thought the balance of backstory with present plot was well done. I also loved all the cooking and foodie themes.

Content flags: Willa’s husband died of complications from T1 diabetes

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

📚Do Me A Favor by Cathy Yardley
🎧ALC Review(Copy gifted by @brilliancepublishing, @literarymediatours & @cathyyardley)
🚨While reviewed copy is gifted, opinions are always my own.
Status: Available July 23rd, on KU

🥰Enjoyment: This is only my second Cathy Yardley title but I think its safe to say I’m a fan. I really enjoy her voice as a writer, and as an elder millennial I’m finding it nice to see some later in life romances, particularly when they’re approached with maturity and not toxic attitudes. This story just felt refreshing to listen to. The female narrator is not my favorite, but not so much so the I would say avoid, this was a perfectly enjoyable audiobook.

Read this if you like second act romances (is that a term and I just make it up). If you thrive on messy this might not be for you. Its a beautiful story of two adults starting over in life, and falling in love while they do so.

4 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Montlake for the early e-arc of this book. I loved it so much and it made me laugh "sexy chef". I love a romance with older characters and we get a glimpse of the whole complex when the book mentions a lot of joy, creativity and grief. I loved the characters so much and I will definitely be reading more of the author's backlist soon.

An engaging older in life romance. Not that the couple is old. They are only in their forties. I did have to skip a big chunk of intimate details. I really also would have preferred the "f" word not be used. Interesting watching them grow into their life choices for careers. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.