Welcome to my review of Rocky Road by Becky Wade, the second in her “Sons of Scandal” series following the Camden family in New England.
FBI Agent Jude Camden handles every aspect of his job with by-the-book professionalism. There’s no reason why his latest assignment—which calls for him to pose as the boyfriend of perfumer Gemma Clare—should be any different.
Except Gemma is different. She’s creative, bold, and feisty. And as soon as she meets Jude, she wants to loosen him up, wrinkle his perfect shirts, and test every ounce of his towering self-control.
The FBI has an iron-clad rule against romances between those working together on operations. Jude’s never met a rule he didn’t respect. But adhering to this one is going to be tough because, as time goes by, he finds Gemma more and more irresistible.
Buckle up! It’s going to be a rocky road.
Escape to Maine for this swoon-worthy “fake romance”! Banter, humor, perfume, and a mystery from the past intertwine in this sweet Sons of Scandal love story.
*A Note from Becky: For a list of sensitive topics in Becky’s novels, visit BeckyWade.com and click the link you’ll find at the top of the “My Books” page.
Rocky Road by Becky Wade takes readers on another romantic journey with hints of intrigue alongside the second Camden son, Jude. The story uses tropes in a fantastic way, with fake dating, forced proximity, and a tiny bit of opposites attract with Gemma’s sunshine-y and effervescent personality in contrast with Jude’s serious, always-tidy demeanor. AND, it has a hilarious meet cute for the record books!
Author Becky Wade tackles tricky family dynamics and believably complex, world-we-live-in situations. I admire that Wade is not afraid to handle some heavier topics on occasion, like fidelity, trust, and risk in this series. Some of this depth absolutely sparkles with the rare POV chapters from Jude’s mother, Fiona, and her ongoing role as mother, sister, and friend.
The romance has fantastic tension, skillfully portrayed by Becky, especially in the (finally) first kiss scene. The romance is enough of a slow burn that the reader is absolutely rooting for a *them* and for Gemma to ruffle Jude’s composure. And she does! She has a tendency to knock Jude’s world off-kilter every time they are together, though Gemma doesn’t always perceive it because Jude’s such a good guy hero and has great internal depths. When it finally manifests with a little outward mussiness for Jude, it is quite an adorable moment. I also LOVE how their relationship progresses and how there is **tiny spoiler** no 3rd act breakup **end spoiler**. Their mutual affinity for poetry (Jude!) and chocolate (Jude and Gemma) sets up some fun scenes and banter, too.
I always enjoy learning more about the world around me through story. In this case, Rocky Road reveals facets of the perfume industry and what a normal-ish day job with the FBI entails. I’m looking forward to the enigmatic, humorous Max Camden and his story in the next novel.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. This is my honest review.
The Green Mockingbird 