Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book is an absolute delight!! Hazel is a successful romance writer that’s just suffered a really bad breakup. Since then, she’s been wallowing in depression and is suffering writer’s block. Although I’m not an author, I can so relate to how stuck Hazel is, and her bestie Zoey is the kind of friend every floundering woman needs to kick her butt and get her moving. Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA. Upon her dramatic arrival―involving an incident with a bald eagle―she discovers the charm of her new home may have been slightly exaggerated. Especially when she runs into perpetual grump Campbell. He’s a bit too grumpy for me, but he was redeemed the further the story went along.

The house is a hot mess and the town is struggling after their biggest employer shut down. Also, since her raccoon-infested home came with a seat on the town council our introverted heroine is stuck with a front row seat to all the small-town shenanigans. Hazel is less than thrilled with being on the council, but it makes for some very funny moments ala Gilmore Girls and Schitt’s Creek.

Of course Campbell and his gorgeous brothers own the town’s construction company, so Hazel hires them to renovate the house. This means she’s treated with seeing all six-feet-three inches of grouchy contractor Campbell Bishop every day. He feels the weight of the world on his shoulders and sighs his way through the book looking after the town and it’s inhabitants like the grouchy grandfather that yells at you to get off the lawn, but then secretly buys the neighbor kids candy.

Hazel is floundering with her writing, so she and Campbell fake dating (as one does) and it sparks her creativity and before she knows it, she’s writing and living a romance novel. I like how Campbell and Hazel pretend their relationship is just friends with benefits, but we all know they are fooling themselves and are falling hopelessly in love. Their banter is absolutely adorable and Campbell’s brothers cracked me up. I can’t wait to read the next books to see them fall in love too. The book gives some great hints as to who may be taking the plunge next and I’m there for it.

I couldn’t put this book down and at more than 500 pages, raced through it. Initially I thought, who needs over 500 pages to tell a rom com? There HAS to be unnecessary filler in there. Nope. To my surprise, I can’t think of much that should have been edited out. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series and highly recommend you check this one out now before the next book drops.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bloom Books. All opinions are my own.