Title: Bet The Farm
Author: Staci Hart
Published: February 23rd 2021 – ARC (via Kindle)
Final grade: 4/5
So I know that on my bookit page, this is actually 7th down the line, but since I promised to post it today, I’m moving it up a little bit before the others. I’m going to preface this review by stating that I received this book through an ARC program, and therefore got access to it before it was available for purchase.
This was a cute read. I was intrigued to find out the main character deals with design- in particular social media and media marketing – which gave me something in common with the leading female character, Olivia. She comes home from New York to help run a farm after her grandfather passes away. This book did well with the idea of grief and trauma and how it effects our decision making and how we see things. Particularly in the leading male character, Jake. Jake holds the farm dear to his heart, having been the ‘adopted’ son of Olivia’s grandfather, Frank. The two of them both have strong reasons to want the farm to succeed, but their differing ideas of what that means cause them to butt heads…and hit walls they put up against one another.
Despite the sad start to the book, there is a good deal of happy and fuzzie scenes, featuring all kinds of baby animals, feisty goats, a cow with particular ideas about where she lives, and two puppies with some rock history names. There are also a few background characters that I can see being developed more in the future if Ms. Hart decides to continue this into a series (which it appears she will, as the book list mentions one coming later this year).
She also did a good job in not making me hate any particular character – or if I do, its not for long. I enjoyed reading it, and was quite happy with how she took some troupes and made it unique to her novel. The only issues I really had was the formatting of the e-book which had random drop caps in the middle of the chapter, and not always for a scene change. But that is a minor problem. Overall the book was a good read, and I am glad I got the chance.
Most of my other thoughts on the novel are a bit spoilery so I’ll end it there. If you like second chance romance (or enemies to lovers), and troubled main characters whose affection for one another helps them both heal in a way, I think you will enjoy this novel.
Also my favorite pun of the book?
Credits:
Images were given to me for use in review by Staci Hart/ her publishing agent
Sokorra Lewis 