Review: Parks and Provocation

Parks and Provocation by Juliette Cross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC for review, all opinions are my own. This is the second book in the Green Valley Heroes series, but it is a complete standalone. This follows Lola and Jed, who were what I'd call frenemies in high school. They always liked each other but mixed signals and teenage immaturity got in their way. After moving away for college and to chase dreams of an uber successful career in marketing, Lola has found herself back at home in Green Valley. She had the big fancy job, but all of that fell apart with one mistake. While she's trying to get her marketing career back on track, she is running a dating podcast with her best friend Marly. Marly is hilarious by the way! Their podcast is laugh out loud funny! Lola has no intention of running into Jed while she is in town, but when she locks her keys in her car he just happens to be the fireman on duty when she needs rescued. Jed always wanted a shot with Lola, but things didn't work out. His future didn't work out the way he planned and he is part of the local fire department and moved home to be closer to his family. He's no longer the immature teen who used to tease Lola to get her attention in high school, so when luck (or meddling friends) brings them together he is determined to seize his second chance. She agrees to go on a date with him, mainly because she can use it as material for her podcast. Jed charms her and her followers, and somehow gets her to agree to go out on a second date. As they get reacquainted they realize that much of their irritation with each other from the past was due to miscommunication and teenage hormones making them act irrationally. As their dates and podcast episodes unfold, we really get to know Jed and Lola. They get to know each other and are finally able to say the things they couldn't before. They both have to communicate their wants and needs if they are going to make things work. This is especially important because Lola is a planner and she has her future mapped out and staying in Green Valley and a relationship were not part of her master plan. Jed on the other hand is pretty easy going and wants to seize the moment. I felt the characters were relatable as was their situation. I thought they had great chemistry and because they knew each other before there wasn't an insta-love connection between them, it was more of a fire being reignited between them. If you love enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and second chance romance this is the book for you. There is some angst and drama, but it is short lived and low level. The spice factor is pretty good too. I really enjoyed this and loved Jed and Lola! This is my first book by Juliette Cross, but it certainly will not be my last.

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