Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: Edelweiss
Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks & Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She’s a shoo-in for the director’s job when her boss retires at the end of the year…until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position.
Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie’s country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they’re both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out, what Josh and Sadie want could be each other—and Josh’s kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie’s found yet!
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I fell in love with Harper not only for her Jane Jameson paranormal series, but also for her hilarious contemporary romance And One Last Thing… When I saw she had another contemporary short releasing, I was more than anxious to get reading!
Sadie has been working at the Tourism Commission since she graduated college, and now that she is a shoe in for the director’s position, she is finally making her dreams come true. But just as she is about to polish off her acceptance speech, big city hot-shot Josh shows up as her competition. Pitted against each other in a big design, Sadie and Josh will have to compete head-to-head for her dream job.
Josh is looking to start over, and the director job will give him the needed experience to pave his own way. He doesn’t understand why Sadie is so set on showcasing the quirky way of life in Kentucky, and knows his classy designs will be a hit with the upperclass. What Josh didn’t expect was to actually start to enjoy spending time with his co-workers, especially the lovely Sadie.
I have to admit, while I absolutely loved and adored everything about Harper’s first contemporary romance, this story didn’t really do much for me. Harper’s brand of humor is by far some of the best in the romance world today, and I really did enjoy reading all the quirky and obscure ideas and stories that Sadie came up with. However, it just didn’t work within the confines of this romantic story.
I wanted a little something more in the romance between Josh and Sadie. Most of the book was spent with the two of them arguing and fighting and acting petty towards one another because they didn’t like the competition the other brought to the position. They never bothered to actually get to know one another, instead began dividing the office staff and competing over every little thing they could possibly think of, down to the morning donuts and coffee. It got to the point where I was a little annoyed by their childish behavior.
On top of the romance being somewhat lackluster, I also wasn’t super impressed by either Sadie or Josh. While I could see why Sadie was so enamored with showing off the “different” parts of her state, I also agreed with Josh whenever he challenged her for being too narrow-minded. I think she let her upbringing cloud her judgement a bit, and had she been my employee, representing my state’s tourism, I don’t know that I would think Sadie would have what it takes to cut it. Likewise, I like that Harper tied Josh’s history into the And One Last Thing… world, however he was equally frustrating with his nose stuck so high in the air, and his inability to see the other perspective.
All in all I was a little disappointed with this Harper novella. I had my expectations set on this living up to the hype of her first contemporary romance, which just didn’t happen. I would have liked more from both the characters and the romance both.
I give My Bluegrass Baby a C
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