Sex in the Sticks

OK, I am not going to lie. When I first saw this title, for some unknown reason, before I read the blurb, my twisted mind thought “sticks” meant hockey sticks. Please, do not ask me why, I do not know, well maybe because Sawyer Bennett writes such phenomenal Cold Fury Hockey stories (which I totally love). Imagine my surprise, my delighted surprise, when the book takes place in the “sticks” of Alaska. A place that I can only dream of ever seeing, but is on my bucket list.
This is the story of Valentine French and Logan Burke. Val or Valley, as her friends call her, is a blogger about dating in New York City. But, lately she has been having trouble writing her blog. The men are all the same. They all seem to be self-absorbed men, more worried about themselves than anything else. She needs a change of scenery. When her cousin suggests East Merritt, Alaska, the inspiration hits.
Logan Burke is sheriff of East Merritt. He, like every other hot blooded male in East Merritt likes what he sees the first time he sets his eyes on Val. But, he also sees that this city slicker will be nothing but trouble. First, he must rescue her dog, Sassy when she runs off. Then, he must take her shopping for clothes fit for Alaskan weather. Then, he must rescue Val herself, when she gets lost in the forest. Nothing, but trouble.
I LOVED watching these two, the city slicker and the small-town sheriff, fall in love. It seems in this case opposites did attract. But when Logan finds out about the blog and what she…. stop!!! No spoilers.
I loved this sweet, yes, sweet, but definitely, a sizzling HOT story, with all of the ins and outs of small town living. And Logan really should have realized that the gossips, had their information wrong about…. Darn it, I said no spoilers. But, I will say Logan should have known better.
I was gifted with a copy of the wonderful, emotional story for my honest opinion. I will say this about this book, if you like a wonderful, hot, sexy romantic story, you can’t go wrong with Sex in the Sticks.
Thank you for reading my review.

4.5 stars

What a lighthearted and fun read! Valentine French is the classic "fish out of water" when she leaves her New York City life behind for a social experiment in the Alaskan wilderness. Logan Burke is the perfectly sexy "country mouse" sheriff/mayor to get our heroine's heart racing. Sex in the Sticks is the first book in the author's Love Hurts series, but is a standalone.

I really enjoyed this cast of characters, especially Logan and the quirky residents of East Merritt. Alaska is definitely different from the life I know, so it was fun to experience it alongside Valentine. I did find that the book started a little slow and it took me a bit to warm up to Valentine. I just didn't connect with her at first, but as the story progressed and you get to see another side of her, she definitely grew on me. I did like her fire though and her determination once she sets her sights on something. Her friendship (and eventual relationship) with Logan began very organically, even though the two were attracted to each other. I loved that they got to know each other without all of the fanfare or expectation of something more. But holy moly, when something more doeshappen, it's beyond hot! Logan and Valentine's chemistry and trust in the other made for some explosive scenes that almost set my kindle on fire. Handcuffs? Hell yes!

I really enjoyed the low angst in this story and that there wasn't a lot of unnecessary drama. There was lots of humor and funny moments that made this feel like a romantic comedy. After the slow start, things really picked up and I couldn't put it down. The ending seemed to move at warp speed and I would have loved to have an epilogue a bit further into the future. Overall, an easy, entertaining, and funny read that left a smile on my face!

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

I loved this book. The characters had chemistry the plot was good. The story is about one hot love affair.