Book Review: Love Felt Like This

Author: Julie Olivia 

Title: Love Felt Like This 

Genre: Romance

Number of Pages: 496 

Plot Summary: Griffin Harvey is a famous singer-songwriter struggling to write his next album while secretly adjusting to life as the new guardian of his two-year-old daughter. Beverly, meanwhile, is a children’s television producer determined to save her beloved nonprofit show after it loses its funding. When an unexpected television appearance puts their chemistry and very different personalities on display, the two realize they may be able to help each other. Griffin needs inspiration, Beverly needs music and support for her show, and a three-month collaboration in Beverly’s cozy mountain hometown might be exactly what they both need. What starts as a practical arrangement soon becomes much harder to keep strictly professional.

My Verdict: This was such a sweet story! Griffin definitely comes off as a grumpy, fancy rock star, but deep down, he’s a huge softie just doing his best with his two-year-old daughter, Ava. He’s also trying to keep her out of the spotlight so she can grow up somewhat normally. Beverly is the perfect sunshine to his grumpy, a gal with iconic ’70s style who is absolutely dedicated to saving her grandfather’s children’s show, Birds on the Block.

When Griffin and Beverly realize they can help each other, Griffin and Ava basically move in with Beverly’s family for three months while he works on his album and helps create music for Birds on the Block. From the very beginning, her family welcomes them with open arms and immediately starts treating Griffin like one of their own. Even sweeter is how quickly they embrace Ava. I loved watching Griffin, who is so used to protecting this little private world he has created for his daughter, slowly become part of Beverly’s big, loving family.

The whole book is funny, sweet, and heartwarming while also exploring grief and what it means to move forward after loss. Between the small-town setting, Beverly’s wonderfully eccentric family, Griffin being a secret softie, and the slow-burn romance, this was such a cozy read. It’s the perfect romance to curl up with this fall.

Subject Headings: Romance; Grumpy/Sunshine; Slow Burn Romance; Small-Town Romance; Forced Proximity; Celebrity Romance; Musicians; Found Family; Grief

Similar Authors: 

B.K. Borison — For cozy small-town romances with lovable communities, warm found-family dynamics, and relationships that feel comforting without sacrificing emotional depth.

Sarah Adams — For sweet, funny romances featuring sunshine/grumpy pairings, genuinely kind characters, and plenty of heart alongside the romantic tension.

Tarah DeWitt — For contemporary romances that balance humor and swoony chemistry with heavier emotions, complicated family relationships, and characters working through grief or major life changes.

Hannah Bonam-Young — For tender, character-driven romances with big-hearted love interests, strong family and found-family relationships, and characters who genuinely take care of one another.