I haven't read many small-town romances, but the few I have read, I've definitely enjoyed. Doing the Math was no different. First, I am enamored with the cover of this book, mainly because the cover model is definitely easy on the eyes. When the cover of the book matches the content inside, that's definitely a win. Doing the Math introduces us to Dia and Vin, aka Melvin Jr. or Lil' Melvin (that's some country shit, right?). Dia is a big city accountant and Vin is just a simple farmer. Two characters from vastly different worlds, exposing one another to different ways of life. " I was in the country, and, again, going on a date with a man who wore overalls."
Dia may be a big city accountant, but she didn't give annoying bougie vibes. Was she out of her element in Peachtree Hollow, absolutely, but she was open-minded about all it had to offer. When her boss sends her down to the Hayes family farm to work on their books, she isn't hopeful about enjoying herself or the town for that matter. Her objective is to go there, do her job, and wait for the opportunity to grow and flourish at a big accounting firm. But her goal is thwarted when she lays eyes on Vin. "I felt thirsty. Over a man in overalls." Because of her past experiences with love, her being away from home and able to leave when the job was over, seemed like the perfect situationship for her. The only problem is, Vin is a well-mannered country boy that's hard to resist. "'Give me a second, country boy.' 'Yeah, okay,' I laughed. 'You just climb on up here and ride this country dick.'"
Vin is fresh out a relationship. Living in Peachtree Hollow is uneventful, just like his relationship with Monique. Vin wants more. He yearns to be in a relationship with a little bit more excitement. Here is where Dia enters the chat. Her being on his family farm wearing Monclear boots doesn't give him a whole bunch of hope though. He feels she's definitely out of his league, but that doesn't stop him from fishing to see if she's even slightly interested. "'I'm not sure if you noticed, but it ain't nothin' little about me.' My eyebrows shot up. 'I'm just sayin'. I'm tall. You see my truck.' 'Yeah. That's what you meant.' He laughed. 'You need to get your mind outta the gutter, darlin'" With the conflict of interest of her working for his family, and his meddling father, the odds of him and Dia being an actual thing don't look hopeful. Thankfully, Vin is perfect (as far as book baes go) and he figures out a way to keep himself in the game. "I got you. Okay? Ain't nothin' ever happenin' to you on my watch."
Shae started 2024 off right with this book. I would categorize it as a slow burn, but the chemistry is definitely there between the characters from the beginning. The characters were enjoyable, even the ones that were created to irritate readers. There's even a slight comedic element "Oh, now y'all niggas see me sitting here?", making this the perfect read for me. Vin had me screaming my man, my man, my man the entire book. And I loved Dia's group chat with her friends. Easily a five-star read for me.