booklvrkat's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Back in Keating Hollow we reconnect with Abby and her sister Noel, who runs the town’s local inn. When her husband disappeared several years earlier leaving her with a young daughter, she was granted a divorce and she’s lived almost a half-life since. Once Abby came back, they’ve been on fragile ground reconnecting but it’s getting stronger over coffee and great pastries from the local bakery and nighttime donuts on Abby’s new tricked out golf cart. Drew, the local sheriff, and Noel have always had a friendship that cooled down over the years, but now it seems that it’s warming up again. But will a new investigation get in the way of this blossoming friendship? Only time will tell, but they both like where it’s going. Again, this was a great second chance love story, with a bit of a mystery wound around it. I like how the author keeps all the sisters (there are four) in the stories and can’t wait to see what happens with Yvette!
musicalmuppet's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lcolwill's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tawnyad2004's review against another edition
4.0
Content: cleanish- sex was talked about and implied but the scenes weren’t elaborated
Drew is the Deputy of Keating Hollow and just an incredible guy. He lost his high school sweetheart when she died on her 18th birthday and it weighs on his heart. Noel is Abby’s sister and has had a rough go of it with her husband disappearing on her 3 years ago.
Going into this I thought the book was going to be a little weighed down in sadness and grief like the first one but I didn’t feel that in this book. Yes the characters had to work on their past but I felt like there was way more here and now in this book.
Noel’s ex husband was spotted and a person of interest in a murder. So it pushes Drew and Noel together. We got to see Drew sweep Noel off her feet. The ending was a little stressful with the ex making an appearance but the twist in the story was a good one. What really cinched Drew as my favorite character was how he handled Xavier (the ex) coming back into the picture. He’s in love with Noel but he knows he couldn’t stand in the way of Daisy (Noel’s daughter) getting her family back.
“His heart was in his throat. If she’d decided she needed to try to repair her family, that was it for him. He’d be the odd man out, and rightly so. Family was too important. He wouldn’t try to change her mind........
Noel. I’m so far in with you, you’re the only thing I’ve thought about since I saw you last. I’ve been in such a bad mood that Clarissa threatened to lock me in the jail cell until I figure out how to be civil. I just want to put all the cards out on the table. If you think you might want to try again with Xavier, then I need to know now, because I won’t—can’t—stand in the way of that. But please, tell me now and let me get on with grieving what we could’ve had. It would be easier on all of us.”
I will say the ending to the book which is a lead in to the next disappointed me. I’m not sure I’m going to like that story line. I didn’t like how Isaac (Yvettes ex husband) handled everything and it felt like he was getting a pass on cheating bc he’s gay. I get that he was living a lie but he says he loved her. He cheated, it doesn’t go beyond that for me. He should have been open with her and discussed his new feelings for another man before he kept into bed with him. Also to bring that new man to his ex wife’s sisters wedding and kiss him in front of everyone. I mean they’d only been divorced a week or so. Then there’s Yvette. I just get the feeling I’m really going to struggle with the next book. Seriously that ending almost makes me want to skip the book altogether.
Drew is the Deputy of Keating Hollow and just an incredible guy. He lost his high school sweetheart when she died on her 18th birthday and it weighs on his heart. Noel is Abby’s sister and has had a rough go of it with her husband disappearing on her 3 years ago.
Going into this I thought the book was going to be a little weighed down in sadness and grief like the first one but I didn’t feel that in this book. Yes the characters had to work on their past but I felt like there was way more here and now in this book.
Noel’s ex husband was spotted and a person of interest in a murder. So it pushes Drew and Noel together. We got to see Drew sweep Noel off her feet. The ending was a little stressful with the ex making an appearance but the twist in the story was a good one. What really cinched Drew as my favorite character was how he handled Xavier (the ex) coming back into the picture. He’s in love with Noel but he knows he couldn’t stand in the way of Daisy (Noel’s daughter) getting her family back.
“His heart was in his throat. If she’d decided she needed to try to repair her family, that was it for him. He’d be the odd man out, and rightly so. Family was too important. He wouldn’t try to change her mind........
Noel. I’m so far in with you, you’re the only thing I’ve thought about since I saw you last. I’ve been in such a bad mood that Clarissa threatened to lock me in the jail cell until I figure out how to be civil. I just want to put all the cards out on the table. If you think you might want to try again with Xavier, then I need to know now, because I won’t—can’t—stand in the way of that. But please, tell me now and let me get on with grieving what we could’ve had. It would be easier on all of us.”
I will say the ending to the book which is a lead in to the next disappointed me. I’m not sure I’m going to like that story line. I didn’t like how Isaac (Yvettes ex husband) handled everything and it felt like he was getting a pass on cheating bc he’s gay. I get that he was living a lie but he says he loved her. He cheated, it doesn’t go beyond that for me. He should have been open with her and discussed his new feelings for another man before he kept into bed with him. Also to bring that new man to his ex wife’s sisters wedding and kiss him in front of everyone. I mean they’d only been divorced a week or so. Then there’s Yvette. I just get the feeling I’m really going to struggle with the next book. Seriously that ending almost makes me want to skip the book altogether.
scubajen's review
5.0
This book was fabulous. The depth of the characters was great. So often in books the character's actions are hard to understand because their feelings or emotions aren't believable; not with this book. Both main characters had trust issues for very logical reasons. I believed in all the characters and I loved Daisy and Buffy. I also enjoyed the origin of Buffy's name. Great book.
swimchick1984's review against another edition
5.0
I was looking for some light beach reads about witched for the month of October. This book did not disappoint, Deanna does a great job of pulling you into the story. I love when a series of books are interconnected and you can peak in on the lives of characters from the past stories. I personally want to move into this little witchy town and race a golf cart. The romance is heavy but the sex scenes or minimal to known so if you do not want that in your book do not worry.
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