Review & Giveaway - - Return to Hummingbird Way

Return to Hummingbird Way

Holly Grove Island - Book 2

by Reese Ryan

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: April 25, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

In this heartwarming small‑town romance, can three months, two planning projects, and a meddling grandmother finally make two high school hate crushes see just how right they are for each other? 

Ambitious real estate agent Sinclair Buchanan is ecstatic to be her best friend’s maid-of-honor—until she discovers the best man is Garrett Davenport. Sin and Rett’s mutual hate crush ignited when they were teens and hasn’t let up since . . . except for that one extremely hot (and extremely regrettable) night they shared five years ago. 

Nothing gets Rett fired up like going toe-to-toe with Sinclair. She’s as infuriatingly stubborn, and as absolutely gorgeous, as when he fell for her back in high school. Working together to plan their best friends’ last-minute wedding is one thing, but when his matchmaking grandmother gets involved Rett knows he’s in deep. Attraction has always simmered between them, but this time, they’re both in danger of losing their hearts.

PJ's Thoughts:

I am thoroughly enjoying Reese Ryan's Holly Grove Island series. She has captured the vibe of a small Outer Banks town that makes that area so popular to visit but it's her characters who really shine. I love the friendships at the center of the stories, both male and female. The family relationships add an extra layer of depth - and conflict - to the main characters' journeys. Even the secondary characters add a richness that only makes the read that much more satisfying. In this book, it's Mama Mae, Rett's irrepressible, matchmaking grandmother who won my heart with her cooking, her humor, her wisdom, and her unconditional love for her grandson. 

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes. Couple that with Rett's and Sin's "hate crush" from their high school years, a secret hook-up five years ago, unwelcome attraction today, and a total misperception about one another's wants and goals and, what can I say, I was hooked. I liked the complexity the author created within both Rett and Sin. These characters had layers, fears, vulnerabilities, and family issues that were not easily overcome. I loved the chemistry between them (yay for sizzle) but I also appreciated the emotional work they put in on themselves and their relationships - both with their families and one another - in order to grow while remaining true to their core values and desires. The evolution they each experienced, both as a couple and individually, over the course of their story was realistic, relatable, and crucial to the viability of their romantic relationship. 

Return to Hummingbird Way stands well on its own but readers should be aware that the main couple (Sin's and Rett's best friends, Dakota and Dexter) from book one, Second Chance on Cypress Lane, are featured prominently in book two. If you're a series purist, you may wish to read the two books in order. For more information about Dakota and Dexter, click to read my review of Second Chance on Cypress Lane. 

Have you read Reese Ryan yet?

How do you feel about enemies-to-lovers romance?

Have you ever been to the Outer Banks? Do you enjoy beach towns, either in real life or in the books you read? 

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, April 23 will receive a print copy of Return to Hummingbird Way. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Tour Review - - The Bad Boy Experiment

The Bad Boy Experiment

by Reese Ryan

The Bourbon Brothers - Book 6

Publisher: Harlequin Desire

Release Date: December 28, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

A steamy fling with an old crush who doesn’t do commitment? What was she thinking! Find out in the conclusion to Reese Ryan’s Bourbon Brothers series.

What happens when you say yes to a bad boy?

Even if divorcée Renee Lockwood were willing to give love a second chance, she wouldn’t choose Cole Abbott. The sexy, successful real estate developer doesn’t do commitment. But he’s perfect for a no-strings fling—exactly what Ren needs now that she’s moved back home to raise her son. Mind-blowing pleasure with the man she once crushed on is harder to quit than Ren expected. Impossible, in fact. Is time running out before the bad boy bolts…or will the results of her experiment surprise her? 

PJ's Thoughts:

First of all, don't let the fact that this is the sixth and final book of a series steer you away from it. I read it without having read the first five books and never felt lost, confused, or like I was missing something while reading. Having said that, however, by the time I finished The Bad Boy Experiment, I was so invested in Cole's entire family I immediately sought out the rest of the books and am eager to lose myself in all of the stories.

As usually happens with a Reese Ryan book, I was pulled into the story from the get-go and that connection only strengthened as the book progressed. I loved all the intertwining threads between Cole, Ren, and their families, that gave their journey complexity and kept things moving forward. I loved the slow-burn chemistry between them, the reignited friendship after years apart, and the new, mature  feelings that deepened, almost without them realizing. I enjoyed their individual journeys (especially Cole's) and the impact that had on not only their own growth but on their relationship as well. Secondary characters from both families added additional depth, humor, and emotion to Cole and Ren's relationship, leaving me wanting to know more about each of them. 

One of the highlights of this book for me was Ren's son, Mercer, a heart-stealing four-year-old with non-verbal autism. Ryan's depiction of this character was handled with care and realism, evoking memories of a precious family member of mine at the same age. The relationship between mother and son was endearing and realistic but it was the scenes between Mercer and Cole, a man determined to avoid a marriage and family of his own, that captured my heart completely. Fate knew what it was doing when it brought these two together. 

If you enjoy second-chance romances with great character development, realistic family dynamics, steamy chemistry, and a heart-tugging happily ever after, give The Bad Boy Experiment a try. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Review - - Second Chance on Cypress Lane

Second Chance on Cypress Lane

by Reese Ryan

Holly Grove Island - Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: December 1, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

Rising-star reporter Dakota Jones is usually the one breaking the news---until an inadvertent scandal wrecks her career. The only place she can go to regroup is Holly Grove Island. But her small South Carolina hometown comes with a major catch: Dexter Roberts, the first man to break Dakota's heart, is her new boss. Working alongside Dexter, who is more attractive than he has a right to be, shows Dakota what might have been . . . but she isn't giving him another chance to break her heart.

Dexter has always regretted the way things ended between him and Dakota. Her return could be his opportunity to finally make amends. But the more time he spends with Dakota, the more he realizes his feelings for her never went away. Now he has just a few months to convince her to give their love a second chance. But for Dakota to agree to stay, Dexter will have to reveal the devastating truth about why he let Dakota go all those years ago.

PJ's Thoughts:

Second Chance on Cypress Lane launches what I hope will be a long-running series as I have fallen hard for all of these characters and their small town in North Carolina's Outer Banks. Ryan brings them all to life with her vibrant descriptions of both people and place.

I love a second-chance romance and this one is filled with all the goodness I hope to find in this trope. Dexter has had a long time to regret breaking up with his high school sweetheart. Yes, his motives were pure but that sure hasn't lessened the heartache they caused. I was in his corner cheering him on to win her back. He's such a good guy, was in a no-win situation back then, and his heart still knows what it wants. He was really not much more than a boy the last time they saw one another but now, boy howdy, now he is a man. Successful, sexy, thoughtful, loyal, and he plays alto sax in a local band, staring soulfully into Dakota's eyes from the stage? If she didn't want him I was more than willing to drive over to the coast and claim him for myself! 

For Dakota, raised to believe her small town had nothing to offer and she would only find success in the big city, coming home is not what she expected. There are revelations around every corner, both professional and personal. I enjoyed her assimilation back into the town; reconnecting with her childhood best friend (everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend like Sinclair), learning to be more accepting, discovering a professional path that's both fulfilling and brings her joy, and rekindling the sizzling chemistry she'd always shared with her first love. The new, adult relationships she forges with her father and with Dexter show how much she's grown as does her emotional navigation of the secret both men have been carrying. By the end of the book, I was fully confident that Dakota was where she was meant to be and would continue to flourish with Dexter by her side.

Now, on to the next couple and the next chapter of life in the charming, seaside town of Holly Grove Island. I don't know when book two will be released but I am all in!

~~~~~~~~~~

Have you read any of Reese Ryan's books?

Do you enjoy small-town romance?

I love the sand, surf, and seaside breezes of Holly Grove Island. What's your favorite small-town setting? 

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, January 8 will receive a print copy of Second Chance on Cypress Lane. 

*Must be 18

*U.S. addresses only