This was such a bittersweet read for me. I was thrilled to finally be reading Cage’s book but so sad that it’s the final installment in the Cottonwood Cove series. I was going to pace myself, which lol, but of course as soon as I started I couldn’t put it down and finished in one sitting. I already knew Cage was a grump but his moodiness besides Presley’s adorable charm was the best combo. Their story is a second chance as they dated as teenagers and that may be my favorite second chance style. Something about high school sweethearts reconnecting just gets me every time and these two were perfect for each other. Gracie was the most adorable kid as always but seeing her relationship with Presley blossom as they bonded made me teary. My sadness at saying goodbye to the Reynolds family was made a little better by the epic ending scenes the author wrote for them, it was such a fitting end to this beloved series and if you loved Honey Mountain too you will go crazy over this. I’ll stop rambling, but this series is a must for fans of small town swoony and spicy romance. 

This one was a little all over the place for me, I think it needed to pick a lane and stick with it instead of toeing the line. At times it felt like I was reading a romance book with toxic drama and then others it felt like I was reading a good case suspense novel. (Super light on the suspense) The failure to distinguish between what it was trying to do lost me unfortunately, but despite debating putting it down I did finish it. That always makes me think there’s something about the authors writing that kept me captivated so gotta give credit there. The suspense aspect fell flat for me as well as I found the twist to be predictable and easy to see coming. I did like the way the author discussed race in relation to criminal cases and found their observations and commentary to be sharp but overall this just wasn’t for me.

Every time I read a book by the author I’m reminded just how much I love her writing, she’s so good! If you were a fan of the off campus series you’re gonna like this one just as much. There’s the same top notch banter, plenty of side characters who were wildly entertaining and lots of glimpses into past characters which is always so fun. Gigi was such a badass heroine, her sense of humor was perfection and Ryder had the whole moody and aloof thing going on. His backstory was heartbreaking and made me feel for him and they both showed a lot of growth by the end. I was legitimately bummed when I finished this one and cannot wait for the second in the series.