Author: L.E. Eldridge

Series: Hallow’s Cove

First Published: 01 March 2025

“Sydney seemed to pull me in. like she had her own gravity, that kind that consumed all my thoughts.”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank so much L.E. Eldridge and Hallow Cove’s PR team for sending a copy my way!

Organic Auditor and city girl Sydney Jacobs has finally made it out of the office and into the field. Though not a fan of her job, it pays the bills, and her first step up the corporate ladder. She had lofty goals of living large, and she wouldn’t let a little thing like hating her job change that. Her first assignment? Middle-of-no-where, aka Hallow’s Cove, to audit Hoffman Farms. Everything should be perfect…minus the part where her college nemesis blackmailed her to fail the farm.

Brooks Hoffman, however, has straightforward Keep his family farm afloat, get that organic certification, take care of his pet duck Chicken, and now, Sydney Jacobs. While she’s a bit prickly, he can’t get her piercing green gaze out of his head. But the farm means everything to him, and he can’t let anything get in the way, not even his newest temptation, Sydney.

When the lines between passion and professionalism blur with the due date of their certification results fast approaching, will these two be able to thwart Sydney’s enemy? Or were they meant to go down in flames au naturale?

Going Au Naturale in Hallow’s Cove has this Hallmark movies vibe of a big city girl who’s 100% a workaholic, who’s come to a small town for work and ends up falling for the swoony farmer. Our swoony farmer also happens to be a satyr. I was eating this up. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: give me all the small-town monster romances.

Sydney is a city girl through and through. She loves the finer things in life and has worked hard for everything she owns, from her Ivy League education, city apartment and designer clothes. Being the sensible girl, Sydney takes the first stable job she finds after college, hoping to gain experience in business work before landing her dream job. Our girl, Sydney, is a planner and has the grit to see it through. She’s been just going through the motions on a constant grind to achieve her goals. Who knew this trip to Hallow’s Cove would be the restart she needed? A chance to slow down and reflect on what matters and what she wants from life. And Brooks is there quietly supporting her creativity and love of photography. It’s only when she’s blackmailed and confronted by her past schemes of taking exams for other students that she has to confront whether her career is worth destroying the livelihood of the Brooks and the satyr family who’s charmed the way into her heart.

I adored Brooks. He’s sweet and is willing to do anything for his family. He, like Sydney, is a workaholic. Since taking over running the family, he’s been borderline obsessed with getting his farm certified organic. He knows how risky income is, as one bad crop yield could mean financial ruin. At least the organic certification would mean they can increase prices and people’s desire to buy their produce, which would ultimately give the family financial breathing room. It doesn’t help that a businessman is trying to buy the farm from him and seems willing to use any dirty trick to achieve his goal. He’s captivated by Sydney. Once she storms onto his farm, he’s content to relax and enjoy the rewards of his work, if it means sharing it with her.

I am in awe of the romance development we get in here. Going Au Naturale clocks in just under 197 pages and has a well-paced, slow-burn romance which explodes in the most delicious steam. Their attraction and chemistry hit you from their first meeting. Sydney’s hotel room flooded and the upcoming festival left no vacancies, so Sydney and Brooks were forced to live together. I loved how Brook’s duck named Chicken was forcing these two into forced proximity once Sydney was staying at Brooks’. Sydney’s dominant side took me by surprise, but I loved it. Brooks is 100% head over heels for Sydney and will do anything for her. We have some fun kinks in here, including a truly hot pegging scene.

I am having so much fun reading the Hallow Cove series. I am beyond excited for the next book, Love is Trash in Hallow’s Cove, which has a raccoon shifter, and both main characters are plus-size. If you love a monster or paranormal romance and want those sweet, small-town vibes, you must pick up this series, stat!