Hailey Lambert came home for the holidays to help her father. Instead, eight years later, she is forced to face all that was left unspoken between her and high school crush, Nate. After eight years, Hailey is back in Caseville Michigan. Just months after her mother’s death, her siblings want to put their father in a nursing home and rent out the family farm. If that wasn’t enough, the prospective … prospective tenant is Nate, the high school crush she left behind the day after they acted on their mutual attraction. After high school, Nate Jenkins planned to leave small town behind, but life dealt him a different hand of cards to play. He’s now back in Caseville, raising his daughter, and running his family’s diner. His daughter’s speech disorder has been improved by therapeutic horse riding and if he can lease the old Lambert farm, he can get her a horse of her own. The only standing in the way is Hailey, the same woman who left him eight years ago without even saying goodbye. Can they get over all that’s unspoken between them?
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This was my first book by Phillips and I really enjoyed it. I felt a connection to it since the small town in this story in near where I live. I also feel like it made my connections to the characters stronger because I could relate to them. I would say this is a quick sweet small town romance and second chance love story.
Like so many young couples in high school with young love they take it and run but seeing things in a different way. Hailey wanted out of the small town life she lived. Nate just went with the flow knowing they would be together no matter what. One hot night of passion that last a life time doesn’t hold her back. She leaves town with no good bye, yes she loves him but he will not hold her back. Nate is devastated. Love is lost, ties are broken and their lives go in different directions. Nate left town to but with the hand he was dealt he wasn’t long before he came home. With Hailey back in town for family reasons they now come face to face. Will old love be enough to keep her in town this time or will she take off running again.
There is something about second chance love that gets me right in the heart. I think most of us all wish at some point in our lives for that second chance to come our way. It seem faith knows what is best as we move on to our new life, new love, everything seems to turn out pretty good. But for the ones that get that second chance it is a powerful story that pulls us in giving us a smile and a feeling of peace. With Hailey coming home and see Nate again it makes her rethink her choices. With the pitfalls that have come her way it makes her take a look at the way things were and how they now are. What if she didn’t run how would their live have been today.
A lot of thought went into the making of this story looking at things from all angles. It is beautifully written pulling the reader in. I had no trouble feeling the turmoil of each character, the pain and sorrow along with the what ifs. I love the role revisal with Nate being the single parent trying to do what is best for his daughter and Hailey being the driven one with a career. It is a very touching story of a father and daughter as well as old loves finding what the true meaning of love and family is all about. It is a story that reaches right in to your heart giving you sorrow, smiles and a feeling of peace as the story unfolds bring so much love and passion with it you feel it to your bones. I really enjoyed the twists and turns as things came to light. The author kept me hooked from start to finish with a delightful story that is a page turner.
As soon as I started reading this book it reminded me of growing up in the South…which is funny since it is not based in the South at all. But it has that down home feel.
Hailey and Nate knew each other in high school. They both liked each other but were afraid to act on it until the end right before Hailey was ready to go off to college. Not all off to college at a FULL RiDE at NY University. One night with Nate at the start of the summer would she spend the summer with him before she goes off to College???
Years pass and we meet up with Hailey when she back home for the holidays and to talk about her Dad who her siblings want to put into a home. We also get to visit with Nate and his daughter Lori, Nate’s sister Anne lives with them as well.
I love this story. Coming home and fighting back not just these folks but also Hailey and her family as well. This story really touched home.