(I’m non-disabled so there are some things that I can’t speak to. But there may be issues with this story for others, as I’ve seen mentioned in other reviews, so I thought I’d put them out there in case it is needed. While I found Emma appealing and enjoyed her journey, I can also see how her overcoming her injuries thru attitude & determination, mixed with hard work, may be problematic.)

I really enjoy Shalvis’s Wildstone stories. While they are technically part of a series, they are stand alone but every one contains her special mix of romance, emotion, and growth.

In Love for Beginners, Emma is recovering from a serious accident, the betrayal of her fiance & her best friend, and the loss of her future. Now her life is full of pain, heartbreak, and turmoil. With the help of her PT, Simon, she’s slowly working to get her body stronger, but her emotions and her life need just as much help. A growing attraction to Simon is complicating an already complicated situation. When their association also brings her high school nemesis into her life again, Emma’s difficulties seem to just be multiplying.

All of the characters are appealing and I found myself rooting for everyone to find their happy. Emma is snarky but fun and works hard for what she wants. With Simon’s, and then Alison’s, help she’s slowly finding new footing. Alison may come across as cold but she feels deeply - she just has difficulty letting people in, even when she wants to. She definitely had me pulling for her. Simon feels a lot of pressure to keep his family going and it’s making it hard to do what he wants to do. Including having a relationship with Emma. But it’s Dale, Simon’s dad, who may just win your heart.

Love for Beginners has a lot of ups and downs, humor and sadness, heat and feels, all mixed together as the story makes its way, sometimes wonkily, to a HEA.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**