Review: Del Rio by Jane Rosenthal

Del Rio

by Jane Rosenthal

Publisher: She Writes Press

Pages: 245

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Del Rio, California, a once-thriving Central Valley farm town, is now filled with run-down Dollar Stores, llanterias, carnicerias, and shabby mini-marts that sell one-way bus tickets straight to Tijuana on the Flecha Amarilla line. It’s a place you drive through with windows up and doors locked, especially at night—a place the locals call Cartel Country. While it’s no longer the California of postcards, for local District Attorney Callie McCall, her dying hometown is the perfect place to launch a political career and try to make a difference.

But when the dismembered body of a migrant teen is found in one of Del Rio’s surrounding citrus groves, Callie faces a career make-or-break case that takes her on a dangerous journey down the violent west coast of Mexico, to a tropical paradise hiding a terrible secret, and finally back home again, where her determination to find the killer pits her against the wealthiest, most politically connected, most ruthless farming family in California: her own.

Kritters Thoughts:  District Attorney Callie McCall has quite the past before this book even begins, but with the discovery of a body part of a young teen found in citrus groves, this story quickly moves to Mexico and an investigation begins as Callie gets to the bottom of things.  

For me the most interesting part was how involved Callie's family and friends were on the wrong side of the law in this book.  This felt unique to this book as rarely does the family of the person investigating end up fully entrenched into the misdeeds.  

I don't know if I am unfamiliar with the area or with the crisis at the border, but there were many times where I felt disconnected to the book and was confused and lost.  I blame myself and my own lack of knowledge on the immigrant population and the issues that are happening and I think that affected my reading of the book.  I was having a hard time putting all the pieces together and because of this the book didn't read as smoothly as I think it should have.

Jane Rosenthal has another book in her backlist and it seems to take place in the same location and I would like to try it out and see if I could enjoy it more after getting myself up to speed.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Sparkpoint Studio.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

The Shell Collector

by Nancy Naigle

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Two years after her husband's death, Amanda Whittier has two children to raise alone, an abandoned dream of starting a business, and a fixer-upper cottage by the sea. She has no room in her life for anything else and little interest in moving on after losing the man she loved.

Paul Grant is a relative newcomer to the area, and his work with former military dogs needing rehabilitation has been good for the town. Though he loved once before, he's convinced he's not suited for romance and is determined to find meaning--alone--through his work and role in the community.

Widowed Maeve Lindsay was born and raised on Whelk's Island. Spirited, kind, and a little mischievous, she pours her life into the town. But she carries a secret that shapes her every move.

Together, these three souls find encouragement in the most mysterious places and discover a love that's bigger than their pain, healing their wounded hearts in ways none of them could have hoped for or expected.

Kritters Thoughts:  What a sweet, but completely predictable love story that still made me cry and laugh!

Amanda Whittier thinks a change of scenery will help her and her two children push reset on their lives after her husband's death.  They move to a small coastal town in North Carolina that will hopefully be a new place to create a life for their family of three.  A widowed neighbor Maeve is the sweetest thing and her presence in this family's life was just so dear to read.  And a former friend, Paul enters the scene and reminds them of the past, but may also be a hope for the future.

Although like in most romance books, I knew where this one would end, the journey was worth taking.  This was one of those sweet books that is perfect to read on a summer weekend where you just want to feel hope and love.  With it being Christian fiction, this is one of those romance where there are no sexy scenes or even much if any physical lusting, but there are still some sweet moments where this couple reunites and sees if there is still a flame.  

I have been a Nancy Naigle fan for a long time.  I love her sweet Christmas reads during the holidays that just lift the spirits and I loved this summer romance and would recommend you put this in your beach bag for a summer getaway.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 54 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from WaterBrook & Multnomah.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti

The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

If She Dies by Erik Therme

Little by Edward Carey

Currently Reading:

Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

Next on the TBR pile:

The Secretary by Catherine Hokin

Review: Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti

Call Me Elizabeth Lark

by Melissa Colasanti 

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Pages: 300

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Your daughter went missing twenty years ago. Now, she's finally back. You thought she had returned a few times in the past, and your husband tells you she's not the one, but you feel it in your bones.

Now, what will you do to keep her home?

Twenty years ago, Myra Barkley's daughter disappeared from the rocky beach across from the family inn, off the Oregon coast. Ever since, Myra has waited at the front desk for her child to come home. One rainy afternoon, the miracle happens--her missing daughter, now twenty-eight years old with a child of her own, walks in the door.

Elizabeth Lark is on the run with her son. She's just killed her abusive husband and needs a place to hide. Against her better judgment, she heads to her hometown and stops at the Barkley Inn. When the innkeeper insists that Elizabeth is her long lost daughter, the opportunity for a new life, and more importantly, the safety of her child, is too much for Elizabeth to pass up. But she knows that she isn't the Barkleys's daughter, and the more deeply intertwined she becomes with the family, the harder it becomes to confess the truth.

Except the Barkley girl didn't just disappear on her own. As the news spreads across the small town that the Barkley girl has returned, Elizabeth suddenly comes into the limelight in a dangerous way, and the culprit behind the disappearance those twenty years ago is back to finish the job.

Kritters Thoughts:  A young woman shows up at bed and breakfast while on the run from leaving an abusive relationship and she ends up at a place where a family has been longing for their daughter to return for twenty years.  Could this young woman be the missing girl and could this family help her escape the life she was living?

I love a twisting and turning story where there are many layers and many ups and downs almost until the very end.  Told through a few of the women's points of view, the book switches between and I loved this part of the story.  Seeing the action unfold from different perspectives helps the reader see how each character reacts to the information as it comes out.  

This book was one of those where the synopsis was great and I was absolutely intrigued, but I am not sure that it fully lived up to the promise of the synopsis.  There were a few times where I may have rolled my eyes at the convenience of things coming together or was confused by how the pieces fit.  It felt as though the plot just didn't completely fit together from point A to point B.  

After finishing the book, I realized this was a debut and for me that was interesting to find out and it made me want to see what comes next from this author.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 53 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Crime Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Girl I Used to Be by Heidi Hostetter

The Girl I Used to Be

by Heidi Hostetter

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 275

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Your husband is not the man you thought he was… but how do you move on, when you’re forced to keep his secret?

When Jill Goodman’s picture-perfect marriage implodes, she’s heartbroken. Still reeling from the shock, the only thing she receives in the hasty divorce settlement is the deed to her husband’s sprawling beach house on the New Jersey coastline. Jill never cared about money—only her marriage—but with Marc determined to take everything she owns, the beach house is her only lifeline left.

With no other choice, Jill travels to the shore intending to sell the house quickly—but the task is not as easy as she expects. Still, she can’t help but be charmed by the beautiful seaside town and its sweetly old-fashioned ways. Despite everything, Jill is starting to see a path back to who she was before she met her husband—not the demure, polished housewife she’d become, but the smiling young woman with the strong Jersey accent who loved her family more than anything.

Then Jill dives deeper into Marc’s secrets and she stumbles across something in her husband’s past that changes everything. Could Jill herself have been unknowingly complicit in what Marc did and, if so, what will happen to her when the truth finally comes to light? With Marc determined to bury the evidence, can Jill find a way to save herself before her once perfect husband takes her down with him?

Kritters Thoughts:  Jill Goodman was married to an older, powerful man, but she thinks she is living the best life she could have ever hoped for, with all the clothes, jewelry and things at her fingertips.  But is she really living.  When her marriage dissolves she is left with a beach house that was to her knowledge unable to be sold in a small beach town and this house will change her life!

I don't typically read books where a marriage is or does dissolve within the story, but when reading the synopsis, this one felt as though it was more about the woman's after story than the marriage itself and while that was mostly true, it took a bit for the ___ to hit the fan and he didn't quite exit the scene, but her redemption story was worth him not leaving the book.

This is my second Heidi Hostetter book and while I liked the other one more, I believe it is totally due to the subject matter and in no way the writing.  I hope she keeps writing great stories with women at the center doing life.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 52 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman

The Clover Girls

by Viola Shipman

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Elizabeth, Veronica, Rachel and Emily met at Camp Birchwood as girls in 1985, where over four summers they were the Clover Girls—inseparable for those magical few weeks of freedom—until the last summer that pulled them apart. Now approaching middle age, the women are facing challenges they never imagined as teens, struggles with their marriages, their children, their careers, and wondering who it is they see when they look in the mirror.

Then Liz, V and Rachel each receive a letter from Emily with devastating news. She implores the girls who were once her best friends to reunite at Camp Birchwood one last time, to spend a week together revisiting the dreams they’d put aside and repair the relationships they’d allowed to sour. But the women are not the same idealistic, confident girls who once ruled Camp Birchwood, and perhaps some friendships aren’t meant to last forever…

Kritters Thoughts:  Four girls stumble upon each other at a summer camp at a young age and they will each alter the other's lives well into adulthood.  Elizabeth (Liz), Veronica (V), Rachel (Rach) and Emily (Em) meet at summer camp and they have a lot to learn from each other, each of them have strengths that the other could use and due to meeting at a young age they didn't see how they could compliment each other.  

With four women as main characters, this is absolutely one of those books that I suggest taking notes so you can keep them each straight.  They are each unique, but it sure helped make sure the reading experience was easy from start to finish. 

With flashbacks back to the 1980s when these women met and then to 2021 to their current ages, this book took me back and forth to see the foundation these young women made at camp and then how something big brought them back together and would change their lives.  

I am being vague in my review because this is just one of those books that you have to read!  If you love women relationships, of all kinds, and if you love stories where women have big journeys to find their truth then this book is for you.  I laughed, I cried and I found a part of me in some of these women and although I don't have friendships from summer camp of my younger years, this book made me thankful for those women I am surrounded by and the things they bring to my life. 

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 51 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Twice a Daughter by Julie Ryan McGue

Twice a Daughter

by Julie Ryan McGue

Publisher: She Writes Press

Pages: 282

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Julie is adopted. She is also a twin. Because their adoption was closed, she and her sister lack both a health history and their adoption papers―which becomes an issue for Julie when, at forty-eight years old, she finds herself facing several serious health issues.

To launch the probe into her closed adoption, Julie first needs the support of her sister. The twins talk things over, and make a pact: Julie will approach their adoptive parents for the adoption paperwork and investigate search options, and the sisters will split the costs involved in locating their birth relatives. But their adoptive parents aren't happy that their daughters want to locate their birth parents―and that is only the first of many obstacles Julie will come up against as she digs into her background.

Julie's search for her birth relatives spans years and involves a search agency, a PI, a confidential intermediary, a judge, an adoption agency, a social worker, and a genealogist. By journey's end, what began as a simple desire for a family medical history has evolved into a complicated quest―one that unearths secrets, lies, and family members that are literally right next door.

Kritters Thoughts:  Julie is adopted and she is a twin, while thankful that she has had her twin by her side her entire life, she had wished for answers for awhile about her birth parents and her medical history.  A trip to a doctor and a push from her husband, Julie decides that now is the time to get answers and with the blessing from her twin, she starts the journey down many roads to get answers.

I can't imagine going as long as Julie and Jenny did in their lives without answers.  And I was thankful to read in this book that because they pursued the truth so hard they made changes as to how adoptions are handled and how information is handled for future children.  

There were many times while reading this book that I had to remind myself that this was all true - it could easily have had the makings of a great fiction book, but this was all true.  Julie and Jenny dealt with a lot of feelings from a lot of individuals and there were many moments where I wanted to "pull" someone aside and remind them that this isn't about them!  

I am thankful I read this book, it reminded me that I love reading true stories where authors pour out their hearts and soul and give us their truth in order to help others.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Books Forward.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Almost all my reading happened during this very quiet weekend!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews

It Had To Be You by Georgia Clark

Twice a Daughter by Julie Ryan McGue

The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman

The Girl I Used to Be by Heidi Hostetter

Del Rio by Jane Rosenthal

Currently Reading:

Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti

Next on the TBR pile:

The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

Review: It Had To Be You by Georgia Clark

It Had To Be You

by Georgia Clark

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  For the past twenty years, Liv and Eliot Goldenhorn have run In Love in New York, Brooklyn’s beloved wedding-planning business. When Eliot dies unexpectedly, he even more unexpectedly leaves half of the business to his younger, blonder girlfriend, Savannah. Liv and Savannah are not a match made in heaven, to say the least. But what starts as a personal and professional nightmare transforms into something even savvy, cynical Liv Goldenhorn couldn’t begin to imagine.

Kritters Thoughts:  With a large cast of characters this book looks at all sorts of forms and types of love and relationships.  From the basically main character, a widowed woman who is confronted by the sins of her husbands past before he died and it affects not only her personal life, but also her professional life.  To many people in her circle, a waitress that often works for her wedding planning company to the long term dating gay couple that provides the florals for the weddings she plans.  I enjoyed this cast of characters and it reminded me of those large ensemble television shows or movies, but I highly suggest a little note taking to keep everyone and their details together.

At first while reading this book, I was extremely confused as to who was what and who was related to whom, but once I got the hang of the extreme switches between characters from one chapter to another, the book read smoothly.  I loved the interconnectedness of it all and I could see this book translating to a screen of sorts very easily.  I tried hard to think throughout reading this book which storyline was my favorite, but I honestly enjoyed most to all of them.  For me the most fun to read was Savannah Shipley as she was adjusting to life moving from Kentucky to New York City and trying so hard to achieve dreams that her parents didn't support and make the life she could have only imagined.  

This was my first Georgia Clark read and I am excited that there are at least two more in her backlist that I am genuinely excited to read.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 51 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Newcomer by Mary Kay Andrews

The Newcomer

by Mary Kay Andrews 

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Pages: 448

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In trouble and on the run...

After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.”

With a trunkful of emotional baggage...

So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road with her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel.

The No Vacancy sign is flashing & the sharks are circling...

And that’s the good news. Because The Surf, as the regulars call it, is the winter home of a close-knit flock of retirees and snowbirds who regard this odd-duck newcomer with suspicion and down-right hostility. As Letty settles into the motel’s former storage room, she tries to heal Maya’s heartache and unravel the key to her sister’s shady past, all while dodging the attention of the owner’s dangerously attractive son Joe, who just happens to be a local police detective. Can Letty find romance as well as a room at the inn—or will Joe betray her secrets and put her behind bars? With danger closing in, it’s a race to find the truth and right the wrongs of the past.

Kritters Thoughts:  With a complicated synopsis, the basics are a young woman who's younger sister has been murdered escapes NYC with her niece and hopes to run from her problems and start a new life away from it all, but in Florida she continues to find out clues about her sister and eventually it all implodes.  

I am thankful for Mary Kay Andrews books I don't read synopsis, because had I read this one, I am not sure if I would have so quickly dove into the book.  I trust Andrews with my reading time and so far she hasn't disappointed!

Letty was the sweetest character with the purest of intentions to give her niece the childhood that she only wished she could have had herself or that her sister could have provided.  Her niece, Maya was was just the sweetest addition of humor throughout the book as she interacted with all the occupants at the hotel and as she was adjusting to a new normal without her mother.  

I loved the mix of a mystery with a women's fiction with strong women at the center of the story.  Without spoiling all the things, I loved the last bit of the book and how the author let the conclusion happen, it was a bit predictable, but still satisfying in the end.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 50 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Her First Mistake by Carey Baldwin

Her First Mistake

by Carey Baldwin

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 315

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Mia covered her mouth to keep from crying out. She hated the dark, but her mother had made her promise. But what was the point of being a good little girl if she couldn’t help her mother? She’d promised her mother not to scream, but she hadn’t promised not to escape…

To the world, Mia Thornton is invisible—a quiet, timid preschool teacher. People would never guess that she found the will to dig her way out of a locked shed when she was just six years old. That she never saw her mother again.

Now, all Mia longs for is a normal life and friends to call her own. But when she runs into a group of colleagues one evening, she discovers that, once again, she’s been excluded. Stung at the rejection, she pockets the keys of one of the women in a petty act of revenge. Celeste Cooper is fearless, pretty, popular—everything Mia wishes she could be.

The next day, Celeste is reported missing. And Mia realizes that it might have been her fault. Wracked with guilt, she joins the search, determined to make up for her mistake. But as she grows closer to Celeste’s family, Mia can’t help but feel she’s being watched…

What if Celeste’s disappearance has more to do with Mia than she realizes? And if she keeps digging, does she risk being dragged back into the dark forever?

Kritters Thoughts:  Mia Thornton had a very hard childhood and barely made it out of it alive to eventually live with her aunt where things were a little more normal.  Although Mia never really fit in with her co workers, she ended up out one night when one goes missing and it send this story into a tail spin as she must investigate where this co worker went and if she holds any of the blame.  

I typically enjoy a book where the investigation is led by an amateur, it is fun to watch them learn to investigate in the middle of it all.  I loved how Mia was weaving in and out of the way of the detectives and she kept getting caught up in their investigations - it was so entertaining!

For me I judge mystery/thrillers based on the outcome of the book and while this one came together well, I am not sure I am satisfied with who it ended up being in the end.  For me, it felt out of left field and I wasn't sure that the clues pointed to them were all there, but I did enjoy the story/plot and how the author put it all together.  

I was excited to find out after finishing the book that this author has a series or more in her backlist and I hope to dive in and try them soon.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 49 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

April - rainy days are great book days!

source

The month of April was up and down with days full of reading and days that were packed with other responsibilities and activities.  I was surprised to find that I completed 20 books this month and as we slide into summer, I am hoping for more hours outdoors with a book or two!  

1. The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray

2. In Times of Rain and War by Camron Wright

3. Unraveled by Laura Cook Boldt and Tom Boldt (audio)

4. Summertime Guests by Wendy Francis

5. The Silent Girl by Kelly Heard

6. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

7. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

8. Three Missing Days by Colleen Coble

9. Under the Southern Sky by Kristy Woodson Harvey

10. Food Americana by David Page

11. An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart

12. The Last Night in London by Karen White

13. The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

14. Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi

15. The House Swap by Jo Lovett

16. The Social Graces by Renee Rosen

17. Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

18. America's Daughter by Celeste De Blasis

19. Silent Night by Nell Pattison

20. Long Walk Home by Ellyn Oaksmith

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 7,835

Where having I been Reading?:

France

London

St. Louis, MO

Boston, MA

South Carolina

Australia

London (2)

Alabama

North Carolina

Massachusetts

Venice, Italy

New York City, NY (2)

Kansas City, MO

Boston, MA

Lincolnshire, England (2)

Washington State

Review: Long Walk Home by Ellyn Oaksmith

Long Walk Home

by Ellyn Oaksmith

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 290

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Lola recognized him straight away. After ten long years of telling herself that maybe she hadn't really loved him—there he was. And straight away she knew she wanted him still.

Lola Alvarez loves working in the restaurant of Blue Hills, her family’s winery, looking out over vine-covered slopes down to the crystal-blue waters of the lake. But she is also determined to make her own mark on the business—to show her older sister Carmen that she’s not the same flighty teen she used to be.

Her plan to build gorgeous vacation cabins in the mountain meadow above the winery will be the perfect addition to Blue Hills, even if she has to go behind Carmen’s back to make her dream a reality. When Carmen sees how popular they are she’ll have to come round—right?

But then Gus Weaver comes back to town. Gus was her first love, the bad boy she used to climb out of windows to see. But he’d broken her heart when he left town suddenly, without so much as a goodbye. After that, she’d never seen him again.

Until now. As fate intervenes and they’re forced to work together on Lola’s project, sparks start to fly between them once again. But he’s led her astray before. Can Lola keep her mind on what she truly wants, when her heart—and the way it beats faster every time she looks into Gus’s blue eyes—is telling her something very different?

Kritters Thoughts:  Lola Alvarez is the baby of the family of three sisters and has always been treated like the baby of the family that can't be responsible for a thing when she really wants to contribute to the family vineyard and be in control of one thing or another.  While maybe a few of her ideas have flopped, she wishes she could be a contributing member of the family and the vineyard.  And Gus Weaver left this small town ten years ago and with it a bad reputation, can he return and repair the relationships that he left and hopefully find his new path in life.  

While reading this book, I realized that this trop in this book is one of the ones I love the most, reunited love that can grow and blossom quickly due to a past that is reconnected.  I love this because it allows for the story to move fast, but it doesn't feel like instalove because the reader knows that there is a past they are building on and it isn't this instant love and hop in bed situation!  

There was some physical lusting, but not too over the top and some great flirtation, but I loved that there was a large focus on Gus and Lola's careers as they were both trying to build that part of their lives while circling around each other!  

Being the oldest in my family, it was fun to read a book from the perspective of the baby in the family because it was so out of my experience.  I didn't know when I started this book that it was the third in a series, so I definitely want to go back and read book one and two and read more about this family.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 48 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.