In A Jam By Kate Canterbary › 〈Reliable〉

Noah is the ultimate "stern brunch" hero. He’s practical, slightly overwhelmed by fatherhood, and deeply devoted. Shay is resilient and witty, making their banter feel sharp and earned rather than sugary.

Shay Zucconi is at a dead end. She’s just been dumped, she’s jobless, and her grandmother’s will has a bizarre stipulation: to inherit the family tulip farm in Friendship, Rhode Island, Shay has to live there for a year and get married. In a Jam by Kate Canterbary

The setting feels like a character itself—vibrant, quirky, and filled with the kind of nosy neighbors that make small-town tropes so addictive. Noah is the ultimate "stern brunch" hero

by Kate Canterbary is a heavy-hitter in the "small-town romance" genre, delivering a perfect mix of dry humor, deep emotional stakes, and high-heat chemistry. The Premise Shay Zucconi is at a dead end

Enter Noah Barrows: a grumpier-than-average widower, a single dad, and Shay’s former childhood bully/friend. To save the farm, they enter into a marriage of convenience that—shocker—becomes anything but convenient. Why It Works

It’s "sweet with a side of spice." If you enjoy the or "marriage of convenience" tropes handled with adult maturity and a lot of emotional depth, this is a must-read. It manages to be cozy without being "fluff," tackling grief and self-worth alongside the romance.

Canterbary is a master of tension. The transition from "fake" to "real" is paced beautifully, focusing on how they integrate into each other's daily lives before the physical payoff.