Against the Grain

I will happily read any Lainey Davis book I can get my hands on, and this one is no exception.

The characters are so well defined, I often imagine I could run into them walking through the streets of Pittsburgh. I love that the characters have a quirkiness that is still so real and relatable.

With a male lead who is autistic, and a female lead that reminds me of my own ADHD self, it’s great to see them come together in a plausible way. I prefer romance novels that are at least adjacent to reality, and this fits the bill.

I’m not going to give a synopsis because 1) that’s available lots of places and 2) no spoilers, but I definitely recommend this book (and this author in general) for anyone looking for a modern romance.

Planted and plowed…

Ok, love the series name.
This is Ella Storm’s story. She’s one of three “E” sisters. Ella is appropriately named Storm. She’s vastly impulsive, chaotic and perhaps not the brightest. She’s good with plants, bad at keeping jobs. Just fired, her plan is to grow hops (she likes beer) in the abandoned lot across the street. Without permits or owning the lot.

Ben is lovely. He’s autistic, SOP loving, say what they mean, by the books, inspector. That puts him at odds with Ella. He is wildly attracted to her messiness. Though he needs order.
Recommend. It’s a good one.

Eila Storm is determined to become self-sufficient by turning the vacant lot next door into a viable garden of hops, which maybe sounds a little weird, but she is stubborn and desperate.

Ben Barber is a city construction inspector who does a lot of checking boxes and creating columns, which fits perfectly with his autism diagnosis. When they meet in a bar, Ben knows immediately that she is “the one” and offers to send out a city dump truck to pick up the debris on the lot. But then he makes the fatal mistake of telling Eila that she is violating city code. Umph!

After getting advice from a friend and his wife, Ben offers to help Eila obtain the proper permits for the Adopt a Lot program, and, in the process blurts put that he wants to “woo” her. Eila is hesitant because she has been burned in the past, but Ben does not give up, despite several detours.

Lainey Davis is a genius at creating characters and plots that are compelling and so delicious, and Against the Grain is one of the best. Eila and Ben are the most lovable couple I’ve ever encountered, not because they are beautiful (which the are) or smart (which they are) but because they are genuine, vulnerable, quirky, and downright good people. My favorite scene was when Eila came to Ben’s house and listened to him play a beautiful piano with all his heart, mind, and soul. I also appreciate how Davis features sensitive topics like autism, mental health, abandonment, and conservation with consideration and truth.

Come along with Eila and Ben, her sisters and his friends, as two broken people come together to make a whole. Oh, and did I mention how hot they are together? Ahhh!

I received this book as an ARC reviewer and voluntarily leave my honest opinion.