Review: All Roads Lead to You

Jennifer Probst's Stay series has been an absolute delight to read. Such a delight, in fact, that they're some of the hardest reviews to write because I just want to tell you they're lovely and you should read them. But I will do my best to tell you all exactly why you should read All Roads Lead to You.

Here's the synopsis:

Happily single, Harper Bishop trusts in only one passion—her rescue farm and healing her thoroughbred, Phoenix. Her dream is to lead him to the Triple Crown. But how unreachable is it without experience or help? A handsome new guest at her family’s B&B has what it takes to make it come true. And with his irresistible brogue, warm smile, and soothing touch, he’s a major distraction.
After a bitter betrayal, horse trainer Aidan O’Connor has fled Ireland for a vacation in New York’s Hudson Valley. When he sees the horse with the fighting spirit, he’s inspired with a new goal: to train Phoenix to win. He’s also facing an unexpected new challenge: his feelings for Harper
How can she dare to open her heart to a man who’ll be there only long enough to break it?
So Harper and Aidan agree: try to keep it professional, and focus only on Phoenix and the finish line. But along the way, they could also learn a few lessons in love, trust, and taking chances. And, as painful as it promises to be, saying goodbye.

As I said, this is a series (read my reviews of book one and two) but it's one of those ones where you could read them out of order if that's how they come across your reading plate. They're romances so you know from the get go that the main characters are going to get together so you shouldn't be spoiled too much when you read about a previous couple in subsequent books.

What I really liked about this series was just how freaking lovely they are. They're not annoyingly sweet and find just the right the balance of drama and romance. There's a focus on career and family, not just the romantic relationship. There's a cast of secondary characters who liven things up (including a hilarious Polish chicken named Hei Hei) and complement the main characters and their story.

A big part of the loveliness of this series is due to the books' location. They're set in Hudson Valley, somewhere I've never actually been but have read a good number of romances set there. I love the small town feel that also has some hustle and bustle because of tourists that visit every summer. Small town romances are some of my favourites so it really shouldn't be a surprise that I liked these ones so much because of that.

Harper was the sibling that was the hardest to get a read on through the other two books. She's not stand-offish, exactly, but she doesn't see the point of romance and a Happily Ever After like her siblings seem to. She's super focused on her work and her horses which, I think, is why Aidan got to her. He was a lot like her in that he was hyper-focused on his work and horses too. It was enjoyable to watch them learn to work together, instead of butting heads, which, as you may imagine, ratcheted up the sexual tension. 

I'm not a horse person (I only had the briefest of pony phases when I was a kid) but I really liked reading about the race circuit in this story. It wasn't something I had ever really thought about so in-depth before and it was an interesting backdrop for a romance novel. 

I think a lot of us can use some really sweet and fun romances these days and I highly recommend Jennifer Probst's Stay series. They're quick reads that will uplift and delight you. I'm sad All Roads Lead to You seems to the be the last because I've thoroughly enjoyed all the time I've spent with those characters and I'm sad that I won't have the occasion to visit them again.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Thomas Allen & Son, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: A Brand New Ending

Like most romance readers, I have tropes I enjoy and tropes I don't. A Brand New Ending, the second book in Jennifer Probst's Stay series, hit so many of the tropes I love and I so enjoyed my time spent reading it.

Here's the synopsis:

Ophelia Bishop was a lovestruck teenage girl when she and Kyle Kimpton chased their dreams to Hollywood. Kyle’s dreams came true. Ophelia’s did not. When Kyle chose his career over their relationship, Ophelia returned home to rural New York to run the family’s B & B—wiser, and more guarded against foolish fantasies. Now Kyle has come crashing back into her life, and all her defenses are down.
Kyle can’t think of a better place to write his latest screenplay than his hometown. After all, that was where he met the heart of his inspiration—his first love. He knows the damage he’s caused Ophelia, and he wants a chance to mend their relationship. If anyone can prove to Ophelia that happy ever afters aren’t only for the movies, it should be him.
As much as Ophelia’s changed, she still has feelings for Kyle. But her heart has been broken before, and she knows that Kyle could run back to Hollywood at any time. She gave up her dreams once, but maybe she can dare to change her own love story…one last time.

I have two favourite tropes and I can't decide between the two which I love more. Luckily, Probst gave them both to me. Small town and second-chance romances are my jam so it's no surprise I adored Ophelia and Kyle's story. These are also cliches that can, well, become just that if they're not done well. I already knew Probst would nail the small-town charm because I fell in love with the Robin's Nest B&B in the first book of the series, The Start of Something Good (you can check out my full review here if you missed it). Part of what made the setting so delightful in the first book was Ophelia's charm, which came through even though the first book was about her brother. In her story, you realize how big her heart really is. Sometimes those kinds of characters can be a pushover but Ophelia has spunk and I adored her. (It's also why her brother, Ethan, calls her Tinkerbell - she has the same sass as the fairy.) She's just such a wonderful person - and kudos to Probst for writing such great characters - that you cannot help but root for her and hope she gets the Happily Ever After she deserves.

And Kyle? Definitely deserves her. I would say he was mostly to blame for their relationship imploding (not to say Ophelia was innocent but he was in the wrong) but Probst, again, wrote him so well that you couldn't hate him. He had his reasons and they make sense when you remember he was a 20 year old guy trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood. That's not an easy thing to do. (I assume. Since I've never been a 20 year old guy nor have I even been to California.) Another thing that's not easy? Realizing when you're in the wrong and working your ass off to fix the problems you created. Kyle takes a little while to figure out why Ophelia was so hurt and why she left him but once he does? He works hard to make sure she realizes he's sorry and refuses to fall into the same trap again. Plus I just loved that he's a writer. (A third trope I enjoy!)

Kyle and Ophelia really fought their attraction. Actually. That's not strictly true. Ophelia fought it. Kyle was pretty open with his plan to seduce her. (Another thing I loved? He didn't push her in a skeezy way. He respects her so much.) But once she realized she still had some sort of feelings for him? Hoo boy. Fireworks. Probst knows how to write sweet and sexy. My favourite.

A Brand New Ending, which just published this week, was such a lovely read. Jennifer Probst has written a story full of heart, heat, and hope. It's the perfect book to pick up when you need a pick-me-up and will have you swooning and falling in love, just like the characters in this story.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Thomas Allen & Son, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Start of Something Good

I'm a broken record when it comes to talking about romance novels. I've said time and time again that I love reading really good romances and don't care that I know the basic formula of the plot going in. I argue that many romance readers read them specifically because they know they're going to get a satisfying ending. A lot of us read to "escape" our lives for a little while and if a sweet, sexy, fun Happily Ever After novel isn't a good escape, I don't know what is. My point? I just read The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst which I was downright thrilled to read even if it wasn't the best book I've ever read in my life. I read it because I wanted to see a couple fall in love and ride off into the sunset and Probst gave me that. And for that, I say I really enjoyed the book.

Here's the synopsis:

When Ethan Bishop returns to the Hudson Valley, his body and spirit are a little worse for wear. As a former Special Forces paratrooper, he saw his fair share of conflict, and he came home with wounds, inside and out. At his sisters’ B & B and farm, he can keep all his pain at a safe distance. But quiet time isn’t easy when a fiery woman explodes into his life…
It’s business—not pleasure—that brings Manhattan PR agent Mia Thrush reluctantly to the farm. Tightly wound and quick tempered, Mia clashes immediately with the brooding Ethan. Everything about him is irritating—from his lean muscles and piercing blue eyes to his scent of sweat and musk.
But as the summer unfolds and temperatures rise, Ethan and Mia discover how much they have in common: their guarded histories, an uncontrollable desire, and a passion for the future that could heal two broken hearts. But will their pasts threaten their fragile chance at a brand-new future?

Of course, as much as I enjoyed my time reading this book there were a few things that sort of drove me bananas. The first was Mia's job. Well, not the job itself as, spoiler alert, I actually work in PR myself and am just a year older than Mia is. Our differences is Mia started her working life in PR whereas I've only recently jumped into the field. Even though my position is very different (I'm a bottom rung of the ladder, grunt work kind of girl right now), I can still see what it would be like for Mia in an organization such as the firm I work for. Sort of. I find novels, romances in particular, tend to stereotype jobs a little bit and I found Probst did that with Mia and PR. Even though Ethan eventually realizes his assumptions about her were totally off  (once she set him straight), I just found the shiny veneer on Mia's job kind of...fake and unsettling. I guess my problem is with the romance genre in general making PR professionals only work in the big city and that it's "giving up" if they do the same work in a smaller town. OK. Ending my nonsensical rant about PR in romance now. (Maybe there's a potential for a bigger story there though...)

I also found that I sometimes wanted more showing instead of telling. Ethan and Mia have to have a big conversation at some point but...I didn't get to "listen in" on it. Mia recapped it and I felt a bit jilted. And bored. It happened a few times throughout the novel and it was weirdly difficult to tell how quickly (or slowly) time was going.

But overall? I totally loved the story and the idea behind it, even if it wasn't always executed as well as I thought it should have been. I really liked diving into Mia and Ethan's story and found it hard to leave both when I was reading and had to put the book down and then especially as I finished it.

I think what made this book so special for me wasn't even the romance. It was actually how Mia and Ethan both took Chloe under their wings, in different ways, to help her realize she is wanted and she is smart and talented. It was just so amazing to see how everyone at the farm pulled together to help Chloe, Mia, and Ethan realize what they really needed in their lives.

Which brings me to my next point...I'm so glad this is the first book in a series. I wasn't sure if I'd want to read the next ones because from a "is this book actually good?" perspective I was hesitant. But from a "is this story really good?" perspective, I cannot wait for book two. (I feel like that comparison will only make sense to voracious readers like myself!) Ophelia's story, A Brand New Ending, is being published in October.

Also - when can I book my stay at Robin's Nest B&B? I need some of Ophelia's scones.

I know this review is all over the place but here's what you really need to know: if you enjoy romances, you should definitely read The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst. The characters are fantastic (Mia is wicked smart and feisty), the setting is delightful (those who love small town tropes, like me, will fall in love), and the love story is so sweet and real.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the Canadian distributor, Thomas Allen & Son, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*