“”Hope Springs on Main Street” is a warm, tender story overflowing with emotion. With strong, memorable characters and a delightful small town, this book will surely work its way into your heart. Olivia Miles weaves a beautiful story of healing and second chances.”–RaeAnne Thayne, “New York Times “bestselling author Sometimes love is where you least expect it . . . What do you do when your … when your cheating husband proposes to the “other woman”? For Jane Madison, it means you keep calm, carry on, and sneak candy bars and wine for dinner. Jane’s grateful for her adorable little girl, yet she yearns for the love that was missing from her marriage. Only one man ever really “got” Jane-and she’s stunned when he returns to Briar Creek. But a single mom can’t date her ex’s best friend . . . can she?
Jane’s still kind, beautiful-and far too good for the buddy Henry Birch tried to stop her from marrying years ago. Laying eyes on her now is like a much-needed ray of sunshine. Back in town to sell his family’s old house, Henry wants to close a bad chapter in his life and move on. But time with Jane and her sweet daughter has him flirting with the idea of happily ever after-if he can convince her to take a second chance on love . . .
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This is a nice book to curl up with on an overcast Sunday afternoon because it will certainly chase away the gloom and leave you with a smile on your face.
Jane’s life was in shambles. She’d had a rough time of it in the last year. To start, she’d gotten divorced from her cheating ex. While he’d moved on with his mistress, Jane was struggling not to live in PJs whenever at home with her 5-year-old daughter. Her one joy was instructing her dance classes, but registration was down which meant her very small income was down. Even with her own problems, she’s trying to maintain a happy face over the holidays and while helping one of her sisters plan her wedding. Her father also died this year, so there’s some emotional turmoil for the whole family.
Henry didn’t understand close families but he was back in this small town, which was the site of every emotional black point in his life, to help his twin sister who was in poor health. He was also there to fix up the house he grew up in and sell it. He’s just trying not to sink into the black hole that was this gossiping, nosy small town. They never managed to help him or his sister growing up with their irrational, drunk mother. He didn’t want them in his business now and hates that he has to be back here. The one bright point to this visit is getting to see Jane, his teenage crush.
Regardless of Henry’s black feelings for this small town, I loved the town. I also loved that he ended up writing a travel article about the town which enabled him to see it with more objective eyes, too.
There was a lot of emotional upheaval in this book. My heart hurt for what Jane was going through with her jerk of an ex…I hated how much he continued to hurt her. But my heart also broke for Henry and Ivy and the things they went through growing up. Those reminiscent scenes were so painful and Henry’s very real physical reaction to thinking of them, even after so many years, showed just how truly awful they were.
I love this little town of Briar Creek. I’d move there in a heartbeat if I could and the thought of even visiting throughout the holidays sounds like heaven.
Overall, this is a sweet, heartwarming, feel good story, recommended to lovers of contemporary romance, Chick-lit, and Women’s fiction.
Jane Madison never expected to find herself starting over in life at her age, but when her husband divorces her and leaves her for another woman, she has no other choice. She is left to pick up the pieces of her life and try to provide some semblance of a normal life for her young daughter, which proves to be a lot harder than she expected. Especially when she finds out her husband is planning to marry and have a child with the woman he cast her aside for. She submerses herself into her work, and helping her sister plan her wedding in hope of easing the pain of her loss, but the longing to find that kind of love again with someone, just won’t go away. She knows she deserves to be happy, and wants to find love again, but isn’t really ready to put her heart at risk again. That is until she finds out that Henry Birch has returned to town…
Henry Birch has returned home to take care of his mother’s personal affairs after she passes, and close a chapter on his life that he’s more than ready to forget. His past in this little town still haunts him, with the exception of his memories of his best friends girl Jane. He is pleasantly surprised to discover that Jane is single again, and in search of a happily ever after for her and her daughter. He has never gotten over his friends wife or her decision to marry someone so totally wrong for her. But now that she is single, he is beginning to think that making this trip could be the best thing that has ever happened to him…
This was my first visit to the Briar Creek series, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it, so much so, I’m planning a return visit very soon. I loved reading Henry and Jane’s story, it felt very real, honest and easy to identify with. I love reading small town romances and this one definitely hit the mark, it warmed my heart and left me smiling! Definitely small town romance at it’s best!!