After a bitter divorce had left him jaded and cynical, Leo Drake thought he was done. To him, love and happiness were myths. Then the shy, sweet, coffee shop owner looked up at him with those big gray eyes and beautiful smile, and he was done for.Danika Parrish had been the nerdy girl growing up. The girl who sat in her window, watching the boy across the street, and secretly longing for the day … for the day when he might notice her. When that day finally came, she was convinced all her dreams had come true. But after giving her everything she’d ever hoped for, he’d ripped it all away with a handful of words.
Leo’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but the one he regrets most is hurting Danika. For the first time in his life, he knows what it feels like to love someone, to truly be happy, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win her back. He’s determined to prove to her that he’s worth a second chance. That he’s the forever she’s been waiting all her life for.
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He had me at “darling.” This book is full of swoon-worthy words that just made me melt. Its full of great characters, forever love, and secrets chances. I loved it!
Oh, to return to Hope Valley. Gosh, I love this town. Every time I visit, I get to see old friends and meet new ones. This time it’s the oh so sweet story of Leo and Dannika.
Dannika has loved Leo from across the street since she was a very young girl. Time, distance, and life progress forward and Leo does too. He marries and moves away and discovers that his life is not what he wanted or what he wants for his children. Dannika, meanwhile, makes a life for herself as the girl everyone loves in her coffee and bakery shop. She has always loved Leo but sees him as far and away out of reach.
Serendipity brings them back in contact, and Leo sees all the beauty that has been missing from his life. He intends to rectify that situation, and the wooing begins. There are bumps along the way in the form of some small-town gossip, an evil ex-wife, and jumped to conclusions. Leo has to work for it, and Dannika has to learn to see beyond her girlhood fantasy of Leo.
Leo and Dannika evoke happiness simply because they find their beauty in each other. All of this makes for a lovely story of love discovered just across the street and yet another great story from Jessica Prince in our favorite town of Hope Valley.
I’ve been in a book slump for most of June. Sure, I’ve read some books but not as many as I normally do, and I’ve even found one or two that were excellent. However, nothing was really making me FEEL. Until I reading Waiting for Forever by Jessica Prince. THIS AUTHOR writes the BEST small town romances. Her characters all have undeniable chemistry and the swoons you feel throughout the book are plentiful. I absolutely adores Leo and Danika and wanted their story to go on forever. There’s just something about the way Jessica writes these romances and immerses her readers into the characters lives that make them so special. This one is just that!
The Hope Valley series is a series of standalones. I’ve read the last few releases in the series but still have to make my way back to where they all started. I say this so that you KNOW you can read them in whatever order you want to.
I have thoroughly loved reading Jessica Prince’s Hope Valley series books, and Waiting for Forever is one that was worth the waiting! I absolutely loved Leo, a single father with a difficult ex-wife, who is trying to raise his kids right. And Danika, the owner of Muffin Top, who has crushed on Leo since she was a little girl. They were wonderful characters, and I loved their bond, especially the one that Dani formed with Leo’s kids. And I loved that Dani did not take Leo back quickly!
I cannot wait for more!!
Danika (Dani) has held unrequited feelings for her once neighbor, Leo, since they were children. She stood by and watched as he glanced over her without stopping, and ended up marrying her nemesis the original mean girl who made many a people’s lives miserable in high school and beyond, including poor Leo’s. But the time is now for Leo and Dani to come together, as Leo’s divorced and has FINALLY noticed the sweet baker. And once he notices her, he’s done for. Now he only has to get Dani on board and on the same page as he is.
Leo never really noticed the girl who lived next door. She was just a shy, nerdy girl that didn’t hold a candle to the more blatantly obvious charms of women like the one he ends up marrying, and who subsequently proceed to make his life hell. But when he finally sees Dani, it’s as if a lightbulb goes off, the fog clears, and his alpha side comes out to play. And once it did, WHEW!!
The Hope Valley series is one of my favorites for its small town charm and because the alpha males who fall in love with amazing women. I think Dani and Leo’s story in particular, touched my heart and is my favorite of this series because Dani is just so sweet, so loyal, and has to wait so long for her man to finally notice her. And then when he does notice her? She has no idea that hurricane Leo is about to descend upon her life and claim her in the sweetest, swooniest way ever. Gah I love these two!
I’m always excited to return to Hope Valley. I loved Danika so much. We’ve gotten to know her some through the series and this book made me fall in love with her. I could easily be friends with her. She’s a shy baker who owns a cafe. Heck I would want to work for her since I’m a shy baker too. Leo, he had me hooked then he really ticked me off. Well his hotness factor for me went down several notches for his opinion on cats. Besides that personal preference he had a lot of groveling in his future with Danika and me as a reader. Of course Jessica Prince does’t let us down with Leo. This book is a little emotional for me when it comes to Leo’s children. My heart breaks for them, but having Danika in their lives mends the heart right back up. Great addition to the series.
Jessica Prince has very quickly become a one-click author for me. She has a formula that just works for me Every. Single. Time. Waiting for Forever is the eighth book in the Hope Valley series and is another one that the author just hit out of the park. An OTT protective alpha hero (who happens to be an awesome dad) and the sweet, shy, nerdy heroine that has crushed on him forever? Yes, thank you very much! Ex-drama? Sign me up. A wonderful girl gang that is there for all of it? YES. Danika and Leo are definitely one of my favorite couples to date. I’m pretty sure I’ll never tire of the happenings in Hope Valley and can’t wait to see what comes next!
I want to move to Hope Valley so bad! The men are HOTT and I want to be best friends with all the women!
I binged the first seven books (for the second time) before Waiting for Forever! I love this whole series!
Leo and Danika’s story was everything I wanted it to be. Full of ALL the feels – this book is amazing! I loved that this was more than a romance; it was also about repairing broken relationships. I devoured this book!!!
FIVE STARS!!!
Hope Valley is like returning back home for me. I have been happy falling down the Hope Valley hole for some time now and just amazed that we have now got to HV #8!! Wow. Time sure flies when you are reading great books!
Waiting for Forever is a second chance at life! What once was is no more, brings in new light with this small town romance. I loved the characters as they dug into my heart a little bit more. I am a sucker for this story! You do not want to miss out! Get this book today and see what I mean!
Jessica Prince has once again sucked us backed into Hope Valley and made the town come alive with Dani and Leo’s story. Leo and Danika’s story deals with the after-effects of Leo’s failed marriage and innocent children who are torn between their parents. This story is emotional and depicts real life. It is wonderfully written with great character development. The author did a great job with a topic that impacts people everyday relating to divorce and custody issues. I feel that this is one of her best works to date and look forward to the next installment of the Hope Valley series!!
It was great being back in Hope Valley for Leo and Dani’s story. This is part of a series, but you could read it as a stand-alone. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that you should read the other books. There are many characters from past books that pop up in this book. The storyline is easily followed. I cheered for Dani all the way through. Their path is not always easy, but it’s a ride worth reading. Dual point of view. No cliffhanger.
Waiting for Forever
Hope Valley Book 6
Jessica Prince
What an amazing addition to an awesome series!! Very delightful from beginning to end! Kept my interest throughout. I fully enjoyed.
Highly recommend!
Waiting for Forever is book #8 in the Hope Valley series by Jessica Prince. This is Danika and Leo’s story. I have been eagerly awaiting Dani’s story since she was first introduced to readers. She is the town’s sweet and friendly town baker. She’s just got a heart of gold and she just the kindest personality. Dani is truly the town’s sweetheart. Her past isn’t pretty. She was bullied in high school and she fell in love with someone who she loved from afar. She watched as her true love move on, start a life, marry and have kids and move away…move on with his life with someone else who wasn’t Dani. All while Dani watched from the side as her heart broke. Praying someday her time for her HEA to come.
Leo Drake was Danika’s next door neighbor when she was 7 and he was a few years older than her. He never “saw her” until he moved back to town after a bitter divorce with his 2 children. Then he sees Dani, as she is now the owner of the Muffin Top bakery plus her parents still live next door to his dad. The chemistry between them is hot. Their emotional story will pull on your heart and get you heated up. Leo is now available , unattached and ready for Dani. Dani has always been ready for Leo but this time, will Leo’s ex cause their love story to end permanently? What a wonderful and beautifully written story with cast of great characters, hot alpha, sassy heroine, sweet romance, sizzling chemistry and beautiful HEA. I can’t wait for book 9 in this series.
My Rating: 4.8 stars ***********
It’s always a great day when Jessica Prince lets us back in to Hope Valley! This is Dani & Leo’s story. Everyone loves Dani not only for her great coffee & pastries but because of her sweetness and genuine kindness. So it’s no surprise that Leo who swears off love after a bitter divorce is caught off guard by the beautiful Dani. Of course their falling is full of swoon but also lots of ups & downs. Leo’s kids have a lot with their mom and it may be cause to throw your kindle!!! But all the usual people you expect are around giving support and love!!! Another perfect second chance in this small town we can’t get enough of. You will definitely want to make this you next 1 click!!!
Love this small town romance series so much! I have been anticipating Dani’s book since she was first introduced. She’s the town sweetheart and everyone loves her incredible baking skills over at Muffin Top. She wins everyone over, one bite at a time. Her personality is infectious! So kind and down to earth.
I was enamored with the unrequited love story line. Poor Danika had to love a boy from afar and watch him fall for someone else. Begin a life with someone else. Start a family with someone else. All while she sat quietly on the sidelines, waiting for her happily ever after to come.
Leo was so charming! Despite the hell his ex was putting him and his kids through, he remained stoic. He made mistakes, sure, but he was trying to guard his heart and his kids from more pain. He wasn’t stupid and found a way to right his wrongs when he knew he was being a complete tool towards Dani.
I really enjoyed the chemistry of the two characters and everything they discovered about each other along the journey of their relationship. The importance of family for both characters was so apparent and really helped solidify their connection.
This story delivers on the story of divorce and all the ugly that comes along with it. Leo is the main character who went through a terrible marriage and an even more bitter divorce. Danika is the hometown baker and girl next door. She has changed a lot since high school and is so happy when she finally gets her chance to be with Leo. Lots of drama involving his ex and kids follow. Leo makes a huge mistake and that may be what loses him Danika.
I like that Danika does not just take what Leo gives her. She is a strong heroine. She gets thrown into an instafamily and handles the pressures beautifully. Leo gets in his own way. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Leo, he was learning how to be a respectful and treasure the good things in life.
Every book by this author seems to get better and better. That is especially true with this series and with the Redemption series. She has always been a very gifted writer, but the past 3 or 4 books have had me sucked into the point that when I am interrupted while reading them, I tend to fantasize about being part of an animal kingdom where it is acceptable to sacrifice one’s young. Kidding. Sort of…
Lately, I have been seeing a lot of comparisons to another favorite author of mine. I hadn’t noticed the similarities until the past couple of books. Then, I started thinking about it. I think I fell in love with the other author (KA, in case anyone is curious, which I started reading long after I had started devouring everything from this author) because I found the author filled in the time between when I could get my hands on a new Prince book. That gave me a little chuckle thinking about all these new fans. I digress, What I really love about this author is her ability to create characters and a fictional world that draws me in. I find myself wanting to be their friends or to live in their quaint little part of the world, especially with the way the world is these days. Even though everything is fiction, it feels real. When a book ends ora character feels a certain emotion, I feel it too. That takes serious skill as an author to be able to draw the reader into a place that time is lost and I can just feel the magic that is booked.
As usual, the characters in this book were delightful. I fell head over heels for Danika and Leo. I loved how they balanced each other. Where Leo made Dani feel beautiful and visible, Dani brought love and care into Leo’s dark world. The kids were so cute and I loved watching them blossom as the realizations of life amidst being part of a divorced family.
I am not sure who is next in this story, series but I hope it never ends because these characters are truly extraordinary. I, do, hope that a certain widow with small babies gets a HEA eventually. She sure needs it. I cannot recommend this series enough or this author. I have loved everything that she has written but this series that crosses over with Redemption is hands down my favorite. Don’t tell the ladies of Girl Talk that though!
Another great book in this captivating series! I loved Dani. Absolutely adored her. She’s the kind of person I wish I could be. But alas, she’s way WAY nicer than I will ever be. While Dani was kindly turning the other cheek to Whitney, I was plotting her demise. Dani’s the kind of character that a reader might worry is without a backbone, but readers of Ms. Prince’s books know better. Her heroines might be sweet, but they are not weak. I gobbled up this story as fast as I could to get to the part where Leo screws up and Dani holds him accountable; I knew it was coming, and I knew it would give me goosebumps like all of Ms. Prince’s climaxes do (insert teenage boy snicker here and then move on). I despise ex drama in books, but again, I knew from experience with this author that the story would not get bogged down in such soap-opery nonsense, and it didn’t. If you haven’t yet read this series, then you need to get to binging.
Danika has loved Leo since she was a child. She was the cubby, nerdy baker while he was the golden boy sports star in high school. They ran in different circles. Leo’s on again off again girlfriend was the school’s “mean girl” she picked on Danika her whole high school life.
Fast forward, and now Danika is a successful bakery owner in their town. Leo comes back as a divorced single father of 2 kids. And his ex-wife is still the “mean girl”.
I love how Danika and Leo’s relationship started out as a slow burn. I loved the interaction that Danika had with his kids and father. Danika really grew into a strong confident woman. But I thought she could make him work a little bit more before forgiving him when he accused her of telling people about their “secret” relationship.
Overall, a great read! I love Hope Valley!
4
Spanish & English Opinion
Me gustó la historia, me gusta que él le echa muchas ganas para recuperarla, me encantan los hijos de Leo pero sin duda, mi favorita es la protagonista.
Me encanta cuando un libro tiene una protagonista que amo y que supera a todos los personajes. Es linda, tiene un corazón enorme, tiene una súper inteligencia emocional, no es un doormat. Ella mantiene su esencia y su enorme corazón aún cuando hay cosas que la lastiman. Me encantó.
Fui fan. Leo es mejor versión de sí mismo con ella, y su historia es linda. “Unrequited love” devuelto de la mejor manera.
Loved the story. I like that he had to fight for her to accept him back. I love his kids, the grandparents and the in-laws but my favorite is Danika.
She’s a perfect heroine. She’s sweet but nice. She’s genuinely a good person and her emotional intelligence is gigantic. I admired her and loved that she was no doormat. The fact that even when life was not nice, she didn’t loose her essence was my favorite thing.