Library Loans

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Anything for You by Kristan Higgins
Published by HQN Books on December 29, 2015
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Before you get down on bended knee…

…you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes. For ten years, Connor O'Rourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public, and he thinks the time has come. His restaurant is thriving, she's got her dream job at Blue Heron Vineyard—it's the perfect time to get married.

When he pops the question, however, her answer is a fond but firm no. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Jess has her hands full with her younger brother, who's now living with her full-time, and a great career after years of waitressing. What she and Connor have is perfect: friends with an excellent benefits package. Besides, with her difficult past (and reputation), she's positive married life isn't for her.

But this time, Connor says it's all or nothing. If she doesn't want to marry him, he'll find someone who does. Easier said than done, given that he's never loved anyone but her. And maybe Jessica isn't quite as sure as she thinks…

After a decade of off and on and secret dating Connor was ready to make Jessica his wife but would she finally be ready to say yes?

I have been slowly working my way through Higgins work, and here I find myself in traditional contemporary romance territory. This book was more gentle than most of her recent books, but I kept being moved to tears. I normally roll my eyes when the characters push and pull and resist the relationship, but here, I found myself so emotional every time Jessica walked away.

The story shared important moments from Jessica and Connor's history and they had plenty of it. They grew up in the same town but under very different circumstances, and their lives were intertwined in a way that would complicate their future.

Jessica had a ton of baggage. Growing up poor with alcoholic parents and caring for her brother who was intellectually disabled due to fetal alcohol syndrome. Her childhood was stolen due to her parents' illnesses, and she was forced to take on adult responsibilities at a very young age. She fiercely loved her brother and was willing to do anything for him, even walk away from the love of her life. *cue the tears*

But it was Connor who really won my sympathy. This man loved Jessica for so long. He didn't care that she was poor, had alcoholic parents, had a "bad reputation", or that her dog almost killed him. He loved her, he loved her brother, and he wanted to make a life with them both. There were so many times in their history that he settled for whatever she was willing to give him (which was wrong), but the heart wants what the heart wants. I found myself shedding tears many times during their ten year "relationship".

I know I keep talking about my tears, but this story was packed with humor and warmth and joy as well. I just was very surprised by how moved I was, but I loved it. I hope to go back and read the other books in this series as my love affair with Kristan Higgins' books continues.

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Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction by Shannon Richard
Published by Avon on October 15, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

From the author of Dog Days Forever, a heartfelt, holiday contemporary romance, in which a young woman returns to her small hometown and ends up fostering a pregnant dog with—of all people—the man she used to love.

Lucy Buchanan and Theo Taylor have never gotten along…like ever. Not when they were children, not when they were teenagers, and definitely not as adults…though that last part might be more Lucy’s doing than Theo’s. It was the summer after she graduated college when their antagonism towards each other boiled over into something... hot.

That is until Lucy left town in a flash, leaving everything behind for warm Los Angeles. But now she’s returned after seven years following a bad breakup, and a newfound disillusionment with La-La Land.

As for Theo, he doesn’t know and doesn’t care about whatever happened to make Lucy come back. His lingering resentment is enough to keep her at arm’s length until she inevitably leaves again. The problem is, being around each other has proven that their friction isn’t going anywhere, especially when it leads to some pretty intense heat.

The two have no idea what they’ve rekindled, but things get even more complicated when they rescue a pregnant dog together, taking on joint responsibility of caring for her.

Lucy and Theo must find a way to overcome their past, first for the sake of the dog and her litter, and for their own wounded hearts.

It's been seven years since Lucy fled Cruickshank, leaving her family, friends, and Theo behind. But now she was back, and the question was for how long as old feelings rose to the surface complicating things.

I enjoyed Dog Days Forever and was excited to find myself back in Cruickshank. This is such a great small town with a tight knit group of friends who are family. I got that vibe even more, this time around, as we celebrated the holidays with the group and even took on a crisis together. I loved how close they were and how involved in each other's lives they were. Hey, you can't have a small town romance without some meddling, and this meddling came straight from the heart.

I also liked Theo and Lucy together. They had history and chemistry, and I truly believed they could only be happy with each other. Lucy was returning home with many wounds from the tough industry out in L.A. and a toxic ex-boyfriend. Being great at her new job was something she appreciated and being able to return to the safety of friends and family was another plus, but it was the way Theo saw all her parts as good that helped her stay on that road to recovering and reclaiming herself.

As promised by the cover and title, there was a fun doggie storyline. I absolutely adored Bear and was thrilled to see her rise to mild internet fame. But the real joy was how her presence helped Lucy and Theo leave the past behind and move forward together.

Overall, this was a fun and heartwarming trip back to Cruickshank which was filled with love, holiday cheer, and puppies, LOTS of puppies.

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