When Alicia’s former crush Jeff comes into work, he’s never looked better. But he already broke her heart once . . .USA Today bestselling author Heather B. Moore welcomes you to Pine Valley!When Alicia moves back to Pine Valley to help her mom through a serious addiction, the last person she wants to see is her teenage crush, Jeff Finch, who destroyed their friendship in one single disastrous … friendship in one single disastrous night. Alicia is determined to not let anything about Jeff affect her, especially since she hasn’t seen him in ten years. All she knows is that he’s living a successful and charmed life, and she is more than happy to keep anything between them in the past. But when he shows up with a date at the restaurant where she works, Alicia realizes she’s still not over her feelings, and Jeff is definitely looking at her in a way he never has before.
PINE VALLEY SERIES:
Worth the Risk
Where I Belong
Say You Love Me
Waiting for You
Finding Us
Until We Kissed
Let’s Begin Again
All For You
more
I Love this whole series. Highly recommend.
I love wonderful clean romances like this one. It wasn’t without some tense moments and misunderstandings, which makes the good parts all the more satisfying. When Jeff knew his feelings for Alicia had never subsided since high school 10 years ago he knew he needed to make things right with her again. When Alicia saw Jeff at the restaurant where she worked, her feelings for him were reignited. This is a great feel good kind of story that needs to be read curled up on the couch with a nice soft blanket and pillow.
Right away, there are strong characters in this story. Alicia’s mom is suffering from a mental health issue and isn’t very likable at first. Then there’s Jeff, Alicia’s childhood best friend and one time crush who betrayed her in high school. Now, more than a decade later, Jeff has to prove that he’s not the same unwise kid that Alicia used to know. Alicia has to decide if she should trust Jeff enough to let him back into her life, or if she should follow the advice of her mom, a jaded divorcée. This is a sweet, easy read that isn’t afraid to cover important topics like mental health, forgiveness, and learning to trust. I’m excited to read the rest of the Pine Valley series!
***I received a copy of this book from the author and am under no obligation to provide a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Sweet romance with lots to like. Difficult topics are dealt with well. I could feel Alicia’s pain in some ways. My mother started hording but for different reasons. I know what it is like to have to hide removing things and find an alternative way to dispose of trash so she didn’t fish things out of the bin. It is stressful and frustrating. Alicia had great patience. Having never dealt with this kind of hording, I don’t know if the quick turn around is realistic or not. Perhaps that varies from person to person but it was nice to end on a more positive note.
The romance had a good deal of angst and ups and downs. But that too ends well in their happily ever after.
No sex, language or violence
Neither Alicia Waters or Jeff Finch have had a long, fulfilling relationship since their friendship ended when Jeff ditched Alicia for another girl on Prom night. It’s been ten years since then and Alicia has moved back in with her mom, into her childhood home, in Pine Valley. Since her parents divorce Alicia’s mom has became a recluse and a hoarder, turning into a ghost of her former self. Alicia hopes that her moving back in will help her mom stop hoarding and get back on a healthier path.
Jeff has done pretty well for himself and is now a very successful realtor in Pine Valley. He has a nice, big house, expensive cars, and dates supermodels, with no relationship lasting longer than a few months. It’s not until he sees Alicia again after all these years that his priorities quickly change and feelings that he did not know he even had begin to surface.
Through the entire book Alicia and Jeff fight their attraction for one another and each do eventually find happiness with a happy ending but I ended the book not feeling too happy.
Of all the books that I’ve read by Heather B. Moore, this one was by far my least favorite. The story was painfully predictable and the whole story felt forced. At first I thought it was my mood, so I put it down for awhile, but when I picked it back up I had the same feeling. The writing was good but the story lacked depth and I fought to find that connection between the characters and the reader. It did break my heart that Alicia’s mom struggled with hoarding as I have known people that have suffered from the effects of hoarding and it is incredibly heartbreaking, but I could not relate to Alicia or Jeff no matter how hard I tried.
This is the first book in the Pine Valley series and, even though I wasn’t crazy about this particular book, I do not want to give up on the series just yet. Even though Worth the Risk just wasn’t worth it for me I hope the other two books can deliver.
This was okay. I appreciated that it was a sweet, clean romance and I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but the ending fell flat for me. Changes in the mom’s behavior seemed to happen a little too quickly, and while the romance between Jeff and Alicia started out well, it just seem to fizzle towards the end. Alicia backed away from the relationship for a reason that just didn’t seem legitimate and during the part of the book after that but before they got back together at the end, I just wasn’t invested enough in the the characters to be rooting and waiting for them to get back together. Others may really enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
I’m so excited for a new contemporary series from this author! I love books set in small towns and tight-knit communities. Alycia thinks the whole neighborhood is against her mother and is struggling to help keep the hoarding under control- but a feeling of helplessness really comes across in her emotions. An unexpected reunion with Jeff shifts not only her own social life, but her mother’s as well. I loved the deeper themes of the cleansing power of forgiveness and the importance of friendship. It took me a bit to warm up to Jeff but as it became clear that the changes he’s making are heartfelt, I appreciated the strength and support he gave Alycia. A sweet romance and I’m looking forward to more!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)