Reviewed by Vicki
TITLE: Dogwood Days
AUTHOR: Poppy Dennison
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 156 pages
BLURB:
Small town heroes and big town hearts.
Jefferson Lee Davis is happy with his life in the city until his favorite uncle has a bad fall and he rushes to Holly Creek to make sure Uncle Sherman is okay. Jefferson Lee knows how to navigate small Southern town’s politics and the residents greet him with open arms. Everyone but the town’s sheriff, Zane Yarbrough, that is.
Dogwood Days, the town’s biggest festival is looming, so Jefferson has to step up and take over his uncle’s job as the town blogger, even if that puts him right in the sheriff’s path. Quirky neighbors, meddling family, and a sassy best friend all come together to make Jefferson Lee’s life in Holly Creek a full-time adventure. When he loses his job back in the city, Jefferson Lee has to start a new job search that will take him away from the town he’s learning to think of as home. Will this big city boy find sweet romance in the arms of a small town sheriff or will the allure of the city call him back?
REVIEW:
Oh. My. Gawd. This was soooo the book I need to read right now. I love deep, dark, angsty books, paranormal, contemporary, or filled with action and drama. But there is only so much of that I can take before I need a taste of something light and happy. This book is that and so much more.
Jefferson Lee Davis (NOT Jeff, or even Jefferson, but Jefferson Lee to his family) is from a small, itty bitty, southern town called Holly Creek. Home of the annual Dogwood Days festival, gossiping nosy neighbors, his best loved Uncle Sherman, small town politics, his best friend Clover (Yup, Clover!), and lots of casseroles. Jefferson has gotten out of the small town and is working as a journalist, living with his roommate, hot and sexy Trent.
One morning Jefferson is woken by a phone call, way too early in the morning, from his overly chipper Uncle Sherman. Who has an issue with Clover, Jefferson’s best friend, and head of the Holly Berries, the local women’s group that organized all the town festivals. Uncle Sherman proceeds to tell Jefferson all about the latest gossip centered around Clover and her made up rivalry with Mary Caroline, and the drama of the upcoming Rose Festival, and whether Mary Caroline may have cheated on her garden by having it professionally landscaped by Beau, the drool worthy, hunky man. In the middle of this conversation, Uncle Sherman manages to damage himself, leaving Jefferson making a panicked phone call to the Sheriff of Blue Ridge County. Jefferson packs a bag and heads to Holly Creek, as his uncle is being hauled to the hospital.
So Jefferson returns home, and is immediately drawn back in to the life he left behind. Uncle Sherman is injured and will need some help, so Jefferson agrees to stay for a couple of weeks and help with his blog, which seems to be part marketing, part source of local gossip. Could his decision to stay be Beau, the gardener? Or could it be Zane, the sheriff? I wasn’t sure for a bit, but it is definitely Zane. Big, strong, caring, kind Zane. Sigh.
Jefferson and Zane start a very tentative courting that was one of the sweetest things I’ve seen in a book in a long time. Their little romance is set against this fantastic story of small town drama, what street to have the Dogwood Days parade on, the battle between Clover (I loved her!) and Mary Caroline, a budding relationship for Uncle Sherman, a job search for Jefferson, and an overabundance of casseroles and food. Seriously sweet.
I loved this book. It’s sweet and fluffy, light and happy. It made me smile and laugh. It is pure romance. A bit of naughty sex, but that is not what this book is about. It’s about this wacky little town, and the people that live there. It’s about Jefferson Lee and Sheriff Zane falling in love. It’s all about the happily every after.
The writing is so good, Poppy has just the right light touch, she’s got the nosy folks down, the romance was perfect, the little bit of sex was hot. I loved Jefferson and Zane, I loved their story, I loved their romance. Uncle Sherman was the right balance of old coot and caring man. Clover was so fun and funny. Damn, I just loved it! Oh, and the cover? So cute.
So yes, I’m giving FIVE hearts to a fluffy romance story! I know, so not the thing I usually do… but this book came at the right time and I loved it. Buy it, read it, and love it!
RATING: 
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