Rating: Good
Source: Publisher
Description: When Alice ‘Murph’ Murphy’s beloved mother died, she promised to keep the family bakery in Graceville, Georgia afloat—even if it meant letting her high-school sweetheart, Nash Harris, go. For years, Murph has been biding her time, waiting for Nash to come back for her.
So when he strolls into Piece O’ Cake, Murph’s heart skips a beat—until he hands her an invitation to his wedding… There are painful secrets in both their pasts that only the two of them share, and Murph can’t bear the thought of Nash belonging to someone else.
There’s only one thing Murph can think of to do: fake a relationship with local bar owner and old friend Harley Shaw to remind Nash of what he’s losing, and win him back for good.
Nash is Murph’s best friend, a vivid reminder of her childhood and all the things she’s lost—but the more time Murph and Harley spend together, the more the lines between real and pretend begin to blur. Can Murph choose between the one who got away and the one who never left—and heal her aching heart?
Genre: Romance - Contemporary
Why I Picked This Book: I love a good fake relationship and can never resist a book where a main character is a baker.
My Impression: This was a nice read. The characters are nice, the town is nice, the writing is nice and I enjoyed reading it. Is it one that will feature in my Best of 2020 list? No, but it kept me entertained and was a quick read and both of those count for something.
Murph is a nice woman whose been dealt a not so nice hand but is holding her own. In some ways she seems a little emotionally stunted. Her life fell apart when she was 21 and it felt a bit like she was still stuck at that age with the same dreams without realizing that time had passed. So when it is made incredibly clear to hear that not only has time passed but everyone else is now in a different place with their hopes and dreams she comes apart a bit. Because she came off as stuck and not incredibly immature I never found Murph annoying (well at least not very) but instead felt sympathetic. I did like Harley quite a bit and it was fun seeing he and Murph spend more and more time together without Nash being the focus.
I had two issues with this book. The first is I found it a bit hard to believe that Nash would really waltz in and expect Murph to be excited about his wedding. It isn't that they were old friends and he didn't really know she had a thing for him. They were together and had actually had a bit of a fling not that long before he met his soon-to-be wife. His attitude just seemed especially clueless. The second was how quickly Murph jumped from Nash to Harley. I definitely thing Harley was the better choice but her thinking that didn't seem to evolve but was more an instant switch. Neither of these kept me from enjoying the book and this is an author I will read more from in the future.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would! While this isn't one of my top reads of the year it was enjoyable and a quick read.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you're looking for a light quick romance then this would be a great choice.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I read this book too and I totally agree with you. The whole instant change to Harley was really weird if you ask me. But it was a fun read, just not great.
ReplyDeleteYour issues give me pause, but I am glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a nice read is exactly what you need. I haven't tried this author before.
ReplyDeleteSounds okay, but if possible I look for something a little more than nice. But that's the best about reading thoughts on books because then I know what to pick up. Loving the cozy!!
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