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My life is over. I swore I would never work at the whiskey distillery with my last name on it, that I would never be a part of my father’s legacy. But when I graduated with my art degree and realized there were no jobs, the devil appeared, and I sold my soul, agreeing to work in the family business if he’d give me the art studio I’d always dreamed of. It can’t be that bad, I thought. Until I realized my new boss was Logan Becker. The Becker brothers have a reputation for being trouble, and since I love trouble, it’s no surprise to me that I’m infatuated by that forbidden fruit the first day I walk into the distillery. That lean, whiskey-eyed, too-hot-for-his-own-good man hates me — and I can’t blame him. His family has been at war with mine for decades, and for good reason. The Beckers and the Scooters are the Montagues and Capulets of Stratford, Tennessee. But if he’s Romeo, and I’m Juliet? Well… we all know how that story ends — and for that reason, I tell myself to steer clear. Because if my father finds out I’m falling for Logan Becker, my life actually will be over. And Logan’s will be, too.
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I received an arc copy from the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review
Summary
Logan wants nothing to do with training the newest tour guide, Mallory Scooter. Mallory is the daughter of the owner and his family's rival since the mysterious death of his father.
But Mallory isn't at all like what he thought. She's rebellious and wants nothing to do with her family's legacy.
But falling in love is the last thing their families, or the town, will let them do.
"Do you think there's a universe that exists where you could be mine?"
"Let's make one."
Overview
There were parts of this I absolutely adored! But there were also some things that deterred me from being able to fall in love with this story..
➸ POV - This is told in 1st person in alternating chapters from Logan and Mallory's POV
➸ Logan Becker - 26, Senior Tour Guide at Scooter Whiskey, Becker brother and therefore troublemaker, Neat-freak
➸ Mallory Scooter - 26, Artist, Rebel, Newest tour guide and daughter of Scooter Whiskey
Content Warnings: Death of a parent, Sexism, Homophobia, Sexual Assault (underage)
What I Liked
➸ I still LOVE the Becker family. I feel like they are such an amazing example of a strong family unit and support system. I love the bond between all the brother's and their bonds with their parents - especially their mother!
➸ While the mystery hasn't exactly been surprising yet, I think it's a fun addition to this series! I like that each of these can read as a standalone but still has an overarching story arc for readers who read the entire thing. Plus I'm a sucker for anything mystery-esque!
➸ Logan - adored him as a love interest!! He was such a unique male main character. I love that he was the soft one in the relationship. He never felt overly stereotypically-masculine but still read like a strong character. And who doesn't love when main characters are avid readers?!
What I Didn't Like
➸ I feel like the central conflict in this was apparent from the get-go and it was frustrating as a reader watching the main characters ignore and let it happen.
➸ But my biggest gripe with this, was the multiple occurrence of women-bashing. This is something I can't stand in a book and unfortunately it occurred more than once (or even twice) from both the male and female character. I even highlighted some example because it just kept happening...
Logan:
"...showed me there were gems out there, women who were different, unique, fascinating... women I could talk to about something other than town gossip"
Mallory:
"I snorted, ...there wasn't a single girl in Stratford who I got along with."
And my personal "favorite"....
"I'll do a special event where basic bitches can paint a set [of champagne glasses] to take home for when they host brunch"
I just can't get behind this kind of language toward an entire gender. It felt shallow to belittle all other women just push the fact that Mallory was so "different" and "edgy". I get that this takes place in a small town and that their lifestyle may be different, but it still felt unnecessary to refer to women as "basic bitches".
Overall I love Kandi Steiner's writing and her angst-filled romances! She knows how to pull on my heart-strings and have me swoon-ing by the end of the story. Unfortunately this wasn't my favorite book of hers. I absolutely plan to continue this series though because I need more of the Becker brothers in my life.
0I was thrilled to receive an ARC copy of Kandi Steiner’s newest release, NEAT.
Logan Becker likes his world neat, just like he likes his whiskey. His job at the whiskey distillery in his hometown is his legacy, even if his name isn’t on the building and the owner is trying to erase it. He’s fine with his predictable life and string of one night stands until the one girl he can’t fall in love with returns to town.
Mallory Scooter is the princess of Stratford, but she’d rather chew nails than have that title. But her father, the owner of the distillery and rival of the Becker family, made her a deal she couldn’t turn down. So she’s back and *sort of* toeing the line. That is until the spark between her and Logan is too bright to be ignored anymore.
Kandi Steiner has such a way with words it’s mesmerizing. NEAT was hot and angsty and romantic. I fell hard for Logan and his OCD-ness. And spunky Mallory was a treat! I really loved this story and the continuation of the Becker family!
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