Hello Stranger

By: Katherine Center
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 336

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

First Impressions

I love Katherine Center. I have enjoyed every single one of her books since reading Happiness for Beginners. I like the color of this book, but I do kind of wish she had stuck with the various colorful floral covers rather than adding cartoon people.

What I thought

Sadie is an artist who just won a spot in a prestigious portrait painting competition when she finds out that she has a malformed blood vessel in her brain resulting in a need for immediate brain surgery. After her surgery, she has brain swelling that leads to (hopefully) temporary face blindness. Not only does this impact her participation in the competition, but it throws her life upside down. She ends up falling in love with two different men and dealing with an evil stepsister.

This book is so weird but in the best way possible. The idea of temporary face blindness as a romance trope is just wild enough that it works. I think Center did a nice just of explaining face blindness and the emotional impact without making it seem rude. Sadie has a lot going on in her life pre-brain surgery and it just gets even more intense afterwards. She hasn’t had a relationship with her dad or step-mom since she was a teenager and she has a step-sister who makes it her life mission to make Sadie’s life miserable.

My one issue with this book was Sadie’s continued participation in the portrait competition. I understand it’s important to the story and her growth, but no one in her life thinks to suggest she reach out to the judges and organizers, explain what happened, and ask to be deferred to the next year? Like, she can’t see faces! Why would she think it’s a good idea to continue in this competition??

I adored the romance in this story though. Joe and Sadie were so cute. It was very interesting to read a book where the lead male’s face was never really described. She ogles his torso a little bit, but it was kind of fun to read a romance where the physical aspect wasn’t the leading factor. Even though her interest in her vet was a little bit physical because she was attracted to his gait.

It was fascinating to see Sadie grow and deal with her emotional issues. I would’ve liked if we could’ve had a few more of her therapy sessions and delved a little deeper into the grief with her mom. I also wouldn’t have minded a little bit more of the happily ever after because I wanted more of Sadie and the man she got together with.

I rated this book 4 stars but it’s definitely closer to a 4.5 It was unlike any romance novel I had read before and I really enjoyed it. Sadie and Joe were so cute. Center does a good job of writing romance novels which mix heavier topics with romance, but I do think she could’ve gotten into it a little more. I will always add Center to the top of my to-read list. This may not be my favorite of hers, but it’s very high up there. I like it more than The Bodyguard from last year and would highly recommend checking it out.

I Wish We Weren't Related

By: Radhika Sanghani
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After a shocking phone call from her mother, Reeva Mehta’s life starts to sound like the plot of a Bollywood drama. From the outlandishly funny author of 30 Things I Love About Myself comes a hilarious, heartwarming novel about love, family, and new beginnings.

Thirty-four-year-old Reeva thought her life couldn’t possibly get more complicated, until her semi-famous Bollywood mother calls to tell her that she’s been lying to her daughters for decades—the father they thought died thirty years ago has been alive this whole time. Only now he actually is dead. Worse? His dying wish was for Reeva and her sisters Sita and Jaya to attend his funeral prayers—which means spending a fortnight together at his house, surrounded by relatives they never knew existed.

Reeva already has more than enough going on in her life. She’s an overworked London lawyer, her hair is falling out due to stress-induced alopecia, she can’t decide if her new boyfriend, Nick, is really as wonderful as he appears to be, and her brand-new cat is playing hard to get (even for a cat). And now she has to spend two weeks with the sisters she hasn’t spoken to since Jaya stole her boyfriend and Sita took her side.

But as Reeva slowly learns more about their father and his life—with the help of his sister, aka her new, wise Satya Auntie—she starts to uncover the complicated truth of their past…and realizes she needs Jaya and Sita more than she ever could have imagined.

First Impressions

This book sounded interesting. I had never read a book about a Hindu funeral before let alone one with a twist. The summary was what won me over more than the cover, though the cover isn’t bad.

What I thought

I enjoyed the first 75% of the book but then the last 25% kinda dropped it a little bit.

Reeva is the eldest of 3 daughters. She lives in London and is a divorce attorney. She hasn’t spoken to her sister in about 4 years, since her youngest sister cheated with Reeva’s boyfriend at the time and her middle sister stood by the youngest. Their father has been dead for 30 years, or so they thought. When he actually dies their mother informs them that he’s been alive for their whole lives and in order to get their inheritance they have to participate in the 14 day Hindu funeral prayers.

There is so much that goes on in this book that I don’t even know where to start. I enjoyed the story about sisters who haven’t talked getting back together. I thought it was interesting to see how they worked through their issues and see their relationship grow. The whole dad being alive and not really dead and the trauma behind that didn’t really end up being my thing.

Without spoilers, I found the reason that this mom faked his death for 30 years to be a bit extreme. Which I guess was kind of the point. But then Reeva reacts as thought the reason makes sense? She gets super mad at her dead dad for something that happened 30 years ago that she repressed.

Reeva did honestly get on my nerves by the end of the book. I think the fallout of so many of her relationships showed that she wasn’t a very good or likable person. I also got irritated by the self-help vibe towards the end of the book. She had one conversation with her aunt and one hypnotherapy and all of a sudden was like “I know exactly how to be a better person now!” I mean, she still admitted she had a lot of work to do but she was immediately making big changes. Also, her supposed best friend was terrible.

Basically, I enjoyed the sister aspect and learning a little bit about Hindu funerals. I didn’t love the friendship, love, or mystery aspect. Like I said, the first 75% of the book was interesting and enjoyable. The last 25% left a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth. It wasn’t a bad book but it will definitely be one that’s forgettable in a week or two.

In the Weeds (Lovelight #2)

By: B.K. Borison
Published Year: 2022/2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of the book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A grumpy farmer and a no-nonsense social media influencer have another chance at love in this charming romantic comedy.

Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget. Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings, but Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck. 

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is…confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon. When Evie disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally move on.

But Evie, who has been feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly dissatisfied with life online, is trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

First Impressions

I was so excited to read this after finishing Lovelight Farms (review here). I actually emailed the publisher after I finished the first one to ask them to keep me in mind to review the second one! Beckett and Evelyn’s story was teased in the first book so I was really looking forward to digging deeper.

What I thought

I loved returning to the world of Lovelight Farms.

Evelyn and Beckett hooked up when they were both at a conference in Maine. Slightly out of character for both of them, the hit it off and enjoyed a weekend together until Evelyn disappeared leaving nothing behind. When she shows up at Beckett’s farm for a contest that Beckett’s farm partner Stella entered, they’re both shocked. Months later, Evelyn returns to Lovelight Farms in hopes of finding her happy again.

I really liked Evelyn and enjoyed Beckett as well. I didn’t quite love them as much as I loved Stella and Luka though. I enjoyed that Evelyn is a boss and she is self-made. I also really liked her best friend who was blunt with her in the way that best friends can be. Beckett was sometimes hit or miss with me. I loved how sweet he was but sometimes he felt a little too gruff.

I appreciated that both of the characters were different in this novel. Beckett deals with sensory issues and Evelyn is a woman of color. I think it would’ve been nice to touch on that a little bit more, but I understand Borison not feeling comfortable with that type of storyline as she is not a woman of color herself.

This series is such a great Hallmark movie in a book type of series. It has that small town heart with quirky townsfolk an small communication type problems. I didn’t even get annoyed with the third act conflict with this one! I got a little frustrated with Beckett, but I loved the way that it was handled and solved.

I don’t know what it was that didn’t catch me as much in this one as the first, but I think it was either lack of banter (I’m a sucker for good banter) or maybe because my schedule made reading this a bit more choppy.

While I didn’t love this one quite as much as I loved the first, that doesn’t mean this book isn’t great. I adored Evelyn and I’m excited to add another couple to the Lovelight Farms world. I am a sucker for a good romance novel series and this one is hitting all top marks. I cannot wait to fall back into this world for book 3.

Business or Pleasure

By: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

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I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in "ghostwriter" until she attends a signing for a book she wrote—and the author doesn’t even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. But Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps.

Chandler’s determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he’s distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they’re not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure—or if there's a way for them to have both.

First Impressions

I have read 4 of Solomon’s novels, and all but one of them have been a 5 star read. When I saw she was coming out with another adult novel, I immediately added it to my to-read list. It’s not my favorite of her covers, but it’s still cute. The summary was intriguing as well but I honestly didn’t even read it before adding it to my lit.

What I thought

This book was fabulous. I couldn’t put it down.

Chandler is a ghost writer for celebrities. Feeling stuck after her last project, she meets a cute guy at the bookstore bar. She proceeds to go home with him and have the worst sex of her life. The next day, she gets invited to an interview for her next ghost writing project. When she walks in, she finds the celebrity is her horrible one night stand. After starting their writing project, Chandler informs Finn that their night together wasn’t great for her (and he confirms this has been the same with his exes). They decide that Chandler is going to teach Finn how to be a better lover.

This book. Oh man.

Chandler is funny and Finn is sweet. Both are dealing with mental health issues and they’re handled beautifully. Chandler has anxiety and Finn has OCD. I really appreciated how these illnesses were talked about and found a lot of realism in the way they were portrayed.

My one warning is that this book is SPICY. There are a lot of spicy scenes right from the very beginning. If you don’t like that, you won’t like this book. But I did feel they were very well done. None of them felt cringey to me. I actually found a lot of humor in tem which I enjoyed. When I read Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood, there were scenes that I felt were so icky and cringe inducing that I knocked it down a star. This was not the case with Solomon at all.

Chandler and Finn’s chemistry just leaps off the page. He is so earnest and kind from the beginning that you can’t help fall in love with him. I was a little worried Chandler would fall into some of the insecurity trope, but it toed a line I was able to handle. I also appreciated that there wasn’t truly a third act conflict. There was a small conflict but it was something that was talked about immediately between the characters and handled maturely and realistically. It was wrapped up quickly and I appreciated it so much.

I also felt like I learned so much about ghost writing and life of an actor after they were on a big show. I found myself frequently picturing Finn like Tom Felton from Harry Potter.

I love love loved this book. It is definitely a top 3 of hers for me. This book is definitely more along the lines of the old school bodice ripper shirtless Fabio on the cover type of book rather than contemporary fiction. If you don’t like steamy, you will not like this book. But if you do, you will fall in love with Finn and Chandler. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

Spare

By: Prince Harry
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 410

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

First Impressions

I mean, this book has been everywhere. I don’t know if it could’ve made a first impression if it tried. I have always loved Prince Harry. Once everything with him and Meghan went down, I was intrigued. I looked forward to hearing his side of the story.

What I thought

In high school we were required to write a speech on a famous figure. I purposely chose Prince Harry as opposed to Prince William because everyone in the late 90s/early 00s preferred Prince William and I felt that was unfair. When he came out with a book, it sparked that desire in me to learn more about him and about his side of the story since we’ve been hearing so much from everyone else. I also was intrigued because it feels like the Crown has been self-imploding so I was curious about what secrets he would reveal.

I know that right around the time his book came out, the Netflix series with him and Meghan came out. I have only read the book. I felt like the series would be a lot of repetition ad overkill. I think after reading the book I feel satisfied and still stand by that thought that you probably only need to ingest one or the other.

I don’t know if it’s because of the press coverage or what, but this book was pretty much exactly what I expected. I didn’t experience any shocking revelations, but it was still a very interesting read. It is split into three parts. The first is his childhood, the second is his adulthood and army life, and the third is after he met Meghan. For me, the middle section dragged but the rest of it was interesting.

Hearing about Harry’s childhood from his perspective was interesting. I am curious to listen to him read the audiobook at some point because I feel like hearing his voice might change some of the tone that I read. I think it’s apparent that Harry has some issues with Camilla and even William, but his relationship with his dad seems a bit muddier. At the beginning, it felt very forgiving and as though he was making excuses for a lot of his behavior, but then at the end that shifts. I’m curious to see if when he is speaking the words if there is less of that forgiving tone at the beginning.

I think that the press highlighted a lot of the weird parts of Harry’s book while, honestly, they’re pretty minimal. The middle section covers a lot of his time in the Army, which moves slowly. It then is oddly interspersed with his party days and adventures. It’s a bit of a yo-yo and I think the redundancy of war makes the wild times stand out a little more.

I’m glad that I read this book. I don’t think it’s amazing or life changing, but if you’ve ever been interested in the Royal Family and Harry specifically, this is going to satisfy your curiosity. I enjoyed reading the physical book, but do look forward to eventually listening to it, so I don’t know which I would recommend.

Outlander

By: Diana Gabaldon
Published Year: 1992
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 850

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.
 
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

First Impressions

I have owned this book for almost 10 years. Before the show came out it sounded so cute and I wanted to read it. Then I watched part of the first episode and saw how thick the book was and it went down on my list. So, it has been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. My friends and I are going to the Scottish Highlands this year, so we decided to read it together!

What I thought

I understand the hype.

Claire was a nurse during WW2. After the war, she and her husband (who she hasn’t seen in 6 years) go on their second honeymoon to the Scottish Highlands. While there, they are researching his family history and she is learning about botany. On one of her explorations, she falls through a stone circle and ends up in the Scottish Highlands of 1746.

This book is over 800 pages. It’s insane. It took me a solid 200 pages before I really got into it, because there is a lot of history and world and character building. It’s not slow in a bad way, but it took a little while to suck me in.

There’s a part where Claire and Jamie (the hero of the story) finally leave the castle, and that’s where it started to pick up for me. I didn’t realize that there was going to be a forced marriage and multiple attempts at rape as well as significant violence and abuse. So, if you can’t handle those things, this book will not be for you. I know the Outlander fans LOVE Jamie, so I’m curious how book Jamie compares to show Jamie. I found book Jamie to be a little barbaric. Which, is understandable given the time, but doesn’t excuse some of his behaviors. He did win me over in the end though.

Considering this book is so long, the fact that I want to read the next one I think says a lot. I liked Claire and I liked how she didn’t bend to the times and compromise her values. She stayed a strong modern woman, with the exception of moments in which it would put her in danger. And even then she sometimes did what she believed to be right regardless of the danger.

This book sort of has an epic fantasy feel to it without the fantasy elements. It has a lot of characters and epic journeys and battles, but no dragons or elves. It was interesting seeing the development of the characters and how Claire and Jamie changed.

I’m very curious about the first season of the show now. I don’t know if I will continue reading there series, or just check out the show, but this is a very solid historical romance. I’m sure it could’ve been trimmed down to be more palatable as a romance novel, but this is the kind of book that is meant for people who want to truly dive into the world of the characters. I’m so glad my friends and I read this before our trip.

Lovelight Farms (Lovelight #1)

By: B.K. Borison
Published Year: 2021/2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 332

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.

A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he’s ever received.

First Impressions

I adore this cover. It makes me want to curl up in front of a fire and drink hot cocoa while reading it. I have seen this book all over TikTok and Instagram and fell in love with it based off of the cover alone. I don’t know if this is a re-release or what, but I was super excited to be offered to review this book.

What I thought

What a delight! I understand why this series is taking the internet by storm.

Stella/Estelle/Ella/Lala/a million other nicknames owns a farm in a small town in Maryland. She enters a contest to bring more business and a cash prize but in the application, states she owns the farm with her long time boyfriend. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, she asks her best friend of 10 years Luca to be her fake boyfriend. She has been in love with him forever, but refuses to say or do anything about it in fear of losing him from her life forever.

The chemistry between these two character leap off the page. I loved Luca. Stella was a little annoying at times, but nothing unbearable. She has some serious abandonment issues and I got a little annoyed her friends didn’t try to help her deal with them sooner than this story. They obviously know that the reason she hasn’t told Luca she likes him is because of this fear, yet they don’t confront her about it until the end of the book. Why did they not talk to her about this 5 years ago?

Luca is a gem. He is absolute perfection. I loved his banter with Stella. Especially in the steamy scenes. It was just so good and really made me giggle. And maybe blush. What I also appreciated about this story is it avoided the third act breakup. No spoiler, but just to have you not worry about it, but there is no massive blowup at the 75% mark that will make you want to smash your head against the wall. They do have a small conflict but it is resolved super quick and I loved it.

There are so many side characters too. This series could go on forever because very side character is great. The next book is even set up in this one which I adored. The only issue I had with this book was the writing at times was a bit weak. The repetition of some of Stella’s issues, stated in the exact same sentence, as well as other repetitive comments drove me a little nuts. Within the first 15% of the book it was stated “I’m just touchy.” Or “I’m just someone who has to be physical.” By multiple characters in multiple situations. It could’ve been reworded or cut from certain parts.

This book is a solve 4.5 stars for me. I love this town and want to visit it. I adored Luca and the chemistry and the farm and just kept wanting to come back to it. Where it lost a few points for me was the writing and the repetitiveness. Not that a 4.5 is bad in any way. I can’t wait to read more about Lovelight Farms. If you love small town friends to lovers romances, pick this one up now.

Book Club June 2023- Part of Your World

By: Abby Jimenez
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

What I thought

I was excited when Meghan picked this book because I have been meaning to read a book by Abby Jimenez for a while. I even got one of her books for Hanukkah but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I have heard wonderful things about her books and I’m always on the lookout for new romance novelists to love.

Alexis is a legacy doctor in Minneapolis. Daniel is a small town mayor/carpenter/innkeeper about 2 hours outside of Minneapolis. When Alexis’ car ends up in a ditch, Daniel is the one who pulls her out. One one-night-stand later and Alexis is unexpectedly hooked on this tattooed 28 year old.

This book was so so good. I had relatively high expectations for it and it exceeded every single one. There are some serious undertones in this story, such as abuse, and Jimenez writes about it very well. Thankfully, that isn’t something I’ve personally experienced so I can’t truly say it was well written from that perspective, but Jimenez does use sensitivity writers which I appreciate. Daniel is also described as Scott Eastwood in The Longest Ride which is absolutely my type.

I could not put this book down. I read it in just over 24 hours which normally I don’t do during the school year. I flew through this book. Absolutely devoured it. The conflict between Alexis and Daniel as to why they couldn’t be together was unique. I hadn’t read a story with this storyline and I’ve read a lot of romance novels.

I’m excited to discuss this with my friends at book club because there were a lot of fun moments. The romance between them also made me grin and squeal which is my favorite.

What Book Club Thought

Everyone loved it! We didn’t have much discussion about it other than to gush over everything we enjoyed. It seemed like everyone enjoyed the depth of the emotional storylines tied in with the romance. We had a lot of discussion about the small town and the differences between Alexis and Daniel as well. I think we all added more of Jimenez’s books to our list after reading this one. If you enjoy romcoms, I highly recommend checking this out.