Love You, Mean It

Blushing

De: Laura Pavlov

Narrado por: Erin Mallon, Connor Crais

From USA Today bestselling author Laura Pavlov comes a story about found family and the power of acceptance, all wrapped up in a sizzling romance set in the frozen north.

My new landlord’s a real hard-ass. And I can’t keep my hands off him.

Charlie Huxley’s the best—and grumpiest—general contractor in Blushing, Alaska. He built the venue for the wedding-planning business my bestie and I share. After I accidentally flood my home, he offers me his guesthouse while he handles the repairs. But when he starts to take charge, I feel myself losing control.

Unable to resist, we casually hook up. We both know once will never be enough.

Between us, we carry plenty of baggage. I’ve got the absent father, drunk mother, and estranged sister. He grew up in foster care and is single-handedly raising a daughter whose mom visits just once a year.

But Charlie makes me feel like I belong. And for the first time ever, I picture myself with a real family.

Before I go all in, I need to learn to set some boundaries. Question is: Am I strong enough?

©2025 by Laura Pavlov. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

4.5/5 stars!!

This was absolutely adorable! Honestly, in my mind, Laura can do no wrong. If she writes it, I’m going to squeal, blush and kick my feet through every single page happily. Laura’s books just make you feel GOOD. They are always full of so much heart and humor, they’ll make you giggle and swoon but also make you feel like no matter which fictional town of hers you’re in? You’re home. Charles and his firefly were exactly that. Book 2 of the Blushing, Alaska series brings us the smoldering, grumpy single dad, the client who’s living in his guest house and his absolutely ADORABLE little girl. If there’s one thing you can count on from Laura, it’s that her kiddo characters are going to steal the show. Harper Huxley did just that. I loved her so much! Violet and Charlie had the most delicious tensioned filled banter and I just loved the way they showed up for each other. The found family trope hit so hard in this one because of both MCs pasts, it made for such a heartfelt, well deserved happy ending for everyone. So so cute. 4.5/5 stars!


*What to expect*

•Small Town
•Single Dad
•Neighbors
•Forced Proximity
•Enemies to Lovers
•Blue collar MMC
•Found Family

Such a great read!!!

This book was to me perfection! I loved every minute of it!! I didn’t want it to end!! Gah! If I could give it more than five stars I would!!

I found myself laughing through a lot of this story and catching the feels! I felt pretty much every emotion!

I loved all the characters so much! I didn’t want to say goodbye to them! I loved watching Charlie and Violets love story blossom!

I read and listened to this one! I highly recommend doing that! It just got me that much more hooked! The narrators were so good! They brought so much life to this story!

If you’re in the mood for a small town, single dad, enemies to lovers romance look no further!!

I’m going to miss Blushing, Alaska!

I absolutely ate this book up! I read it via audio (thank you Laura Pavlov & Valentine PR) and I literally could not stop listening to it. I was laughing, kicking my feet, and even got a little teary eyed. One thing is for sure, no one writes a single parent especially a single dad romance quote like Laura Pavlov. When you first meet Charlie you think WOAH this guy is a GRUMP, but he’s really just this big teddy bear who is just so protective of his family and especially his daughter, Harper. Harper was the cutest thing ever. Her love for pink was so so cute! Her instant connection with violet was everything. I’m so glad that with their friendship, Violet helped Harper stand up for herself and not let the mean girl from school get her down. Harper’s mom was HORRIBLE! The little side animals were a great edition.

I truly LOVED my time in Blushing, Alaska and I’m so bummed that the series is over.

Fantastic!

•Trope: Small town, Forced Proximity, Enimies to lovers, Single Dad, Found Family.

• THOUGHTS:
Charlie and Violet were fire! I truly loved them so much! Violet was hilarious, and Charlie matched her step for step! Harper was a joy! I loved that sweet girl. I felt like Harper was the common ground between Charlie and Vi at first. But man! when the match is struck, that Enimies to lovers is a bang! lol. I love each character individually, and how they were same yet different. Both of them love sooo deeply yet are talerrified to let people in. It was excellently written! I love this small town and all the characters in it! Definitely recommend this story

Narrator Thoughts:
•Narrators: Erin Mallon and Connor Crais
•Dual Narration. 1.75x
Oh my gosh! I love when Connor and Erin are paired together. They do the quirky and snarky very well. I was busting up multiple times with the characters antics, but not only thT they being so much emofion Nd heart to these characters. Love you, Meant it is a treat for your ears!

Loved loved loved

Loved this book. It had everything the laughs, sadness and romance. I highly recommend it

Adored Violet, Charlie & Harper

#Love You, Mean It: I absolutely adored this story. Erin Mallon & Connor Crais did a phenomenal job bringing Charlie, Harper & Violet's story to life. This just might be one of my top favorite single-dad romances I've had the pleasure of listening to.

Violet and Charlie clashed so many times and slowly that turned into more than they ever thought could be possible. I loved the banter between these two. There was definitely an enemy's vibe between them in the beginning. I really loved how Violet was with Harper. She never really cared for kids, but there was absolutely something special in Harper.

My favorite thing about this story was the sweet bond and relationship between Charlie and Harper. He was the perfect single dad, doing everything he could to give his daughter the happy life she deserved. Him falling so hard for Violet and her filling the empty place both Harper and Charlie had was truly beautiful.

I just loved everything about this story. For me, it was just perfect.

Charlie kick butt single dad

Charlie a single dad to adorable Harper is renovating Violet's house meanwhile she is staying in his guesthouse annoying him. She keeps making changes to her renovation annoying him but their banter is entertaining. I loved the relationship that developed between her and Harper. She needed them just like they needed her. It was a fun and beautiful story as they go from annoying each other to being just what each other needed. Plus we get the side characters adding more effectiveness to the story. I also preordered the audio so my review to come on that as well.

Heartwarming and humorous

I love it when a book can make me laugh out loud, and this one did exactly that. The snarky "you frustrate me but I secretly want you" humor in this single-dad enemies-to-lovers romance isn't overdone and really works in the story. I laughed out loud more than once at the banter between Charlie and Violet, and Charlie's daughter Harper was too cute for words. It's not all laughs, though; this story has a lot of heart. My favorite stories are those that touch my heart but also have some witty moments along the way. This story has the perfect balance of both.

Erin Mallon and Connor Crais gave wonderful performances, as expected. They both have excellent emotional range and near-perfect comedic timing.

If you enjoy witty, small-town, single-dad romances with emotional depth, give this one a shot.

Phenomenal enemies to lovers romance

Buckle up because you're in for a ride with this book!! There was so much fire and hate in Violet & Charlie’s banter & bickering that I was extra excited to see how it would all play out. They are passionate, stubborn, & butt heads often!! Their exasperation and frustration with each other had me laughing so dang hard. Prepare to be fully invested in this single dad, enemies to lovers romance that slow burned into a swoony real relationship. I highly recommend this book!
Erin Mallon & Connor Crais really gave us the enemies to lovers characters of Violet & Charlie to perfection. Both are remarkable bringing the characters to life. They do such an amazing performance giving us all of the emotions with the perfect inflections.

Sweet and banter filled

t’s so great to be back in Blushing. Laura Pavlov once again delivers pure small-town magic in Love You, Mean It, the second book in her Blushing, Alaska series. This story had me cackling, swooning, and even tearing up…it hit every note perfectly and capture my heart right up. Laura blends humor, heart, and heat in a way that feels effortless. The world needs Laura right now- feel good romance that lifts the spirit, warms the heart, and feeds the soul. This was such a charmer.

Our heroine Violet, the ever-optimistic wedding planner who believes in love for everyone but herself, and our hero Charlie, the gruff, grounded single dad, are FIRE together together. When Violet’s house floods and Charlie steps in to renovate, she temporarily moves into his guesthouse. Cue the deliciously chaotic forced proximity, endless banter, and undeniable chemistry. Their verbal sparring is quick, funny, and filled with tension that slowly melts into something deeper and tender.

The whole Blushing world is amazing, but Charlie’s daughter, Harper, completely steals the show. She’s bubbly, bright, and instantly connects with Violet in a way that’s both heartwarming and deeply emotional. Watching Violet find her place in their little family is so touching and sweet. Violet is endlessly relatable as a heroine, and I just loved her snark and sass. Charlie is everything you want in a book boyfriend. Protective, patient, and unafraid to be emotionally open. His steady presence balances Violet’s vivacious energy, and their journey from playful enemies to partners in love feels authentic and beautifully paced. Not to mention HYSTERICAL. The banter in this one is EPIC. It’s a master class in gentle enemies to lovers repartee and romantic tension..

This book truly has it all: family drama, laugh-out-loud pranks, heartfelt moments, dynamic and endearing characters, a pink-themed birthday extravaganza (I WANT ONE), and the kind of found family warmth that is all Laura.. Love You, Mean It is funny, sweet, and irresistibly romantic. The best story about love sneaking up on you when you least expect it and finding yourself in the heart of it.

And the audio is so stinking good! Erin Mallon and Connor Crais are masters at balancing sassy banter and tender emotion in their performance, and their vocal chemistry is pretty unmatched. They both brought so much amazing energy to this audio and I gobbled it right up.

🏡 Small Town
🏡Single Dad
🏡Neighbors to Lovers/Forced Proximity
🏡Enemies to Lovers
🏡Hate to Love
🏡BANTERIFIC
🏡Found Family
🏡Adorable Kiddo