I jumped at the chance to read A Roll in the Hay as soon as I saw the author was Lola Keeley. I didn’t even read the blurb because I already knew a couple of things about the book. I knew it would be well written, and that there probably would be an ice queen as a major character. I was right on both counts.
This is a story about Tess, a veterinarian who is moving from London back to a small town in Scotland, close to where she grew up. There she meets Lady Susannah Karlson, and the sparks between the two characters are immediate. The two dislike each other at first sight, but they also can’t stop thinking about each other. Being in the same small town, and both being involved with animals makes it almost impossible to avoid each other. This leads to some exciting adventures for them and the community as well.
I really enjoyed the overall story. I especially liked the character Tess and how she stood up to Susannah, the ice queen character. She not only refused to be intimidated by the “Lady of the Mansion”, she gave as good as she got.
I kind of wish the story had been a little longer. At 66,000 words/185 pages, it is long enough to be considered a novel, but it is still a bit shorter than many novels in the same genre. There were several opportunities for additions, either with more push/pull between the main characters, or even scenes involving some of the animals since both characters are involved with animals in some fashion. I would have loved that.
A Roll in the Hay is a light-hearted, easy to read ice queen, enemies-to-lovers romance that I really did have fun reading. If you are looking for a good romance with an ice queen, a feisty partner, and a lovely romance, then give this book a try.
I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 