The Kepner brothers had been dealt a bad hand at life. Misfortune, debt, and death had them fighting an endless uphill battle, but through it all they remained united—when everything seemed hopeless, at least they had each other.When Emalee Jennings blew into town for a summer stay, she was immediately drawn to the Kepner family and immersed herself in their lives, much to the dismay of the … of the youngest brother Cole.
Despite his efforts to keep his distance, Cole couldn’t wall out Emalee, as he’d done with the rest of the world. Her beauty, sass, and big dreams swiftly broke down his defenses, and amidst the long sweltering days and fields of wheat, they fell in love—both fully aware when the summer ended, they would part ways.
When Emalee unexpectedly returns years later, facing her own hand of misfortune, Cole is suddenly faced with a second chance as he rushes to her side, ready to help her battle what life has thrown at her.
Desperate for a safe place to land, Emalee wants nothing more than to fall into the arms of the love of her life, but it’s not as simple as it may seem. When she left town at the end of that fateful summer, she took with her a secret.
A secret that could not only cause Cole to close the door on her forever, but one that could tear apart the very thread of his existence—his family.
Torn between taking comfort in his arms or revealing her secret, Emalee soon learns that love is never simple.
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A second chance romance set in a small town.
The story is told in two parts the first meeting, young love mingled with loss.
The reunion is 10 years later and lots has changed but that attraction hasn’t gone anywhere.
I was a little underwhelmed with the ‘secret’ I expected it to be something bigger.
I enjoyed this book, it was a sweet easy read.
This small town, first love, second chance romance had me smiling, laughing, swooning, swearing and crying. Emalee had a vibrancy in her youth that drew the Kepner family into the sun when they were in a dark place, and then when she returned they wanted to be there for her in the same way. This was a warm and mostly gentle story, although it did reach all the emotions. I felt the end came up very suddenly and left a lot of unresolved questions but maybe that makes way for follow up stories with the secondary characters (she says hopefully)
4.5 stars
BN Toler has blown me away with this story of young love/first love. Cole and his brothers Bailor and Joe have some very heavy issues they are facing – the loss of their Kepner family farm and the loss of their mother. Soon to be 18 year old Emalee is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime, beginning her career in the music industry. Her mother decides to bring her family to her childhood home in Kansas before she leaves for stardom. It is here that Emalee finds her inspiration and oh so much more. The end of the summer marks the end of her childhood and the start of her life in the music industry. What she does not want to leave behind are the three Kepner brothers and the simple but beautiful life of Kansas. Fast forward ten years to the present and Emalee must return to Kansas for her mother again. With her return comes the flood of memories from that summer both good and bad. Now she is faced with the fact that she made some decisions that she regrets and left some of those who meant the most to her. How will she be able to leave all this again? I finished this story in the middle of the night, unable to put it down. When I woke in the morning, I had this ache in my chest because I would not be visiting the Kepners again until BN Toler writes more of these awesome brothers.
BN Toler has blown me away with this story of young love/first love. Cole and his brothers Bailor and Joe have some very heavy issues they are facing – the loss of their Kepner family farm and the loss of their mother. Soon to be 18 year old Emalee is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime, beginning her career in the music industry. Her mother decides to bring her family to her childhood home in Kansas before she leaves for stardom. It is here that Emalee finds her inspiration and oh so much more. The end of the summer marks the end of her childhood and the start of her life in the music industry. What she does not want to leave behind are the three Kepner brothers and the simple but beautiful life of Kansas. Fast forward ten years to the present and Emalee must return to Kansas for her mother again. With her return comes the flood of memories from that summer both good and bad. Now she is faced with the fact that she made some decisions that she regrets and left some of those who meant the most to her. How will she be able to leave all this again? I finished this story in the middle of the night, unable to put it down. When I woke in the morning, I had this ache in my chest because I would not be visiting the Kepners again until BN Toler writes more of these awesome brothers.
Wow!!!!! I devoured this amazing story about first love and second chances. Once I started it, I had a difficult time putting this amazing 5 star story down.
Cole and Emalee met one summer while she was staying in her grandmothers house. Grief stricken Cole needed her that summer. Circumstances torn them apart. Now 10 years later, she’s back in Cole’s hometown. It’s her time to lean on him. Secrets may tear them apart.
I really loved this amazing story. Beautifully written storyline that sucked me so deep and even made me shed a few tears of sorrow and happiness. The characters were perfectly developed to make me feel what they were feeling. Secondary characters complemented this already perfect story. The words latched themselves to heart, mind and soul. Be prepared for this highly entertaining and captivating story. A solid page turner. Bottomline is this is a must read.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story. I hope that Joe and Bailor get their story too.
“The end of Emalee and Cole. The end of an infamous summer love. The end of first love.”
Simple is a contemporary second-chance romance that is told in two parts: the past and present. The first three chapters are in present time, but then we are taken back ten years in the past to see how the main characters Cole and Emalee met. So in the first half of the story we see how these two met and developed a relationship. Cole is dealing with a lot and doesn’t have time or need for a girlfriend. He was very broody and did his best to push Emalee away. However, Emalee isn’t that easy to shake off and she sees something special in him. I absolutely loved Emalee’s personality, she was fun and very caring. She was really there for Cole when he needed her. I was glad that their split when the summer ended wasn’t over the top dramatic. It wasn’t the right time for them, it was sad but the right decision.
“It made me sad for a moment that I’d missed seeing her transition. She was like a book missing the middle of the story. I knew the gist of it, but I’d missed the magic in the pages that had brought her here.”
I was happy that the past time was told in one huge part. However, I thought the present time was too short. The story was a bit too fast-paced, and I thought the author rushed through some scenes. I wanted more time to bond with the characters and more time for Cole and Emalee to grow stronger as a couple. Especially the end was rushed and the absence of an epilogue left me unsatisfied. However, I am hoping that Cole’s brothers Joe and Bailor will get their own book and I will have the opportunity to see what Cole and Emalee are up to. Joe and Bailor were great side-characters and I am very intrigued by them, so fingers crossed they will get their own book. There were also a couple of very emotional scenes which had me shedding tears. Overall, Simple was a nice second-chance romance. It wasn’t my favorite by this author but I enjoyed it nonetheless.