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A review by ambermae81
With Love From Rose Bend by Naima Simone
5.0
I heard about this book from the Bonkers Romance Podcast and it was described as "the small town romance we all deserve." That is absolutely true! Rose Bend is all of the wonderful things we look for in a small town setting, without the things that we've seen over and over again (and would probably prefer not to see again).
Our heroine, Leo, is a perfect mix of fierce and a vulnerable. Her conflicts and wounds are deeply relatable and it's easy to cheer her on. Owen, the hero, has just enough charm and introspection to make up for his reoccurring foot-in-mouth problem. Alongside a huge list of supporting characters, these two follow a journey of growth, sometimes together and sometimes on their own.
To give you a little insight into how delish this book was, my bookstagram post on the morning I finished reading: "3 hours of sleep, unfolded laundry, dishes in the sink, barely on time for work... and it was worth it! I hung onto every word."
LOVED:
* The Sass - Leo has some sauciness and it's more than endearing
* The Steam - I literally found myself holding my breath through paragraph after paragraph
* The Family - Between Leo's huge family and Owen's friends that were more like family, there were so many beautiful souls to fall in love with (and hope for books about!)
* The Community - It's hard not to address the community when the series is called Rose Bend... Naima Simone lays out such a lovely small town vibe. There are no obnoxious clichés, just wonderful people you meet each step of the way, and you get to know just enough about them to wonder what their story is (or will be!)
* The Suspense - I'm not one to gravitate toward suspense in romance, but Leo's background unravels slowly, and each scene had me wondering "is this when I'll find out her true story?"
QUOTES I LOVED (THERE WERE SO SO MANY, it was hard to choose!)
"As if God hit the half-speed button on some celestial clock, time slowed. Suddenly, every hitch in her breath knocked against her throat like a tiny hammer. Every breeze drifting over the nape of her neck caressed her like a lover's gentle fingers." (Siggghhhh)
"Leo stretched up on her toes, craned her next to the right and left. Giving Jenna an exaggerated wince, she shrugged. "Dang it, Jenna. I'm sorry. I've looked but I can't seem to find where I left that last fu--" (Oh snap!)
"A dark chasm yawned deep inside her, and a flutter of delicate butterfly wings filled it. And underneath? Underneath was a bottomless pool of desire that she could willingly drown in and still never be satisfied." (Gahhhh!!!)
Owen saying "Please, God, let her have this moment, this victory." (Swoooooons all over)
WOULD HAVE LOVED:
There is so much depth to this book... characters, both dipped into and developed. It's hard to think of what more I would have wanted. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the Rose Bend Series to see the other beloved characters from this book.
OVERALL:
I loved. I swooned. I gasped. I giggled. And now I have a new series and new author to add to my favs. Thank you Bonkers Romance and Naima Simone for the Advanced Review Copy. This is my honest review.
Our heroine, Leo, is a perfect mix of fierce and a vulnerable. Her conflicts and wounds are deeply relatable and it's easy to cheer her on. Owen, the hero, has just enough charm and introspection to make up for his reoccurring foot-in-mouth problem. Alongside a huge list of supporting characters, these two follow a journey of growth, sometimes together and sometimes on their own.
To give you a little insight into how delish this book was, my bookstagram post on the morning I finished reading: "3 hours of sleep, unfolded laundry, dishes in the sink, barely on time for work... and it was worth it! I hung onto every word."
LOVED:
* The Sass - Leo has some sauciness and it's more than endearing
* The Steam - I literally found myself holding my breath through paragraph after paragraph
* The Family - Between Leo's huge family and Owen's friends that were more like family, there were so many beautiful souls to fall in love with (and hope for books about!)
* The Community - It's hard not to address the community when the series is called Rose Bend... Naima Simone lays out such a lovely small town vibe. There are no obnoxious clichés, just wonderful people you meet each step of the way, and you get to know just enough about them to wonder what their story is (or will be!)
* The Suspense - I'm not one to gravitate toward suspense in romance, but Leo's background unravels slowly, and each scene had me wondering "is this when I'll find out her true story?"
QUOTES I LOVED (THERE WERE SO SO MANY, it was hard to choose!)
"As if God hit the half-speed button on some celestial clock, time slowed. Suddenly, every hitch in her breath knocked against her throat like a tiny hammer. Every breeze drifting over the nape of her neck caressed her like a lover's gentle fingers." (Siggghhhh)
"Leo stretched up on her toes, craned her next to the right and left. Giving Jenna an exaggerated wince, she shrugged. "Dang it, Jenna. I'm sorry. I've looked but I can't seem to find where I left that last fu--" (Oh snap!)
"A dark chasm yawned deep inside her, and a flutter of delicate butterfly wings filled it. And underneath? Underneath was a bottomless pool of desire that she could willingly drown in and still never be satisfied." (Gahhhh!!!)
Owen saying "Please, God, let her have this moment, this victory." (Swoooooons all over)
WOULD HAVE LOVED:
There is so much depth to this book... characters, both dipped into and developed. It's hard to think of what more I would have wanted. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the Rose Bend Series to see the other beloved characters from this book.
OVERALL:
I loved. I swooned. I gasped. I giggled. And now I have a new series and new author to add to my favs. Thank you Bonkers Romance and Naima Simone for the Advanced Review Copy. This is my honest review.