A Tender, Emotional Small Town Romance With a Sunshine Baker and a Haunted Hero
Release date: September 16, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Deacon Slater was my high school crush—the bad boy with haunted eyes that made my heart skip a beat. But in our small town, the Slater name is synonymous with trouble, and Deke lived up to it when he landed in prison a few years after graduation.
He served his time and now he’s back, living in the apartment above mine, covered in ink and even more intriguing than before.
As the owner of Sugar Rush bakery, I’m used to building bridges with my muffins and cookies. I’ve seen cowboys nearly come to blows over the last lemon bar. But Deke wants nothing to do with my treats…or me. He keeps his distance, barely speaking when I knock on his door.
Until the day he doesn’t have a choice.
He’s there when I need him, stepping in to protect me, showing me the caring man beneath his rough edges.
We couldn’t be more different. I’m a curvy ray of sunshine in a pink apron and he’s a stoic, tattooed carpenter in work boots. But the more walls we tear down, the closer we get. And piece by piece, we discover how well we fit.
But when darkness from his past comes looking for him, what we’re building could all fall apart. Because this time, trouble isn’t just circling Deacon Slater.
It’s coming for us both.
(This is Phoebe Kelly’s story and can be read as a complete standalone!)
Review:
I liked this one even more than the first book, and I think so much of that comes down to Deke and Phoebe. Their personalities are such a great contrast: his dark, haunted, rough around the edges presence paired with her sunshine, cupcakes, pink apron, and determined to feed everyone personality. Somehow, it works so well.
Watching Deke slowly open up and allow himself to be loved was probably my favorite part of the entire book. There was something so beautiful and tender about seeing this man who had spent so much time protecting himself finally let Phoebe in. Their relationship had plenty of heat, but it was the softer moments that really got me. The trust, vulnerability, and feeling of finding someone who sees past all your walls made this one surprisingly emotional.
And once again, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emma Wilder and Sean Masters, and they are just so warm, comfortable, and amazing to listen to together. Emma is perfect for Phoebe’s sweetness and warmth, while Sean brings that deeper, rougher quality to Deke. Their voices work so well together and made it incredibly easy to settle into this world.
There’s also a hint of suspense and danger woven into the story as pieces of Deke’s past come back around. I wouldn’t necessarily classify this as romantic suspense—the romance is definitely the main event—but that thread of tension added another layer and kept me wondering what was coming next. Mostly, though, this is a story about two very different people finding each other and learning that maybe love can be the thing that finally makes you feel safe.
I’m really enjoying this series and especially the world Julia Wolf has created in Sugar Brush. After liking the first book, this one absolutely solidified my interest in the Kelly Ranch series, and I’m very ready to keep going.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
- Small town cowboy romance
- Sunshine heroine and grumpy/guarded hero
- Tattooed, emotionally wounded heroes
- Bakery and small town charm
- Opposites attract romance
- Emotional healing and learning to accept love
- Sweet, tender moments mixed with plenty of spice
- A little danger and suspense without full on romantic suspense
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Thanks Must Love Audio for the copy.
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