Do you ever want to kick yourself for waiting so long to read a book? To be fair this only came out about three months ago but that’s three months I’ve lived without Daddy Bread Baker in my life which is tragic.

To say I loved this book is an understatement. It’s truly everything I love in a romance – small town, pining, marriage of convenience, a grumpy awkward & blushing single father hero, friends to lovers romance that had me laughing and swooning in equal parts.

Noah, Daddy Bread Baker for those in the know, is a serious dreamboat. He’s pined for his former neighbor/high school crush for years, so when she shows up back in town to claim an inheritance, he throws out a marriage proposal to help her out – despite the fact that he’s very grumpy she left him behind in the first place. 

He’s raising his niece all on his own and doesn’t really have time for a marriage, what with single handedly saving his family’s farm, helping out everyone in town, and perfecting his jam recipes but he just can’t help himself. His niece was an absolute hoot- I want to be Gennie when I grow up. Even though he’s grown up physically since high school,  he can’t help but blush and panic when Shay gets close, which of course makes him even grumpier.

Shay is a bit lost, her seemingly perfect life has come crashing down around her and she doesn’t know who she is or what she wants anymore. She was an interesting if not a bit frustrating at times character, but really this was all about Noah (and Gennie) for me. 

The sparks between Shay and Noah were immediate, and though it was a slow burn, when things got physical oh boy did dirty talking Noah have me blushing. I loved how these two balanced each other out.

This was my first read of 2023 and I can’t imagine a higher note to start off the year, I already know this is on my 2023 favorites list.