Releasing on September 30, 2024

Meyer could come off as prickly or rude to the people she was wary of, but she was fiercely protective and present for those who mattered to her. Growing up in a small town, everyone still saw her as the kid she used to be and didn't take her seriously enough when she took over the inn from her mother. This made her even more determined to prove herself to everyone, but she was terrified of failing and proving that she wasn't cut out for it. Change was something that she didn't do well with, and she needed that sense of control over her life and the inn desperately. When Jackson's involvement threatens everything she's planned and worked for her entire life, she lashes out and fights him every step of the way to hold on to any shred of control she can. Having to not only prove herself to the whole town but also to Jackson now, who had a fancy degree and was from the city, made her feel like she wasn't enough and was failing before she had even started.

Jackson had a lot going on in his personal life, and his workaholic lifestyle was really taking a toll on his health, but he had no idea how to stop. When his grandmother's last request leads him to Fraisier Creek, making him half owner of the Dog Days Inn, he doesn't know what to think of it and initially wants nothing to do with the small town that's located in the middle of nowhere. However, he decides to give it the six months that his grandmother asks him to while he's forced to take a break from work.

As the story progresses, Jackson slowly but surely starts feeling a sense of belonging in this small town and starts forming relationships with the people in town. The quiet of the town, the banter with Meyer, and planning how to develop the inn spark his interest while also not making it feel like work or making him feel like it's too much. Coming up with new ideas to better the inn with Meyer brings a sense of excitement that he was missing in his life.

The romance between Meyer and Jackson took its time to develop, which was really good because we could see these characters slowly falling into a routine and getting to know each other even if they weren't interested in a partnership at first. Things picked up for them when the person targeting Meyer started getting bolder and the two put aside their personal differences and worked together. This led to them sharing parts of themselves that they had kept hidden from everyone. Both had a lot to work on and figure out as individuals, but being together kind of helped them see things from a new perspective.

I really loved the banter between Meyer and Jackson. The way Jackson pushed her buttons and her reactions to him were so hilarious. What I also loved was how her reactions didn't irritate him, but he grew to love them and feel amused when he was able to get under her skin the way he did. Jackson was really patient with Meyer. Meyer took a long time to see Jackson for who he truly was instead of sticking to the version of him she had created in her head when he first came to town. I loved the way Jackson observed her, wanting to know everything about her, constantly kept proving that he was on her side, and he gained her trust. She was also scared to look at her feelings too closely because she thought her behavior towards him would surely push him away, or if he knew too much of what went on in her head, he'd leave. 

The suspense part of the book had me absolutely hooked, and the threats and incidents only kept getting more intense and dangerous, which had me at the edge of my seat, and the reveal at the end also aligned with everything very well. I have to say that the balance between the romance, the self-discovery of Meyer and Jackson as individuals, and the suspense were all worked on very well, and as a reader, you get a good understanding of all aspects without feeling rushed, left out, or neglected.

I loved the side characters and how supportive they were, how they welcomed Jackson, and how they were the voice of reason for Meyer. I'm looking forward to Pippa and Well's book next.

One thing I personally felt could've made this a 5-star read for me, and I think it's just minute things really was that when the reveal happened, I kind of wished that whole situation and the drama were prolonged more and things had gotten more tense between all the parties involved before being concluded, especially given how well the danger and suspense had been incorporated throughout the book. I just felt like I needed that situation at the end to get a bit more tense. But again, that's just a me thing.

Thank you to Bobbi Maclaren and Luna Literary for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.