Naomi Winters will be forty—soon-ish—and she’s only been with one man. One night. One time. Long ago. She believes everything happens for a reason, and the universe spoke about Nathan Ryder.Nathan Ryder isn’t the same man who hightailed his bike out of Green Valley eighteen years ago. As a rule breaker, women are one area he acts a fool. Case in point…the local librarian. He can’t get a read on … a read on her, but she’s one risk he’s willing to take. Again.
What do an eccentric librarian and a sexy silver biker have in common? More than you think.
The due date on their love might not be expired after all.
‘Love in Due Time’ is a full-length, contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Green Valley Library series.
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Naomi is approaching 40 but she still has no one special in her life, a partner to share the road or help her write their story. She is holding on to the hope that the mysterious young man from her youth would still return so they can start their story over again. Nathan has returned to Green Valley to start over again but at what cost. There are those in this town who wish to dictate his life and decisions but he answers to no one but his family. They are his priority. He had one love in his life but that was 18 years ago and one hasty decision has taken that possible future from him. When Nathan meets Naomi, the quirky librarian in Green Valley, things in their lives and future begin to fall into place but is it all for good or all for naught? A unique and delightful story of second chances.
I loved everything about this book including the fun cover. The characters were so easy to connect with. The sassy witchy librarian and the stubborn alpha single dad make the most unlikely but incredible pair. The story flowed perfectly and I enjoyed how there was just the right amount of humor. This is romcom at its finest. This is one book I could read over and over again. It should be on everyone’s TBR.
This book trope was all over the place and I mean that in the best way possible. Older H and h -check. Second chance romance- check. H is a hot biker – check. h is the quirky, sweet local librarian – check. This book is a sweet love story between two very different people, the story of a second chance at love. The writing was on point and the chemistry between these two was undeniable. I loved the evolution of Naomi and Nathan’s romance! A true five star read that will warm the heart and become a fast favorite.
I have enjoyed the few of Dunbar’s books I read in the past. She definitely found her niche in the trope department with her salt and pepper men and women who swoon over them.
I dove into this one with a quickness. I have excited to read the books in Reid’s worlds for a while. When I saw Dunbar was writing in it, I knew I had to get my hands on it.
I know my rating might be a little discerning, but don’t let that detour you from reading. Not every book is for every person. This one is good. I just had a tough time with it.
I did enjoy certain parts of the book that made it more intriguing. There was some good action to keep me on my toes. The biker element usually isn’t my thing, but for this story, it worked. It added the uniqueness with the contrast in the characters.
Overall, this book is good. However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I just wasn’t feeling them separately or their chemistry. Maybe it’s just me. Because I struggled with connecting with them, the book moved slow for me.
Love in Due Time – L B Dunbar
Love in Due Time was Brilliant!
Everything I’ve come to expect from L B Dunbar bad so much more.
This beautifully written story of unrequited love, leading to a second chance at love had all the hallmarks of L B Dunbars trademark over 40’s stories but delivered so much more.
Touching, sweet and terrifying a couple of times, I thought my heart was going to break but each time, L B Dunbar delivered exactly what was needed in the story to bring the characters full circle and back to their HEA.
Fabulous characters in Naomi, the quirky and somewhat awkward librarian and her knight in shining armour, Nathan, but also the supporting characters, Dahlia, Clementine and some of the less stellar ones who, although awful, were totally necessary to the story.
L B Dunbar just goes from strength to strength with her writing and I’m very pleased I had the opportunity to read and review this latest work from her. A definite one-click.
Let me start by saying LB Dunbar has outdone herself, I’ve NEVER read a contemporary romance like this before. It’s mature, understated, resigned love or lack thereof. second chance comes driving on a motorcycle and parks straight into my soul & that of Naomi
I loved, loved, loved this unusual story. I say unusual because the character sketch was novel. A free spirit, whose religion is Nature & Universe is waiting for 18 years for a bad boy who locked her heart and took away the only key!! She doesn’t love anybody after and nobody loves her. Her persona becomes an object of ridicule and humiliation. Her misunderstood ways brick batted and sabotaged.
“Broom, broom, broom, look who’s under the moon?
Itchy Bitchy Gotcha, Witchy”
Naomi Winters is not your typical heroine, she’s a WICCAN and has shrouded her soul and body in layers of clothes and dust. Inside she’s waiting for a phone call, for a closure maybe. I felt as if her heart was still lying in the motel when she was 21, eyes on the road where Nathan Ryder left her.
The Tail Of The Dragon between The biker bar – The Fugitive and Cedar Gap, an armpit of Green Valley, Tennessee.
“The road holds ghosts for me, and I don’t take traveling down it lightly. In fact, I love the thrill of racing down it, as if I can outrun my demons which lived and died on this road. The memories haunt me each time I hit a certain curl and I hold my breath.”
This Dragon has devoured lives, futures & hopes. One of them is Nathan, the other Jebediah, third their love story…all lay massacred in this treacherous, twisty, winding The Tail Of The Dragon.
Dunbar has sprinkled all kinds of love in this heart touching story of devastating love frozen still.
“Coming home to Green Valley, I knew I’d have to face my sins, my fear of retribution, and this godforsaken road.”
Humour is abundant but poignant, that’s very unusual combination.
Racetrack humour
Vagina humour
Library humour
Old man humour
Sex humor
When passion ignites, hearts begins to thaw, smiles begin to form, hope begins to come to life, emotions dust away the cobwebs re-entering the heart,hands itch to touch each other, lips tremble to taste.
“I’m all tangled up inside over you. I’m … I’m stuck on you,”
“Witch or not, Naomi Winters, you’ve put a spell on me, and I don’t want it broken.
I’m stuck, and I don’t wanna be unstuck”
It’s a very nuanced story and you can actually feel every thread of sentiment that plays a soulful music.
I was always a fan of LB’s mature romances but this book made me cry. Her heroines are at the trickiest years of age, not young enough to go find love again, bogged down with self depreciating moralities, and not old enough to retire their wants and needs. LB brilliantly portrays mid life crisis as a theme song
“Like the season, I’m in the autumn of my life, desperate for a change, but not knowing what such a change should be.”
There was a scene where Nathan calls her after he just leaves her house, right from the driveway and I had a giant lump in my throat reading it. My ears are misty right now, as I’m writing the review…
It’s beauty lies in the uniqueness of the plot, narration is at a steady and controlled pace.
It’s a small town romance with Slow burning heat of dormant desires awakening to life.
Grab it with both hands and don’t let go, literally and figuratively…
5 stars for Kiss and Catastrophe
I loved revisiting Penny Reid’s Green Valley. The fact that L.B. is writing a story in this world is fantastic! Naomi Winters is a librarian. She is the quiet type. She loves books, children, and nature. Naomi is rumored to be a witch and is treated by some in Green Valley with scorn. She’s actually a gentle soul who practices Wicca. Her one night with Nathan Ryder is burned into her memory forever. Nathan returns to Green Valley as a different man than he left 18 years ago. He has a family to care for and he works construction. Once again, Nathan is bewitched by the quirky Naomi and pursues her until she agrees to 3 dates. I absolutely love how Nathan, a gruff biker, is so sweet and protective of Naomi. She begins to gain hope that she has found the love that she deserves. As their attraction grows, will Nathan’s dark secret ruin everything between them?
Love in Due Time is the best of Reid’s “Green Valley vibe” combined with Dunbar’s “over 40 romance!” Nathan is another sexy, silver fox you will want to read! 4 stars!
Readers—->”A motorcycle riding, single dad, silver fox and an odd, uptight, childless, small-town librarian that’s never had a relationship…you can’t possibly fit these two together as a couple and make it work.”
L.B. Dunbar—->”Hold my beer”
“I’m stuck on you”
I really enjoyed Love in Due Time. It’s the first book of the Green Valley Library series and features Nathan Ryder, who is back in town with his two daughters after being gone for 18 years and Naomi Winters, the town librarian who many believe to be a witch. They met 18 years before (and never expected to see each other again) and when they meet again, they find much of that chemistry is still there. I love that these characters are older. It’s always refreshing to see characters that already have an established life adjust to fit someone else in that life. It shows a much different perspective and I enjoy that. This is a slow burn–these two had a lot to get through in order to even consider being together.
“Please, Universe, let me keep him.”
Both characters had more to them than meets the eye and I liked that. Naomi is a Wiccan and I feel like the author did a great job with her research–I learned a lot and it was really fascinating to me. This book was filled with sweet and funny moments but there was also some angst and some sad moments. Most importantly, it was filled with hope. Add to that, a bit of suspense and I didn’t want to put it down. I also need to mention the chapter headings–SO DANG CUTE. And that epilogue was just perfection–it had me in tears. I look forward to more in this series!
This is the 1st book in a new series from this talented author, and in my opinion, she has certainly outdone herself once again! Naomi and Nathan had one night when he left town without a word, and left her heartbroken. Now 18 years later Nathan is back, and determined to convince Naomi to give them a 2nd chance. This is a beautifully written story which is sweet, humorous, witty, and a sexy read. I was captivated throughout this addictive page turner, and I cannot wait to read more in this amazing series!
Don’t ask me why I love books were the heroine is a librarian and the hero is an alpha male, lol
This story was an awesome read for me. Naomi was hilarious at times, and she was all about practicing self-love, and finding her inner goddess. But she didn’t think it was a good idea to try to discover it with Nathan Ryder. A man she met eighteen years ago and then just never called her again. And on that same night tragedy struck and now she believes that being with Nathan will cause the universe to be out of whack…
Nathan can’t believe that this Naomi is the same care-free, confident adventurous women he met eighteen years ago. But he is determind to help her find herself again. But both of them still have secrets they keeping from each other. Especially what happened eighteen years ago
I liked that Nathan was very protective of Naomi after they reconnected. This romance was on the more mature side, both characters were in their forties and they took their time getting to know each other again. Definitely a good afternoon read.
Naomi and Nathan knew each other intimately for one night only, years ago. Naomi hasn’t forgotten him and still thinks about him and when she sees him at the grocery store, she’s shocked. She’s not the girl from a long time ago, she’s grown into a woman that people don’t understand and don’t want to.
When Nathan shows up at the library to ask about a book for his daughter he starts talking to Naomi. He wants to get to know her and see where it goes. Will they have a chance to rekindle what they had for that one night or will secrets tear them apart?
I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next between Nathan and Naomi, Nathan and the m.c., and how the town was going to react as they were trying to find out if they could be a couple or not.
This story made me broaden my horizon in the romance genre. Naomi Winters is a town librarian is a small town. She has been through so much in her life with her family and long lost love. She’s been discriminated against and misunderstood by most of the people in town because of of her beliefs. Her eccentric clothes, her timid demeanor and shyness has but a dent in her self esteem. The one thing she does remember is the night she had hot, out-of-this-world sex with Nathan Ryder so many years ago. Nathan is back in town and he has his eyes set on Naomi. Nathan and Naomi still have a powerful emotional connection. They will need to figure out how to get past their families (drama), narrow minded town folks and a motorcycle gang. I enjoyed reading the story and the many plot twists. I would recommend this amazing read to everyone!
Sweet and dark, funny and hot
Book 1 in the Green Valley Library series, part of the Penny Reid book universe, Green Valley world, this takes place after Dr Strange Beard. I’ve been a fan of this author for a while now, so I was excited to hear she was going to be a part of the initial pennyverse releases. The language here reminded me of Beauty and the Mustache, as there’s a kind of poetry in the way it’s written, and poetry has a part in the story. Though the story works well as a standalone, with the Iron Wraiths playing a role, and Beverly getting several mentions, having read the books set in Green Valley, particularly Beauty and the Mustache (where we meet Beverly), and Dr Strange Beard (which sets up the current state of the Iron Wraiths) helps fill in the background. Jackson James and Cletus both make an appearance or two, and Jenn’s mother gets a couple of mentions as well.
A second chances story, for people familiar with the Winston Brothers, Naomi is Scotia Simmon’s younger sister, but don’t worry—she’s nothing like Scotia. I love the family feel of the library, and how Bethany has such a fond place in the memories of the staff there, especially for Naomi, who saw Bethany as a friend and mentor. Nathan is touching and sweet as he tries to make up for the past (I loved his poetry and the imagery of the lightning bugs), and the chemistry between them is as hot as it ever was.
As sweet and funny as a lot of this story is, there are some dark threads running through it. Both Naomi and Nathan are haunted by guilt, and Naomi in particular is consumed with fear that bad things will happen if she moves outside of her lonely existence. There is also the way Naomi was treated in the past by her parents, and the way she is treated in the present by some just because she is Wiccan, and different. The Iron Wraiths are a looming threat as we wonder just how far they’ll go in order to pull Nathan back in. Though the author does a great job making the threat clear even without the background of the earlier books, if you do know the history, the occasional mentions of Darryl and Razor bring to mind the kind of chilling things the club has done in the past, even if Darryl and Razor themselves are no longer an immediate threat.
There are plenty of secondary characters around to add to the story, from Naomi and Nathan’s coworkers to their families to the Iron Wraiths, such as Catfish and Dirty Dave. As to the story, I had my suspicions about what some of the plot twists were going to be, as I believe the author intended—waiting for those twists to happen and wondering if you actually DO have it right adds to the suspense and keeps the pages turning. I did have a little trouble with Naomi, not because she’s a Wiccan (I’ve done a little research on it over the years, and there are elements I find appealing), but because she’s just too accepting and fatalistic, and I really wanted to yell at her to grab onto Nathan with both hands and never let go. So, yeah, the author did a great job of getting me invested in the storyline, lol.
A lovely second chances story that balances sweet and dark, funny and hot. 4.5 stars
B2B Kelly
3.5 Stars
L.B. Dunbar is the queen of silver fox romance trope and she delivers an intriguing story with twist every single time. Love In Due Time had all her signature moves. A slow burn, second chance starcrossed lovers romance which will tug at your heart. A passionate and intense story with reckless maturity and message about self belief.
Having said that, this is not my favorite L.B.Dunbar book. This book had promising outlines. Naomi is the quiet, eccentric by social norms and devoted librarian at Green Valley Public Library. Her Wiccan background and practices made me really curious and captivated. But it also made people be suspicious about her, make fun of her and sometimes taunt her. Enter Nathan. Ex Iron Wraith prospect and now a construction worker with two daughters. He is back in town after decade and they have unresolved issues. A night years back when they were intimate for the first and last time. A night that changed both their lives. But they did not forget that moment. With threats from dangerous motorcycle club and vengeful people hanging over their head, can they have a new beginning?
I loved Nathan. A respondible father but also a rugged, rough and bossy alpha with the right kind of addictive danger. I liked all his moves. The way he trusted and helped Naomi. His tortured soul harbouring goodness and kindness. Everything. But I did not feel the connection between them like I expected. It was there. Like flickering of light. The foreplays and make out sessions were nuclear hot sexiness. The temperature did rise a lot. But I missed depth of their connection. Like something was not there. May be because of Naomi’s overt shyness and anxiety. I understand she has a very judgemental family and traumatic early life that changed her carefree and rebellious ways. I really empathize with her heart’s struggles and respect her. I really cannot pin point but it did not touch my heart as I expected from L.B.Dunbar book. The MC Club and their chaos created some interesting twists and turns. I am glad they found their HEA.
Love in Due Time by L.B.Dunbar was a sweet and sexy love story spreading accross time and space. It will make you believe in mysterious ways of Universe and healing power of nature.
Received ARC for Honest review
L.B. Dunbar has out done herself and blended her signature sexy, silver-fox alpha with an MC twist and given the readers a superb story. Love in Due Time is a beautiful addition to the Green Valley world. A heartfelt second-chance romance with its own special spin which I found refreshing and interesting.
As an avid reader, I find it is easy for stories in the same genres to start to blend together and become predictable and almost mundane. Not so for Love in Due Time, which has a mix of several genres, some emotional turmoil, relatable life issues, and romance. The characters aren’t billionaires; they are everyday people going through the motions of life and luckily falling in, or perhaps getting stuck on, love. This relationship isn’t rushed; it is nourished by two adults living in an adult world with adult responsibilities. This one fact alone is what endeared it to me the most; the reason it resonated with me. The wait is so worth the time these characters took to grow and learn about each other. Love and steamy times still do happen to those that are over 40.
Naomi and Nathan are perhaps an unlikely pairing, but they say opposites attract, and they fit perfectly together. Honestly, Naomi is the kind of woman that wouldn’t attract all the men, but her kind sweetness and not-so-traditional lifestyle mixed with her somewhat figure-hiding fashion choices, made her a unique and interesting heroine. Nathan and Naomi are both plagued with their own inner guilt about past events; past events that connect them on a whole other level. Together they learn how to forgive, release their guilt, and live the life they deserve.
This story encompassed many thoughts and ideas to bring out the emotions of the reader. Each reader will experience their own reflection on life in their own way. It gives the reader an inside look at a religion they may not know much about, opening their mind to embrace the unknown. It will appeal to lovers of many different genres, including MC, over 40 romance, silver-fox stories, and most of all the second-chance romance. L.B. even touches on some issues plaguing today’s society such as bullying and technology overtaking the world we live in. Her concepts and ideas for this story melded with the journey Naomi and Nathan had to take to get to where they are today. Living in the past wondering about what-ifs cannot be done, for if we hadn’t taken the path we did, nothing would be as it is today. That is an awesome lesson to consider.
I’ve only recently come to know the fictional world of Green Valley but I have been a lover of L.B. Dunbar for quite some time. This melding of two worlds for me was an awesome experience and I am so happy to have been introduced to both. I would not hesitate to recommend either of these to readers. This story will definitely stick with me for a long time to come.
Imagine having a romantic encounter in your youth that still haunted you as you are approaching forty. For Naomi Winters – one night with a man that still haunts her dreams was all it took to make her swear off any other man. That one moment is seared in her brain…….the good, the bad, and the confusion that clouds her thoughts today. Naomi believes everything happens for a reason, and maybe being with a man again just isn’t in the cards.
Nathan Ryder finds himself settling into Green Valley once again, after a hiatus that kept him away for years. Now that Nathan is determined to be the role model that his girls can look up to, Green Valley is once again the place he calls home. Women aren’t exactly Nathan’s strong suit, as is evident by the strange way Nathan finds himself drawn to Naomi Winters.
The quirky librarian is a part of Nathan’s past that he hasn’t forgotten. That night that Nathan shared with Naomi so long ago is seared into his brain. Determined to be the father that his girls need, Nathan finds his life crashing into Naomi’s even if it wasn’t planned. Time has passed but the feelings that Nathan still possesses for the girl with the uncontrollable curls has not faltered. With secrets swirling around Naomi and Nathan, only time and a little bit of witchery will tell if they will find a way back into each other’s arms in the end.
Love in Due Time is the FIRST book in the Green Valley Library series. While the characters are centered around the Penny Reid universe – you do NOT need to read books from Reid to enjoy Love in Due Time. Naomi is not your ‘typical’ heroine. She is a bit eccentric and hasn’t had a relationship with a man during her adulthood. With the study of the Wiccan lifestyle as her guide, Naomi is definitely a unique and quirky character.
Nathan was once a prospect for the Iron Wraiths, a local biker gang in Green Valley. A series of events led Nathan to flee his hometown for many years. Now the father of two has returned with a bit more wisdom and grey hair to boot. Crossing paths with Naomi has brought back so many memories that Nathan hasn’t quite dealt with over the years. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, Nathan is determined to capture the romance that was once shared with Naomi.
These two characters were EVERYTHING!!! I loved that the two were more mature, and had already gone through major life experiences. The fact that Naomi shared her life in the library was icing on the cake. Love in Due Time is the PERFECT example of what experiencing characters in another author’s world should be. The connection to the Winston world was absolutely amazing!! Bethany, Cletus, and the Iron Wraiths all play a part in this captivating romance set in the Pennyverse!! I simply couldn’t get enough!
I loved everything about this book. The library…yes I need to go spend time in my local library now because suddenly I’m missing “the stacks”…and get your minds out of the gutter…only because of the books. This book may be just a little out of LB Dunbar’s wheelhouse…I mean an MC story (kinda)?. But all the rest is very LB Dunbar. Here we have older than your average 20 year olds, finding their second chance but surrounded by guilt, shrouded in mystery and even some bullying issues get confronted. You find the perfect storm between sweet (I mean…she could almost say she is a virgin right?) and saucy, I mean Nathan, leather jacket, motorcycle? You have guilt, angst, redemption, karma, everything happens for a reason. This story has it all…and then…it has books lol…for me, it had everything I needed to read including some “extra” about beliefs and religion that I totally enjoyed.
**Please note, I was given an ARC for each of these books for an honest review of them. These reviews are my own thoughts and feelings and I have had no financial compensation to provide these reviews to you**
Okay, so as a reminder all the Smarty Pants books are set in the Pennyverse, as created by Penny Reid. This means that you will see some of her characters make special appearances in the books that Smarty Pants publishes.
Not gonna lie, I had trouble getting into this one (which is rare). I’m writing this a few days after I’ve read it and I’m still unable to put my finger on what exactly I had trouble with. It was well written, as LB Dunbar’s books are, so it’s not that. But please don’t let my troubles take you away from this book! Now, let’s get to some nitty gritty!
We have Naomi, a late 30’s librarian who comes from an uber conservative Christian family that now practices Wiccan. This of course gets her labeled a “witch” in the Green Valley community and leads to her having some issues with others who don’t agree with her beliefs.
Then we have Nathan. And early 40’s single dad, who once upon a time was a recruit for the Iron Wraiths. But an accident happens and he leave Green Valley. Once he’s back, Catfish attempts to get him to “patch in”. But all Nathan wants is to date Naomi, be a dad and ride his bike. Admissions come to light about an incident in their conjoined past and this causes some very hurt feelings. A kidnapping, a shooting and some love later and all becomes right in the world for Nathan and Naomi.
At its core, it’s a good book. There are some minor triggers for alcohol abuse and mental abuse, so if this concerns you, maybe skip this book. About the only known thing I can say that really bothered me was how Dahlia was portrayed to sound like a California Valley girl who might be a nitwit. Her entire speech pattern is super annoying. But thankfully isn’t a large part of the book, so it can be handled.
I did enjoy this story, though it took me a while to get into it, I think it was Naomi who I had a tough time connecting with, but over all the story was good. You will definitely fall in love with Nathan, he’s really a hot silver fox! If you love LB’s books you will enjoy this one too!! Make sure you grab it asap!
I cannot tell you how much I love L.B. Dunbar’s stories! And this story, set in Penny Reid’s fictional world of Green Valley is just another jewel in the crown of Ms. Dunbar’s successes!
Love in Due Time is the story of Naomi and Nathan. An amazing evening 18 years ago and then nothing…until a chance reunion at a Piggly Wiggly and being “stuck” together.
How can I describe Ms. Dunbar’s story…it’s like a comfortable blanket and a warm cup of tea…yet it has sizzle and heat to keep you turning the pages! I floved diving into this story and didn’t want it to end!
Naomi is such an interesting and charismatic character. You can tell Ms. Dunbar put a lot of research into making her perfect. And Naomi was! Even with her being a more “seasoned” character (as Nathan called himself), Naomi had an innocence and otherworldliness that made her all the more appealing to me.
Nathan, you sexy silver fox!! He is a perfect blend of alpha and swoon! He embraces and doesn’t judge Naomi’s beliefs and that just makes him yummier!
The surprises and the epic destiny of these two was brilliant and sad at the same time. You are gonna fall in love hard with this story!