Voted Most Likely to Succeed, Melanie Bartlett ended up anything but. The down-on-her-luck single mom wants a complete do-over—is that too much to ask? With her family long gone from River Bend, strong, independent Mel is as surprised as anyone to end up in the quaint small town she once called home. But with her friends, Jo and Zoe, by her side, and a comfortable room at Miss Gina’s quirky … bed-and-breakfast, she just might have turned the corner on a new life.
Wyatt Gibson never liked the big city. River Bend suits the ruggedly handsome builder just fine. Wyatt knows he’s home, even if that means being charmed by the appearance of Melanie and her spunky, adorable daughter. Is Wyatt’s calm devotion—even amid a coming storm—enough to convince Mel she may have found a home to call her own, a family that never leaves, and a true love to last a lifetime?
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Growing up in a small town, I can understand the feeling that you receive when you go ‘home.’ I found myself nodding along while reading in agreement to the small town drama and the pressure of the dreaded class reunion. The small town community was portrayed well in this book and the suspenseful twist was a pleasant addition to the behind-the-scenes lovestory. Once I began reading this book, I didn’t want to put it down. Enjoyable weekend read!
Don’t ask me why, but I had read books 2 and 3 years ago and realized I still needed to read book one. I really enjoyed this and it brought back everything I read from the other two books. I just loved the small town setting and all the side characters. This is one that also has one of my favorite tropes, a single parent trope. Despite Melanie’s rough start, she’s a great mom. Her kid was great and really did add more to the story when it came to her and Wyatt. How do you not fall for a guy that is a better dad than the child’s actual father? I also enjoyed Wyatt’s pursuit of Melanie. And the best part was the conflict in the story. It added an exciting element and brought all these characters together. I enjoyed this so much I think I will download the audibles of the book 2 and 3 for a quick re-read/listen.
I was looking through my library of audiobooks for something to read as I was out of cell range so couldn’t download something new. I decided to listen to this. I completely forgot how much I enjoyed it when it first came out. Small town with good people, friendships that are forever, an adorable little girl and a dog. What else does one need? These wonderful women are sisters in the best way. The heart. No matter how far apart they are physically they always have each other’s backs. Some drama, a jerk of an ex’ish lawyer completely on the wrong side of the law and some smart steong women representing law enforcement. So glad I listened again. Now I’m going to go get the next in the series!!
I liked the storyline, the main characters, and the close-knit community feel of this book. Melanie’s daughter Hope was delightful, her ex was someone that you loved to hate, and the chemistry between Wyatt and Melanie was both sweet and sizzling. There was enough suspense to keep me turning the pages late into the night, and an ending that left me with all the warm fuzzies that I like in my romance reads. I look forward to reading the next books in the series.
I thought that Wyatt was a great character and I definitely pulled for him. There were some twists and turns that completely took me by surprise. However, there were some things that were predictable. However, Miss Gina was one of the best side characters I’ve read in so long. She had so much spunk and humor. I have loved Bybee for a while now and this is just one more series she hits out of the park.
Interesting family dynamics. Characters work hard to deal with issues that come up and strive to make their lives better,