Forever
Featuring: River Harrison; Tess Lane
352 pages ISBN: 1538710064 EAN: 9781538710067 Kindle: B09NVSHVW7 Mass Market Paperback / e-Book (reprint) Add to Wish List
In the third book in Annie Rains' Somerset Lake series, she brings us THE TRUE LOVE BOOKSHOP, Tess and River’s love story. Tess is a widow who, three years after her husband’s passing, is still mourning him. River was her husband’s best friend, but after objecting to Tess and her first husband’s marriage on their wedding day, he is persona non grata in her world. But when River enters Tess’s book shop one night in a life or death situation, Tess is forced to help him. And then, against her better judgment, she begins to thaw.
First off, I loved the backstory between Tess and River. I’m a sucker for a man who’s spent years pining, and River is definitely a man to fall for. And while this book is the third in a series, it was the first installment I read, and I had no trouble following along. Having said that, I did struggle with this book. Tess’s late husband Jared’s sister was an odd character. She was impossible to get to know, and it was clear her only part in the story was to move it along. She never felt like she belonged there. I also struggled with how Tess could have a successful book shop in such a small town. Especially when she has customers who come in and ask her for a book recommendation doesn’t have any because, as her inner dialogue tells us, “They wouldn’t like the books I like.” Her job is literally to recommend books to people, so I’d expect that she’d be knowledgeable about all genres whether she reads them or not. Those were just a few inconsistencies that niggled at me. There were also a lot of themes in this book, but instead of picking one and exploring it, I felt like they were very surface level. I would have liked to see the author dive deep on a few of them.
River’s character was one I couldn’t help but root for. He was a private investigator who, against his better judgment, helps Tess figure out just what her husband was out of town for at the time of his death. I loved his family, and his story of not belonging was relatable for me. I really liked how everything wrapped up for him.
While this was marketed as Romance, I would say it’s borderline Women’s Fiction. And once you can adjust your expectations for the genre, I think the book will be more enjoyable. I have enjoyed Annie Rains books in the past, and while THE TRUE LOVE BOOKSHOP wasn’t my favorite, I did enjoy aspects of it. The sweetness of her stories always wins me over, and I am excited to see what’s next for thE series. Fingers crossed the mayor and his unrequited love will be featured in the next installment!
For Tess Lane, owning Lakeside Books is a dream come true, but it’s the weekly book club she hosts for the women in town that Tess enjoys the most. The gatherings have been her lifeline over the past three years since her husband’s mysterious death. Tess has tried to move on, but when River Harrison shows up on her doorstep, all her lingering questions come rushing back.…
River, a former marine turned private investigator, was her husband’s best friend, and seeing him again is a reminder of everything Tess lost. At first, she tries to ignore him, but Tess comes to realize that this is her chance, once and for all, to find the answers that have troubled her for years.
With the support of her friends, Tess joins River on a journey of discovery that leads them to the edges of Somerset Lake and on a road trip down the Carolina coast. Although their adventure isn’t always easy, Tess starts to find the joy in life again. But when secrets surrounding her husband’s death are finally revealed, can Tess find it in her heart to forgive the mistakes of the past … and maybe even open herself up to love again?
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