Juniper Hill

So bingeable, with a hero who is the sweetest man underneath his frosty exterior, this made for the perfect introduction to this small town series. Yes, I skipped right to the book with the tropes I was most interested in, lol, and I have no regrets. It's clear that the series is tied together enough that each book will have readers intrigued about future installments, but the books will also read as standalones with no trouble at all. I loved getting to know the characters, and the hero ended up being even better than anticipated - a man whose past hurts lead him to make an intimidating first impression, but who is actually loyal and loving underneath it all. I absolutely melted at the (plentiful) scenes with him caring for the heroine's newborn baby, and the scenes with him showing extreme competence in the kitchen were just as addictive. The romance builds quickly once they get past the initial friction, and that made for an easygoing, devourable story. It's engaging enough to hold your interest the whole way through, yet laidback enough to feel low angst and tender. The story follows Memphis, a former heiress who has just arrived in a small, rustic town, hoping to make a new life for herself. While she once lead a very different life, the birth of her son - only two months ago - has vastly changed Memphis' perspective on things. Penniless and alone, overwhelmed and trying her best, Memphis is disheartened when she discovers that her new landlord is a sexy grump of a man who clearly doesn't want her around. Memphis has not only invaded Knox's home, but also his workplace, and it's not long before the two come face-to-face again and again. But Knox is determined to keep Memphis at arm's length, and Memphis is determined to prove that she can make it on her own - so the tension that simmers between them is clearly just bottled up irritation... right? I'm pretty new to Perry's work, as my only experience with her writing is a Christmas novella or two. But I've been intrigued by this series for awhile now, so I decided to choose my first full-length novel from her wisely. And that ended up being a great strategy, because this was the kind of romance that hits all the right notes for me. We've got an endearing, swoonworthy hero; a resilient heroine who stands up for herself when necessary; a unique, dynamic setting; and a touch of suspense to keep things interesting. It's the kind of read that's a little tougher to describe - it's not a rom com, it's not overly angsty, but it's compelling with a hint of emotion. There's a touch of spice, but the focus is on the emotional connection. And the length was perfect for bingeing in one sitting. So this was a great re-introduction to Perry's work, and it's got me excited to read more from the author. Audio note: The audio is excellent! It's dual narration, featuring my personal favorite narrator, Jason Clarke. He gives a great performance with his deep and gravelly voice, as does Maxine Mitchell. I would say that this is more Memphis' story than Knox's, but there's plenty of chapters from each's perspective. The tone works well in the audio format, and the runtime is ideal for a single day - just over 8 hours. You could start this at the beginning of the workday and be done before you clock out for the day, which is a definite bonus. There's only a few steamy scenes, and the story is a slowish burn overall, so not too much time is devoted to that. I think that the book is absolutely enhanced by the audio performances, so I enthusiastically recommend the format.

-Small town -Single mom -found family - forced proximity This is the second book in a series of standalone novels featuring interconnected characters and settings. This particular book focuses on the relationship between Memphis and Knox. It's a heartwarming and charming story, much like a Hallmark movie. I especially enjoyed the subtle mystery element and the journey of self-discovery undertaken by the two main characters as they find love and a deeper understanding of themselves. Memphis, a single mother, is starting over, and she's finding it difficult. She is a single parent, and she is leaving behind everything she knows. However, she has found work as a housekeeper at a hotel and is renting a room from the hotel chef. Knox is the chef at his family's hotel. He had a difficult previous relationship and decided to return home to make a fresh start. He now owns an apartment, and he is renting a space to a single mother and her son.

Book two for The Eden’s series. After finishing this one, I now understand why I have read about so much love for the second Eden brother, Knox. This one was slightly different from the first book in terms of theme, and honestly I was pretty okay with it. 💚new single mom 💚broody chef 💚dual POV 💚secrets 💚starting a new life 💚healing from the past 💚 “That’s my girl” Never underestimate the power of the phrase “There she is” or “That’s my girl.” I will freaking melt 👏🏻every👏🏻single👏🏻time👏🏻 “Then here’s another truth. I’m going to take them. I’m going to take all your bests. Every damn one until you can’t keep track of the top five anymore because there are so many bests that you’ll need a hundred to capture them all.” (173) Knox and Memphis’s story absolutely YANKED on my heartstrings. Both have been burned before—her by literally everyone that should have cared for her and him by a former love—but this forced-proximity-life-turned-relationship was so incredibly healing for them both. All Memphis wants is a better life for her baby boy and it doesn’t take too long for Knox to want to be the one to give that life to them. This one very loosely reminded me of All Rhodes Lead Here and even of Things We Never Got Over. Not for the storyline, per se (though there are some similarities there, especially with Rhodes), but for the emotions and the characters and the heavy lean on family. “Because he wakes up before dawn,” Griffin muttered, pulling out a stool. “My boy’s a morning kid.” “Not mine.” Knox pulled out the stool beside his brother. “Mine’s a night owl.” (235) *swoon* Found family is most definitely a thing, so we bookish people know that blood is not always what denotes a family. Love is. And that’s what Knox provided Memphis and her little Drake with: unconditional love. And, of course, a big ole family with lots of aunts and uncles to fuss over Drake and cousins for him to be friends with. The whole Eden family surrounded Memphis instantly with the warmth she’d been lacking her whole life and rallied around her and Knox when the unthinkable almost happened to terrify that newfound family dynamic. Definitely cannot wait to see what the next books will bring. Especially with that hint of Talia’s story at the end of this one 👀👀 Side note: after finishing this book, I had a mad craving for homemade Mac and cheese and a total NEED to figure out the recipe for the version Knox makes for Memphis.

If you are like me and don’t take the five thousand 5 star reviews that gush but don’t really reveal much, and read the 3 stars, this book may be for you. Why 3 if I liked it? Because 3 to me is average. This book is average but also good. I didn’t love it, and there is a bit of “man, so much for being grumpy” when Knox goes from trying to distance himself to quickly being all in. My hangup were the names. Her name is Memphis, her baby is Drake, and her siblings are Houston and some other city. Not a fan. She does have a spine, is human, and has bad days. She also cries. A lot. Practically daily. But her spine doesn’t shine when it comes to the daycare and that bothered me. I would have said something from the get-go to nip it in the bud. Nothing is sexier than a man that can cook and clean. So Knox gets brownie points for that. He also has the stereotypical washboard abs and that lovely V at his hips, and yet he works out sporadically and the man loves his carbs. Still, not a bad story, I enjoyed the first and second enough to give the third book a shot.

The vibe of a small town is exactly what Memphis Ward is looking for when she relocates herself and her 2 month old baby Drake. At first it's a bit of a mystery as to what the circumstances are that lead Memphis to leave everything behind and start over as a housekeeping employee at The Eloise Inn. While Memphis is the picture of exhaustion and fatigue, she is also determined and motivated to give her baby the best life possible, one that will include freedom and choices, unlike wha she had growing up. I could really empathize with her, taking care of a newborn solo and doing her best to make ends meet and also dealing with the constant self-doubt about her capability as a mother. It would have been so easy for her to give up or to pick a simpler route, but Memphis stuck to her path, even if there were moments that melting down was the only way to cope. Knox Eden isn't thrilled that his sister Eloise offered up his garage loft as a temporary apartment for her newest employee. But here she is and she isn't going anywhere any time soon. While he's not too unlike his brother Griffin in how he's not overly friendly at first, he comes from the kind of family that supports one another and always helps others. Knox also has his own reasons for why distance from Memphis seems like the best strategy but even without her trying, he's already drawn to her. I liked Memphis a lot. She has come a long way from who she used to be, growing up in a world of privilege and wealth and now paving her own way from the ground up. She's discovering what it means to have family and security. There's very little a determined mother won't do for her own child. Once Knox gets a glimpse of the true woman behind that pretty face, he can only fall deeper and I really enjoyed how Memphis was still wanting to assert her independence, always putting her son first. This is another entertaining addition to the series which features a lovable Montana small town with an endearing family, a little bit of suspense, and of course romance.

Being that Devney Perry is still a relatively new to me author I wasn't sure if I'd love the second book in her Edens series as much as I did the first. Turns out I actually loved it even more. Knox is the dream, okay? It's like Perry reached into my head and pulled out the ultimate book boyfriend right out of my imagination. I mean-- moody and broody? Check. Tall, dark, tatted, and fond of rolling his shirt sleeves? Yep. Loyal to a fault, 10/10 in the bedroom, good with kids, and an ace in the kitchen? You bet. He's the perfect combination of tough on the outside, gooey on the inside for those he loves and I was so here for it. I ate up all the crumbs Perry left in the beginning when it came to his past, and my heart shattered for him when the full story came out. It was Memphis who stole the show for me, though. In my opinion her character was so nuanced and well executed. I really enjoyed how self aware she was of her former behavior, too. This wasn't a woman who hid from who she used to be and pretended she was perfect. In fact, the admissions to all of her insecurities as a person and, especially, as a mother, cinched the deal for me. She was so realistic. Beautiful, strong beyond measure, and yet unsure of herself in this new life, new role. I'll admit, as someone who was a single mother in her own past a lot of her story hit deep for me (although, unlike Memphis, I don't come from a notable family with loads of generational wealth lol). I think one of the reasons why I connected so deeply with her character is because of how relatable she was. I don't think you need to have lived through a similar situation to empathize with her, though. I think any woman who's ever felt a slip in confidence or has felt unprepared and unqualified with their lot in life could see themselves in her. I'm always rooting for the main couple when reading romance, but this time I was especially rooting for her. If you love small town, family saga romance with single parents, delicious chefs, forced proximity, touch her and d*e vibes and a Dual POV this is the book for you. I seriously can't recommend it enough.

Memphis is a single mom with a newborn baby who moves across the country to Quincy, Montana. Memphis hopes to escape her previously glamorous life and unsupportive family. She accepts a job as a housekeeper at the Eloise Inn and when she can’t afford rent for any place in town, her new boss, Eloise, finds her a place to stay. It happens to be an apartment above a garage that belongs to her older brother, Knox. Memphis meets Knox as she’s moving into her apartment and she did not expect her landlord to be a gorgeous man, with beautiful sharp features, and tattooed arms. Knox did not expect the woman who’s moving into his garage apartment to be the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on. Memphis is trying to adjust to her new life as a single mother in this small town, trying to create a good life for her son. She plans on focusing on her son and work—and while she does, she finds herself being drawn to Knox. Knox is the chef at the restaurant in the Eloise Inn so he and Memphis keep running into each other. Knox also finds himself at Memphis’s front door after her baby wakes him night after night offering to help soothe her baby to sleep. Ok y’all I loved Indigo Ridge but I LOVED Juniper Hill!!!!!! I quickly fell in love with both Memphis and Knox. Memphis is a very strong FMC who left her lavish life in New York because her family was not willing to support her and her new son. You see her adjusting to this drastic transition and grow into an amazing mom. You can see that she’d anything for her son, Drake. Knox is the typical, grumpy rugged man who wants nothing more than his simple life of solitude. And although he does everything to avoid Memphis, he is constantly drawn to her. Knox is honestly so hot and the fact that he would willingly go over to Memphis’s place every night to rock her baby to sleep is so wholesome *cries* And the fact he made her that mac and cheese after he saw her eating kraft mac and cheese!!!! He is everything. These 2 stole my heart and there were so many shared moments between them that made my HEART SMILE. I also loved how accepting the Eden’s were of Memphis. She never had that acceptance from her own family so it was beautiful to see how everything fell into place with her found family. Devney Perry has a way of writing these strong, rugged and slightly grumpy men who are like i’m staying away from this girl bc she’s trouble but they can’t help but keep finding their way to her. They slowly start to fall— not only bc they’re physically attracted to them but because they’re also attracted to their strength and perseverance through difficult times. I loved this book and haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it. So excited to continue the series with Talia’s story.

I think at this point I’m becoming a Devney Perry fan girl. She quite literally never misses and Juniper Hill was no exception. I loved Knox and Memphis and baby Drake. But KNOX EDEN ladies and gents is the man, the man has a tough exterior but man to be the woman he loves 🥵. A beautiful story of a struggling single mom trying to make a good life for her son and a grumpy chef with no interest in a relationship, especially one with a child. But as they break through each other’s barriers and heal one another’s scars they build a beautiful relationship and future together. Memphis Ward wants nothing more than to provide a beautiful life for her son Drake. But motherhood is hard and when doing it by herself she can’t help but feel like she is failing him. After losing everything she knows in New York she is ready for a new beginning and that new beginning brings her to Quincy, Montana. When rentals are hard to come by, her new boss promises to find her the perfect accommodations. Those accommodations? The loft above a grumpy chef’s garage. Knox Eden makes it very clear that she is not a welcome guest on his property and when he looks at her child it looks like he’s facing his worst fear. Knox Eden loves his privacy, so when his sister asks if her new employee can stay in his loft, he is less than impressed, especially when her baby cries all hours of the night keeping him from sleeping. Knox doesn’t do babies, it hurts too much. But night after night he finds himself in her loft, walking her son to sleep. And night after night he finds himself becoming more attached to not only Memphis but Drake as well. Memphis wasn’t only running to a new future when she left New York, she was running from the past as well. When threats from said past come to haunt her, will Memphis and Knox be able to keep their fledgling family together?

Memphis has just arrived in Quincy. She is struggling with her two months old new born Drake. Knox rents her the loft at his house... From this starting point, their story is easy to enjoy.

There's no way I wouldn't love a book where there are little babies involved and I loved this one so much! I loved Memphis' strength. It wasn't easy to handle a kid with no familial support and whenever it got too hard for her, my heart broke. Luckily Knox swept in and changed her world. He not only provided her a home and companionship but also eternal love, sense of safety and an ever loving family who so easily made her and Drake an essential part of theirs. Speaking of the little boy, Drake was the cutest little thing! Memphis was an emotional mess at first but the way she fussed over Drake was so adorable. Seeing Knox interact with Drake made me melt into a puddle. Their relationship was the bestest thing ever! And don't get me started on the bonus epilogue, it was just so perfect! I was glad that Memphis got an adorable and growing family because she was the one who deserved it the most! Overall, this was a fabulous read with heartwarming cute kid moments and so adorable!

When I truly enjoy a book, I get the feeling I could read it hundreds of times and still love it, still laugh at the same parts, and cry at the same parts. I really don’t feel this often, and when I do it is usually with a book that doesn’t really tap into my emotions much. (other than feelings of happiness, amusement etc). It is very rare that I find a book that can make me cry, laugh, cry again and still be an experience I want to repeat, therefore I selfishly decide that this book is amazing, and something to be treasured by all. It is the best in the series so far (so sorry, but there is no contest). Knox is the perfect love interest, the perfect father and perfect character to love the female mc. The book is fast paced, but not at a rate that it seems horrifically unrealistic, just enough to keep you riding the (cliched expression coming sorry) emotional rollercoaster at full speed. Perhaps I read the book a bit too fast, however (three hours or something), so take this pace comment with a pinch of salt. The only thing I didn’t enjoy as much was the ending. The ending was a bit confusing to me, as (spoilers ahead!!!) they added a whole new villain, which made it difficult to hate/ feel anything towards her, as we had no idea who she was. If the original villain of the book that we had known all along was behind the kidnapping, I think that the story would have been a bit more consistent, and (on the other hand) perhaps a little too predictable, therefore this book was perfect and I will accept no complaints.

5⭐ I love this book with all my heart. Memphis and Knox are one of my favorite couples and I come back to this book whenever I need a comfort read. ✨Small Town Romance ✨Forced Proximity ✨Single mother ✨Workplace ✨Grumpy/Sunshine I just adore their relationship, how they both slowly start opening up to each other and help each other overcome some form of trauma or mistreatment. How during their late-night visits, when Knox comes over to get Drake to sleep, they start opening up to each other, starting with small stuff like how Knox became a chef to stuff like how Memphis ended up in Montana. How they both are respectful of each other and their secrets, while they both would like to know what is going on with the other, they both don't push it but encourage the other to open up more and more. But my favorite thing has to be how they both just understand what the other needs, like how Memphis knows that Knox needs something to do when he has the photo shoot for the article or how Knox knows that she needs reassurance that he wants her and Drake and that he will take all her best days and give her so many that she can't keep track of all of them. "You were so alone that you left. Because you had no one. But you've got me now. And like I told you the other night, I'm not going anywhere." Maybe if I told her enough, she'd believe it. "Promise?" I dropped a kiss to her mouth. "I swear it." Through this book, I also discovered that I just adore single-parent romances. I just truly adore how the new partner comes in and treats the other partner's children like they are their own. How for Juniper Hill Knox overcame his own trauma and bad experience that he had with a previous girlfriend and her child to be there for Memphis and Drake. I adore how he calls him 'Boss' and how he started coming around at night to take care of him so that Memphis could catch a break and actually get some rest. And when he calls Drake his son during the family's Thanksgiving dinner, I just swooned. "My boy's a morning kid." "Not mine." Knox pulled out the stool beside his brother. "Mine's a night owl."

any way it was good read, fun and catchy but it's missing a spark and tears I had this expectation that it would made me cry. I thought it would be my five stars but i'm not sure.