It has me absolutely DESPERATE for future books based in Havenbrook. It's deliciously steamy and so well done. I could list a million more, but you need to just read this book.

I loved every page, every word, every moment. I loved the journey of personal growth they both take in coming to terms with the hidden resentments they harbor from their childhood. I loved the character development, the way these characters reveal themselves, everything that makes them who they are and should theoretically not allow them to fit yet also makes them compliment each other perfectly. I loved their history, both individually and all the ways their paths have crossed over the years. The characters and their dynamic, the dialogue, the sibling rivalry, the small town gossip, the betrayal and heartache, the former beauty queen turned ice queen who's never let anyone see the real her until the construction worker she used to babysit helps tear down her walls. I could list everything about this book that I loved but we'd be here all week. All of that stuff that's so really not my thing just became my thing and I HONEST TO GOD NEVER WANTED THIS BOOK TO END. I loved it BEYOND WORDS for all of those reasons because it all melds together into the most AMAZING story I never saw coming. SO WHY DID I LOVE THIS BOOK SO FREAKING MUCH?! All of that.

I shouldn't have fallen head over heals for a book like this because I'm a New Yorker who often finds the southern drawl a bit grating. I shouldn't have found this book completely unputdownable because home renovations and HGTV-esque storylines are not my thing. I shouldn't have been completely captivated by the storyline because I don't typically enjoy age gap romances where the female is older than her male counterpart. I shouldn't have loved it because I don't typically prefer third person narrative. I shouldn't have enjoyed this book as much as I did.

But that's how I felt while reading it: like I could see it playing out in front of me, every character and every emotion so vivid and vibrant and alive. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!īrighton Walsh's Hometown Troublemaker reads like the best romantic movie you've never seen, except a movie adaptation would probably ruin the absolute perfection of the novel itself.

After the kiss by lauren layne