Another sweet, light-angst romance from Aurora Rey. For sure one of my go-to romance authors. Mira and Dylan were such a sweet pairing and it was SO NICE to have a Black woman as a main character!

Hard Pressed really does have it all, as far as I'm concerned. A lovely not-quite-enemies to lovers story with protagonists that have great chemistry, realistic expectations, and practice adult communication (mostly) skills. And I liked the way the book ended. After chatting with some other folks about epilogue fails, it was a nice bonus to have an ending I felt fine with.

I haven't read the book that features Rowan and Audrey but, even though they were present throughout Hard Pressed, I didn't feel like I was missing anything or hit with loads of backstory that wasn't crucial to this book.

I feel good recommending Hard Pressed to all the wlw romance readers out there.

Thanks to BSB and NetGalley for helping to feed my Aurora Rey addiction. ( )

Forty-something Mira Lavigne has been handed the reins of her family’s successful cider-making company. She is controlling and in control – an everything in its place kind of person. Then she meets Dylan Miller, a laid-back small business owner and technically a competitor of Mira’s company. When they are asked to co-chair the Finger Lakes Cider Week – both see the wisdom of being in charge of the prestigious event, but neither wants to work with the other. As they put the event into motion, they quickly figure out they can learn a lot from the other, including how to fall in love.

Rey has written a slow burn romance as only she can. She has created two strong women and put them into a storyline that is both interesting and informative. What results is a well-written well told story with very little angst (thank goodness) that even the most jaded reader will find hard to put down.

If you’re a Rey fan, you’ll love this book because it is probably the best book Rey has written so far – and that’s saying something. If this is the first book of Rey’s you’re considering, do pick this one up - you certainly won’t be disappointed.

My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC. ( )