When I learned that Lydia Michaels was writing a new small town romance series, my heart did a little happy dance. The setting for this series, Jasper Falls, is new, but still familiar given it's closeness to McCollough Mountain. Readers familiar with the McCollough Mountain series will be delighted to see many familiar faces. I, for one, was thrilled to see how the boisterous family had grown. The hero of this story, Ryan, is a cousin to the McColloughs. The odd-man out at family gatherings, he decides to move away from the family and embrace being single. He purchases a home next door to Maggie O'Malley, a young widow that has been stuck in her grief for years. What unravels is a story of friendship and healing. I was completely invested in the family drama (including a decades old family feud), and appreciated that there was no "cure all" for the heroine. Instead, therapy and boundaries, along with a lot of patience on Ryan's part, helped her to find her footing in a new life. While the mood was somber for much of Maggie's early scenes, I think it was a great counterpoint to the often loud, rowdy scenes involving Ryan and his family. The romance was sexy, but very much a slow burn, which seemed fitting for Maggie. It was nice to see her find comfort in a new friend as she learned to live again. I wholeheartedly recommend this story to fans of emotional, friends to lovers stories. I'll caution that you may need to keep a box of tissues nearby. The tears are worth it, though! The happily ever after was so hard-earned.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.