Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 1, 2022
Reviewed On: October 27, 2022
BASIC PLOT
There’s a new sheriff in town…
And he’s her worst nightmare.
Reason #1: Ben Crawford is Olivia Knight’s long-time arch rival. They’ve been sworn enemies ever since she wore overalls to school one day, and he asked her in homeroom where she parked her cow. Now that he’s back, it doesn’t appear much has changed. He’s still arrogant. He’s still trouble. And this time, he’s got a badge and handcuffs. Which will make murdering him and disposing of his body much more challenging for her.
Reason #2: Sheriff Ben has done a lot of growing up during his time away from Shell Grove. He went and got himself some muscles and tattoos, and has the nerve to wear that sheriff’s uniform absurdly well. For some reason, that’s all she can seem to focus on whenever they cross paths. All the nice changes he’s made, instead of how vehemently she’s vowed to hate his guts for all eternity.
Reason #3: The complicated connection that has forever entwined their lives doesn’t have a pleasant backstory. As adults, they should be able to forget what happened when they were teenagers and move on. But in a small town where everyone has long memories, there are reminders everywhere of the nasty events that destroyed both of their families years ago. And she’s not sure their growing feelings for each other are enough to forgive the sins of the past and carve out a future…together. Ben has a secret. A big one. The longer he’s in Shell Grove and surrounded by people who know his sordid history, the more likely that secret is going to come out. But if it does, Olivia will never speak to him again. Which will not do. Because he’s finally realized that Olivia is the reason why he came back to town in the first place. And if he doesn’t want to lose her forever, he needs to correct the mistakes he made a long time ago and prove he’s not the NEMESIS she’s always thought him to be.
REVIEW
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. While this is a second book in a series, this book can easily be read as a standalone. If you like hot, spicy and smutty books then this one is spot on! But there was also a lot of cute little moments that had me laughing out loud, swooning, sighing and holding on to my heart for dear life! What a fantastic and easy read! It's 100% a perfect beach read, and I mean, who wouldn't want a guy like Ben to be their book-boyfriend? Now while I normally don’t like dominant alpha males (just personal preference), I do think that Ben is the perfect type. I feel like you could still pit a strong willed (alpha) female against him, and he would just turn into a giant teddy bear just for her. Ahh… there goes my wild imagination. The banter between Ben and Olivia is on-point. The moments where the lines blur (slowly but surly) is either adorable or just H-O-T. Ben falls first – hell, he fell for her when they where kids. What’s that thing parents tell kids when a boy is being mean/teasing a girl? Oh yeah… HE LIKES YOU! I love books with character growth and was happy to see this for both Ben and Olivia. It wasn't rushed and I felt like I was actually along for the ride. Having the back stories/memories from their past included was an added bonus. In some ways both the main characters where the same, but the author did well to still make each of them unique in their own ways. My only issue with the story was the reason why Olivia’s father left her. Yes, the background information is there (I won’t spell it all out because that would a HUGE spoiler), but I still feel like it just wasn’t enough to leave your teenage daughter behind to pick-up the pieces. It bugged me a little, but I think the author made it work with the book... It lead to what could be considered a heart-warming reconciliation/reunion between father and daughter in the end. This a book that I will be adding to my physical collection, and I can't wait to read it again! Also… I need to go read the first book in this series! I’ve heard great things about it as well!
FAVOURITE QUOTES
Hunter nudged him with his elbow. “Finally what?” Ben stared down at the bar in disbelief. “Finally fallen into place. Like…it all felt whole for the first time.”
He’d thought Olivia invading that space might freak him out. Possibly agitate him. But he only got agitated when she left.
Not having her within the walls of his house every night made him restless. Made him question her safety when he wasn’t there to protect her. Her happiness when he wasn’t there to make her smile. Her sleeping patterns when he wasn’t there to hold her after she startled awake from a bad dream.
Love just required a lot more work from the heart. It required more space, more vulnerability, more presence of mind. Hatred was easy. Love was complicated but…rewarding. Hatred merely consisted of a person’s basest emotions, their primal instincts. Love involved a more in-depth exploration into one’s psyche. A deeper examination of the soul. Anyone could hate someone, but real love took courage.
STAR RATING
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