Review: Parks and Provocation by Juliette Cross

Rating: 5/5 PoP: 51% Green Valley Heros Book 2

This book defied my expectations in such a good way. It is no secret that I am a Penny Reid and thereby extension a Smartypants Romance fan. I had never read Juliette Cross’ work beforehand as I do not normally read fantasy or paranormal, although I might have to try a few now. 

Lola has recently moved back to Green Valley after being laid off from her marketing career in New Orleans. And things are not going the best, she is a server at Bucky’s, a bar and grill type place just outside of Green Valley. The book starts with her locking her keys in her running car (I have done this so I feel her pain) at the gas station. She calls her best friend Marly to help. Marly knows she is not capable of unlocking the car but she knows someone who might be. Jedediah Lawson is currently a firefighter with Green Valley Fire Department but he also happens to be Lola’s highschool crush/nemesis. Jed has grown a lot since highschool and makes it no secret that he would like to date Lola. She finally agrees to a date but with a hidden agenda. Lola and Marly have a podcast, Kiss and Tell. With the consent and participation of her dates, Lola reviews and rates the choices of activities and locations of first dates. She does not do second dates because Green Valley is not where she plans on staying. Jed soon becomes the exception as he reveals his long time attraction to Lola. 

These two have great chemistry from the beginning. I love how they acknowledge their past crushes and slowly learn more about each other. Jed is amazing book boyfriend material. He cares for everyone in his family, cooks, and is a firefighter. Lola has to learn to shift her perspective. Jed was not exactly who she thought he was in highschool, he is better. And her definition of success and security needs a bit of tweaking. I enjoyed that she was a podcaster that used her time in Green Valley to create content and found ways to continue as circumstances change. 

I also loved the side characters in this book. Lola lives with her Aunt Polly and helps her with her marketing for her crochet business. Which seems to be pretty popular even with the locals and online. Marly is a corky best friend that is not afraid to speak her mind. And Zoe, Jed’s niece, is a smart and caring teenanger. Along with all of these and more we get a couple cameos and mentions that will make any SPRU fan smile. And also sex nachos. Everyone should have sex nachos.