
Release date: May 2, 2023
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.
At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.
She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.
But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
Review:
I loved the authors debut so me not loving this one actually hurts but here we are. I think the main thing that made this not work for me from the start was that it was very hard to believe that Will and Fern spent one day together and then she spent ten years pining over him?! That just doesn’t make much sense to me and I never bought into it. I also didn’t really think Will was all that great either, pretty hard to root for a couple when I didn’t think he deserved her. Sadly a miss for me here.
Overall rating: 3/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.