Silver Medal Winner at the 2020 International Readers Favorite Awards Bead shop owner Amelia Frothingham has been keeping a secret from everyone she knows.She pretends to be the ultimate care-free bohemian chick, but the truth is, she’s the world’s biggest control freak. Much to the delight of her Southern family, Amelia’s life appears to be smooth sailing. That is, until bad … smooth sailing. That is, until bad boy rockstar Huck Wiley mysteriously blows into town like a spring tornado.
Like every other woman under eighty with a pulse, Amelia’s intrigued. So when Huck starts showing up in her shop with flirtation in mind, she finds herself getting sucked into the rock god vortex. But her previous attempts at long-distance love have always ended on a sour note, so Amelia has vowed never to repeat the experience.
What Amelia doesn’t know is that Huck has a secret of his own, and he has no intention of returning to Los Angeles before he’s good and ready.
Will Huck stay in town, scattering the beads Amelia has finally gotten sorted? Or will he head back to his glamorous life and take her last chance at spontaneity and love along with him?
Find out in this deliciously funny romcom about love and life in Creek Water, Missouri!more
This was the first book I’ve read by this author. And this is also the 3rd book in a series but each story is a standalone. I didn’t have any problems following the story.
I absolutely devoured this book. I couldn’t put it down. And when I did have to, I was thinking about the story.
A normal gal who has her quirks…..
A Rockstar Single Dad…..
It’s one of the best stories I’ve read this year. I loved this very thing about it. The characters are wonderful..well thought out…seeing their progress through the chapters was my favorite part. I was cheering for Amelia the entire time. And watching Huck and her fall in love was so heartwarming. Throw in a cute little gal who is like their glue and you get a clean wholesome story. I enjoyed this book so so much!
Highly recommended.
*Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are those of my own.*
Amelia has anxiety attacks that prevent her from leaving her hometown and having a lasting relationship. Her favorite singer, Hunk Wiley, arrives in town with his daughter, Amanda, who also suffers from anxiety. The relationship has its ups and down, but their bonds grow over time, and they help each other overcome their pasts and problems. The author knows how to tap into emotions and share them with the reader.
Set in Sweetwater Missouri (as are other books)
She was almost childnapped as a kid. He was adopted by a horrible mom. She’s got anxiety; he’s got a history to unwind and make peace with.
Some of the turns of phrase are to die for funny. I’m not from anywhere near Missouri small town, so I don’t know if they’re normal. Some of the incidents are laughable. Some of the story is sweet and precious.
This is a clean story, but very romantic, too. Just a little hoaky and sometimes slow.
Good, easy-to-read story. The characters were very likable, with both fun and serious threads that made them seem more real. Enjoyed this book and the entire series.
Bohemian chick falls for rock star? The premise sounded interesting and I wasn’t disappointed. A quick, light read with lots of laughs.
If I’m going to read a romantic comedy, I want to laugh out loud. THE PLAN by Whitney Dineen does not disappoint. As I continuously snorted with laughter, my husband asked, “What’s so funny?!” Now THAT’S a sign of a good book!
Happy ending
Story of two people with opposite lifestyles makes for an interesting read.
I loved Amelia!
Amelia Frothingham is very happy in her own little world or she would like everyone to think she is but when she meets rocker Huck Wiley, she needs figure if he is worth getting some help for her anxiety.
Amelia has learned to deal with her anxiety but when she meets Huck who has some serious trust issues but he’s in Creek Water to find his birth mother and get away from Los Angeles with his daughter Maggie.
The Plan is a light-hearted romance with a little mystery that handles serious mental issues in a very good story.
P.S. I want Gizzy and Shelby’s story now!
Absolutely loved it! Fell in Love with Amelia’s story! Inspirational.
This was an enjoyable and fun book. I really enjoyed the characters and world building for this book and will be going back to read books 1 and 2 so I can catch up!
I was gifted a copy and will gladly leave an honest review.
I loved all of the books in this series. When Huck walks into her shop, Amelia can’t believe it! She has a big crush on the famous rock star. All of these books can be read as a stand alone, but you will be pulled into the stories and want to devour all of Whitney Dineen’s books!
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This is a great book to read I enjoyed the well developed and engaging characters throughout the pages. The storyline flowed smoothly from the beginning to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Full review appeared at Reader’s Edyn on 04/29/20
Amelia is finally in a good place with her life … well, as good as it is going to get for her anyway. The victim of a harrowing experience in childhood – though she is unaware of that little detail – she suffers from extreme anxiety. It’s been a long and debilitating road to get to some form of normalcy, but she’s done it. She may have to make sacrifices along the way and she might seem a bit odd to some, but she’s found happiness. Until her dream come true walks through the door of her bead store and sends every aspect of her life scattering about recklessly. So what if he’s a famous rock star? He’d never be interested in a small town nothing like her. He’s only around for a short amount of time. Plus, his daughter needs a level of companionship that only Amelia can provide. So what if he makes her shudder with desire every time he’s near? So what if he seems to have set his sights on breaching her carefully constructed walls of protection? So what if he’s everything she ever wanted for herself and everything she never dreamed of wanting? So what if she feels like she knows him after more than a decade of connecting to every word of his music? So what if he says he wants her? He’s only temporary and temporary can never work in her perfectly ordered, perfectly quiet, perfectly planned life.
Huck Wiley is a rock star God! But with fame comes sacrifice. He’s away from his daughter more than he gets to see her and everyone wants something he can provide because of who he is. It never has anything to do with who he really is after all the rock star persona is left on the stage. When he immediately senses something different about Amelia, he knows he has to get to know her. But he’s used to getting what he wants where women are concerned and Amelia continually rebuffs his advances. Nothing left to do but dig in and prove to her that he really wants a relationship with her. And given his past and the secrets he’s carefully guarding, that’s no small admission. He also knows, given Amelia’s insecurities and fear of change due to her severe anxiety, that he has a lot of work to do. But when you know you’ve found the person that was made for you alone, you have to take the good with the bad. Funny thing though … rather than see Amelia’s handicap as a hindrance, he sees her as the most fascinating woman he’s ever come across. He’s determined to break through her defenses and prove that they could be something wonderful together. He’s got to get Amelia out of her own head so that she can take a chance and listen to her heart instead of all of the reasons she keeps trying to stall him with. And little by little, he does exactly that.
I have to say first that I have not read the previous books in the series. I feel that this was a huge mistake for one reason only. Initially, there were so many dang people introduced that I was overwhelmed. I looked into the series and because a lot of the characters that are mentioned in the previous books are once again brought to life within this book, I feel that my confusion would have been non-existent had I started the series from the beginning. Honestly, that is my only complaint and more than likely one I created myself. Other than that, once I started to get a handle on the characters and this wonderful family, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Initially, I thought the premise sounded fun, but internally, I expected much of the same kind of storyline. Small town girl falls for a crazy famous rock star, he whisks her away and sweeps her off her feet, they get down and dirty and all of a sudden rock star has a new wife and no more groupies. I mean that’s the gist, yes? I was so wrong. This book was nothing like that! Not even a little. For starters, Amelia suffers from severe anxiety. The anxiety was brought on by a rather terrifying event that occurred when she was a child, yet no one thought to enlighten her. They just went along like nothing happened. Recipe for anxiety. That might be a bit of a spoiler, but I left quite a lot out surrounding the reveal. Suffice it to say that once the anxiety set in, it just became worse until Amelia had to create her own coping mechanisms so that she could lead a relatively normal life. One of her mechanisms involves Huck’s music. Another involves counting specific numbers. Another means no traveling far from home. Much of this is explained in detail within the book, but that gives a bit of an idea as to how impacted Amelia’s life has been as a result of the anxiety. But the best thing about Amelia’s anxiety is that it never magically disappeared when she fell for Huck. Through it all, she still continued to cope and while it did lessen in some cases, the anxiety remains. This is great because it kept the character true to who she was created to be. Amelia is who she is because of this aspect of her life and magically curing it or finding a way to stop it would have cheapened her value and lessened her impact in connecting with the reader. I also enjoyed the added twist of Huck’s daughter having severe anxiety as well. She has different triggers and different mechanisms for coping than Amelia, but together they help each other shatter their own glass ceilings and take huge steps they would never have been brave enough to conquer individually. I was completely touched by their ability to challenge one another as well as learn from each other. Through it all, Huck is this perfectly gentle, patient man who happens to be a huge success. I was thrown by the path this book took and completely enchanted by the time I finished it.
Not only is it tons of fun getting to know Huck and Amelia, but all of the secondary characters were nearly as lovable. The family dynamic is fantastic and a hoot in many cases. Maggie, Huck’s daughter, very nearly steals the whole book. Between the Southern charm peppered throughout the story and Maggie’s charm alone, I was completely engaged. She may be a child, but she speaks with wisdom – an old soul – while maintaining some level of innocence despite her unconventional life and the struggles she has endured for one so young. Besides being one heck of a romance, this book is also a story of strength in overcoming personal challenges and always pushing toward that next step; demonstrating that having the right support system in place can help motivate anyone to break out of the confines of their comfort zone and take a risk on the possibility of gaining over losing. Additionally, quite a bit of back story was provided, allowing the reader a glimpse into the premise of the previous stories in the series. It wasn’t over much, but it helped to fill in some blanks while simultaneously piquing my interest in the rest of the series. More than likely I will be starting at the beginning at some point and when I get to this book, I will gladly read it all over again. For those of you who tend to enjoy a tamer version of romance, this is the perfect book for you! Absolutely no sex occurs within these pages. But do not let that detail fool you into thinking there was no passion to enjoy. Both Huck and Amelia exude attraction to the point that you could almost envision it as a tangible thing. This romance is all about sweet and clean. I do not even recall a single cuss word. If there was, there may have been one, but I have forgotten it.
Overall, this book was adorable and took me completely by surprise. There is a ton of humor to offset the seriousness of the toll anxiety has taken within the lives of Amelia and Maggie. When Gizzy, Huck’s rocker friend appears the sparks fly with a family member. I expect to see a book for them appear in the future. I can only imagine what fun that could shape up to be. There were a ton of scenes that had me snickering or completely laughing out loud. Too many scenes to list, in fact. I wish I could, but you’ll have to experience the humor for yourself. For those of you looking for a sexy, clean romance, this is the place to be. And for those who gravitate toward the grittier side of the sexual spectrum, who cares? This book is fantastic enough on its own that is doesn’t need all of that graphic sex to punch up the passion factor. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a series either. Those of you who enjoy it, like myself, will take comfort knowing there is more both before and after this installment. A story about how love and trust with the right person can overcome anything and that when you love someone, you love all of them whether part of the plan or not.
Kindle version provided by Xpresso Book Tours/Author in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 3rd book in the Creek Waters series. and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.
Wonderfully written with strong, intriguing characters.
You got to watch the development between Amelia and Huck.
The chemistry was palatable. Gave you a wonderful feeling.
I want to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book! I’ve enjoyed the series so far; each book is unique but connected somewhat (though can be read as standalone), and has such wonderful characters. This was funny, entertaining, and a quick read. I couldn’t put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Out of the comfort zone, out of the friend zone …
O.M.G. I have a new author (said with a sing-sonny, bragging tone). I cannot believe how gosh darn good this book was! Here’s what happened when I finished the review: 1) i started an insta-reread (which is why it got 5 stars from me), 2) I started to follow the author on all channels.
The Plan was the first book I’ve read by Whitney Dineen. It’s a sweet read with a serious plot that tackles tough issues in a way that will have you skipping your household chores and binge reading. This story has family dynamics, abandonment, trust,, and friends with bonds similar to the tightest knit family.
The characters are realistic, well developed, and complex. Amelia is a sweet bead store owner with serious anxiety, a loving, somewhat nutty family that cares wayyyyyy too much, and a friend group we’d all love to have.
She thinks she needs to add hallucinations to her list of challenges when her musician crush, Huck, shows up in the bead store looking for private lessons for his daughter, Maggie. Huck is secretive about why he’s in town as he starts to realize that Amelia is more than just a summer flight for his visit.
There is instant attraction between Amelia and Huck. They share secrets with each other from the start, including the unique way that Amelia handles her anxiety. As they spend more time with each other, Huck makes his interest known … Amelia is not interested in being a summer fling and tries to keep him firmly in the friend zone. However, as they spend more time together, we start to see a sensitive side of Huck, Maggie becomes completely endearing to Amelia and together Huck and Maggie push Amelia to go beyond her comfort zones.
This story read well as a standalone, but (thank God), favorite characters from this book are featured in books earlier in the series.
If you’re looking for a terrific read, a new author, this is for you! Download now! I received and ARC. This is my honest reviewWhitney Dineen
I loved it! I really enjoy this author and this book was no exception. Like the previous books the characters are intriguing and there’s something special about a good series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you’ve already read the first two books in this story then Welcome back to Creek Water! If not? GO READ THEM! Seriously. Skedaddle! But order this book too so you can read them in order. You’ll thank me later 🙂
‘The Plan’ is Amelia Frothingham’s story and while it was a bit different than Emmie’s or Lexi’s stories it was still a page turner! Amelia is so unique in that while she’s down to earth, confident in her own style, and successful in her business she’s also really insecure and anxious beneath her eclectic yet lovely exterior. She’s been harboring such a deep and debilitating case of anxiety since childhood, unbeknownst to well, everyone really. Amelia leads a quiet life in Creek Water and is as introverted as her Mama and aunt Gracie are extroverted.
Her entire world is about to change when the gorgeous rock star, Huck Wiley, enters her shop. Amelia has listened to Huck’s emotionally charged songs for over a decade. How will she handle his sudden appearance in her small town? Why is he in Creek Water of all places? She must be dreaming, right? Better pinch someone to make sure!
Amelia is about to be pushed wayyyy out of her comfort zone by Huck and his loveable daughter, Maggie. Something she’s definitely not ready for, but will she rise to the challenge, or pass up the chance of a lifetime? You’ll definitely want to give this a read to find out. In addition to Amelia’s story there will be appearances from both the endearing, and the barely tolerable (I’m looking at you, Mr & Mrs Wilcox aka Cootie), cast of characters that inhabit Creek Water.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. However, I had also pre-ordered it then forgotten and signed up for the ARC haha. I’ve got the next one already on order!
The Plan is the third book in the Creek Water series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Amelia Frothingham has a bead shop in Creek Water. She wants everyone to think she is a happy-go-lucky kind of a person but in real life, she is facing anxiety because of an incident that happened when she was little. Due to her anxiety issues, she has been ignoring things that are out of her comfort zone, things as simple as taking a flight, or long-distance drives. She likes music and is a die-hard fan of a rock star Huck Wiley. She is surprised to know that Huck comes to stay in her home town Creek Water for a couple of months and his daughter Maggie wants to take beading lessons in her bead shop.
Amelia and Huck bond over his daughter who also suffers from anxiety. Amelia understands her well and is the best person to take care of her along with her dad. As she is falling in love with Maggie and Huck, she is improving herself. She trying to accomplish things out of her comfort zone.
This book signifies the power of love. If you are truly in love with someone then it will give you the strength to accomplish things you have never dreamed about. I know I am hopelessly romantic and believe in Happily Ever Afters.
The book is nicely crafted and characters are well established and relatable. I loved Huck and he is now my new book boyfriend. Amelia was nice but it seems she needs to let loose a little. I liked the humor in many places. I had a great time reading this one.
What did not work for me:
Sometimes Amelia was overthinking a lot and was too afraid to make wrong decisions. I guess If I put myself in her shoes I will understand it much better.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.