📚✨ Poetic Justice by Kathleen McFall & Clark Hays ✨📚

If you love your romance slow, soulful, and wrapped in beautiful poetry, Poetic Justice is everything you need right now. This story follows two poets whose worlds collide in the most unexpected way — and whose connection grows through shared words, vulnerability, and the messy, hopeful process of healing.

The way Kathleen McFall & Clark Hays write is nothing short of lyrical magic. Every chapter feels like a poem come to life, blending heartache and hope with lines that linger long after you read them. One of my favorite moments is when the protagonists admit, “We write what we cannot say aloud,” capturing perfectly how poetry becomes their language of love and truth.

This book is about second chances, the courage to be vulnerable, and finding justice — not in the world, but in the self and in love. It’s a gentle, heartfelt slow-burn that explores how art can heal even the deepest wounds.

If you’re craving a love story that’s tender, emotionally rich, and beautifully written, Poetic Justice will stay with you long after the last page.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A stunning, poetic journey into love, loss, and redemption.

#PoeticJustice #KathleenMcFall #ClarkHays #RomanceReads #PoetryRomance #SlowBurnRomance #Bookstagram #BookReview #EmotionalReads #LoveInVerse #SecondChances

A deeply satisfying 1990s return to love at the Rose and Thorn Restaurant.

POETIC JUSTICE is the second book in authors Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays’s "Restaurantland Romance" series and features Rosalyn “Roz” Anders, a prominent secondary character from the series’s debut novel, Kitchen Heat. Once again, readers are treated to multi-faceted characters dealing with serious, realistic struggles as they navigate their way to true love.

Roz Anders is fighting for her sobriety, and it’s a day-by-day battle to control her addiction to alcohol. But when head chef Clay hires new line cook Hudson Destry, there’s an immediate attraction that gives her an added incentive to stay on course. However, her previous failed relationships and her debacle of a play for Clay the prior year have made her gun-shy and cautious of moving too fast, wanting to give whatever is growing between them a proper chance to flourish. She pours her heart and soul and struggles into writing poetry and is finding some surprising success when she shares her work at local readings.

Hudson, newly released from prison where he was incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, is keeping the details of his past under wraps for now. Through a justice project, his wrongful conviction is under review, and he is slowly getting closer and closer to being exonerated for the crime. Hudson wants to share everything about his past with Roz, and while he can be open about being an ex-con, his lawyer has advised against discussing any other aspects of his case until the court makes its final decision. Little does he know a messy twist of fate is about to complicate his relationship with her.

I loved how the authors told this story from both the woman’s and the man’s point of view and portrayed the physical, emotional, and practical struggles these two characters faced, one as an alcoholic (the aching need for a drink) and the other as an ex-con (the difficulties finding a job and how people judge and forever relate to them.) But between these two damaged individuals, the chemistry is absolute FIRE when they are falling in love and gut-wrenching when they are falling apart.

The story is set in early through the mid-1990s in a turbulent and environmentally-conscious Oregon. Hudson and Roz’s younger sister are both committed eco-activists. Still, while Hudson favors a non-violent approach to saving Mother Earth, Camille is not averse to using more hard-core methods. The plot unfolds along multiple timelines, moving back and forth through Roz’s and Hudson’s pasts to highlight how the characters came to be working at the Rose & Thorn Restaurant in their present psychological states and the nexus of the tragic lie that put Hudson in prison. I did have a little difficulty keeping the shifts in timelines straight, requiring one to pay strict attention to the chapter headings with dates that progressed days, weeks, or months. However, I did enjoy this method of revealing the backstories of the characters.

The staff at the Rose & Thorn is still the quirky collection of characters they were when introduced in book one, though it took me going back to my review of that one to refresh my memory as to who everyone was; there are quite a few people to keep straight. As the story progressed, dropped clues to each person’s backstory also helped bring me back up to speed. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember why sweet Meredith was involved with Rob until the mention of her dissertation.

The plot is compelling, interesting, and, at times, suspenseful regarding the eco-terroristic activities, Hudson’s exoneration, and the couple’s rocky journey to a forever romance. The diverse secondary characters entertain and tease more stories to come. I recommend POETIC JUSTICE as a definite must-read for romance readers who enjoy a not-too-distant-past setting, the Pacific Northwest, or a culinary theme in their stories.

I ate up the 90's era content in this book. Poetic Justice is a dual-timeline, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity workplace romance. It also touches on heavy topics like alcoholism, and incarceration. It wasn't what I would expect from a restaurant-themed rom-com, and I loved that.

A 90s romance that is sweet and fun but also touches on some heavier themes very well. The grumpy x sunshine dynamic in the romance was fun and the pacing and development of their relationship is very well done. I'll have to check out the first book!

This was a very entertaining book and different than I expected (in a good way). I don't usually go for romance books, but I was willing to give it a shot because of the author's sci-fi books. I'm glad I did.

In the latest Restaurantland Romance, Hayes and McFall bring readers back to the pre-Internet 1990s at The Rose and Thorn restaurant where Roz and Hudson meet at work. Roz, sober, writing poetry, and supporting her incarcerated sister, has no time for romance in between these obligations and her double shifts, but the new line cook Hudson is a tall, handsome, and mysterious ex-con. As their chemistry grows and the flirting becomes more intense, Roz and Hudson’s relationship explodes and sweeps them (and the readers) away until a shocking coincidence and a secret threaten to destroy their relationship and a future together until an eco-protest and an inconvenient set of handcuffs force them to talk and reveal the truth. With two complex and fascinating characters, readers will love the unique time period and personal circumstances in this unorthodox romance novel. Roz and Hudson are complicated and flawed protagonists, but this makes them interesting and their relationship more special given their histories. Perfect for readers looking for a new kind of romance novel, this addition to the Restaurantland Romance series will give readers some big emotions and high stakes to cope with alongside Roz and Hudson in this unique and compelling new release.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The author of this book did a great job of presenting difficult topics without making the book feel to weighed down by them. I enjoyed it a lot!

I really enjoyed this book. I think that the authors McFall and Hays did a great job with the characters and story line. I liked the fact that it had some depth to it because it brought up subjects that are hard to face, such as alcoholism, prison, and more. I think the romance was paced perfectly, and the writers did a good job with the chemistry and staying with a solid story line. I can't wait for more from the authors. I recommend this to romance readers out there.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Victory Editing

I'm married to a chef..So of course I had to read this book and I'm not disappointed, also don't think that the book is an easy one, the cover is amazing but the story and the characters tell a really good story about social and abuse problems,

Wow, what a journey!
Admittedly, I did not immediately buy into the eco warrior schtick. But as I read on, I realised that it was less of a schtick and more of a close exploration of what it's like to live according to your convictions.

Hudson is a bona fide tree hugger and this makes him a bit of a weirdo. He is idealistic and he is single-minded when it comes to saving the planet, and that makes him an outsider. It only takes a few chapters for him to win me over to his side and soon I'm thinking that everyone should be like him, giving up their own comforts and truly committing themselves, body and mind, to protecting the environment and the planet.
And then there's Roz. She's the total opposite of him in that she is totally disconnected from nature, choosing instead to float above it -- and to avoid really examining her own life -- by running from close connections and dulling her emotions with sex and alcohol.
These two people should not be as MFEO as they are.

The time stamps that lay out their individual stories and the crucial points at which their timelines and their lives collide are confusing after a little while.: I found myself focusing less on how much time was passing and more on what information was being shared/revealed/processed by either person. As soon as it became clear what the crucial, bitter misunderstanding that ruined their relationship was, my anxiety ratcheted all the way up. I did not want the two of them to lose each other.

This is a story about taking responsibility for your life, in all ways possible. Sometimes responsibility means giving up your happiness so that someone else can thrive. Sometimes it means feeling the full weight of your bad decisions and letting it push you forward into a much better life. Sometimes it means swallowing your pride and letting real love in.

I am usually apprehensive about co-authored books, but in this case I would says Hays and McFall make a powerful pair.

The story was sometimes a little slow for my liking, but when the payoff came it was beautiful.

I really enjoyed this book - really enjoyed how social issues were integrated into the book without going off the deep end - especially the topics of alcoholism, environmental factors, and jail time.

This romance is believable and the progression to go from the pacing of coworkers to lovers is entirely real and heartfelt. Their backstories are amazing and well written. Hudson is such an incredible cinnamon roll of a book boyfriend & Roz is just one moment away from exploding so it's fun and interesting to see how his zen evens her out. I do wish that I had read the first book because I did feel like
I was missing a fair bit but I did still really enjoy this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the series yet it can be read as a standalone too so i requested it and I ma thankful to the publisher for approving my request.
This book was such an amazing read, starting right from the characters, plotline and scenarios, everything was on well knitted and placed well throughout the whole book.
The characters were penned down brilliantly, not only the protagonists shine throughout the story but their background molding their present was shown brilliantly. The spotlight was given to each and every thing to let them shine and contribute to the book in the fullest term. I had a great time reading thi

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!

I've really enjoyed this book. It's refreshing to read something that isn't rooted in the 2000's, and even more refreshing to see how these two characters develop in their relationship and individually too. In particular I loved getting to know Hudson and watching him transform.

Highly recommend!

I loved Kitchen Heat and I can now say the second instalment was just as good as the first!! Kathleen & Clark have really made you connect with the characters and it makes you really feel the heat in the kitchen. I really enjoyed this read. Thank you NetGalley, Kathleen & Clark for granting me access to this gem.

Set in the nostalgic atmospheric 1990s rural-ish Portland, Poetic Justice tells a love story between Roz, a waitressing poet trying to get her life back on track, and Hudson, a somewhat mysterious chef with a serious backstory.

The book captures the unique feel of the time before the internet, mixing romance with themes of caring for the environment, complex family situations, and the ups and downs of working at the quirky Rose and Thorn (what a perfect name for a restaurant!). It also includes lots of fun and interesting side characters, all of whom feel real and add colour to the story.

McFall and Hays have crafted a love story with strong chemistry, clever and meaningful conversations, and true character development. Roz's path to healing and Hudson's caring nature are fully explored in a genuine (but not depressing) way. I love how the story jumps back and forth in time. The format really sets this book apart from the standard linear format in the genre and added to my '90s nostalgia when reading.

This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys heartfelt romances with a dose of '90s nostalgia, social awareness, and a bit of day-to-day restaurant life.

Thank you to Pumpjack Press and NetGalley for providing a free review copy. All opinions are my own.

Ros gets her story!!!! We get the most amazing setting, we are in 1990 yall!! And we have the most amazing and funniest restaurant staff ever. I had a feeling Roz’s story would touch my heart the most, because she is young woman trying to hold herself down and also be there for her family, when her sister gets locked up for being a literal terrorist at a rally, everything changes for her, and she turns to her Poetry and she leaves to be closer to where her sister is at so she can visit. But there is a new guy at work and Hudson has his own baggage. These two were dynamic and their love grew on me as quickly as they fell in love. I was here for it, I LOVED Hudson, not only can he cook, he is compassionate, and his past doesn’t define him, which is so inspiring not even for me as a reader but for Roz as the character, you see her evolve a little. Aside from the protesting and the “tree hugging” concept thrown around, this book was a win for me.

Poetic Justice is book two in the Restaurantland Romance series by Kathleen McFall & Clark Hays.
I loved Kitchen Heat and was very excited to jump into the second one.
This amazing series is a fun romance set in the 1990s. And it’s so nostalgic.
The chemistry between our two main characters is unbelievable and the storyline sucks you right in. This was a fun, fast paced, humorous rom-com style story.
A well crafted and charming story of love, laughter, food and string characters.

Thank You NetGalley and Pumpjack Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

3.5 Stars

Poetic Justice is a quirky, heartfelt romance set in 1990s Portland, centering around Roz, a poet and waitress trying to rebuild her life, and Hudson, a mysterious line cook with a complicated past. Their chemistry is undeniable, and while their relationship unfolds quickly, the slow-burn tension keeps you hooked.

The backdrop of the Rose and Thorn restaurant adds charm, and the eco-protest subplot brings a layer of intrigue, though it feels a bit over the top at times. The off-beat humor and nostalgic 90s atmosphere make this story stand out, but the melodrama occasionally overshadows the romance.

Still, Roz and Hudson’s journey is fun and emotional, making this a great pick for readers who enjoy love stories with a side of social activism and a dash of chaos.

Oh the 90s nostalgia gets me every time. I love the characters so much! I love the setting, the relationships, the subject matter. It was a journey and I loved it all. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

“Poetic Justice: A Restaurantland Romance” is a contemporary romantic novel that intertwines themes of love, ambition, and the culinary world. The story is set against the backdrop of a vibrant restaurant scene, where the characters navigate personal and professional challenges while exploring their relationships.

The narrative follows the journey of its protagonists as they strive to establish themselves in the competitive landscape of the restaurant industry. The main character, who is passionate about cooking, faces numerous obstacles including fierce competition, financial struggles, and personal dilemmas. As they work to create a successful dining experience, they also grapple with their feelings for each other and the complexities of their pasts.

Throughout the book, readers are introduced to a cast of supporting characters that enrich the storyline. These characters include fellow chefs, restaurant critics, and patrons who all play significant roles in shaping the main characters’ experiences. The interactions among these individuals highlight various aspects of human relationships—friendship, rivalry, mentorship—and how they influence one’s journey toward achieving dreams.

It's not just a love story; it encapsulates the trials and tribulations faced by those within the high-stakes environment of restaurants. It offers insights into how passion for food can intertwine with matters of the heart while providing an engaging narrative filled with humor, drama, and romance.