I didn’t plan to come back to Blackwell Hollow, but then I get word that my great Aunt Evelyn has died — and she’s left everything to me. As a bonafide city girl, there’s only one thing to do: go to Blackwell Hollow and sell everything stat.
Except from the minute I arrive, nothing is as it seems. Between the dead body, the wacky townspeople, and the unhinged gossip, things get complicated fast. And that’s not even counting my three tattooed caretakers.
Beck makes lavender lemon cookies that melt in my mouth. He also does things to my body that melt my panties. Noah is happiest with his hands in the soil — and his face between my thighs. Then there’s Dane: broken, angry, as immovable as a mountain. He doesn’t want me there, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want me.
We’re stuck together, all suspects in the same murder. And I don’t know what’s scarier, the murderer watching me from the shadows — or the three men setting me — and my old life — on fire.
NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS HERE, the first spicy why choose small town romance in the Blackwell Hollow series by Sadie Hunt.
A WandaVision Episode of Blackwell Falls…
I am a MASSIVE Sadie Hunt fan but the closer we got to receiving this ARC, I wasn’t sure what I was going to be in for. For those not familiar, Sadie is the author of the Blackwell Falls world, which is dark romance with a metric shit ton of spice.
This is NOT that.
NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS HERE is set in the same world as Blackwell Falls but this time, we’re tucked away in a small town nearby called Blackwell Hollow.
So here’s what I picture: WandaVision. Did you watch WandaVision??? It was a Marvel Cinematic Universe television series that follows Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlett Witch) as she creates alternate worlds to cope the unbearable grief of losing the love of her life (tell me again that Marvel is just overblown superhero fights, nerd). Each episode of that show is like dipping into a different TV series. That’s what this book felt like: The people of Blackwell Falls fall into an episode of The Gilmore Girls but there are hints here and there of the darkness they come from.
Okay, so this is where the genre gets dicey. If you’re just looking for another Blackwell Falls dark romance trilogy, you’re not going to get it. NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS HERE is a cozy mystery with everything a cozy isn’t supposed to have – swearing and lots of hot spice. If you enjoy cozies but wish they weren’t quite so goody-goody, this book is totally for you. It’s got all the goofball humor of G-rated rom com but is firmly in the NC-17 bucket for content. I will say that those who are used to the dark romance from Sadie Hunt, there is absolutely nothing dark about this romance so you have to let that label go entirely. If I had to pick the best way to describe what you’re in for, it would be a spicy why choose small town romance.
NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS HERE opens up with Avery coming from the big city to the tiny town of Blackwell Hollow because a close family friend passed away and left her a house and a bakery in the will. Upon arrival, when searching for the three people who maintain the property, she discovers a dead body just hanging out in the gazebo.
Enter the three gorgeous love interests. Beck is the charismatic baker who runs the bakery that Evelyn left for Avery. He believes that all problems can be solved (or at least soothed) with cookies and milk. Noah is the grounds keeper and gardener. He has a tendency to talk to flowers, grass, and pretty much anything else that grows on the property. Then there is Dane, the grump who manages the house’s finances and upkeep. Upon meeting her, Beck and Noah go into full caretaker mode. The chemistry between the MCs is off the charts from their first meeting, though it takes a little bit longer for Dane to warm up to her. He has his reasons, misguided though they may be and eventually figures his stuff out.
Part of the deal with inheriting the property is that the caretakers need to stay on as employees as long as Avery owns the property (or pay them a severance should she decide to sell). She comes to town with the intention to sell the whole shebang and quickly gets sucked in by the small town goofiness (à la the Gilmore Girls) while trying to clear her name of suspicion for the death of the man in the gazebo. In the spirit of small town romance, the town of Blackwell Hollow is filled with oddball side characters and their various hijinx and quirky drama.
Fun Side Note: For the Blackwell Falls fans who’ve read the Blackwell Butchers series, you get a cameo from the Hawks in this book and they’re every bit the dicks they were during the Hunt. Like walking reminders that while the town of Blackwell Hollow is very sweet, the nightmares we all know and love are lurking just a short ride away. 🤣
I loved this book. Between the murder mystery, the romance unfolding, and the light sprinkling of comedy all throughout the book, NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS HERE is a fast-paced and fun read. I really hope that this is going to be a trilogy like the other books in Sadie Hunt’s Blackwell world. It doesn’t leave off on a cliffhanger the way her other books do (the murder mystery is buttoned up and the harem is together and happy) but it’s definitely left wide open to continue. This was a weird genre mashup but it works and I cant wait to see more of Blackwell Hollow!
Spice Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
My Rating
★ ★ ★ ★
Quirky FMC With an Aversion to Cuss Words
Hot Baker MMC Who Says F**k A Lot
Green Thumb MMC Who Says F**k A Lot
Grumpy House Manager MMC Who Thinks F**k A Lot
New Best Friend With Manic Pixie Energy
Why Choose Romance
Forced Proximity
Cozy Murder Mystery
Chosen Family
Small Town Hijinx
Who knew! A Sadie Hunt book that doesn’t really require a trigger warning.
Quick!!! Someone play the lottery!!
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Wishing you many dark fantasies & dirty dreams!
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The review copy of this book was supplied by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
SADIE HUNT is a Southern California expat now living in New York who can confirm the former has better weather while the latter has better pizza.
She is the critically acclaimed author of over fifty published novels and seven novellas. Her first series (under her not-so-secret real name) received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist and was one of Booklist’s Top Ten Debut novels. Her work has also been an Indie Next selection and has appeared on prestigious lists such as the Lonestar List, New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age, and Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best. Her first novel beat out Lord Voldemort for Best Villain in the Indigo Teen Reads Awards. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and translated into over twenty languages.
Sadie lives in New York with an 85-pound pup and three perpetually annoyed cats. She spends her free time swiping right on guys she never bothers to meet, watching the Great British Baking Show, and waiting for the next season of Love Island U.K.
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