I received an eARC of this book via the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Totally Folked by Penny Reid is the first in her new series Good Folk: Modern Folktales which is a spinoff of her Winston Brothers series. Set in the small town of Green Valley, TN, each book will follow a beloved, or maybe misunderstood, character. In this initial installment, Deputy Sheriff Jackson James gets a story, and y’all I couldn’t have been happier with it. Full of unexpected angst and steamy romance, Totally Folked had me hook, line, and sinker.

Jackson James has spent the last five and a half years cleaning up his playboy image in hopes of running for sheriff of Green Valley when his dad retires in a few years. He has goals, and this image in his mind of what a family, a real family, should look like. He knows it’s hard work and perseverance that makes a family last and not something that feels as easy as breathing. So for the last five and a half years, that is what he’s pursued in an effort to forget his one night stand with America’s number one celeb Raquel Ezra.

Raquel Ezra is lost at the beginning of the book, showing up on her friend’s doorstep with a small suitcase and nothing else, none of the normal entourage of security and agents that typically follow her on her heels. Rae needs a change. She’s tired of the constant grind of Hollywood and always feeling as though she has to pretend. She wants a real life, and if that means saying goodbye to her career, she’s prepared to do so.

I loved the alternating POV chapters. I’m not sure I would’ve liked Rae otherwise. She’s currently in a fake relationship with another actor, one that’s “cheated” on her multiple times to keep them in the limelight. Jackson is trying to force a romantic relationship to work with his friend and single mother Charlotte (who I sincerely hope gets her own story, I love her!). Neither are really available for a relationship, and yet all it takes is one look and the two are back five and a half years ago on that one night. I love the chemistry between them and the angst is off the charts.

Overall, I really enjoyed Totally Folked. I love Green Valley so it wasn’t a shock that I enjoyed a new story featuring a different character. The Winston brothers are well-known in the community so it was fun to see them from the outside looking in. They truly are an intimidating bunch, but I love how they’ve adopted Jackson into their circle, even Jet. If you are a fan of steamy romance and small towns, I highly recommend it!