2.5 stars

****Full Review****

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

Sloane has always had a case of wanderlust but with her new job as an exotic locations romance writer, she seems to have found her niche. Except for one little detail, her inspiration is leaning toward small town America romance right now. When her publisher rejects her new idea and demands a Greek hero, Sloane capitulates and finds herself searching for a way to save up enough money for her Greece trip. Fortuitously, Gavin and his thirteen year old sister Bree enter the picture. Gavin has just moved to the small town of Pine Mountain becoming a restaurant manager and newly appointed guardian of his half sister. Their mom recently passed away from breast cancer and to say the least, both are having a hard time adjusting to their new lives. When Gavin's regular babysister has a family emergency, Sloane steps in to help take care of Bree.

Sloane is a fly by the seat of your pants gal while Gavin is more rigid than a newly starched collar; clashes and battles occur as they bump up against each other and push each other's boundaries. Sloane was the more interesting of the two characters, she struggles with being the black sheep of the family because getting married and having kids isn't the end all for her. This affects what she considers her self-worth and the reader gets to see the emotional toll it all takes on her. Gavin is portrayed as so calm, cool, and collected for most of the story that he never feels real and I could never quite warm up to him. Cracks under his surface are eventually shown but this wasn't until very close to the end. Bree, surprisingly, was my favorite character as her emotional drama of missing her mother and trying to get Gavin to react or open up to her was the most poignant part of the story. The opposites attract trope was really the only thing holding Sloane and Gavin together for me; very small doses of passion.

This had all the ingredients, small town, opposites attract, demanding mother, struggling hero, and trying to find herself heroine, to be a very quaint heartfelt story but I think it came up a little short. Almost all the scenes take place in Gavin's home, so any small town feel with any whimsical characters was absent. This also caused the pace to be very slow, the middle part of the story felt uninspired and while the Big Misunderstanding helped give some spark, readers are going to see it coming a mile away and find it every day. The author's writing is very solid if not remarkable. Small town romance series are pretty popular right now, unfortunately this one has a very been there, done that feel. ( )

Loved this one! A fantastic small town romance filled with humor, love, and some sexy times it is definitely a great read. Very well written with awesome characters.

Frustrated and blocked, romance writer Sloane Russo needs money to fund a trip to Greece to find her muse. When the opportunity to help out stoic restaurant manager Gavin by keeping an eye on his surly 13 year old sister presents itself, Sloane can't afford to pass up the opportunity.

This one belongs on everyone's must read list. I highly recommend it. ( )

Stirring Up Trouble by Kimberly Kincaid is a charming and touching small town contemporary romance. This book is wonderful, complete with desire, well-defined characters and a compelling storyline. This is the third book from Ms. Kincaid's Pine Mountain series and I am happy to say the fourth one is scheduled for release next February. I am glad I got the opportunity to once again visit Pine Mountain, and this time Carly's best friend, Sloane Russo, is in the hot seat.

Sloane has always embraced life a little less traditionally than her mother would prefer. She writes steamy romance novels for a living and travels on a whim to exciting cities for inspiration. At the request of her best friend, Sloane has spent the past year in Pine Mountain, and as a result, she has been unable to write. Sloane promised her editor a new book where the country of Greece is the setting, and she has to get their quickly, since time is of the essence. Considering Sloane is extremely low on cash, she accepts a temporary, well paying babysitting job. Her charge is Bree, a hormonal thirteen-year-old girl with a lot of attitude. Although Sloane does not have any childcare experience, her common sense and ability to understand, creates a miraculous sensation.

Restaurant manager Gavin Carmichael is a very serious man with a lot of responsibility. His mother died about year ago, so in addition to grieving and successfully running a high-end restaurant, he is now his half-sister's legal guardian. Gavin finds raising Bree to be quite challenging. To make matters even more difficult, Gavin is in a bind, his sitter has a short-term emergency and he needs a new one immediately, since leaving Bree at home alone is not an option. Lucky for Gavin, Sloane is available. Sloane's romantic chemistry with Gavin and her positive influence on Bree, is a winning combination and nothing short of amazing.

This is a well written book that will keep you engaged from beginning to end. Sloane and Gavin are a hot couple and their connection is sensual. The story is nicely paced and the characters are well developed and likeable. If you are prone to tearing up during emotional scenes, you may want to have a box of tissues handy. Although this is the third book from the author's Pine Mountain series, it can be read as a standalone. However, the first two books are really good, so you may want to check them out.

Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley. ( )

I received this book for free as part of a first reads promotion ( )