Amazon  |  Paperback

 

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Blurb

BRIAR MITCHELL is home in Cedar Point – single, broke and unemployed. Back in the town she tried so hard not to get stuck in. A job at the local grocery will have to do until she figures out what’s next, even if it means working for her teenage crush. Not that he noticed her back then.

ANDY MARSHALL has always loved the small town life. Things might be rough at the moment – the family business is struggling and his dad’s health has taken a turn – but he’s trudging forward. What he doesn’t see coming is the attraction he feels towards his newest employee.

Choosing to explore their instant chemistry, Briar and Andy embark on a no-strings ride they hope will provide a few things they each desperately need. Sweet friendship, sexy fun, and a chance to escape from a life that isn’t going according to plan.

But in the face of a town disaster, they start to realize that maybe there’s something more between them. Something with a depth they weren’t expecting. Something that feels a lot like falling in love.

 

 

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Review

4.5 stars

Another gorgeous read from Jillian Liota! This is the second book in the Cedar Point series and another sweet, sexy, heartfelt small-town romance that sucked me in from start to finish.

Briar Mitchell is the younger sister to Boyd (hero of book #1, The Trouble With Wanting – each book in the series will focus on a different sibling). Briar has returned to her family home and the small town she couldn’t wait to leave as a teenager. It’s the last place she wants to be, but she’s just left a long-term relationship that damaged her confidence, and she’s lost and wondering where to go next.

I take a deep breath, trying to remember that life could be crazier. Things could be worse. I made a choice to leave my old life behind. It’s only natural for it to take a while to figure out what’s next.
You’re not stuck here forever, I remind myself. Just until you figure things out.

Needing to start reclaiming her life, she swallows her pride and applies for a job at Cedar Point’s only grocery store, run by her brother’s best friend, and her childhood crush, Andy. Andy is a country boy at heart, happy running his family business, and he loves his life in his home town. He wants the quiet, cosy family life that he grew up with, and while he’s somewhat living his dream, his business is in trouble, and he’s dealing with some family issues that are creating a lot of stress for him.

Andy was always sweet to Briar when she was younger, but she was almost cripplingly shy and he never noticed her the way she wishes he would have. Now they’re both grown up, Briar isn’t the awkward young girl she used to be, and Andy is finally paying attention.

It’s a fun set-up as Briar goes to work for Andy, and the chemistry is great! You can feel their attraction, and the sexual tension sizzles until it becomes too much to resist. They’re both very aware that they want different things in life, and they know that a relationship between them would never work, but they’re both keen to explore the feelings between them so they agree to a friends with benefits situation while Briar is in town.

“I’ve never done this before,” she finally tells me, confirming my suspicion. “And it took all my nerve to ask, so I’m gonna need you to take the lead on this, okay?”
At her bold honesty, I let out a deep laugh of relief. I hope she can always be this honest with me, especially if we’re about to take this into the bedroom.
“I can do that,” I tell her, reaching out and taking one of her hands in mine, then tugging her my way so she’s standing between my legs.
Then I place my hands on either side of her face, enjoying the little look of nervous excitement she gives me.
“This is going to be fun,” I whisper.
And then I pull her mouth to mine.

I love these characters!  Briar is so very relatable, and Andy is the guy that every girl wants to fall in love with.  And I love, love, love these two together! Their friendship is just gorgeous, they tease and banter, and Andy slowly starts to break through Briar’s walls. She begins to open up to him in a way she hasn’t with other people, and he helps her so much on her journey. The development of their relationship leads them both to question their lives and their futures, and I loved how they explored that. They truly help each other to grow and reach their dreams, and it’s a really special part of their relationship that they support and encourage each other the way they do. And the sexy time is steamy as all hell! The passion between them is sizzling, and a sign of the intensity of everything that is between them, and I loved watching them slowly falling for each other.

 

 

What I want is to make her feel something that’s pretty much the opposite of falling. I want to help her rise and grow and bloom. Up, up, up, as far as her dreams and plans can take her.

There is drama external to the relationship, and they deal well with it so beautifully, and though they have issues they need to overcome, they communicate well and don’t let things drag out, and I loved how functional they are.

He sees me at the heart of who I am, like he knows the little things and the big things and loves them just the same.
It makes me feel like I can fly.

It all builds to a beautiful happy ending, with an epilogue that provides great closure.

I loved this book. It made me feel like I was in Briar and Andy’s small country town and living out their journey with them, and I love that! Their story just beautiful, written with so much heart, and I finished it with a big smile on my face.

4.5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Cedar Point series

 

 

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About Jillian Liota

Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup.

She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019.

She has a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.

She’s also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.

Connect with Jillian:

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