Merritt and her Childhood Crush by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor is such a sweet story! I loved every single second and I’m so sad my time with these characters is over. There is so much to love. The writing is very well done; again, the storyline and pacing are so seamless it’s hard to believe two very unique and different authors wrote this story. A true testament to St. Clair’s and Proctor’s writing talents and teamwork. What struck me the most as I was reading is the depth of emotions I felt. There were moments my heart hurt for Merritt and Hunter. It is very clear from page one that these two characters are meant to be, but so much got in their way in the past they just aren’t together. But I felt deeply hopeful for these two and cheered the whole story for their happily-ever-after. One of my favorite things about this story is Hunter’s pack or unique animals. Hunter fosters and shelters special-needs creatures. Currently, he has several adorable puppies and one precocious racoon. Aside from being cute and adorable, and quite silly, I appreciate the animals for the message they illustrate in the story. There is a moment when Hunter ruminates on how difficult it is to communicate. Hunter is the king of running away from emotions and communicating how he truly feels. It’s just hard for him, and always has been. But his animals, once they feel safe and secure, do not have one once of fear when it comes to communicating their emotions and needs. If a puppy is excited to see you, he runs up in a state of pure joy and lets you know he’s so happy you exist. It’s easy. Puppies just do it. Hunter wonders why it’s so difficult for humans. I don’t know why I like this topic so much, but I do. It made me think about my puppies and how excited they are to see me when I come home from work. It’s so easy for them to show me how they feel, and they never shy away from communicating their love. It is quite humbling, really. And it makes me realize I need to be more open and vulnerable with the people I love. I need to share more love and hugs and kisses with my loved ones. I need to be more open about sharing feelings, rather than hold them all inside. Isn’t this such a great message? I absolutely loved it.

I heartily enjoyed every minute of Merritt and her Childhood Crush. This is a Contemporary Romance I highly recommend. If you are in the mood for a sweet and endearing romance with excellent characters and timely themes, then this is just the book for you.

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on January 30, 2023, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.