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Love Unscripted #2
Tiny House, Big Love
On camera. Up close. In denial--but not for much longer...
After a relationship gone bad, Lucy Finch is leaving everything behind. Her old home, her old job, her old insecurities. Even Sebastián Castillo, her protective but intensely private friend of almost twenty years. Before she moves halfway across the country, though, she has one last request for Seb: She wants him to help her choose a tiny house on cable television. And maybe during the filming process, she can discover once and for all whether his feelings for her are more than platonic...
Sebastián would rather do anything than appear on HATV. But Lucy needs him, and he can't say no. Not when she's about to leave, taking his heart with her. Hiding how he feels with a television crew watching their every move will prove difficult, though--especially when that crew is doing their sneaky best to transform two longtime friends into a couple.
Tiny spaces. Hidden emotions. The heat generated by decades of desire and denial. A week spent on camera might just turn Lucy and Seb's relationship from family-friendly to viewer discretion advised...
After a relationship gone bad, Lucy Finch is leaving everything behind. Her old home, her old job, her old insecurities. Even Sebastián Castillo, her protective but intensely private friend of almost twenty years. Before she moves halfway across the country, though, she has one last request for Seb: She wants him to help her choose a tiny house on cable television. And maybe during the filming process, she can discover once and for all whether his feelings for her are more than platonic...
Sebastián would rather do anything than appear on HATV. But Lucy needs him, and he can't say no. Not when she's about to leave, taking his heart with her. Hiding how he feels with a television crew watching their every move will prove difficult, though--especially when that crew is doing their sneaky best to transform two longtime friends into a couple.
Tiny spaces. Hidden emotions. The heat generated by decades of desire and denial. A week spent on camera might just turn Lucy and Seb's relationship from family-friendly to viewer discretion advised...
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2019
About the author
Olivia Dade
25 books4,414 followersOlivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books.
*******
If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!
Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter
*******
If you want to find me online, here’s where to go!
Website: https://oliviadade.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OliviaWrites
Newsletter: https://go.oliviadade.com/Newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
August 28, 2019
Tiny House, Big Love is a super cute, property show-inspired story.
I love myself a sweet, little book! Especially books that pack on the cutesy romance in a fast-paced environment. This short novel by Olivia Dade hit all the right notes with me!
This book follows Lucy, an enviromentally friendly massage therapist, and Sebastian, a Guatemalan-American engineer, as they pursue a tiny house for Lucy. They go on a Property Brothers, House Hunters or HGTV-esque show to try to find Lucy a cute, mobile home that she can live in. Along the way, sparks fly (to no one's surprise)!
There's so many sweet parts about this book. Olivia's writing style is fast paced, easy to read and wildly addicting. She also has some marvelous quotes that made me giggle at her word choice. "First butt to butt contact" is just one of many quotes that had me laughing. The fact that there was a former nudist's house and a school bus also made this story absolute hilarious. I've watched many of these house searching or building shows, and this book felt spot on. There's always some weird background to the houses that make you cringe!
Lucy and Seb's relationship was lovely. The friends to romance plot line was used here and I think it was used well. It wasn't too fast for a book of this size, but it didn't leave me hanging either! I think it was really well written and felt very soft and sweet. The fact that the space between them was the main reason they started growing closer was ironic. But it did work really well! How could one resist when he's describe to be gorgeous?!
This book is a lovely read if you're looking for a short romance novel, a soft book, or a book that's positive. It really lifted my spirits on a very anxious day! Happy books like these deserve spaces on more shelves! And to top it off, the dialogue in this book didn't feel forced. It felt like I was actually listening in on the characters's conversations (not in a creepy way... I swear!).
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free from the author, Olivia Dade, in exchange for an honest review.
I love myself a sweet, little book! Especially books that pack on the cutesy romance in a fast-paced environment. This short novel by Olivia Dade hit all the right notes with me!
This book follows Lucy, an enviromentally friendly massage therapist, and Sebastian, a Guatemalan-American engineer, as they pursue a tiny house for Lucy. They go on a Property Brothers, House Hunters or HGTV-esque show to try to find Lucy a cute, mobile home that she can live in. Along the way, sparks fly (to no one's surprise)!
There's so many sweet parts about this book. Olivia's writing style is fast paced, easy to read and wildly addicting. She also has some marvelous quotes that made me giggle at her word choice. "First butt to butt contact" is just one of many quotes that had me laughing. The fact that there was a former nudist's house and a school bus also made this story absolute hilarious. I've watched many of these house searching or building shows, and this book felt spot on. There's always some weird background to the houses that make you cringe!
Lucy and Seb's relationship was lovely. The friends to romance plot line was used here and I think it was used well. It wasn't too fast for a book of this size, but it didn't leave me hanging either! I think it was really well written and felt very soft and sweet. The fact that the space between them was the main reason they started growing closer was ironic. But it did work really well! How could one resist when he's describe to be gorgeous?!
This book is a lovely read if you're looking for a short romance novel, a soft book, or a book that's positive. It really lifted my spirits on a very anxious day! Happy books like these deserve spaces on more shelves! And to top it off, the dialogue in this book didn't feel forced. It felt like I was actually listening in on the characters's conversations (not in a creepy way... I swear!).
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free from the author, Olivia Dade, in exchange for an honest review.
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December 19, 2019A short and very sweet novel with vast amounts of friends-to-lovers mutual pining. The conflict is all internal--he's inexpressive and terrified to be vulnerable after years of bullying (I love how that acknowledges male feelings, rather than the all too frequent macho romance-hero reasons of "I cannot love again because I couldn't protect my wife from the shark even though I punched it repeatedly in the face"). She's taken a knock in a bad relationship with a constant criticiser so isn't confident in her judgement.
They teeter on the edge of FFS IT'S OBVIOUS BANG ALREADY but the book pulls it off nicely (as does the heroine in due course, ahahaha) and the emotions are lavish and delightful. A lovely feelgood read with a lot of warmth and kindness.
They teeter on the edge of FFS IT'S OBVIOUS BANG ALREADY but the book pulls it off nicely (as does the heroine in due course, ahahaha) and the emotions are lavish and delightful. A lovely feelgood read with a lot of warmth and kindness.
November 17, 2021
Read for the TBR Challenge 2021 prompt for November - "Competition".
B+/4.5 stars
Tiny House, Big Love is the second of Olivia Dade’s Love Unscripted books, both of which feature contestants taking part in different reality TV shows. In this story, the show is Tiny House Trackers, in which the participants are looking to buy – you guessed it! - a Tiny House. I have to stop here to confess that I had no idea a Tiny House was something other than “a very small house”, and had to look it up so I could understand what the heroine was actually looking for! It’s a quick and entertaining read, the two leads are endearing and the mutual longing they feel for each other just leaps off the page, although the short page-count left me wanting to know about more of both their backstories.
Massage therapist Lucy Finch is about to take a promotion which will require her to move around the country a fair bit, and rather than finding temporary accommodation each time she moves, she’s decided to buy a Tiny Home that she can take with her wherever she goes. Her friend, Allie, a real estate agent, encouraged her to apply to appear on the show and she’ll be the one finding Lucy three homes to view – with the expectation being that she’ll choose to buy one of them at the end of it. Lucy asks her best friend of over twenty years, Sebastián Castillo, to be on the show, too, to help her make her choice.
It’s clear from the off that Sebastián and Lucy have long had feelings stronger than friendship for each other, but have never acknowledged the fact or acted on them. They’ve been friends since high-school, when Sebastián, bullied because he was small for his age and because he was an immigrant, not only faced off his own bullies, but hers as well. They kept in touch after Sebastián moved away, exchanging loads of letters, postcards and emails; but now he’s back in Marysburg, Lucy is about to leave, and she’s wondering, somewhat wistfully, if they could ever have been more to each other than friends.
Sebastián would rather have teeth pulled without anaesthetic than appear on television, but he can’t refuse Lucy’s request for help, and agrees to appear with her on Tiny House Trackers. He’s an intensely private person and years of bullying have left him scared to let himself be vulnerable and with a thick outer shell of implacability. He keeps his emotions buried and under lock and key – but because he buries them doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel them deeply; he’s determined not to give anything away in front of the cameras – or Lucy – as to the truth of his feelings for her, because he doesn’t want to influence her decision to move away – and because he doesn’t think he could handle rejection. He’s the strong, silent type, but he shows his affection for Lucy in a hundred little ways and he’s a lovely hero – caring, protective and supportive with every bone in his body.
Lucy’s last boyfriend was a douchebag who knocked her confidence in her own judgement, and she’s still second-guessing herself more than she used to. She’s strongly attracted to Sebastián, but his inscrutability gives her no clue as to whether he feels the same, and she doesn’t want to risk making a move and ruining the most important relationship in her life. Sometimes she thinks he’s attracted to her, but then whatever she sees in his face is gone, leaving her wondering.
Lucy and Sebastián are likeable and endearing and make an adorable couple – although I admit I did sometimes want to shake some sense into Sebastián and tell him to wise up (but he more than makes up for his reticence in the end.) They’re real people with real problems who struggle, but grow and learn how to make things work. Their move from friends to lovers doesn’t feel rushed, and the aforementioned longing and UST is incredibly well done. The scenes they film for the show as they tour the houses on offer are a hoot –
The last thing she needed was either a deep-woods pot shack, a dick-festooned bus, or an Oregon Trail enthusiast’s fever dream.
- and I loved that we’re shown Lucy slowly re-learning to assert herself as she works through the selection process and reaches her decision. I also liked the way the main story is framed with chapters from the PoVs of two of the production assistants (who really deserve their own story, because there are serious sparks there!)
Tiny House, Big Love is a delightful contemporary romance with lots of gentle humour and awesome friends-to-lovers pining. It’s short, sweet, sexy and well worth a couple of hours of anyone’s time.
B+/4.5 stars
Tiny House, Big Love is the second of Olivia Dade’s Love Unscripted books, both of which feature contestants taking part in different reality TV shows. In this story, the show is Tiny House Trackers, in which the participants are looking to buy – you guessed it! - a Tiny House. I have to stop here to confess that I had no idea a Tiny House was something other than “a very small house”, and had to look it up so I could understand what the heroine was actually looking for! It’s a quick and entertaining read, the two leads are endearing and the mutual longing they feel for each other just leaps off the page, although the short page-count left me wanting to know about more of both their backstories.
Massage therapist Lucy Finch is about to take a promotion which will require her to move around the country a fair bit, and rather than finding temporary accommodation each time she moves, she’s decided to buy a Tiny Home that she can take with her wherever she goes. Her friend, Allie, a real estate agent, encouraged her to apply to appear on the show and she’ll be the one finding Lucy three homes to view – with the expectation being that she’ll choose to buy one of them at the end of it. Lucy asks her best friend of over twenty years, Sebastián Castillo, to be on the show, too, to help her make her choice.
It’s clear from the off that Sebastián and Lucy have long had feelings stronger than friendship for each other, but have never acknowledged the fact or acted on them. They’ve been friends since high-school, when Sebastián, bullied because he was small for his age and because he was an immigrant, not only faced off his own bullies, but hers as well. They kept in touch after Sebastián moved away, exchanging loads of letters, postcards and emails; but now he’s back in Marysburg, Lucy is about to leave, and she’s wondering, somewhat wistfully, if they could ever have been more to each other than friends.
Sebastián would rather have teeth pulled without anaesthetic than appear on television, but he can’t refuse Lucy’s request for help, and agrees to appear with her on Tiny House Trackers. He’s an intensely private person and years of bullying have left him scared to let himself be vulnerable and with a thick outer shell of implacability. He keeps his emotions buried and under lock and key – but because he buries them doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel them deeply; he’s determined not to give anything away in front of the cameras – or Lucy – as to the truth of his feelings for her, because he doesn’t want to influence her decision to move away – and because he doesn’t think he could handle rejection. He’s the strong, silent type, but he shows his affection for Lucy in a hundred little ways and he’s a lovely hero – caring, protective and supportive with every bone in his body.
Lucy’s last boyfriend was a douchebag who knocked her confidence in her own judgement, and she’s still second-guessing herself more than she used to. She’s strongly attracted to Sebastián, but his inscrutability gives her no clue as to whether he feels the same, and she doesn’t want to risk making a move and ruining the most important relationship in her life. Sometimes she thinks he’s attracted to her, but then whatever she sees in his face is gone, leaving her wondering.
Lucy and Sebastián are likeable and endearing and make an adorable couple – although I admit I did sometimes want to shake some sense into Sebastián and tell him to wise up (but he more than makes up for his reticence in the end.) They’re real people with real problems who struggle, but grow and learn how to make things work. Their move from friends to lovers doesn’t feel rushed, and the aforementioned longing and UST is incredibly well done. The scenes they film for the show as they tour the houses on offer are a hoot –
The last thing she needed was either a deep-woods pot shack, a dick-festooned bus, or an Oregon Trail enthusiast’s fever dream.
- and I loved that we’re shown Lucy slowly re-learning to assert herself as she works through the selection process and reaches her decision. I also liked the way the main story is framed with chapters from the PoVs of two of the production assistants (who really deserve their own story, because there are serious sparks there!)
Tiny House, Big Love is a delightful contemporary romance with lots of gentle humour and awesome friends-to-lovers pining. It’s short, sweet, sexy and well worth a couple of hours of anyone’s time.
August 28, 2019
Oh my goodness gracious. Straight up, Ms. Dade’s writing just makes me smile. This second entry in her Marysburg series kept me up late into the night, and I’m not even mad at it. It’s a short, sweet treat but I really need to learn to read earlier in the day, because they’re devour-in-one-sitting kind of reads so I don’t want to put them down to go to sleep.
Sebastián Castillo and Lucy Finch have been best friends since high school, and while they’ve always kept in touch, it’s only after he moved back to Marysburg, Virginia that they got to see each other regularly, always caring but not quite sharing their feelings for one another. When Lucy has a pretty bad breakup and decides to move out of town, her realtor friend convinces her to on on the HATV show Tiny House Trackers to buy something that she can move with her, away from Marysburg and away from Seb. Lucy asks Seb to help her pick her future home, which is a win-win - she’ll get to spend some time with her notoriously tight lipped BFF and get his opinion on her reality show tiny house choices. They get a chance to spend time together in some hilariously questionable tiny houses, and yes, romance happens.
Lucy Finch has been through it when it comes to her confidence. She’s the hippie-dippie chill heroine that you didn’t know you needed, and she’s a pacifist, but she’s not without her own quiet strength. Her douchebag ex Jerrod really tore her down emotionally before this story starts. You don’t see them interact (thankfully), but you can feel the aftermath and the way it lingers on her soul. I loved that Lucy is emotionally open like a 7-11 when it came to Seb and seeing her regain her confidence, was a joy.
As for Sebastián, our Latinx hero (yes!) is so deliciously cinny roll, I almost melted into his hot, sweet, panty-melting goodness. He’s intensely private, he’s the epitome of stoic. He’s suffered throughout his high school years when his family moved to the US, and it’s made him close up tighter than a drum when it comes to feelings. He cannot show vulnerability, because he knows he’ll pay the price. The way Ms. Dade allows the reader to understand his stoicism through his thoughts is just lovely. Give me a protective hero whose thoughts are consumed for his heroine, and I’m swooning like a Southern belle in a too-tight corset. Every time.
My only quibble (which I understand because novella), was a desire to get more time to explore his family, his history, his culture. It’s not bad Latinx rep by any means and it is referenced in a meaningful way, there’s just not alot of it. I would have loved more time spent with him or even a bigger glimpse of his family life, just something to flesh out that side of him. I’m an emotional reader, so yes, I wanted to yell at my kindle for him to open up and let Lucy in, but I wasn’t Shouty Maddington, but more Shouty McRootforthem...you know what I mean? Just get together already. Other than that, there’s alot to enjoy here. The “HATV, not HGTV ;)” concept is genius, and the way she bookends the story with the folks behind the scenes at the network are really great little teasers. I want more Cowan and Irene.
If you love homages to HGTV sprinkled into your romance, I think you should definitely check this out. Can’t wait for the next one.
**ARC provided by author for review**
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July 29, 2020
Cute and schmoopy.
The protagonists were almost too stereotypical, really skirted the line and if I were in a different mood then I'd have rounded my rating down than up. But fluff, now and then, is just what I need. Box checked.
The protagonists were almost too stereotypical, really skirted the line and if I were in a different mood then I'd have rounded my rating down than up. But fluff, now and then, is just what I need. Box checked.
September 5, 2019
And finished it. 💗 *dreamy sigh*
This what I was looking for and Lucy and Seb were amazing together. 💗The end. 😭💗
And the preview of the next book in the Marysburg series at the end?! 😭 I cried and my heart broke. 💔 This will be a tough book but damn so important. 💗
This what I was looking for and Lucy and Seb were amazing together. 💗The end. 😭💗
And the preview of the next book in the Marysburg series at the end?! 😭 I cried and my heart broke. 💔 This will be a tough book but damn so important. 💗
August 31, 2019
I wish these weren't novellas. A couple having history or being in love and not having acted on it doesn't entirely make up for on the page relationship development. Especially when you have a hero that's such an emotional mess.
June 2, 2022
Trigger warnings: mental health
3.5 stars
Extremely cute but far too short for my liking. It's a sweet friends-to-lovers romance set around a reality show to find a tiny house. The tiny house stuff was lowkey hilarious. The mutual pining stuff was well done. The dynamic between the two of them was lovely. But I wanted it to be a full length novel when instead it's barely 150 pages. Sigh.
3.5 stars
Extremely cute but far too short for my liking. It's a sweet friends-to-lovers romance set around a reality show to find a tiny house. The tiny house stuff was lowkey hilarious. The mutual pining stuff was well done. The dynamic between the two of them was lovely. But I wanted it to be a full length novel when instead it's barely 150 pages. Sigh.
August 16, 2019
This was a fast, fun read. I'm used to Olivia's female characters being closed off (though this may just be a sampling error as I have not read all of them by far), and this flips that script. In this, she's the openhearted ray of sunshine, and he's the one who's learned that expressing vulnerability or want will get him kicked in the teeth. He adores her-they're lifelong friends and have shown their affection for each other time and again in large ways and small-but he's still too afraid to take that final step.
If you're looking for low-angst, short, friends-to-lovers, you'll love this.
I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you're looking for low-angst, short, friends-to-lovers, you'll love this.
I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2019
Arc generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Reading an Olivia Dade book is like wrapping yourself in a big warm comforting hug. It’s warm and cozy and comforting in the best ways, a soothing balm when you feel like your emotions are being battered by the world around you. I adored the characters. Sebastián and Lucy are sweet and adorable and perfectly complement each other. Their hesitance and fear resonate perfectly and when they finally take the risk, it’s beautiful to see. A lovely quick read by one of my new favorite authors.
Reading an Olivia Dade book is like wrapping yourself in a big warm comforting hug. It’s warm and cozy and comforting in the best ways, a soothing balm when you feel like your emotions are being battered by the world around you. I adored the characters. Sebastián and Lucy are sweet and adorable and perfectly complement each other. Their hesitance and fear resonate perfectly and when they finally take the risk, it’s beautiful to see. A lovely quick read by one of my new favorite authors.
September 7, 2019
I LOVE SEBASTIAN!!!!!!
March 26, 2021
3.5 stars
April 15, 2021
Silly, sweet, forgettable
September 8, 2019
This book has a fun premise: Lucy is appearing on a reality TV show to find a tiny house (inspired by real life HGTV shows) to take with her as she moves around the country with her new job. And she asks her friend Sebastián to join her.
What follows is SO MUCH MUTUAL PINING. They both have feelings for each other; for Lucy it’s kind of a wistful feeling, like I wonder what could have been if we ever tried? Whereas for Sebastián it’s like this deep anguish over his intensely buried feelings because he’s very emotionally closed off. I LOVE HIM!!! He’s my favorite kind of male protag—the still waters run deep type.
He shows his affection in other ways. He writes her limericks and keeps all of her letters and emails (he PRINTS THEM!) and tries to let her make her own decisions about her life. It’s the latter quality that was so special because Lucy was in a really bad relationship prior to the book starting with someone who constantly put her down and belittled her and stole her self-confidence. So when she needs help finding a tiny house on TV—his idea of hell since he’s both claustrophobic and hates any kind of attention—of course he says yes.
Lucy for her part is a hippie type but I never felt like the book was making fun of her. She wears long skirts and doesn’t shave her legs and practices meditation and she’s vegetarian. She’s Sebastián’s total opposite, but they formed a deep bond in high school and truly care about each other.
I think where the book could’ve used a bit more was their backstories. Why was Sebastián so closed off? He was picked on in school, but it seemed... deeper than that? He loves his family but there is little mention of them. We also know practically nothing about how Lucy became the free spirit that she is. I’d have liked that explored more.
But don’t get me wrong, I adored this story. I SWOONED over Seb’s grand gesture at the end. It was so thoughtful.
(Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
What follows is SO MUCH MUTUAL PINING. They both have feelings for each other; for Lucy it’s kind of a wistful feeling, like I wonder what could have been if we ever tried? Whereas for Sebastián it’s like this deep anguish over his intensely buried feelings because he’s very emotionally closed off. I LOVE HIM!!! He’s my favorite kind of male protag—the still waters run deep type.
He shows his affection in other ways. He writes her limericks and keeps all of her letters and emails (he PRINTS THEM!) and tries to let her make her own decisions about her life. It’s the latter quality that was so special because Lucy was in a really bad relationship prior to the book starting with someone who constantly put her down and belittled her and stole her self-confidence. So when she needs help finding a tiny house on TV—his idea of hell since he’s both claustrophobic and hates any kind of attention—of course he says yes.
Lucy for her part is a hippie type but I never felt like the book was making fun of her. She wears long skirts and doesn’t shave her legs and practices meditation and she’s vegetarian. She’s Sebastián’s total opposite, but they formed a deep bond in high school and truly care about each other.
I think where the book could’ve used a bit more was their backstories. Why was Sebastián so closed off? He was picked on in school, but it seemed... deeper than that? He loves his family but there is little mention of them. We also know practically nothing about how Lucy became the free spirit that she is. I’d have liked that explored more.
But don’t get me wrong, I adored this story. I SWOONED over Seb’s grand gesture at the end. It was so thoughtful.
(Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
August 18, 2019
Just like an episode of House Hunters, Lucy's a hoot: a braless, hairy legged, worry stone-toting massage therapist shopping for a tiny house for herself and a golden retriever named Hairy Garcia. And her onscreen hunt for a tiny house is almost impossible when Lucy finds herself constantly in tight quarters with Sebastian, her long time best friend and secret crush. Lucy and Sebastian navigating the tight confines of weird tiny homes while trying to hide their mutual lust was quirky and adorably awkward, just like those faux scripted HGTV shows:
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC generously provided by the author.
The last thing she needed was either a deep-woods pot shack, a dick-festooned bus, or an Oregon Trail enthusiast’s fever dream.In stark contrast to sweet, freewheeling Lucy, Sebastian was frustratingly closed off and taciturn. But my goodness, he was the master of secret lust and love for his best friend. Sebastian's worship of Lucy was gorgeous - he loved her exactly how she was even when everyone else wanted her to conform.
Maybe he could risk a little more of himself this time. “You were my favorite person in the world. Always were. Always will be.”It turns out that Lucy and Sebastian may have been devoted friends for years, they are also an incredible match once these two fight to overcome their secret insecurities and fears.
And when she spoke again, her voice was steady. Confident. “For instance, I believe we were always meant to be more than friends.”And remember when I called Sebastian closed off and taciturn? Not so much when he finally faced his fears and decided to make a Grand Stand for his girl. I loved that Sebastian was reduced to doing something that ledd to this great line:
He’d never, not once in his life, used the word yurt so often. It had lost all meaning to him at this point. Yurt yurt yurt yurt yurt.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC generously provided by the author.
September 11, 2019
Sebastián has loved Lucy for years, but refuses to go out on a limb and share his feelings, remaining firmly in the best friend zone. Always waiting for Lucy to initiate contact, communication, everything, Sebastián feels safer not allowing his feelings to show. When push comes to shove as Lucy prepares to leave forever, Sebastián needs to decide if the risk of hurt is worth knowing Lucy’s love.
Tiny House, Big Love is another wonderful story from Ms. Dade. I absolutely love the characters she creates; they are real people with real issues. They struggle, but learn to grow and make things work. They are people I’d want to know. No exception here. Lucy has been hurt by a lover and it has impacted her confidence. Going through the process of finding her tiny home, helps her get back her sparkle and inner glow. She’s doing what it takes to move forward, coping and understanding; she accepts what she can’t change, but works to improve the things she can. Sebastián has serious issues opening up, and he is very aware of this. He cannot change because the fear of being hurt is too great, especially with Lucy, the love of his life and BFF.
I was a bit disappointed with Lucy’s friend and realtor, Allie, and her obviously completely awful selections in the tiny houses. The choices are over-the-top bad, and a tad unrealistic. However, allowing Lucy let go of the relationship is part of the growing process and important to her character development, so I’ll take it.
The romance between Sebastián and Lucy is utterly sweet, emotional, and lovely. Even though this is a novella-length story, the emotional content packed a punch. I appreciate that the author takes them through their journey and gives the appropriate HEA/HFN without diminishing Sebastián’s emotional issues.
My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot
Review copy provided by author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Tiny House, Big Love is another wonderful story from Ms. Dade. I absolutely love the characters she creates; they are real people with real issues. They struggle, but learn to grow and make things work. They are people I’d want to know. No exception here. Lucy has been hurt by a lover and it has impacted her confidence. Going through the process of finding her tiny home, helps her get back her sparkle and inner glow. She’s doing what it takes to move forward, coping and understanding; she accepts what she can’t change, but works to improve the things she can. Sebastián has serious issues opening up, and he is very aware of this. He cannot change because the fear of being hurt is too great, especially with Lucy, the love of his life and BFF.
I was a bit disappointed with Lucy’s friend and realtor, Allie, and her obviously completely awful selections in the tiny houses. The choices are over-the-top bad, and a tad unrealistic. However, allowing Lucy let go of the relationship is part of the growing process and important to her character development, so I’ll take it.
The romance between Sebastián and Lucy is utterly sweet, emotional, and lovely. Even though this is a novella-length story, the emotional content packed a punch. I appreciate that the author takes them through their journey and gives the appropriate HEA/HFN without diminishing Sebastián’s emotional issues.
My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot
Review copy provided by author
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
August 11, 2019
Thank you to the author for blessing me with an eARC of this book!
I really, really like Olivia Dade’s books. They just make me happy. Reading Tiny House, Big Love is just...*happy sigh* It’s like the first bite of a gooey, warm cookie. It’s like sitting outside with a glass of wine on a sunny-but-not-too-hot day. It’s like wrapping yourself in a warm towel fresh from the dryer. It’s that kind of smiley, lovely good.
Dade writes great dialogue and even better characters. Lucy and Sebastián feel very real to me, like they’re people I could know IRL. But there’s always an element of fantasy in romance. In this case, it’s the House Hunters-inspired TV show in which Lucy is searching for a tiny, mobile abode for when she moves across the country and away from Sebastián. Or, at least, that’s how it feels to Sebastián who has been in love with Lucy forever but is too chickenshit to do anything about it. Which is a shame since, of course, Lucy has been secretly pining for him, too. Enter some close quarters, a meddling TV crew, and an unlikely dog-cat pairing, and you’ve got yourself a good time. I giggled my way through this book, but the serious moments felt honest and the sexy times were delicious.
My only (small) complaint is that this book is on the shorter side, so we really only get a summary of Lucy and Sebastián’s baggage and not a lot of exploration of it. Sebastián in particular has a lot and I would have liked to know more details about where he was coming from since his emotional troubles are the main conflict in the story.
But really, the world is a shitstorm and this book will make you happy, so in the end who cares? Take your happiness where you can. Like in this here book.
I really, really like Olivia Dade’s books. They just make me happy. Reading Tiny House, Big Love is just...*happy sigh* It’s like the first bite of a gooey, warm cookie. It’s like sitting outside with a glass of wine on a sunny-but-not-too-hot day. It’s like wrapping yourself in a warm towel fresh from the dryer. It’s that kind of smiley, lovely good.
Dade writes great dialogue and even better characters. Lucy and Sebastián feel very real to me, like they’re people I could know IRL. But there’s always an element of fantasy in romance. In this case, it’s the House Hunters-inspired TV show in which Lucy is searching for a tiny, mobile abode for when she moves across the country and away from Sebastián. Or, at least, that’s how it feels to Sebastián who has been in love with Lucy forever but is too chickenshit to do anything about it. Which is a shame since, of course, Lucy has been secretly pining for him, too. Enter some close quarters, a meddling TV crew, and an unlikely dog-cat pairing, and you’ve got yourself a good time. I giggled my way through this book, but the serious moments felt honest and the sexy times were delicious.
My only (small) complaint is that this book is on the shorter side, so we really only get a summary of Lucy and Sebastián’s baggage and not a lot of exploration of it. Sebastián in particular has a lot and I would have liked to know more details about where he was coming from since his emotional troubles are the main conflict in the story.
But really, the world is a shitstorm and this book will make you happy, so in the end who cares? Take your happiness where you can. Like in this here book.
February 15, 2021
This book was another fun read from Olivia Dade. In Dade fashion her protagonist Olivia is a non traditional romance lead, who is a massage therapist and has feelings for her best friend while unaware he has feelings for her. The store is fast paced and spicy with a cute ending.
August 15, 2019
This is a charming novella with all of Dade's trademark warmth and heart. Seb and Lucy are the best of a friends to lovers trope. Best friends since forever, Lucy asks for Seb's help in finding a tiny house so she can move away for a job opportunity. But she really doesn't want to leave and he really doesn't want her to leave. There is great humor in the completely nuts tiny houses that Lucy is shown. And of course we get a HEA. This was a lot of fun.
September 6, 2019
My only issue with this book was I didn't want it to end because the mutual pining between Sebastián and Lucy is just the best. I could also read a whole story about their darn pets becoming besties. Kitty Hendrix and Hairy Garcia are adorable and fit their owners' personalities to a T, much like the adorable cover showcases.
I also adored that the film crew was gaga over the sexual tension that was NOT apparent to Lucy and Seb. So good.
More Olivia Dade PLEASE.
I also adored that the film crew was gaga over the sexual tension that was NOT apparent to Lucy and Seb. So good.
More Olivia Dade PLEASE.
July 7, 2021
Once again don’t really remember what happened in this and I read it yesterday but they are quick reads so I mean give them a try I guess
August 1, 2022
Cute but I didn’t like it nearly as much as the first novella in the series.
December 30, 2022
1.5 stars
March 5, 2023
It was okay. I thought there should have been a little more focus on the tiny houses and a little less focus on his inability to communicate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2020
I knew better. These have cute premises and are short little potato chip sized books but not for me.
July 19, 2022
This was okay. It was cute but not a new favorite.
June 28, 2020
Olivia Dade is fast becoming a favorite of mine. This book was sweet, full of longing and suppressed emotions, with the most heartwarming of declarations of love. So good!!!
August 28, 2019
I was given this as an ARC for my opinion and a review. I gave it 5 stars, but I loved it more than that. Even though I got an ARC I still bought a copy. I am a firm believer in paying for the work of creative people I love, so they can create more of what I love. I know it's silly but I absolutely die happy at getting ARCs because I have no damn patience for books to drop that I know I will love. Yes, I knew I would love this book because the first book I read by Dade, Teach Me and the next one Desire and the Deep Blue Sea were awesome. I knew this would be as well.
I am not going to give spoilers, but damn it, I want to so badly. I want to list everything I found funny and sweet in this book but you need to go buy it and read it for yourself.
I have a robust immature sort of humor and this book is chock full of penis jokes, funny penis references, Michelangelo inspired dick jokes, references to nudists and and Mary Jane Mansions. I was dying laughing at the alliteration, the limericks, jokes and references. My immature humor was more than satisfied with this book and had a wonderful time laughing. Oh yes, how could I forget!? There is a reference to oiled up 300 Spartan warriors, it's like the author just knows all my dirty lady likes.
It was not all dick jokes and penis palaces though. The two characters Lucy and Sebastian were well written and the sexual tension of friends to lovers was worth the read. There is a mountain of sexual tension and torture going on in the book, but it just mirrors the inner turmoil of Sebastian and his journey to be honest with himself and with Lucy. I can tell you that dark, broody, sweet, nerdy, quiet, and reticent heroes are my cat nip to read in romance novels. Sebastian's character was exactly this. This only means there is a torrent of emotion below the surface that will eventually volcano out, especially when the woman he loves is a very free spirit and inspires him to be honest.
It is not a long book but it is well paced and well written. This is my third book by this author and so far all of her books have been a joy to read. Olivia Dade is a master at writing sweet cinnamon roll male characters that are both hot and make your knees week sweet. I highly rec this book if you want to laugh at dick jokes, and want to get teary eyed over a man finding the strength to not hid behind his hurt.
Chef's kiss.
I am not going to give spoilers, but damn it, I want to so badly. I want to list everything I found funny and sweet in this book but you need to go buy it and read it for yourself.
I have a robust immature sort of humor and this book is chock full of penis jokes, funny penis references, Michelangelo inspired dick jokes, references to nudists and and Mary Jane Mansions. I was dying laughing at the alliteration, the limericks, jokes and references. My immature humor was more than satisfied with this book and had a wonderful time laughing. Oh yes, how could I forget!? There is a reference to oiled up 300 Spartan warriors, it's like the author just knows all my dirty lady likes.
It was not all dick jokes and penis palaces though. The two characters Lucy and Sebastian were well written and the sexual tension of friends to lovers was worth the read. There is a mountain of sexual tension and torture going on in the book, but it just mirrors the inner turmoil of Sebastian and his journey to be honest with himself and with Lucy. I can tell you that dark, broody, sweet, nerdy, quiet, and reticent heroes are my cat nip to read in romance novels. Sebastian's character was exactly this. This only means there is a torrent of emotion below the surface that will eventually volcano out, especially when the woman he loves is a very free spirit and inspires him to be honest.
It is not a long book but it is well paced and well written. This is my third book by this author and so far all of her books have been a joy to read. Olivia Dade is a master at writing sweet cinnamon roll male characters that are both hot and make your knees week sweet. I highly rec this book if you want to laugh at dick jokes, and want to get teary eyed over a man finding the strength to not hid behind his hurt.
Chef's kiss.
August 24, 2019
I received this as an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Olivia Dade’s books are a lovely smooshy spot in a cold sharp world. In her current series of novellas, Love Unscripted, reality tv shows force non couples into situations where they reevaluate their relationship and finish falling in love.
In Tiny House, Big Love Lucy and Sebastián have been friends since they were children, when Sebastián emigrated from Guatemala to Marysburg. Sebastián was bullied and learned not to reveal anything about himself. Lucy befriended him and understands his guardedness, even as she wishes she didn’t have to do all the work to maintain their friendship. Now she’s getting ready to take a job that will have her moving from city to city. She would like to buy a tiny house that she can take with her instead of moving from rental to rental. She asks her good friend Sebastián to join her on a reality show in which she will look at three tiny houses. And maybe, Sebastián will finally admit he has feelings for Lucy.
Lucy is very crunchy granola, generous and feminine. Sebastián is so reserved he doesn’t even pictures of family up in his bedroom. He does love Lucy enough to go on tv with her, but still can’t tell her how he feels, or ask her to stay. If Lucy weren’t so willing to risk herself time and again, this would have been Remains of the Day with lots of pining and smiling faces over broken hearts as Lucy left town. But this is an Olivia Dade romance, not Kazuo Ishiguro, so we know Sebastián is not going to be left with regrets for a wasted life. Dade makes Sebastián work. He isn’t so shut down that I wonder what Lucy sees in him. Even so, in the end I was happy to see that Dade is sending Sebastián to therapy, because love can work wonders, but not miracles.
Olivia Dade’s books are a lovely smooshy spot in a cold sharp world. In her current series of novellas, Love Unscripted, reality tv shows force non couples into situations where they reevaluate their relationship and finish falling in love.
In Tiny House, Big Love Lucy and Sebastián have been friends since they were children, when Sebastián emigrated from Guatemala to Marysburg. Sebastián was bullied and learned not to reveal anything about himself. Lucy befriended him and understands his guardedness, even as she wishes she didn’t have to do all the work to maintain their friendship. Now she’s getting ready to take a job that will have her moving from city to city. She would like to buy a tiny house that she can take with her instead of moving from rental to rental. She asks her good friend Sebastián to join her on a reality show in which she will look at three tiny houses. And maybe, Sebastián will finally admit he has feelings for Lucy.
Lucy is very crunchy granola, generous and feminine. Sebastián is so reserved he doesn’t even pictures of family up in his bedroom. He does love Lucy enough to go on tv with her, but still can’t tell her how he feels, or ask her to stay. If Lucy weren’t so willing to risk herself time and again, this would have been Remains of the Day with lots of pining and smiling faces over broken hearts as Lucy left town. But this is an Olivia Dade romance, not Kazuo Ishiguro, so we know Sebastián is not going to be left with regrets for a wasted life. Dade makes Sebastián work. He isn’t so shut down that I wonder what Lucy sees in him. Even so, in the end I was happy to see that Dade is sending Sebastián to therapy, because love can work wonders, but not miracles.
August 19, 2019
"Tiny House, Big Love" by Olivia Dade was such a great book! I found it to be sweet and laugh-out-loud funny with incredibly likeable main characters in Lucy and Sebastian. I especially loved watching Lucy rebuild her self-confidence after the pummeling it took from her jerk of an ex-boyfriend, Jarrod. As for Sebastian, I appreciated how supportive he was of Lucy, and while it was clear from the beginning how much he cared about her as a friend, I have to admit there were a couple of times I wanted to shake him into finally admitting his romantic feelings for her. I completely understood why it was difficult for Sebastian to be vulnerable even with someone he trusted as much as Lucy, however, so when he finally did come clean, I wanted to cheer. Sebastian and Lucy really make a great couple, and their transition from friends to lovers seemed completely realistic and believable to me.
I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the tiny houses Lucy and Sebastian toured. I felt like I was right there beside them because the imagery was so vivid. It's a shame they weren't being filmed for a real TV show, because I would love to see these places for myself! Finally, Irene and Cowan, the HATV interns, were hilarious. I could totally see those two getting together in a future story.
I only discovered Olivia Dade's books recently, but she is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I can't wait to read whatever she publishes next!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the tiny houses Lucy and Sebastian toured. I felt like I was right there beside them because the imagery was so vivid. It's a shame they weren't being filmed for a real TV show, because I would love to see these places for myself! Finally, Irene and Cowan, the HATV interns, were hilarious. I could totally see those two getting together in a future story.
I only discovered Olivia Dade's books recently, but she is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I can't wait to read whatever she publishes next!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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