Book Description:

There was a time in Ben Oliver’s life when his career was more important than anything — including his girlfriend, Angie, who he walked away from when she told him she was pregnant. Even before that night, he’d been drinking too much, but after that night, the drinking got worse.

That was four years ago. Now he’s sober and opened a law office half an hour from where he grew up. He’s stayed away from Angie and the little girl he never met because he believes their life will be better without him, but when her family moves back to the area and her parents ask him to be involved in his little girl’s life, his past catches up with him.

Judi Lambert has battled her own demons and is now fighting for her sobriety. She wants to kick her party-girl lifestyle to the curb and she’s well on her way. Not far into the journey to get her life back on track, though, she’s forced to relive a traumatic experience with a man she’d once thought was simply her ticket to a good time.

When Judi and Ben’s worlds collide, can they work together to get their lives back on track? And can Judi work to help Ben get Angie and his daughter back again?

My Thoughts:

I loved this return to Spencer Valley! I am going to be up front, Lisa is my buddy, but she did not ask me to read and review her book. I wanted to, and I pre-ordered this book way back in October knowing that I would love it. And knowing Lisa she would probably want criticism of some sort, but..she’s not going to get it from me because I adored this book.

One thing Lisa really excels at is writing characters who are accessible, relatable, people you would know, y’know? Characters who have hopes and dreams but have made mistakes, who do not have it all together, like most of us. Her books are always so full of wit and humor, that make me chuckle or laugh out loud while reading. And this book, like all the rest is funny, smart, heartwarming, and a little heartbreaking too.

Let’s start with Judi, the former party girl who is tired of living that lifestyle and wants to do something else with her life. This decision had a few factors in the forming of it, from being tired of waking up feeling crappy after a night out partying to a much larger, more traumatic incident that haunts her. Seriously, poor Judi, because she has A LOT going on in this book. Like seriously. I was rooting for her so hard, and there were so many situations that occurred that could have sent her spinning off in the wrong direction again. I think that despite her outward appearances, a flighty flibbertigibbet, she is really actually quite brave and strong.

Ben on the other hand, outwardly looks like a person who does have it all together. He has returned to the area after time away, and opened a law firm nearby. He has clients and responsibilities, and unfortunately at the beginning of this book, also has a totaled car which leaves him with some other longer lasting issues. Ben has skeletons in his closet too, just his aren’t on display for everyone. He has overcome a drinking problem, and lives with the fact that he abandoned the woman he loved and their baby, and has lived with this for four years. Ben’s story broke my heart a little, especially for his child. He has a chance now to change that, and every interaction with Ben and his tiny daughter are just adorable, and I was rooting for Ben too! Like, please, let this work for him. However, there were some hurdles in his way that needed to be worked out first.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it all in two days! It is very readable and I wanted to just keep reading and reading so I could see how things turned out for these two.

If you are interested, you can purchase the book here. You can visit Lisa’s blog here.