Free: Available from Prolific Works

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Review

3.5 stars

This is a sweet read. It’s a novella that fits into the Lakeside Cottage series, but can easily standalone. A single parent romance between an older couple, it’s got great chemistry and a nice amount of emotion, and I enjoyed this one.

Noah Weller is the older brother of Zach (hero from book #2 in the Lakeside Cottage series, Learning at 40). He left town years ago with big ambitions, and was doing really well for himself as a successful hotel manager in Chicago. But he unexpectedly and unfairly lost his job, and returned to his small home town, temporarily taking up a job at the small local inn until he can figure out his next steps.

Tessa runs her beloved family inn, but she’s only a part owner, her uncle owns the other half and he wants to sell. She’s desperate to find a way to save her legacy and bring the inn back to its former glory, and she is less than impressed when her uncle hires a new manager without consulting her.

There’s a whole lot of tension between Noah and Tessa from the very beginning. She doesn’t want him there, and she makes that very clear, and he has no idea why. But it makes their very inconvenient attraction to each other all kinds of awkward… until the building tension snaps, leading to a very steamy encounter.

Noah is keen for more, Tessa is still keeping him at arm’s length, but when her 5-year-old son comes into the picture, he develops an instant liking to Noah, and when they begin to spend time together, things begin to change. They get to know and understand each other, and feelings start to develop. But Tessa is in for the battle of her life to keep her inn, and though Noah wants to help her, he has no intention of staying in town.

There are some hurdles for this couple as they figure out what they mean to each other, and they both need to battle demons from the past to know what they want for the future. It’s emotional for them, and I was sucked in watching it all unfold. The romance is sweet and sexy with only a little bit of angst, and I enjoyed watching Noah and Tessa find their much-deserved happy ending.

3.5 stars.

This novella is currently free from Prolific Works – https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/5nyCTmzPGHdzI4lkx6SC

 

Lakeside Cottage