Huckleberry Ridge Romance, Book 1
From the publisher:
A Clean, Second Chance Family Romance
After being abandoned by her husband, single mom and reporter, CeCe Bixby, has spent the last six years focusing on raising her young son, Cody. The last thing she needs is more drama in her life. But when her name is leaked in connection with a dangerously controversial story, drama is exactly what she gets.
She and Cody flee 400 miles from Boise to small town Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho, hoping for a fresh start. But life’s never simple, and CeCe is dismayed to find her troubles have followed her.
Help may come in the form of her handsome, state-trooper landlord, Shane Wickham, who’s also raising a young son after the death of his wife. But despite the spark between them, the reasons for not becoming entangled are much stronger, and both shy away from making any commitment.
Just as Shane seems ready to move on with his life and find happiness again, CeCe’s past suddenly resurfaces, bringing problems that cannot be ignored.
Will Shane be able to see beyond CeCe’s deception to start a new life with her?
♥ Clean, contemporary romance with a dollop of suspense. ♥
https://amzn.to/3KRHxjr
I found this book on Netgalley, home to digital review copies of books for librarians (and maybe booksellers?) and I have been finding more and more self-published books on there, which is kinda cool – why shouldn’t indie authors get reviewed by librarians? Indie authors can be hit or miss for me. If a book isn’t edited, it is usually strikingly apparent within a few pages, but the ones I’ve read lately haven’t had that issue. This is a good example. A traditional editor would probably have pushed for more pages – this falls into the very short book or possibly even a novella territory, but it is so well done I didn’t even notice.
CeCe is on the run and we don’t find out why for quite a while. She’s a protective single mom of a ten-year-old boy, and her new landlord is Shane, a state trooper. The chemistry between them is apparent right at the outset. And best of all, Shane has a son the same age as Cody, and they become fast friends.
While CeCe thinks he is married, turns out Shane is widowed, and at such a young age. He has a lot of baggage that you would think goes along with that. But CeCe has her baggage, too. While she is definitely afraid of something or someone, it takes Shane a while to coax it out of her. Meanwhile, a true friendship is formed that leads to something much deeper.
This was a sweet, heartwarming romance. The suspense took a back seat to the romance, but it added a bit of tension which I enjoyed. Sometimes you just want to read something light and entertaining to escape the horrors of the news cycle – especially this week. So thank you, K.T. Raine, for that little window of fun when I needed it most.
5/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
A COUNTRY KIND OF LOVE by K.T. Raine. Independently published (March 8, 2022). ISBN: 979-8428594782. 180p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 