Love kindles when a fake engagement brings best friends together. World Champion snowboarder, Wyatt Fernandez, should be hitting the slopes in the Andes and spending his days teaching as the new ski instructor. But an emergency means he’s heading off the family’s tree farm with his best friend, Harper. She’s too busy with her books and earning tenure to notice his hopes for more than friendship.… for more than friendship.
Homebody and nutritionist, Dr. Harper Bright, must let go of her coveted summer research position so she can help on the tree farm…with Wyatt. He might push past her comfort zone, but he has always “gotten” her. She doesn’t want to scare off her best friend just because he is suddenly far more interesting than the nutritional benefits of broccoli. In order to keep their friendship intact, Harper has to pretend she is not infatuated with her best friend.
When Wyatt names Harper as his fiancé to appease his father and prevent returning to Chile early, he never dreams Harper might actually have to play the part. Wyatt wants more than a reluctant fake fiancé. And he has one last summer to convince Harper that they’re better together.
“An author I can always count upon to engage my mind and warm my heart.” – Ramla Zareen Ahmad, Author of Light-Hearted Romance.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Q: Why do you write?
A: I was not on the school newspaper team, but because my mother was the advisor for it, when someone didn’t turn in their assigned article, I often got selected as a volunteer to fill that spot. The school administrators liked to see articles about the aquaculture project the district had gotten a grant for, but everyone hated writing about the boring, smelly fish. One February, the assigned student went AWOL and I sat in my last period study hall trying to figure out how I could combine tilapia and Valentine’s day into an article that would make my mother happy. The resulting article, which started off with a line that included, “Could there be love lurking beneath the murky depths?” won an award from the county paper, and ran on the front page of the school newspaper. I sat in the school cafeteria and watched people read my article and laugh. It was a great feeling, not winning the award or having my article lead, but because I had made people smile. That’s why I write.
Q: What books do you write?
A: I write clean and wholesome contemporary romance with humor set in small towns and rural areas. I’m back on the straight and narrow from my wild high school days; no more fish erotica. The reading order for my series follows below.
SWEET HAVEN FARM
- HARVEST MOON HOMECOMING (novella)
- BETTER TOGETHER (book 1)
Q: Why should readers pick up your books?
A: You’ll get all the feel-good tingles of a great love story with no graphic sex, swearing or violence. You’ll laugh along with relatable heroines and hunky heroes as they weather life’s storms and fall in love. I enjoy throwing in some fun science, history and local, rural trivia (Did you know that you can hold an egg in the palm of your hand and squeeze as hard as you can and it won’t crack?) so you might learn something. I hope my books are uplifting and encouraging. You’ll laugh, maybe cry, but you’ll finish the book with a great feeling of satisfaction. To quote St. Paul, “Love never fails.”
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This is a wonderful, realistic, sweet romance. The characters are very well portrayed. The situations they face do not feel contrived. The HEA is an most amazing compromise. I could not put the book down once I started reading. I highly recommend this book.
Great writing and character development. I enjoyed reading this book so much I bought more of her other works.
I was given a free copy of this book, but this review is my honest opinion. I really enjoyed reading the book. It kept me trying to figure out how it would end. The interactions between the main characters were great.
He is an adrenaline junkie that loves extreme sports. She is an introvert homebody that is seeking tenure as a professor of nutrition. They met as children when his uncle (the man that raised him) and her mother married. They have been best friends for forever and neither is aware of their attraction to each other.
When Wyatt’s uncle Fink is hospitalized in Arizona, he is talked into staying at the farm to help Harper plant for the fall harvest. A call from Wyatt’s father in Chile causes him to lie why he is staying on the farm and before he knows it, he says Harper is his fiancé.
This is a sweet romantic story at its best. Two people that have been best friends and are fighting their attraction. Neither wants to ruin the friendship, but both pining for one another. They have but one summer to experience love, break down barriers, and decide if opposites can find true happiness.
Harper’s mother needs help at the family farm. Wyatt and Harper grew up together. Wyatt has a secret crush on Harper but doesn’t think that she feels the same way. I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the storyline and plot. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wonderful Sweet and Clean Love Story
This is a warm, sweet and clean love story. It is friends to lovers and opposites attract. The plot has some interesting twists and a wonderful ending. The characters are more than believable. I especially enjoyed the witty banter. I want to read more of this author’s work. I received this ARC book for free and this is my honest review.
Better Together by Jessie Gussman (Sweet Haven Farm book 2)
Story: 4.5 stars
A sweet best friends to lovers/fake engagement trope. We were introduced to Harper and Wyatt in Book 1 and it is a delight to get their story as grown-ups in this book.
They are the best of friends and are unselfish (almost to a fault). They have a dilemma that seems unsolvable, but become romantically involved, anyway. I was pleased that there didn’t seem to be unnecessary angst and yet, as a reader, I couldn’t see how the two of them could be together without one of them giving up everything.
Not to worry, though, Ms. Gussman coms up with the perfect HEA!
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
We catch up with the kids from Harvest Moon Homecoming, all grown up.
They’ve been in love with each other, without the other knowing for as long as we’ve known them 🙂
But there are obstacles… fear is one.
Will they get together?
Will they rip their and our hearts out?
The story is a great ride from beginning to end.
I loved this book! Opposites attract, best friends to lovers. I really enjoyed all of their adventures together. Super fun. I can’t wait to read more in this series! All of the characters are so strong and passionate.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Awesome story; even though, some characters are “vertically challenged.”
Well, how can you not want to read it…“Pulses, like electric shocks, ripped through him. Her breath hit his face and her hand slid around to hold the back of his head. Her other hand slid around his waist, slipping under his shirt, shocking his bare skin. His breath came out in a rush, and he lowered his head. All thoughts of anything except taking her lips with his evaporated out of his mind. He’d dreamed of this for so long. He’d almost lost her today. But she was alive, safe and warm in his arms. Her body pressed to his. Two hearts. One heartbeat. “Harper, I…” He didn’t finish the whispered plea, unsure if he had meant to ask permission, apologize, or maybe even give her the chance to back away.”
Safe. Secure. Stable. That’s all she wanted no needed. Her job, the farm, her family and her best friend and everything is right in her world. Her best friend for the last ten years, Wyatt always made her do things out of her comfort zone, which usually ended with her being injured but it’s what friends are for right. What happens when best friends find out they really want to be more but are afraid to mess things up? Well this is their story and in true Jessie style these two find out. Through the rough and tough and everything in between their fake relationship gives them the chance to find out. When obstacles try to pull them apart Wyatt takes things in his own hands to insure he gets not only his best friend but his partner for life because after everything they have gone through they have found they are always better together.
A fantastic best friends to more romance. This amazing journey of two people who finally admit their true feelings for each other as they pretend they are engaged. This adventure includes obstacles, deadlines, and communication in this heartwarming sweet read. The characters were nerdy, interesting, well developed and overall realistic. I voluntarily reviewed this ARC.
Wyatt has been in love with Harper, his best friend, from ten years, but he didn’t want to risk their friendship. But this summer will change their lifes. He is due to come back to Chile to run his father’s ski resort for good but and emergency make him stay with Harper helping with the family barn. Harpaer is about to get her tenure at the University. Can they have a chance together with Wyatt coming back to Chile and Harper securing an important job in Pennsylvania? A sweet story about love, friendship and taking risk at life. I receveid a free copy of this book from AXP authors and
I voluntarily review it