Reviews

Talulah Barclay’s great aunt left her house and belongings to Talulah and her sister, Debbie. Since Debbie is expecting her fourth child any day, Talulah is in charge of preparing the house and contents for sale. Talulah has a successful bakery/dessert cafe with a partner who has been a friend and wants to be more while Talulah doesn’t know if she’s that interested. The problem locally is that Talulah was a runaway bride and her jilted fiancé, Charlie, holds a grudge. Talulah’s plan is to keep a low profile until the funeral is over and the baby is here. But one of the first people she runs into is Charlie’s best friend, Brant, and things between them begin to heat up. This book follows Talulah through the next week while she packs up the house, cooks the funeral luncheon for her aunt’s church and townspeople, spends time with her family and falls in love with Brandt.

I remember reading some of Novak’s work years ago but this is the first for a long time. I haven’t read any “runaway bride” books and expected that this one might be boring and cliche. But Novak has handled it deftly making it more about doing what would harm others the least. Talulah recognized that she wanted to please others more than herself. There were many characters in this book and sometimes it took some checking twice to see who was who. The main characters were likable and well developed. The description of the small town atmosphere was enjoyable and laid a groundwork for the next books to follow.

This is the first title in a new series (Coyote Canyon #1). There is a second title scheduled for November, 2023 and a third for February, 2024. I expect to watch for them. Recommend to readers who are interested in books featuring romance, contemporary women’s fiction, southern fiction and friendship.

jmcfaddy's review

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4.0

This is the first book in a new series and I am already looking forward to the second book!! I enjoyed the characters and the plot line in this book. I love the small town feel of this book. It was a great read at the beach.

allingoodtime's review

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emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m a big fan of Brenda Novak’s romance books, yet a lot of her work has leaned a bit more toward women’s fiction lately. Still good stories, for the most part, but they don’t evoke the same butterflies in the belly as her earlier books. This book reminds me of those earlier stories and I loved it!

The chemistry between Talulah and Brant is off the charts. Even at the very beginning when he’s being a bit of a jerk there was great rapport. Once the event that throws them together happens there is no stopping their attraction. Speaking of that event, it is my catnip. Brant is injured and loopy and Talulah is worried and caring. I loved it! These two end up not being able to stay away from each other despite their best intentions. Their longing and desire were a palpable thing.

Early on Talulah explains her reasoning for leaving his best friend at the altar 14 years ago. The biggest part of that is that Talulah is a people pleaser. There were times I would find myself getting frustrated with Talulah’s decisions, but knowing her tendencies helped me to somewhat understand her. Not only is Talulah a people pleaser, but she is also someone who second-guesses herself and her instincts. She tends to give people the benefit of the doubt even when they aren’t being genuine and do things to hurt her.

Brant is amazing. He understands Talulah and gives her the space she needs when she needs it, even when it hurts him. He doesn’t ever want her to second guess their relationship if that’s the direction she ultimately chooses to go. Brant wants Talulah to be confident in her decision, but he also knows she would have to give up more for a relationship to work. He never pressures her and is willing to let her lead. That doesn’t mean Brant is a pushover. Not with Talulah and not with others in the town. He shows up for Talulah over and over and is willing to burn some bridges to be sure she is treated fairly.

This is the first in a new series by this author. There were many side characters I’m hoping to see get their HEA. Truth be told, I’m not sure I’ll be okay with the Gerhardt siblings being redeemed. They need some therapy first. Not only were they terrible to Talulah and later Brant, but they have an abundance of anger that needs to be dealt with before they would make good partners to someone else.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

bookanonjeff's review

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Fairly Standard Hallmarkie Type Romance - And There Is Absolutely Nothing Wrong With That. This is one of those fairly standard Hallmarkie type romances that meets up with a touch of Runaway Bride with real-world type complications, particularly in a small town. There is even a minor *hint* of danger (without ever really feeling too suspenseful, more as a touch of "spice" than anything). In other words, those - not even that arguably *millions* - who read romance books and/ or watch Hallmark movies as pure, mostly light, escapism... hey, this book is *exactly* in that vein and thus will be *exactly* what you're looking for. For those who don't like such tales... well, again, this *is* that type of tale. So don't leave a 1* review because it didn't exactly break any new ground or because it had some sex scenes and cursing and such. I've already told you pretty well *exactly* what to expect here, so the fact that you're reading this particular review means that you can't say *no one* warned you. I have! :D

But again, for the millions - *and millions!* (to channel a bit of The Rock) - who want some romantic type drama complete with all that this entails... welcome home. Very much recommended.

anovelglimpse's review

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hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

It's been a while since I've read a book by Brenda Novak. She used to write some of my favorite romance novels and then kind of broke off into women's fiction. I don't have a problem with women's fiction, I just enjoyed her romance novels more. Which leads me to Talulah's Back in Town. It's the first book in Novak's new contemporary romance series Coyote Canyon. I was excited to find out if I would love it as much as I have loved some of her book series, like Whiskey Creek. Spoiler: I did!

Talulah's Back in Town was a fun read. The runaway bride aspect of the story could have been cliche, but it made this romance unique. Talulah didn't just ditch one groom at the alter but three. Over the years, she's come to terms with her commitment issues. She has emotionally grown while she's been away. Talulah knew her faults and wanted to be true to herself as well as others. I don't often see female characters like hers who struggle with commitment in romance novels very often, so it was a nice change. I loved how she met her match in Brant.

The last person Talulah expects to bond with when she returns to Coyote Creek is her ex-fiancé's best friend Brant. They have never gotten along in the past, but time changes things. Now, there's an attraction and connection that wasn't there before. I loved how Brant listened to Talulah and made his own mind up about her. He knew what he wanted and wasn't scared to fight for it. He also didn't suffer fools.

Brant and Talulah end up in this forbidden, hidden friends with benefits type situation. They're trying to hide it from her ex and his best friend, Charlie. Charlie adds an interesting piece to the story because he's still not over Talulah and her ditching him at the altar. To make things even more tense, Charlie's sister was one of Talulah's best friends. She's also unhappy with Talulah's return. It makes things messy for Brant and Talulah's growing relationship. That's not the end of things that stand in their way either. Talulah's also has a business partner who is pushing for more with her. It all made for an interesting and entertaining story. I enjoyed how Brant and Talulah worked through everything that came their way. They did an excellent job communicating with each other - something I don't find often in books.

I loved this book and the only thing I might have wished was different was that it had been in first person instead of third. That's just a personal preference, though. I'm really excited to continue reading more books in this series.

You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .

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