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belle13's review
emotional
tense
medium-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
Amount of spice:🔥🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️Secret Baby
❤️Second Chance
❤️Drama & Family Dynamics
❤️Autism Rep
❤️Small Town Romance
❤️Angsty
I was instantly hooked. I don’t know what Cate puts in her writing but it always draws you in immediately and keeps you glued to the pages. It is so well written and there are so many cleverly thought out little details Cate peppers throughout. The push and pull, their tension and their dynamic was all just perfect.
I also loved the way that Mia was written and her relationship with Shay. This is such a wonderful depiction of motherhood and more specifically parenting a child with ASD. It really highlights the fact that people with ASD are beautiful, capable and interesting people and that parenting a neurodivergent child comes with its challenges but also so many special moments.
This is a romance about a police officer which normally I would avoid but by the time I had realised he was I was in too deep and completely hooked. I also thought it was all wrapped up a little too quickly and abruptly but I was having too much fun to care.
I would recommend it if you want a romance with a strong, complex FMC and a MMC that quite literally wants to sweep her off her feet and a sweet family dynamic that will make you want to cry a little.
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️Secret Baby
❤️Second Chance
❤️Drama & Family Dynamics
❤️Autism Rep
❤️Small Town Romance
❤️Angsty
I was instantly hooked. I don’t know what Cate puts in her writing but it always draws you in immediately and keeps you glued to the pages. It is so well written and there are so many cleverly thought out little details Cate peppers throughout. The push and pull, their tension and their dynamic was all just perfect.
I also loved the way that Mia was written and her relationship with Shay. This is such a wonderful depiction of motherhood and more specifically parenting a child with ASD. It really highlights the fact that people with ASD are beautiful, capable and interesting people and that parenting a neurodivergent child comes with its challenges but also so many special moments.
This is a romance about a police officer which normally I would avoid but by the time I had realised he was I was in too deep and completely hooked. I also thought it was all wrapped up a little too quickly and abruptly but I was having too much fun to care.
I would recommend it if you want a romance with a strong, complex FMC and a MMC that quite literally wants to sweep her off her feet and a sweet family dynamic that will make you want to cry a little.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Pregnancy
ibens's review
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
tee_tee_lou_lou's review
5.0
I'm obsessed with Cate's books, her characters, her writing... I can't get enough.
This book was honestly so good. I felt this story down to my bones.
These stories are so real, the feelings are real, messy, and deep. The characters are flawed and interesting, complicated.
Shay is a single mum with her young daughter Mia whom has autism, the way that Cate wrote about her and her autism through Shays eyes was very true, anybody who knows anyone with autism or any disability at all really, especially in children knows that things can be complicated, messy, sometimes hard and upsetting, its all there in this book.
Mia might have been my favourite character in the book.
Kellum was a genuinely good guy, but he was blind to all the poison within the town and his own family, it wasn't entirely his fault as he was a product of his own happy and perfect upbringing he really didnt realise how toxic the people closest to him could be.
He got there in the end, im kind of glad the story was left a little open and unresolved at the end, as it is in real life, things rarely get solved and tied up in a neat little bow, especially when money gives people power.
Im hoping we see things slowly unfold over the next few books, and we can see the muck be slowly removed from the town as the next generation moves up.
This book was honestly so good. I felt this story down to my bones.
These stories are so real, the feelings are real, messy, and deep. The characters are flawed and interesting, complicated.
Shay is a single mum with her young daughter Mia whom has autism, the way that Cate wrote about her and her autism through Shays eyes was very true, anybody who knows anyone with autism or any disability at all really, especially in children knows that things can be complicated, messy, sometimes hard and upsetting, its all there in this book.
Mia might have been my favourite character in the book.
Kellum was a genuinely good guy, but he was blind to all the poison within the town and his own family, it wasn't entirely his fault as he was a product of his own happy and perfect upbringing he really didnt realise how toxic the people closest to him could be.
He got there in the end, im kind of glad the story was left a little open and unresolved at the end, as it is in real life, things rarely get solved and tied up in a neat little bow, especially when money gives people power.
Im hoping we see things slowly unfold over the next few books, and we can see the muck be slowly removed from the town as the next generation moves up.
lesem's review
challenging
emotional
medium-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? Yes
3.25
kzimm2024's review
4.0
3.75. The author clearly does her homework when it comes to autism- not sure if it is personal experience or interest but it helps build the story line with Mia and Shay. I am reading these books out of order and this one made me irritated. Not with Shay and Kellum, although Kell has a come to Jesus about his being oblivious, but with the corruption in a small town where the good ole boys run free.
I read Cash's story (4.5 for me) first and am glad I did since I might not have kept going with the series and Cash is a terrible person in this book. He is redeemed in the next book IMO.
Shay has an interesting (but sadly not original) story and Kell steps up. The family drives me nuts with their blindness but by the end of the book things are changing. Dina is very cryptic but I am interested to read "Heavy" next (yes, out of order again) and see what happens to Van. I may go back and read John's story, we will see...
I read Cash's story (4.5 for me) first and am glad I did since I might not have kept going with the series and Cash is a terrible person in this book. He is redeemed in the next book IMO.
Shay has an interesting (but sadly not original) story and Kell steps up. The family drives me nuts with their blindness but by the end of the book things are changing. Dina is very cryptic but I am interested to read "Heavy" next (yes, out of order again) and see what happens to Van. I may go back and read John's story, we will see...
larayn's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lifeinthebooklane's review
4.0
I can't remember the last time I enjoyed such a straightforward small-town romance. Usually, this type of story would bore me but CCW has such a way of writing complex characters and deep emotions that I can't get enough of her work. Plot-wise not a great deal happens, but every scene and event adds to what we know about the characters or goes towards their growth throughout the book.
Shay was such a momma bear, I couldn't help but cheer for her and admire her resilience in the face of great odds. Whilst Kellum had and occasionally continued to make mistakes, he DID try his best to learn from them and be a better man. Blood is thicker than water, though, so I could appreciate how difficult he found it to recognise the truth about some of his family.
Despite being a child of few words Mia utterly stole the show. I would have loved more scenes of her with Dina, I can hear the conversations they would have and the disdain they would show for anyone foolish enough to waste their time.
I disliked Cash for most of the book, but he kind of redeemed himself right at the end, so I will certainly read his story. I also need to know John and Dina's stories too so it looks like I'll also be reading the Steel Bones series!
Shay was such a momma bear, I couldn't help but cheer for her and admire her resilience in the face of great odds. Whilst Kellum had and occasionally continued to make mistakes, he DID try his best to learn from them and be a better man. Blood is thicker than water, though, so I could appreciate how difficult he found it to recognise the truth about some of his family.
Despite being a child of few words Mia utterly stole the show. I would have loved more scenes of her with Dina, I can hear the conversations they would have and the disdain they would show for anyone foolish enough to waste their time.
I disliked Cash for most of the book, but he kind of redeemed himself right at the end, so I will certainly read his story. I also need to know John and Dina's stories too so it looks like I'll also be reading the Steel Bones series!