Second Chance With You #1 (companion book series)
Blurb:
"Harper Hensley’s greatest joy is baking. She’s co-owner of a cute little bake shop, creating delicious treats to her heart’s content, and happily dating a successful lawyer. Life seems perfect. Until Logan Riggs, the man who walked out on her without a word four years ago, rolls into town in his new coffee food truck, living the dream they were supposed to share together.
The last thing Logan ever wanted was to leave Harper, but unforeseen circumstances forced him to make that choice. He never meant to hurt her or ruin their plans of starting a food truck. Now he’s back to make things right, hoping to convince her to work with him, and longing for a second chance with the woman he loved from the start.
Coffee and cupcakes belong together. But is the truth about Logan’s disappearing act too much to forgive? Can Harper move past the bitter to get to the sweet?"
The last thing Logan ever wanted was to leave Harper, but unforeseen circumstances forced him to make that choice. He never meant to hurt her or ruin their plans of starting a food truck. Now he’s back to make things right, hoping to convince her to work with him, and longing for a second chance with the woman he loved from the start.
Coffee and cupcakes belong together. But is the truth about Logan’s disappearing act too much to forgive? Can Harper move past the bitter to get to the sweet?"
First off, Happy New Year everyone! Is it strange to anyone else that next year is 2020 already??? Anyway, onto the book.
Review:
This book is just adorable. It's one of those books you can curl up on the couch with in the fall for a few hours with a cup of tea, a plate of cookies, and a purring cat.
1. The characters. Overall, I really enjoyed all of the characters. For the length of the book, they're fleshed out nicely and their interactions are always interesting. There are two main characters (Harper and Logan) and a slew of supporting characters (Ginny, Savannah, Brett, Harry, Kayla, Gary, and Marsha are the big ones). I guess what's holding me back from gushing is that they just weren't there, you know? To make a character stick out, there needs to be that one little detail about them that you associate with them. Harper was drawn well because of how she's always wearing a bun which gives the reader a glimpse into their inner psyche and helps them remember the character (for example, Harper always keeps her hair in a bun which is a method of control). What I'm trying to say is they were all good, adequate characters were the story, but they weren't the best they could be.
2. The plot. I'm going to keep this short because most of the plot can be covered in the romance section but there was also a secondary sub-plot going on that's a bit actiony in it's nature. I found this to be a welcome addition to dilute the pure romance just a smidge and move this more into a contemporary style.
3. The romance. This is the part of this book that really shines. I absolutely loved every minute of the blossoming romance happening between Harper and Logan. There's a slight love triangle but it's an incredibly realistic one that resolves itself in a very gradual manner. Harper and Logan's scenes together are just so sweet and their relationship is based on their intellectual and career compatibility which I thought really fit both characters and the plotline itself. If you've been following me for a while, you know normally I can't stand to read pure romance books but Krista Noorman writes romances that are just pure cotton candy that make your heart smile.
4. The setting. This book is set for the most part in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Personally, I've never been to the city before but I got a good enough sense from the setting descriptions to feel comfortable navigating it alongside the characters. In contemporary romances, the focus isn't really on the setting but I did want to mention it briefly. More relevantly, the micro settings are all very rich. This is one of those books where you can picture everything happening within them (and, more to the point of this book, make you ridiculously hungry for sugar cookies).
The Final Verdict:
Pure cotton candy fluff. Adorable with slightly forgettable characters.
4 stars
It sounds like this was such a sweet book and that the romance and characters were really presented and handled so well. Which is so good! I also really appreciate what you said about having something that makes a character stand out. That is so true! That is what makes a memorable character. I love that it was easy to envision the book. Great review x
ReplyDeleteMy recent post: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2018/12/19-goals-for-2019/
It really is! It's one of those books I'll go back and reread if I just want to stop being stressed for a minute and indulge a little whimsical romantic fantasy. It's so necessary! I didn't realize how necessary it is until I started thinking about my favorite characters (mostly because of Dani's (Perspective of a Writer) new character meme) and why I liked them so much (and really, remembered them at all). There just has to be that one little character detail that's so unique and really cements them in your mind. Like Queen Levana's mirrors, or Hermione's teeth, or Annabeth's fear of spiders. Thanks for stopping by, Olivia :)
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