ARC Reiew: Honeymoon Phase (Mountain Men Matchmaker #3) by Amy Daws

 

Fact or fiction: becoming a lumberjack and marrying your best friend so she can inherit her family business is a great idea.

When Addison “Roe” Monroe tells me she’s going on a husband hunt at the local lumberjack competition so she can inherit her father’s lumberyard, I think she has finally lost her mind.

But my stubborn friend, who would rather drive a forklift than get her nails done, refused my first marriage offer. And since I can’t stomach watching Roe hitch her wagon to some hulking ax wielder who might be a serial killer, I decide that desperate times require desperate measures.

Call me Lumberjack Luke.

I’ll do whatever it takes to get her to accept my proposal because she’s more than just a friend. And the way she looks back at me? I think she knows it.

On the surface, I’m offering a marriage of convenience to protect her. But the truth is…I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend.

Marrying her and moving her up to Fletcher Mountain might mean I’ve lost my mind too, but so be it.

Because the only thing I would regret more, is never trying.

And that’s a fact.

Title: Honeymoon Phase (Mountain Men Matchmaker #3)

Author: Amy Daws

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Expected Publication Date: November 11, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Edelweiss and Canary Street Press for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

So far this series has been cute. I was really looking forward to reading Luke's story. As the youngest Fletcher brother, he was a bit pushed aside and I wanted to see him fall hard and fast. I definitely got that.

Luke is a big Golden Retriever, Cinnamon Bun mush. He's been in love with his best friend, Addison Monroe, since they met. But he's too afraid to move the relationship forward for fear of losing her. When a marriage of convenience situation presents itself as Addison needs to fulfill this obligation to keep her family's business, Luke does everything in his power to win Addison and show her he's the one she should marry. I love the way he presents it: they are best friends, they know each other, he doesn't want her to have to worry about a stranger, etc. It's hard to believe Addison doesn't see through his scheme to the love that's right there below the surface. But as their bond grows stronger through their pact, she slowly realizes that perhaps she has sone feelings for him she never really acknowledged.

Addison is a tough cookie. Working in a lumberyard all her life has made her so. And the tragedies she has endured have also hardened her heart and made her realize she never wants to put herself out there for love. After all, she's been burned a few times and it's easier to just keep herself guarded. But Luke breaks down those walls, slowly but he does it. It was fun to watch them grow as a couple, even if it was pretend to begin with.

I really enjoy all the side characters in this book. They are so supportive and fun. Especially Everly, and you know I cannot wait for her story!

Daws does a good job with "third act break up" not really being that. There's strife and conflict, but it's not as heart wrenching as most third acts I've seen. She does it with a gentle hand. And with the thought in mind that the characters truly need to grow from their revelation.

Pacing is good with this one. There were some slow spots and some things that I thought could have been left out. It was longer than I would normally like for a romance of this caliber. And the writing could have been tighter in places.

As with many romances, this one definitely relies on a lot of miscommunication. It's not my favorite trope but I also understand that level of conflict makes sense when the characters are still learning about themselves along the way. I also would have liked to see more background on the friendship between Luke and Addison. We are told so many times they are best friends, but it would have been nice to see that blossom and grow with maybe flashbacks to the past or at least stories told by the characters that show how special the relationship truly is.

Daws infuses a ton of humor into her books which I really appreciate. So many times I found myself giggling or even laughing out loud because of the antics of the characters. I do wish we would have seen a bit more of the rooster in this one. I feel like the animals played a big role in the first and second books and that wasn't carried through in this one as much as I'd like to have seen.

Overall, a solid addition to this series which continues to be fun. If you enjoy Amy Award's books in The Cocky Kingmans series, give this series a try! I cannot wait to see what Daws does for Everly's book!

Author:

Number 1 Amazon Bestselling author Amy Daws writes spicy love stories that take place in America, as well as across the pond. She's most known for her footy-playing Harris Brothers and writing in a tire shop waiting room. When Amy is not writing, she’s likely making charcuterie boards from her home in South Dakota where she lives with her daughter and husband.

For more of Amy's work, visit: http://www.amydawsauthor.com

Or follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/amydawsauthor
Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/amydawsauthor
Tik Tok at
https://www.tiktok.com/@amydawsauthor
or sign up for her newsletter at
http://www.amydawsauthor.com/newsletter