brenda (the house by the lakes) 01/04/2024
?You had a dream.? ?Found a new one,? he answers, smile kicking up the corner of his mouth. He leans back in his chair and tilts his face to the night sky, the stars beginning to wake. ?And I got to keep the stars with me.?
Objectively speaking, this was a four star. I made a commitment to myself that I would be harsher with my ratings this year, and I am standing by that. But I?ve been on such a bad streak this month that I don?t know if I really liked this book or if it just was the best out of the worst ?????
I read Lovelight Farms last year and I loved it! So I was very excited to go back to this world, and gladly, I had my expectations matched! Inglewild and its citizens are a warm cup of tea combined with Layla?s pastries: the coziest, most delicious match ??.
Becket and Evelyn are a great pair if you like the ?grumpy x sunshine? trope. But that?s the thing: this book made me realize that I?m not the biggest fan of this one ?. Don?t get me wrong: it worked really well and I liked these characters. I just think I prefer my heroes to have more of a golden retriever personality? Becket is a sweetheart, he just doesn?t outright show it, he?s a precious little 6 foot something farmer ???. Evelyn is struggling to find happiness, and she?s so brave for putting a pause in her career to go after it. I don?t think a lot of us would have the courage to do so. The point is: they are an unexpected but good match.
Only things is: I didn?t feel the spark that I usually feel when I?m reading a good romance novel. And not saying this is not good (I gave freaking four stars!), just that it did not have me kicking my feet and giggling? Although, the declarations were objectively swoon worthy, but I was just reading like ?Yep, this is good ??.
I think I?m broken.
So, go read this book, because it?s honestly great. And just because it wasn?t where I found my happy, it doesn?t mean that it won?t be where you find yours.
+ Taking and star out because I don?t remember a damn thing about this book and compared to Mixed Signals it wasn?t quite as good ?