I loved figuring out that the first POV was the house's; that was cute and refreshingly unexpected. Afterward, though, the unlabeled POV switches were awfully confusing. Some interesting ideas and scenes, but overall not my cup of tea.

Some parts dragged, especially after the dramatic introduction; it undermined the leisurely pace of the main story. The relationship started sweet, then got cliche, then turned out really messed up.

If only real boys were as dreamy as Liam - though, I hated his sudden-about face when it came to girls. Pauline was a friend I'd love to know. I really enjoyed the

Spoiler

ghost

reveal/twist.

A sweet/fluffy addition to the other two books, but I got a little bored by the lack of plot development: I wasn't invested enough in their relationship to really enjoy this installment, I guess.

3.5 stars.

I adore the small-town setting, though I did feel like too much was being crammed in: diner, filmmaking, painting, photography, sculpture, baking, etc. The description felt more like telling than showing — long detailed passages in straightforward everyday language — and while the pictures being painted are lovely, I have to admit that I wish the prose matched.

The characters weren’t exceptional, though definitely sympathetic; mostly they contributed to existing archetypes, and similarly, the plot seemed to be built on a foundation of tropes. (The exception is the Freckles subplot — who doesn’t want the lost dog to find his way home?) But while I’m generally a fan of diversifying the relationships portrayed (siblings, in-laws, coworkers/friends, neighbors, etc), the way Nora talks about her sister’s boyfriend makes him sound like a love interest, though nothing of the sort ever happens or is even implied beyond her observations of his tattoos and kindness and baking skill. On the other hand, the romance seemed propped up by convention and expectation — sure, Elliot’s a great guy, but I wasn’t super invested in whether they got together.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable enough read, but probably won’t leave much of an impression.

Wow. A lot of the later developments are tropey, including the romance itself, but it's so masterfully spun out in such a beautiful story that I hardly mind. The characters are bright and memorable; the setting is equally exquisite; even the writing itself sparkles.

I wish I'd read this book years ago; though Hattie's sixteen-going-on-seventeen, it seems intended for younger readers. Still, I enjoyed the letters and articles Hattie writes, and reading about her homestead adventures and found family.

It's like a more mainstream version of Little House, a childhood favorite of mine, but with a more chartable plot and slightly different themes: finding a family (Laura Ingalls always had one, and that's a big part of the reason we love her stories), proving yourself to the world and to yourself (which is really a theme in most books, but it's especially pronounced and literal here), a little bit of romance, historically accurate and sadly always-relevant xenophobia.

I don’t know if I’ve been out of this ‘verse for so long that it was just difficult to return, or if my tastes have changed, or if there just really is a huge difference between this book and the previous one. Either way, this one was dismayingly similar to the rest of its genre: a divided organization, reunions and separations, hidden talents and secrets, and of course

Spoiler

a tough choice between two brothers

. It seemed like Ruby was passing out at the end of every other chapter, and the inconsistent use of irregularly spelled nicknames (Roo and Lee especially) kept throwing me off.

Look, you just know it’s bad when

Spoiler

a major character death

elicits an eye roll instead of empathy. Though I did find Jude pretty annoying throughout the book, but not as much so as Ruby.