In Love & Joy by Elsie Davis, Zoe and Blake don't seem to be a very likely couple. Pitted against each other to redesign an ice cream shop, their ideas couldn't be more different. There is lot of push and pull between them, and even though the chemistry is strong, they both have serious, and legitimate, reservations.

Zoe has a son who is still hurting from when his father left, and she won't get involved with a man known for his love-em and leave-em attitude. While Blake loves his fast city life and isn't interested in settling down with a country girl. But there are a few people in town who know better.

I felt like a lot of the story centered around Zoe's son and Blake's dog. And while they were incredibly important in the push and pull of the story, at times they took over and pushed our couple into the background. I didn't mind too much because they were adorable.

There's the big misunderstanding moment that I'm not a huge fan of. I wish people (real and in books) would just ask each other what's going on instead of making huge assumptions all the time. Overall, this was a cute read, and I'd definitely come back to Hallbrook for another romance.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**