Talk of the Town is a slow burn and super sweet. Noelle didn’t have a conventional up-bringing and it’s caused her to be a little more awkward socially. She’s got a good heart, loves her son & MIL, and works hard. But she still has some left over trauma from her parents that makes it difficult to navigate friendships & potential romantic relationships.

Peter may be a little naive himself, especially reading women, but he does know that he’d like something more than friends with Noelle. He’s a little hesitant to do anything about it, though, for fear of losing the relationship that they do have so far. But, unbeknownst to him, his meddling sister may just give him the help he needs when her machinations to see Peter in a relationship also has Noelle looking at him in a new way.

The mom’s Facebook group provides the occasional bit of light-heartedness and some additional context to the goings-on of the town, but a lot of the time the women just came across as mean, both in the group and in person. It may be hard for some who have experienced similar bullying (which is one of the reasons it may hit hard is that it felt so real) but I do appreciate how Noelle’s growth is shown in her handling of some of these situations and that Peter is willing to stand up for Noelle with his beloved sister.

Bardsley captures both the complexity of family and the complications of small town life, giving us a slew of characters to root for … and sometimes against. She’s not going to get you to that HEA any time soon but the story will keep your attention so you don’t care how long it takes to get there.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**