This book is a sweet, cozy romance with a definite opposites attract theme. Meredith is a widowed mom who has returned to her small New England hometown to rebuild her life. Cam considers himself very much a city guy, and he’s just in Blackberry Bay to get answers to questions about his past. Meredith and her daughter have a dog who’s very much a member of the family, while Cam has been adopted by his late grandmother’s stubborn cat.

The love story in this book develops gradually and it’s very sweet. In the beginning, Meredith and Cam are very believable as neighbors who seem to have little in common, but who have been thrown together by virtue of living in houses next door to one another. Children in romance can be tricky, but Meredith’s young daughter Sophie is a very believable and curious six-year-old who feels the need to take in interest in their neighbor’s cat and all the goings-on next door.

Sophie definitely functions as a conduit to bring Meredith and Cam together, but I liked that she comes off as authentic. She’s not overly adorable, and neither does she walk around making speeches that sound like they come from an adult or (worse yet) from an intrusive narrator. Sophie being a kid and Meredith being an attentive parent simply brings the two of them in frequent contact with their new neighbor and along the way, a rapport develops.

The main drama here comes as the leads attempt to move on from their pasts. Meredith clearly loved her late husband, but now she is moving on and building a new life with her daughter. Cam, on the other hand, grew up with every material advantage but in a dysfunctional family. He’s been raised to be the good, loyal son and to help run the family business. However, the longer he stays in Blackberry Bay, the more Cam starts to think that he wants something different from life. He clearly had no intention of starting a relationship, but something about Meredith just calls to him.

While there is some emotional tension to the story, this one isn’t high angst. It’s a sweet, heartwarming story that moves gently through some heavy subjects. The characters are decent and authentic, and I could believe in a happily ever after for them. And to get back to our TBR theme, the pets make frequent appearances and are definitely very much part of the family.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

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