REVIEW: Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws

Seven Year Itch by Amy Daws : What happens on vacation doesn’t always stay on vacation, well not for Calder at least. What started out as him simply looking for a fun no strings, plus one to his brothers destination wedding, soon turns into sharing his tropical cabana with his sworn nemesis Dakota. With old scars being reopened, heated arguments soon turn into a different kind of heated interaction and the line between enemies and lovers begins to blur… but things really take an interesting turn when Calder returns home to find a newly divorced and sort of homeless Dakota knocking on his mountain cabin door with an interesting proposal for him… help her regain her confidence and play the role of her wingman. Only problem with this being somewhere between their tropical fling and reconnecting Calder isn’t so sure that he wants to help push Dakota into another mans arms…

Seven Year Itch was just perfect, I loved every single moment of this silly, cute, banter filled romcom. As always Amy Daws has created two loveable main characters that will have you laughing from start to finish as they try to fumble their way to their happily ever after. I just ate up the banter filled, enemies to lovers journey that we got to see unfold while Dakota and Calder were forced into sharing a room and how this just snowballed into them rekindling their friendship which clearly had a lot more to it than friendly intentions. Add in the fact that it was set in the picturesque mountains with some meddling matchmakers and I was completely sold on this book!

I loved Calder! Gosh was he a hero after my own heart, right from his cat daddy vibes to the gruff exterior that hide a warm marshmallow of a man, Calder was just perfection. For all his gruff and closed of persona, the more we got to know Calder the more he opened up like the onion that he was, I found his slightly awkwardness in emotional situations adorable and the fact that he was genuinely thoughtful and caring only made me love him that much more. Yes, he did have a few areas that needed a bit of work but gosh it was hard not to love this guy and root him on as he tired to open his heart to love again. I think the thing I loved the most about Calder though was his relationship and bond with his cats, now call me bias, but this was just heart meltingly cute. The amount of love and care he had for his fur babies just made me love our hero all that much more. Now lets talk about our girl Dakota, I really did feel for her and the fact that her entire life had been turned upside down by her divorce. I think her wanting to regain her confidence was what really made her so relatable and getting to see her figure out how to be venerable again was something I really liked about her journey. Though in saying this, she was by no means a wounded wallflower, Dakota was witty and had a sharp tongue when she felt cornered. There were a few moments that she came across as a bit harsh but the more we got to understand her character the easier it was to realise that she was just trying to protect her heart after feeling disregarded by her ex-husband. I really enjoyed getting to see her take risks again and putting herself out there to experience love again even when it felt scary.

The tension between these two characters was just perfection, I’m talking about steamy, slow burn, angsty goodness at its very finest. If there is one thing I know that Daws will always deliver on it is a good romantic build up and that is most definitely what we get with Calder and Dakota. Their shared past gives the relationship weight and meaning, this isn’t just lust or proximity, it’s years of anger, regret and unresolved affection converging to create one incredibly explosive connection. I loved getting to see them find their way back to each other and learning how to forgive and allow themselves to be venerable. Their love story isn’t just about falling in love again, it was about forgiveness, trust and letting someone see the darkest parts of you.

Amy Daws proves once again that she can craft a romcom that hits both the heart and the funny bone. Whether you want fiery banter, the mountain-man charm or the emotional redemption arc, this book delivers a second chance romance that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. A definite must read from me!!

Book Info:

Publication: June 10, 2025 | Canary Street Press | Mountain Men Matchmaker #2

I might look like a tall, tattooed, bearded neanderthal…but like an onion, I have layers. Swipe right if you like a proud cat daddy who catches feelings after direct eye contact.

All I wanted was a casual plus-one to my brother’s destination wedding, but those idiots on my family tree hacked my dating profile and sabotaged my quest for the perfect weekend fling. Now I’m stuck on a tropical vacation with only my hand to keep me company.

Until I’m forced to share a room with the bane of my existence: my sister-in-law’s best friend.

Dakota has hated me for the past seven years. I wasn’t losing much sleep over her screaming rants because she was some other guy’s problem. Or she was, until she got divorced.

Being stuck in paradise with a woman who loathes your very existence doesn’t sound hot, but after an unexpected moment in our shared palapa, she starts screaming at me in a different way.

What happens in paradise stays in paradise. That is, until Dakota shows up on my mountain with a proposition: be her wingman to help her regain her pre-divorce confidence.

Suddenly, Dakota’s not just person I love to fight with. She’s the woman I want everything with.