Review: Loving Her Fling by Heather B. Moore

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Can her love tame her fling?

Everly King’s life might be on a Plan B track, but she’s perfectly content with her job, her nights out at the movies, and putting her past behind her. She certainly doesn’t need to be reminded over and over that her sister is, well, engaged to Everly’s ex.

Austin Hayes is the architect hired to redesign Everly's beloved theater. As a widower with a young daughter, the last thing he wants is to juggle another relationship.

Thankfully, Austin is only in Hidden Hollows for a few weeks. A fake relationship seems exactly what both need. After all, when it’s just a fling, no one gets hurt. Right?

My Review

I loved this story so much! I read it twice last month. It's going on my list of faves to re-read when I'm not in the mood to start a new book. Everly is lovingly quirky, and her struggles were realistic. She's still grieving her father's death but has a fun weekly tradition of secretly attending the movies at the old theater that her dad used to take her to. Her sister is dating her former best friend/ex-boyfriend who dumped her, and her mother is an overbearing, hovering, worrywart. She loves her family but they don't seem to understand her and her need for space. Austin is genuine and charming, and it was easy to see how these two had such great chemistry. Don't let the book synopsis fool you- their relationship is never fake (although Everly did make up a different man to get her mom off her back), and their friendship quickly develops into a sweet romance that has them both enjoying their time together while concerned about what the future would bring. I appreciated that their relationship is so natural and they bring out the best in each other as they deal with each other's families. Austin has a daughter to consider and his parents who support him in her care. As dynamics become more complex and involved, Everly and Austin's relationship has some tests to withstand. This story is simply delightful and also has the depth of emotion that makes it easy to connect with the characters. Highly recommend!

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