REVIEW: The Great Maple Mistake by Beck Grey (Love in Maplewood #8)

THE GREAT MAPLE MISTAKE

Love in Maplewood - Book Eight

by Beck Grey

Release Date: July 4, 2025

Review

Sweet and sexy. These two tasty morsels don’t need any maple syrup to sweeten them up.

This is a feel-good story, in our beloved Maplewood, which loves a good rumour and is happy to run with it, in the kindest way possible, of course. Which adds a great bit of levity as Alex and Cody get to know each other.

A photographer with a passion for cooking competitions and a desire to support his community. And a hot firefighter who will melt your heart, especially when he’s rescuing kittens.

This is a great addition to the Maplewood series - one that will make you smile for days.

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Synopsis

A small-town photographer who’s given up on love meets a smoking hot firefighter with a smile to melt hearts. Try as they might, some flames are impossible to resist.

Alex:

Maplewood is as wonderful and cliché as you’d imagine. Sure, the town gossips share everyone’s business, but neighbors look out for each other. Nowhere else would be as accepting of me as this queer-friendly small town I grew up in. The only problem? A lack of eligible bachelors. So when a gorgeous new guy moves to town, the Maplewood grapevine is in full swing, and this time, I’m paying attention. Though maybe not close enough, because Cody and I literally run into each other. I hit him with my body, he hits me with his boy-next-door smile, and poof, my heart’s gone. Too bad sexy, sweet guys like him aren’t really interested in guys like me. Once he gets to know me, he’ll change his mind.

Cody:

You’d think that moving to a small town named Maplewood means I’m prepared for maple-flavored everything. You’d be wrong. And the stuff is everywhere, so how do I tell my new neighbors that the taste makes me gag? That problem is solved when a misunderstanding has them believing I’m allergic. Sure, it saves me from eating any more maple. It also feels like I’m lying. I try to explain, but there’s no stopping the Maplewood gossip mill. Especially when the adorable photographer I almost trample fans that flame. But I can’t even be mad about it. Alex has this sweetness to him that pulls me in like gravity. And little by little, he’s letting me get close. Eventually, I’ll convince him to trust me, to give us a real chance. When he does, will that mean I’ll owe ‘us’ to that annoying maple mistake?

The Great Maple Mistake is a low-angst, small-town contemporary LGBTQ romance about a local cutie looking for love, a sexy firefighter with a maple aversion, baking show obsessions, fluffy kittens, rumor mills, and a connection that’s more than skin deep.

With the highest percentage of LGBTQIA+ residents in Vermont, Maplewood is a town where everyone belongs. And with festivals year-round, there’s always something fun happening! This multi-author, low-angst queer series features ten standalone romances—each set against the backdrop of a different festival. Come for the celebrations, stay for the happily-ever-afters!

About Beck Grey

Beck is a non-binary writer of sweet, sexy, LGBTQ happily ever afters. Why? Because everyone deserves all the happy!

They live in the Northeastern United States with their two adorable dogs. Weekdays are spent working their day job, but nights and weekends are devoted to writing stories involving hot characters, favorite tropes, and happy endings.

Any additional time includes reading, laughing with friends, drinking red wine, and playing D&D. If there’s cake involved at any point it’s a win!

Where to find them: