All it takes to start a fire is one single match. . . Owen Larrabee is not my soulmate. He wasn’t when I confessed my love to him on his wedding day, and he isn’t now. I should probably say that I wasn’t the bride when that happened. I don’t have the best timing. He’s got a temper, he’s moody, and he has a history of being misunderstood and making big mistakes. I, on the other hand, make pumpkin cupcakes, spend my Friday nights curled up with a beloved romance novel and long to be kissed in the rain. Owen is my best friend’s older, off-limits brother and the only boy I ever thought I loved. Which is laughable because he only ever saw me as his kid sister’s dorky friend. But that was a long time ago. And I’m over him. Mostly. Until he comes back to Harvest Hollow like some kind of hero, showing up just in time to pull me out of my burning house and make me feel all the things I told myself I’d never feel again. Darn him and that brooding, intense way he looks at me. But I have questions. Why is Owen back? And does he remember our secret friendship or the day I’ve spent the last eight years trying to forget? I know better than to get hung up on Owen again. Especially now, when he’s sworn off relationships and thinks romance is a farce. And I’m something of an expert—at least to the people who listen to my podcast, The Hopeful Romantic . Never mind that nobody would guess their local bookshop owner is the one doling out popular weekly relationship advice. Never mind that I’m basing all that advice on the hundreds, (thousands?) of romance novels I’ve read over the years and not on personal experience. And especially never mind that Owen is making me question everything I believe about all of it. Can’t Help Falling is a best friend’s brother, childhood crush, opposites attract sweet rom-com with plenty of sizzle but none of the steam.
I recently saw a meme that said something along the lines of saying I love you sometimes looks like: “Did you get home okay?”, “I bought you food” and some other cute lines. Courtney Walsh does such a cute job of showing that love looks different for everyone and each couple. Love may look like kissing in the rain or going to a baseball game but for others, it may look like fixing your car or helping you clean the house.
“The man who saved my life is a grown-up version of the boy who broke my heart.“
Enter Emmy and Owen… I adored them! Emmy with her quirky personality, romance-lover, bookshop owner self. Then Owen the hunky firefighter is back in town after running from it years ago. These two were the perfect old friends to lovers and I loved watching them rekindle their relationship. I also loved the mention of Owen’s learning disability and how he came out on top.
Being back in Harvest Hollow is always delightful. I love this series so much and this story is definitely a stand-out so far!
Jotted by Jena 