Batter of Wits by Karla Sorenson

About the Book

Hate at first sight couldn’t possibly exist, right?

That’s what Grace Buchanan thought, before her useless car stranded her on the side of a deserted road just inside the Green Valley city limits.

When Tucker Haywood—tall and handsome and full of southern charm— shows up to help, her reaction to him is the strongest thing she’s ever felt in her life, and it makes no freaking sense.

It doesn’t make much sense to Tucker either. Not why she hates him, or why he finds her so intriguing. He knows well enough that Grace is moving to Green Valley for a fresh start, not to distract him when he’s got no room for something like her in his life.

The complications between them are endless, but that doesn’t stop her definitely not love-at-first-sight feelings from changing into something else entirely.

Grace and Tucker are about to learn the hard way that in Green Valley, hating someone has never tasted so sweet.

Batter of Wits is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Amazon US: https://amzn.to/30wAA1J

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Coming to Kindle Unlimited on April 27th!

Librarian Laura’s Review of Batter of Wits

Twins Grace and Grady Buchanan have recently moved to Green Valley, Tennessee, both in an effort to escape the crazy of LA and their 9-to-5 office jobs, as well as to be closer to their father who lives a simple life working at the local bait shop. They both crave a fresh start. Grace loves photography, but she would much rather be behind the camera than behind the reception desk of a photography studio where she worked. On her way to Green Valley, Grace’s car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and in a connectivity dead zone, nonetheless. Unable to call anyone for help and not even sure how far she is from her new home, Grace is debating how to handle her predicament. Her temper is flying high. If this is how her new life in Green Valley is going to be, maybe she made the wrong decision to move?

Along comes Tucker Haywood, who Grace takes an immediate visceral dislike to, even though he is tall and gorgeous and comes to her rescue. Grace’s attitude is meant to let Tucker know she is not interested and she doesn’t need any man coming to save the day. Even if the man is oozing Southern charm and gentlemanly demeanor. Grace knows without a doubt that its the Buchanan love curse. The Buchanan men have all been hit with a love at first sight feeling from the curse, but lucky Grace, the only female Buchanan, gets the opposite – intense feelings of hate.

After Tucker delivers Grace safely to her aunt and uncle’s house, where she’ll live in the garage apartment, he tries to get her off his mind, but her beautiful face and irresistible sass are imprinted in his brain. Tucker is a lawyer and he’s been working in the family business with his parents at Haywood & Haywood since the day he graduated from college. He knows that’s the path his parents planned for him all along, but he just can’t shake the unsettled feeling of knowing he is not meant for this type of work. He wouldn’t dream of disappointing his parents, however, or his longtime girlfriend Magnolia, who has their future all planned out. Magnolia is literally perfect from head to toe. She checks all the boxes for Tucker’s future, and he does love her. But after all this time together, he is no longer in love with her, instead feeling like they are just going through the motions and expectations that are set for them. What Tucker can’t figure out is why Grace hates him so much and why he feels the exact opposite. At fate would have it, Grace and Tucker keep running into each other, each time spending a little more time getting to know one another. But the problem with small towns is the rumor mill, and neither Tucker or Grace wants to be the topic of that fast-moving gossip train. As Grace’s intense feelings of hate shift into feelings of burning desire for Tucker, the two must determine what is worth risking everything. Grace falls hard for Tucker. But will Tucker reciprocate in time to pick up her shattered pieces? I guess you’ll have to read it to find out!

This story had so many Green Valley elements that I’ve come to know and love – the Winston brothers, the jam sessions at the Green Valley Community Center, the Donner Bakery, Daisy’s Nut House, beautiful scenery and hiking trails, small town gossip, and family drama. There’s even a scene in the Green Valley Library that made this librarian really happy. I know you’ll fall in love with Tucker and Grace like I did. Sorenson does leaves readers hanging with a bit of a setup at the end for Grady Buchanan, however. I hope his story comes very soon!

Thank you to Smartypants Romance for providing me with an early review copy of this title.