Phoebe, as I think everyone knows, is Sebastian and Evies daughter (their story is Devil in Winter of the Wallflower series). She’s a widow with two young children. As the book starts, she is ending mourning after her husbands death 2 years prior and is ready to start participating in life again, starting with her brother Gabriels wedding (book 3 of the Ravenels, Devil in Spring).

West is cousin to Pandora, who is marrying Gabriel, hence they officially meet at this gathering. What West doesn’t know, is that Phoebe well knows who he is, having been her husbands closest confident about the bully tormenting him at school years ago.

As this story began, I thought I was NOT going to like Phoebe and her whole grudge holding over the bullying incidents. I actually enjoyed Phoebe though. I liked seeing her relationships with her children. I loved seeing her come into her own as her own woman after taking care of her husband for so long. One thing I really respected about this book was how well done the prior relationship was written. It was acknowledged yet not overdone. You felt the love but didn’t feel it was hanging over her and West’s relationship. I’ve read a few widow books and it seems the prior husband needs to be fully evil or the author tends to go on a bit too much for me to able to really accept and be excited for a new relationship. So I liked that a lot.

West really was wonderful to me for most of the book. He’s actually enjoyable in all the books. So funny and engaging was just that burst of sunlight in every story. I love his humor. He was amazing with Phoebes children. The only thing that got me was I felt his angst over why they couldn’t be together was a bit contrived and I wish he would have come to his solution on his own. I wanted him to be stronger than what the ending was. More demanding, himself, I guess.

Anyway, I don’t think I’d necessarily reread this book because the feels weren’t really strong for me. But I did find it a really pleasant read. I had a dopey smile on my face for most of it. I also liked that there wasn’t a ton of drama, especially coming off of Hello Stranger, which felt like all drama.

I have heard so much negative talk about the Ravenel series. People saying LK should reconsider writing or just stop altogether. I am liking this series more than the Hathaway’s I think. But the wallflowers are still my favorite, overall. So far my favorite from this series is still Marrying Winterbourne.