Paint the Moon, the first book in Katia Rose’s new Balsam Inn series, brings us to the small town of La Cloche, in the Canadian province of Quebec. Brooke Carmichel used to live what she thought was a fairytale life in La Cloche until she was left at the altar six years ago. Making her home in Montreal and working as an interior designer since then, Brooke’s boss has been putting off her promotion to project manager, but if she can just lead a project on her own the role is hers. 

Natalie Sinclair, a painter who is struggling with her confidence and sense of self-worth, has inherited a large house. She doesn’t feel that she deserves it and wants to sell, but her best friends urge her to consider turning the gorgeous old home into the inn they’ve always dreamed of running. Sounds like a match made in heaven, if it weren’t for the fact that the house is in La Cloche, and Natalie just happens to be the sister of the runaway groom. 

The story develops slowly, but it feels right for the small-town setting and the wariness and weirdness that surrounds the relationship between Brooke and Natalie. There’s obvious chemistry between the two, but there are also a lot of awkward moments and they both have a lot to work through. Once they cross the physical boundary things heat up quickly, but it also triggers some things, especially for Brooke. The way that Katia handles everything so carefully in her writing really left me feeling connected with both characters, and it’s exactly what I’ve come to expect from her. 

Although I've enjoyed everything I've read from her, I think Katia particularly excels in series novels because she spends a lot of time developing the setting and side characters, and that’s no different in Paint the Moon. After all, we'll be seeing a lot more of them, and I can't wait for more of Balsam Inn and La Cloche! 

I received a free ARC from the author via StoryOrigin, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.