Review: Kiss My Axe by May Archer (The Axford Brothers #1)

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

May Archer's new small town romance series welcomes readers to Winsome, Vermont and to the Axford family, with the brothers being the main characters throughout their eponymous series. Kiss My Axe features the eldest among the siblings, thirty-six-year-old Beckett, who's been at the helm of Axford Lumber, the family business, ever since his father suffered a heart attack, forcing him to retire. He's shocked when he finds out that the property beside the forest they own now belongs to a New Yorker named Griffin Mercer. It seems the thirty-year-old has inherited said property--the same property whose driveway Beck uses to get to his forest. While Beck had an agreement with Griffin's Uncle Jim, it was nothing that was formalized with a signed piece of paper that's filed with the town. And after the not-so-stellar first meeting between Beck and Griff, it looks like the latter isn't as willing as Jim Granger to grant Axford Lumber's open use of the driveway. Now, the two are engaged in a back and forth that could be one-upmanship but also feels like foreplay. But being in Winsome is only a bit of respite for Griff as he tries to get his life back in order, meaning he would have to leave Beck behind, so there would be no point in falling for each other, not when it would mean getting hearts breaking. Right?

What a fun beginning to a truly promising new series! This has all the shenanigans that I look forward to with small-town romances, and the main characters had the push and pull that had me counting the encounters before they would finally just give in. I enjoyed seeing Griff go from the fish-out-of-water guy from the city to someone who could proudly call himself part of the Winsomefolk. His resilience was admirable given how his career imploded through no fault of his own, finding his place in a town that was as far from familiar as he could get, and then getting a much deserved happily-ever-after with a grumpy lumberjack and Winsome lifer. Speaking of which, Beck was a hoot! Yeah, he was Grumplestiltskin personified, but he was also a softie once you got to know him, and I loved seeing him try--and fail--to resist the city boy he was clearly crushing on. And while these two got their HEA, this series starter also served up enough Easter eggs that have me quite excited about certain couples quite possibly fumbling their way to the same when their books come out. I laughed and I cried (while laughing) and very much enjoyed the heck out of Kiss My Axe, which gets five stars. Bring on the next Axford bro!

Release Date: 28 October 2025

Date Read: 25 October 2025

Learn more about May Archer.

Purchase Kiss My Axe via Author Direct.

Pre-order Kiss My Axe via Amazon.