Eloise was seven when she fell for Beckett when he gave her bully a taste of his own medicine. As the years passed, childhood infatuation turned to unrequited love, and at 18, she promised herself she’d forget about him. And for so many years, she succeeded—until her childhood crush returned to their home town of Darling Lake, and now, she’s torn between temptation and the urge to run away. Beckett had sensed his brother’s best friend’s sister’s crush all those years ago, but he never saw her as more than the little girl she was. But now he’s back in town, he sees that Eloise is all grown up, and he can’t deny the attraction that sizzles between them—and he knows he needs to get a taste of the strong, independent woman she’s become. 

Smoky Darling was a solid, enjoyable read. There was some super fun banter and internal commentary that made me snigger, especially when reading FMC Eloise’s chapters, and the dialogue was well done. Eloise’s infatuation through so much of her life was a bit weird for me, but thankfully plenty of time and space was given in adulthood so that when she and MMC Beckett reconnected, the spark between them felt more natural. Beckett is a solid love interest, though some aspects did put me off. I enjoy a dominant, protective MMC in a dark romance context, where I can suspend a little more disbelief and let red flags turn into a pretty pink. However, in a straight contemporary small town romance, some of Beckett’s actions/reactions seemed too over the top to feel realistic. Overall, a great read—I’m looking forward to the second book in the series, Latte Darling.