Review: Falling for a Former Flame by Brenna Jacobs

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Will Hadley's old flame burn her again? Or could this be her second chance at love?

Headstrong Hadley Booth is on the verge of living her dream, running a delightful--and almost profitable--bookshop in the hometown she loves. But when her first love, Fletcher Gates, comes back on the scene, Hadley questions everything she ever thought she knew. Fletcher's alpha-male macho firefighter status should rub Hadley the wrong way. She does not need a man to take care of her, thank you very much. But even though her brain understands they aren't right for each other, she can't seem to explain that to her heart.

When Fletcher Gates returns home to care for his sick Mom, he doesn't expect his ex-girlfriend Hadley to ignite his world again. He's grown up; he's changed. Most importantly, he’s over her. Even if he wasn’t, they crashed and burned once before. Why risk a second inferno?

Caught between the push-and-pull of fiery emotions, will Hadley and Fletcher finally find the happily-ever-after they once believed would be theirs?

My Review

I just love a bookstore setting in a contemporary romance! While I didn't relate to Hadley's strong personality and defensive reactions, I admired her resolve to be true to herself and seek a different lifestyle than her family's.The author does a good job of showing rather than telling, like when Hadley inviting her family over for Thanksgiving dinner shows how she still yearns for their approval and unconditional love, even though she no longer expects it from them. Fletcher has a compassionate heart and is the type of guy who needs to be needed. He's a fixer. It was pretty fun to watch he and Hadley up in arms and awkward with each other before softening and falling for each other all over again, but this time with maturity and communication on their side.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the other books in the ABCs of Love series . . .