Genres: Contemporary Romance
Published by Berkley
Released on May 2, 2017
Pages: 318
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
The Delight
A summer of heartwarming activities and a sizzling reunion romance happens after a woman journeys back home when she needs to start over again and encounters the man she shouldn’t have ever left. Lovable Great Dane puppy, cute pixie kid, farm house renovations, circle of friends, and Fourth of July at the lake round it off in this delightful gentle-paced small town romance.
Review
Love Me Again is the seventh book in the Hope series. A reader could get away with it out of order, but this story really is stuffed full of most of the previous characters and their ongoing stories in the background so it works best in order.
Deacon and Loretta both grew up in Hope before she broke his heart and left with another guy. Their tense first time seeing each other years later happened in the last book. I have to confess that I was wary of tackling their story. Reunion/second chance romances can be iffy with me depending on how they are handled. But, no worries. I was glad that I could set aside my concerns and just get cozy with the laid back folks of Hope, Oklahoma as they went about their lives during the lazy days of summer.
Now, I don’t want to imply that this pair ignored the past or that it didn’t leave emotional scars, but it felt organic to the story of this present pair who slowly reconnect as Deacon and Loretta’s cute precocious daughter with her huge Great Dane dog become friends leading to Deacon and Loretta having many encounters. There is tension and attraction between them that they have to figure out what to do about it. Around the romance, there was also a personal story of Loretta coming home and dealing with her past both with her parents and her ex and her ex-friends so that she can move forward in the present.
I liked this character-driven plot and the heartwarming tone full of time with friends and home life. The pace is gentle and perfect when I wanted something easy and straightforward with just enough conflict to keep it interesting. I look forward to each installment and recommend the series to those who enjoy laid-back small town romance.
Challenges
Romance Roundabout #104 CR
Literary Pickers #96 tool belt
New Release #58
Books N Tunes #19 Alan Jackson’s Good Time
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Nice review! I am glad that it can be read as a stand alone but I may want to read the first book.
Oh yes, Cindy. You will definitely want to read book one. I fell in love with both characters and the dogs. 🙂
I’ve read a few Jaci Burton books, and while I never dislike them, I often find them a bit dull. But I’m really glad that this worked for you.
This is true and is true of a couple books in this series for me. 🙂 I do have to be in a particular mood to get the most out of them.
I’m glad to see you enjoyed this one, Sophia! This is the second positive review I’ve seen for this book, and she’s an author I’ve been meaning to try.
Great review. 🙂
Oh good, Angie! I don’t read many straight up contemporary romance series, but this gentle small town one is one of them.
One way to get my attention, put a dog on the cover. Glad you enjoyed this one. It looks fun. 🙂
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads
Ever book in the series- dogs. Love it. The dogs are actually strong characters in each story and I love that, too.
I’m just peeking (and cheering at the conclusion). So glad it was a good one. I have it to review but might have maybe lost my review copy in the piles somewhere. Today is search day. lol
Oh no, I hate that aggravation. I know its there and probably right under my nose. Hope you find it.
This one sounds like a great small town romance. And it’s nice there’s a dog that plays a part as well, I always like seeing that in books. Good to know this one works best when read in order.
I usually like second chance romances, but it does really depend on how it’s handled. I am glad to hear that the past and how it played a role now all felt organic. And the coming home sub plot line sounds interesting too. Great review!
Yes to the fun of small town and that love-able dog. She did handle their romance so well. I really didn’t want to read about people sniping at each other over the past and was glad she didn’t do that.
Thanks, Lola!