4.5 stars

This was such a cute, fun and spicy romance between two neighbors. Gemma is a single mother that wasn't looking for love just yet. Enter Everett, who moves to Blossom Beach after inheriting his grandmother's house. He's Gemma's new neighbor, her son's new teacher and eventually becomes her new friend with benefits.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style. The pacing of the story was good. The story jumps right into the main plot. There was never a dull moment and the story didn't drag. When Everett and Gemma meet for the first time there is an instant attraction. I felt their undeniable chemistry. I loved Everett. He was a straight laced guy and took a leap of faith in this new chapter in his life. I loved Gemma. She had a great relationship with her son. After all the hurt and loss Gemma and her son endured, Gemma was resilient, stronger and brave. I also loved Everett's relationship with Sutton.

Most recently I listened to the audiobook and it's amazing! Performed in duet by Connor Crais and Samantha Brentmoor. You seriously can't go wrong with this pairing. Connor and Samantha embodied Everett and Gemma. Connor conveyed Everett with a hopeful tone. Connor captured Everett's pining for Gemma. I loved Samantha's Southern accent! It was exactly how I imagined Gemma to sound like. As their relationship started to grow and they started to act on their romantic feelings. I loved the effort they made to get to know eachother. I felt even more connected to them because of Connor and Samantha's narration. Their expressive tones elevated the story for me. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Sweet as candy!

This was a really heartwarming single mom story. He moves in next door, he ends up being her son’s teacher and they start a friends w/benefits but they end up catching feelings of course. And you cannot go wrong with Connor Crais & Samantha Brentmoor narrating. Super cute listen.

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Brentmoor & Crais Sizzle in DUET Narration! 🔥+🌶

I loved the smalltown setting, and crazy hot chemistry between Gemma, a writer and widowed, single mom (to 10 yr old Sutton) & Everett, the new guy in town who turns out to be her new neighbor and her son's new elementary school teacher. I enjoyed watching these 3 likeable characters meld into a loving family. The duet narration by Samantha Brentmoor & Connor Crais was utter perfection -- both heartfelt and very steamy/spicy!! Their performance took this good story to the next level IMO. If you are a Craismoor fan, you won't want to miss it!

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Fantastic listen and a great start to the series!

I loved the small town charm of this one as our writer Gemma was swept off her feet by new-to-town Everett. The chemistry between the two was off the chart from the moment they met on the pier. When it turns out he’s her new neighbor and not a stalker (lol), Gemma may have just hit the jackpot. The positively swoony man is her son’s new teacher, and they go from being friends to being friends with benefits. He’s invading her life in the best ways possible because he’s not only absolutely charming, but he’s caring and a gentleman. He legitimately has fondness for her 10 year old son Sutton. The connection between the two and the respect they have seems to be mutual and near instant. It’s like they were always meant to be family. I loved going along for the ride, Samantha Brentmoor and Connor Crais, lending their talents to make these characters come to life in the best way possible. Brentmoor did a wonderful job capturing Gemma’s sarcasm and worry as well as her joy. Crais was perfect as the dirty-talking, kink-exploring, school teacher who brought Gemma back to life. Watching the three become one family made for an epic HEA. I can’t wait to see what pairing Blossom Beach brings us next…

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4.5/5 stars!

I have been a fan of Ashley's writing for a while now, and when I heard we were getting a MF small town romance from her pseudonym, I was ecstatic! First book in the Blossom Beach series follows Gemma and her son Sutton and the new guy in town and conveniently enough new neighbor, Everett. Seattle born and bred Everett has decided to make a major life change and move clear across the country after inheriting his late grandmother Rosie's home in South Carolina. He finds himself in Blossom Beach and immediately stumbles upon a beautiful stranger, Gemma, on the pier as he is attempting to soak in one of his first beachside sunsets.

"My own version of serendipity, if you will."

It all snowballs from there. It turns out not only is Gemma Everett's neighbor, but he is also set to be the teacher to Gemma's son, Sutton. Immediate forced proximity at its finest. Everett has an instant connection to both Gemma and Sutton and I must say, his relationship with Sutton was probably one of my favorite things about this book, other than his absolutely swelteringly hot mouth. Gemma's hasn't dated anyone since she lost her husband 6 years ago and while she is still not sure she is ready for dating, she is convinced that she is ready for a physical relationship, AKA "frennies with bennies" situation with the hot neighbor next door. Cue the SPICE! Gemma and Everett are so dynamic in every sense. Once that tension breaks, there's definitely no going back. Ashley DELIVERS on the steamy scenes as she always does and I love how organically this couples relationship develops. They start to weave themselves deeper into each other's lives and into each other's hearts. I enjoyed this story very much and can we not only get a round of applause for the classroom scene but the lighthouse one as well? Please and thank you. 4.5/5 stars!

🔥Small Town
💕Single Mom x Teacher
🔥He Falls First
💕Neighbors to Lovers
🔥Friends with Benefits
💕Public Play
🔥Breeding Kink

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Loved every bit of this story!

Gemma and Everett’s story was so heartwarming and talk about HOT! Performances by Samantha Brentmoor and Connor Crais were top tier and I hope there is a book 2 to this series.

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irresistible blurb and tropes, surprisingly hot

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces & 🍑 stuff.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 This is my first A. James (or Ashley James)—the blurb and tropes just seemed absolutely irresistible to me.
🤩 Single mom, romance author, new neighbors, and child’s elementary teacher.
🤩 I found your next beach read, if you like an actual beach in your beach read like me. Take me to Blossom Beach, South Carolina–small beach town goodness! I love that we get some of the people and places in town throughout the plot.
🤩 Samantha Brentmoor and Connor Crais in duet narration give us such fabulous audiobook entertainment. I’m so smitten with Gemma and Everett’s fun, flirty conversations full of telling secrets and confessing kinks. 🌶️
🤩 The “mama” worked on me so much more than I could have ever imagined. Dirty talking Mr. Windward in Connor Crais’ narration is so blazing hot! 🥵😮‍💨
🤩 This book is so surprisingly steamy (think naughty/forbidden, and I love it) while still being intimate. It’s so fun to watch Gemma & Everett’s friends-with-benefits become so much more. ❤️‍🔥🫠
🤩I love lighthouses and this one in Blossom Beach is now my favorite—hello spicy lighthouse scene!
🤩 If you love care-taking as a subplot, you’ll love this one.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I would have loved some porch pleasuring after that first “C’mere.” It would have been so fitting especially after some of their honest and open conversations. I’m greedy, I know.
💫 Is this a series? Who else gets an HEA—Georgia, Grace, Char, maybe Conway?!
💫 I’m usually really hard on a widow type trope, but Gemma is in a really good place with her loss/trauma in this book—it worked so well for me.

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Brentmoor & Crais were incredible heartfelt story

Samantha Brentmoor & Connor Crais narrated Gemma & Everett in A. James new small town series. The audiobook is done in duet. Samantha & Connor were incredible as usual. I absolutely loved this pairing. Samantha captured Gemma's bubbly personality, humor, & the love Gemma has for her son & family. Connor captured Everett's charisma and soft side but behind close doors he brought the growly dominated side of Everett. The chemistry between the two were off the charts. Also their kids voices were perfect.
A. James wrote a sweet, fun, heartfelt & spicy small town romance. The connection between Gemma & Everett was authentic and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow.
The story flowed well and adding Gemma's sisters & best friend in the mix was relatable & fun. This is a great first book to a new series and excited to read the second book.

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Such a beautiful love story

Beautiful Crazy by A. James
5/5 ✨🌟

* * * SPOILERS * *

“𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸,” 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦. “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘵. 𝘕𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴? 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩.” 𝘞𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩. “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘵.”

A. James has certainly surprised me. I’ve read books under her other name with her MM romances so I was not expecting how good this book was. The moment I started it, I couldn’t stop. This ALC was so good. The narrators for this ALC were so good and it made listening to their voices so perfect.

This is one of my favorite single mom books. Everett and Gemma were so hot together and just so perfect.

The “mama” moments that he called her just got me in my feels. I didn’t think I was going to like it but yep, I sure did. Usually, stuff like that is kind of icky but it was so sweet every time he called her that.

What I loved was how Gemma and Sutton had the conversation of her dating Everett. that whole scene was super adorable.

And Sutton and Everett’s relationship was so perfect. I loved Everett the moment he played catch with him. I wished that Everett’s dad would have come around when he confronted him, but at least his mom was a gem.

I cannot wait for the next book in this amazing series!

I received a copy of this book and this is my honest review.

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Heartwarming start to a new series

It’s always warm, cozy, and comforting to return to a favorite series, but there is also something equally rewarding and hopeful when you start a new series, embarking on a new adventure, making new friends, seeing new places. Beautiful Crazy is the first in a new series by author Ashley James writing as A. James, and it just scoops you up and hugs you. Right from the start you know you are going to love this town and these people in it. It just feels good.

Blossom Beach is a small coastal town in South Carolina. A typical small town, where everybody knows everybody else - and everything about them. That’s just the way things are for people who’ve grown up there, but for someone from a big city it’s a little surprising and takes a bit of adjusting. Everett has just moved to Blossom Beach from Seattle. His grandmother Rosie recently died and he was surprised to learn she left the house where he used to spend his summers with her to him. When his grandfather died years ago Rosie gave up the life of money, property, and connections and moved to Blossom Beach. It’s possible Everett’s grandma knew him better than he thought; he’s never wanted that rich, influential life either and has never quite fit in with his family and their expectations. He’s close to his mother but his father has never stopped telling him what a disappointment he’s been with his lack of the ”proper” drive and ambition; wanting to help or teach people was never enough. So when Everett thinks about what he truly wants he opts for the fresh start his late grandmother has offered him.

Everett and Gemma’s first meeting is casual – and special. He’s just sitting on a bench at the beach eating an ice cream cone. Something compels her to sit down and strike up a conversation. And if feels magical. They’re enjoying a little bit of flirty talk when her phone rings and she has to leave. He doesn’t know if he will ever see her again, but he sure hopes Blossom Beach is small enough that he will; she can’t understand why she approached him in the first place. That’s not her style, but she can’t get him out of her mind.

Of course they run into each other again. Many times. It’s a small town. And each time feels better than the last, for both of them. Turns out Everett is Gemma’s next-door neighbor, which is very convenient. Everett is also Mr. Windward, the new 5th grade teacher at the elementary school, the grade Gemma’s 10-year-old son Sutton is in, which is not quite as convenient. Gemma is a widow who lost her husband several years ago when Sutton was very young. She suffers from the fear common to many single parents: what if she brings someone into Sutton’s life who he gets attached to and who later leaves – what kind of parent would she be to expose her child to another devastating loss? So she’s decided that Sutton, her family in Blossom Beach and her successful career as a romance novelist are enough for now, until, what, Sutton is grown up? Sounds ridiculous but to a caring parent it seems like the only thing to do.

Except whatever it is between Everett and Gemma just keeps growing. The attraction is certainly physical and has awakened feelings and urges Gemma never thought she would experience again, but it’s so much more than that. They just fit, all three of them. Is it wrong to start feeling like a family, to hope for that?

Beautiful Crazy is a beautiful story, from the charming meet-cute at the beginning to the last happy chapter, and Blossom Beach is a place I look forward to visiting again and again. The close family connections, the warmth and care from friends and family, the beautiful atmosphere are all perfect. Gemma is strong, talented, devoted, beautiful and oh, so sexy to Everett. And he is just what Gemma and Sutton needed: thoughtful, gentle, tender, and strong, powerful, protective and virile. He fits perfectly into Blossom Beach life, and he loves it there.

I was lucky enough to receive both advance reading and advance listening copies of Beautiful Crazy via The Author Agency. What a treat! A wonderful, mesmerizing book made even more so by being able to listen to super-talented narrators Connor Crais and Samantha Brentmoor (in duet recording , always the best!) and read along. Crais brings everything you could want to his performance; his Everett is earnest, enthusiastic, emotional, strong, loving. Brentmoor’s deep, rich voice, with a little Southern twang this time, shows us every side of Gemma, her fear, vulnerability, desire – and finally her total happiness and joy. At one point Everett and Gemma slow dance to the song ‘Beautiful Crazy’ by Luke Combs. Later in the story Combs’ ‘Better Together’ plays. As Gemma says to her sister Grace, “. . . it's like we were in some sweet Hallmark movie.” Yep, just like that. I loved Beautiful Crazy and can’t wait for the next book in the series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

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