A review by romanticread
I'll Stand By You by Sharon Sala

5.0

It's the characters that are so important in this series and Sala once again brings us wonderful ones. Not only Dori and Johnny, but Johnny's little brothers and those people in the town who are so willing to lend a hand when needed.

Life hasn’t always been kind to Dori or Johnny, but they have never given up. They work hard at making a good life for those they care about and when life brings them into the same sphere, that dedication expands to encompass both families. But while life keeps throwing them punches, now they have each other and it is so very sweet watching them fall in love. I’m impressed at how, being so young but having to take on so much responsibility, they still manage to keep a good attitude. They aren’t naïve but they aren’t letting it turn them bitter either. They are such a fantastic match and I was so very happy that they found each other.

As with the other books, Sala continues to bring a great cast of secondary characters … unfortunately not all of them have a good heart. It isn’t always pretty, but Sala manages to do a fantastic job of capturing that small town feel. There are caring people, who help and support those around them, but there are also those that only look out for themselves. It’s both kinds of people that bring Dori and Johnny to their eventual HEA. And while it isn’t always roses and sunshine, thee good definitely outweighs the bad in their lives, which I think is what most of us hope for.

If you haven’t read Count Your Blessings (previously titled Color Me Bad) or Curl Up & Dye, it's OK because all of these books can stand on their own. But it does help to give you an idea of the small Southern town charm and politics that Sala captures so well. And as much as I loved the first two stories, I think this one is my favorite (so far, because I can’t wait to see what Sala has in store for us next).

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.)