Strawberry Fields for Never

Sweet as Sugar Maple, Book 1

By: Kate Watson

Narrated by: Stephanie Rose, Rock Engle

She's the desperate CEO hired to rebrand a sleepy Southern orchard. He's the stubborn heir determined to see her fail. All's fair in love and farming.

Jane

I fix things. It's what I do.

When I'm hired to fix what's broken at Sugar Maple Farms, I see an even bigger project in the form of the sexy, surly, six-foot-five owner, Tripp Carville.

Tripp may be a thorn in my side, but lucky for him, I can see beyond his impressive, prickly front to the wounded boy underneath. And I know exactly how to fix him: I'm going to make him fall back in love with Sugar Maple Farms.

Now, if I can just keep myself from falling in love with him in the process.

Tripp

I've never been enough for the people around me, not for my parents before they died and not for the tough grandfather who raised me. When he unexpectedly passes, leaving me the famous (and failing) Sugar Maple Farms, all I want is to sell so I can leave the weight of being a Carville behind.

Until Jane shows up. The woman is smart, salty, and sexy as can be. I can't admit it, but her vision for Sugar Maple Farms is captivating. Everything about her is captivating. While we spend every day arguing, I spend every night thinking about her.

I'm damaged beyond repair, and after never being enough for the people in my life, if I can't be enough for Jane, I don't think I'll ever recover.

So I can't let Jane in. No matter how badly I want to.

Strawberry Fields for Never is a swoony closed-door rom-com full of delicious banter and crackling chemistry but no explicit scenes. It's the first in a series of standalone novels featuring five best friends.

©2023 Kate Watson (P)2024 Podium Audio

Great Narrators

The story is great such a fun story! And the narrator’s voices are so good at bringing the characters to life

Wonderful story!

So very good!! Amazing character development. Awesome story. The ending is to die for so perfect!

Sweet romance

This is my first book by this author and I am hooked. Tripp and Jane have instant chemistry but then have to take a step back and get to know each other. Tripp has to figure out how to heal from past misconceptions and it’s fulfilling to see him grow and rewrite his story. Jane has to learn to ask for help and trust her friends. I really love the close friendship between the 5 ladies who own the marketing company Jane & Co., so named because all of them have Jane in their names. I can’t wait to read the rest of their stories!

A fun, relaxing romantic comedy

The plot is well crafted and takes some fun, unexpected turns. The characters are likable and have a good depth. There were some points at which I wasn't sure why the characters didn't just talk about their problems, but that's common in the genre.

10/10

Overall this is a fanatstic book, well voiced and an excellent listen, entertaining the whole way through.

Vague dissatisfaction

This was an okay, fully cozy romance that had moments of promise but was ultimately bland and forgettable. Romcoms without sex scenes can still be sassy and sizzling (hello, My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh), but this was just random plot points strung together. Oh look, Tripps friend has a daughter who’s adorable. Near the end of the book, Jane’s sister shows up to fish for money. Did you know organic farms use pesticides that can be even more harmful to the environment?

Maybe I zoned out, but did the story ever explain what kind of orchard this was? Apple orchard? Maple tree farm? Was there a satisfactory reason why Tripp lost his love for the orchard? All I remember was something about him wanting to focus on sustainability and his uncle turning him towards this farm. There wasn’t anything awful here, but there also wasn’t anything that grabbed my heart and left me wanting to move onto the next book.