Review: Falling for You

I have really enjoyed Barb Curtis’s Sapphire Springs series. The small town romance series was so delightful and I’m a little sad Falling for You is the final book in the series. It was a lovely finale and I really liked hanging out with all the characters Curtis created. I’ll miss them!

Here’s the book’s description:

Just when recently evicted yoga instructor Faith Rotolo thinks her luck has run out, she inherits a historic mansion in quaint Sapphire Springs. Though Faith never imagined putting roots down anywhere, small-town life is growing on her, as is her fixer-upper house. If only her handsome new contractor, Rob Milan, would stop spoiling her daydreams with the realities of a major rehab…and his generally grouchy vibes.
A single dad of two, Rob doesn’t have much time for fantasy wish-list ideas his clients can’t afford. Then again, Faith’s creative energy might be exactly what he needs right now. But while Rob and Faith work to give her home the second chance it deserves, their spirited clashes wind up sparking a powerful attraction. As work nears completion, and Faith’s house becomes the shining jewel of the neighborhood, will she and Rob realize that they deserve a fresh start too?

I had a feeling, especially when reading the second book in the series, that this third novel would feature Rob, Leyna’s brother (her story is in the first book) and I gotta say…I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I knew about his background – he had punched the man his wife was having an affair with and was dealing with troublesome custody issues when he had been the main parent of his two girls during his marriage. I knew he wasn’t a violent man and I could understand why he did what he did but I still had a tough time getting on board. It was like it was unnecessary drama and his story could have been different and still gotten a similar vibe. It was a lot to overcome and I don’t think I quite accomplished it.

That said…I was HERE for the love story. I was rooting for Faith and Rob because they were so right for each other. I also really liked that they got off on the wrong foot – multiple times – before they settled into a friendship (that turned into more). It was a bit like an opposites attract with a dash of enemies to lovers (but not true enemies so I was good with it). Their relationship, with all the ups and downs, really was lovely to read and I was so pleased with their HEA.

The history mystery (rhyme intended) in this story was so intriguing. Faith doesn’t know much about her family’s past and she’s surprised by what she uncovers. I just recently read a historical fiction novel that took place during Prohibition so it was fun to read a romance that referenced it as well. It was a really lovely side story and I enjoyed it so much. I don’t want to say too much about it though because it’ll be more enjoyable for you to unravel the mystery right alongside Faith and Rob.

I had a lovely time reading Falling for You and thought it was a great final book in Barb Curtis’s Sapphire Springs series. I’m sad to say goodbye to this wonderful town and characters but I’m really looking forward to what Curtis writes next!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Only for You

Barb Curtis published her debut novel, Forever with You, last year and I thought it was super cute so I was excited for the next book in the Sapphire Springs series. Only for You, just published today, featured a new couple in the small western New York town and I loved it.

Here's the book's description:

Will a fake relationship between two friends lead to true love?
After having his heart broken on national television, Tim Fraser knows only one way to stop the gossip about his love life-a new girlfriend. The problem is, he's done with romance forever. A fake relationship with his friend and Sapphire Spring's sweetest baker, Emily Holland, seems the perfect solution to getting rid of his newfound fame, but their fleeting fauxmance is stirring up the kinds of feelings Tim has sworn off for good.
Emily has secretly lusted after Tim for years, but pretending her feelings are all for show never factored into her fantasy. Still, her decades-long crush makes it impossible to say no to Tim's proposal. But with each date, the lines between pretend and reality blur, giving Tim and Emily a tantalizing taste of life outside the friend zone . . . if they can find the courage to give real love a chance. 

I liked Only for You so much more than the first book in the series. I think a lot of that had to do with the couple in this story. There was something about Emily and Tim that had me enjoying their love story more - even when it was driving me bananas! Both characters are big hearted and so kind. They have their differences, which makes things interesting, but their values are so similar. It was hard to see how Tim could be so blind to Emily's feelings for him.

Tim's obliviousness knocked off a few swoon points, to be honest, because he just couldn't see what was right in front of him. It was hard to understand some of his hangups and I'm glad Emily approached things the way she did near the end. I was Team Emily, as much as I adored Tim, and even though I knew he'd get his head on straight because, hello, this is a romance, I would have been right by Emily's side with her bestie Leyna (the heroine from the first novel), telling her she was better off without the knobhead and we'd find her someone else who was perfect for her. 

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, this story technically takes place in New York state but Curtis did her wine research with a winemaker in Niagara in Ontario, which is where I live. I can totally picture the town near that winery and it fits so well with the town of Sapphire Springs so I couldn't help but picture it again as I read this novel. I almost feel like pitching the Maple Magic Festival to the town because it sounded like SO much fun. 

I'm already looking forward to getting back to Sapphire Springs in whatever novel Curtis writes next. I think the story will feature Rob, Leyna's brother and friend to every character we've met so far. He's been through a nasty divorce but seems like such a wonderful guy so I hope we get to see his Happily Ever After too.

Only for You is such a sweet read that you'll have finished in no time. This story is perfect for those who like closed door romances and small towns that are a character all on their own. Barb Curtis' second novel thoroughly entertained me - so much so that I'm sad the story is over! Definitely consider picking this one up!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Forever with You

Barb Curtis' debut novel Forever with You delighted me beyond belief. It's the first in a new romance series set in a fictional small town and I had such a lovely time reading it. Romance lovers, take note!

Here's the synopsis:

Jay Wynter wants to be successful on his own merit. That's why he left Sapphire Springs and his family's winery to build a career from scratch. But now that he's successor to Wynter Estate, Jay must return to his small hometown to face everything, and everyone, he left behind-especially his high school sweetheart, who happens to be his stunning new business partner . . .

Leyna Milan knows family legacies come with strings attached, but she's determined to prove that she can run her family's restaurant. Of course, Leyna never expected that honoring her grandfather's wishes meant opening a second location on her ex's property-or having to ignore Jay's sexy grin and guard the heart he shattered years before. But as they work closely together, she begins to discover that maybe first loves deserve a second chance . . . 

Sapphire Springs isn't a real town and Curtis, a fellow Canadian, chose to set her novel in upstate New York. However, in her acknowledgements she mentioned she talked to winemaker Brian Schmidt at Vineland Estates Winery, which is in the Niagara region (in Canada) and where I live. It wasn't obvious at the start that it was in New York state so I went about my merry way and pictured the town as one of the few small villages surrounding Vineland Estates. Even after I learned where it was supposed to be set, my little brain refused to acknowledge it and I will just pretend this is a book set in Canada :)

This is very much a romance novel, which I'll get to more in a bit, but Curtis added a mystery into the mix. Jay was convinced something went wrong with Leyna's inheritance and there was something amiss. I won't go into many details because it should stay a surprise but...Curtis kind of lost me with that plot. It was overdramatic and kind of far fetched and just didn't quite seem to work with the rest of the story. It wasn't bad and it did add a little bit more tension but after I finished the book I was just kind of like...what the heck just happened?

One of the reasons I chose to read and review this book was the second chance element. That's my jam and I liked how Curtis wrote the relationship between Jay and Leyna. It was almost hard to believe that they could fall back into a relationship after 18 years apart, especially since they were teens when they dated the first time around, but I could see it. What got frustrating was Leyna's insistence that they not talk about why they split the first time around. Don't these people realize they should communicate? (No, they don't, because then where would the story be??) But I rolled with it and read on to see if (or, more accurately, how) the pair could sort things out.

I also wanted to read this one because it was set in a small town around a winery. Small town set stories are another of my favourites, given I grew up in a small town and really like the community aspect so many towns have. Plus, as I mentioned, I live in wine country in Ontario and, well, let's just say I take part in the local offerings quite often. It was really cool to have Jay explain about the winemaking process. It may read as too technical for some people but I really enjoyed learning about how certain grapes grow and what a winemaker needs to consider when growing and taking care of grapes. Some of it I already knew, you pick up a lot living around here and dating a journalist who often talks to folks at wineries, but some was new to me and I liked learning about it.

I really liked reading Forever with You and definitely recommend Barb Curtis' novel to other romance readers. It was fun and sweet and I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*