All Joking Aside
Slippery Slopes (Book 2)
Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Independently Published
May 27, 2025
ebook, paperback
346
My reputation hangs on by a thread and only one man can help me before it’s too late. Too bad we can't stand each other.
As long as I’ve lived in Slippery Slopes, I’ve done my best to be a model citizen in this quirky small town. After a little misunderstanding grows wildly out of control, I need to act quickly to preserve my perfect image.
And unfortunately for me, there’s only one man for the job.
Despite my attempts to stay away from Miles Asher’s distracting allure, I hate to admit he does have a way of getting me out of my head. It should be simple; he needs my help to finish his job so he can leave as soon as possible and in exchange he coaches me into the person I hope to be. We can absolutely ignore this undeniable attraction between us.
As we work together, those pesky feelings I’m desperate to tamp down reveal more than I'm ready to admit, especially when keeping our hands to ourselves feels impossible. He gets under my skin and forces me to face uncomfortable truths about myself and this town I love. But he has no plans to stick around to see things through.
I’m desperate to be perfect but Miles has a way of making me want to be bad…
ALL JOKING ASIDE is a dating coach small town romcom. If you are looking for hilarious angry chemistry between an optimistic perfectionist and the sarcastic loner who loves to rile her up, head down to the weirdly wonderful Slippery Slopes, New Mexico.
Why were the mean voices in my head their loudest in the middle of the night?
Good golly do I love a good Piper Sheldon romance and her newest romance All Joking Aside is a
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fantastic romance featuring two characters with prickly feelings, all the pining, and some romance coaching to boot. Miles and Natalie are the type of characters that could easily be misunderstood, so it’s quite interesting that the people who sees them the clearest is each other.
Natalie feels indebted to her hometown. She’s committed her career as a tour guide to make every visitor fall in love with Slippery Slopes just like she did. So when an encounter years ago with a tourist leaves her with a bruised heart (and maybe ego too) she isn’t entirely willing to help Miles with his tourism video. Natalie is the type of heroine that I love seeing on page. I think it’s because she’s so relatable as a character. She wants to fit in so badly that she can’t see how invaluable she is to the town of Slippery Slopes.
Dignity was for men whose self-worth wasn’t eclipsed by lascivious fantasies.
Miles is the kind of character that you either love him or absolutely hate him. I can honestly admit that I am a total goner for characters who are gruff, who relentlessly tease, and can’t admit their feelings to save their life (I sure hope my hubby doesn’t read this), so naturally I adore Miles. A vagabond at his core, Miles is on the go due to his profession. Is there anything better than a man falling in love the more time he spends with someone?
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All Joking Aside features so much pining, I love that Miles and Natalie are so stubborn about their feelings for the other. Even if Natalie is determined to find an HEA with someone else, she eventually cannot deny her growing attraction to Miles.It’s the culmination of both Miles and Natalie finally realizing that what they think they want and what their hearts actually want is what I found so fulfilling. With every Piper Sheldon novel, I find myself binge reading the ending because the swirl of the unknown along with the whirlwind of emotions is utterly addicting.
“It doesn’t feel like practice when I talk to you, ” she said. “It feels necessary.
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” All Joking Aside is a new release and should be immediately added to your TBR. It can absolutely be read as a standalone and is easily a new favorite by a must-read author. Also, I’m sorry (not sorry) for this recommendation as it will infect you with an indelible urge to travel. I suggest getting lost in this romance immediately!
All Joking Aside: You're Going to Love This Romance!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
