This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it because the preview sounded good. Thankfully I was not disappointed!

The Premise

Upon inheriting her grandmother’s house, Chloe returns to her hometown to fix it up. She plans to sell it and leave — the town holds more bad memories than good — but then she meets her neighbour, firefighter Drew, and his endearingly annoying cat Bodhi. As their connection sails quickly past the pretence of friendship and into something much deeper, the ghost of her past returns to thwart her happiness: her estranged father she hasn’t seen in years. With her truckload of baggage, and Drew’s own issues, can they surmount it all to find a love worth salvaging?

The Pros & Cons

This was an excellent adult romance with lovable characters — especially the cat Bodhi. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with a hot firefighter cat dad and his son, right? The two main characters were enjoyable and fun to read, and each had a much deeper story on their own that I also enjoyed. I appreciated that though this was more or less an “insta-love” situation (usually not my thing), their connection still felt like a gradual build as they opened up to each other to share their damaged parts. These aspects made the story feel grounded in reality — despite falling in love quickly, the romance feels genuine.

The darker moments of violence and abandonment are difficult to read as you get invested with the characters and feel their pain. I also liked the steamy moments; though a few felt a *wee* bit gratuitous, they were all well written and will thrill readers who like it hot! The dialogue — though a bit corny at times! — was also really good, vivid and engaging, and there are laugh-out-loud moments, particularly when the close-knit town get wind of their developing relationship. I liked the town’s supporting characters as well — and then, of course, Bodhi steals the scene every time he stomps in! He was so realistic that I’m pretty sure his muse was hovering over the author as she typed away!

Conclusion

All in all, this was a great book, and I would highly recommend to other adult readers who enjoy a well-rounded romance that isn’t too saccharine-sweet, and still packs a bit of a comedic punch. It was lovely and heartwarming how they (even the cats) all formed a family out of all their abandoned, broken pieces. It was a joyride from beginning to end, and I look forward to more by this author. This was my first book by her, but it definitely won’t be my last.

Purchase your copy