Seamlessly blending a soft, tender romance with a family-focused mystery, this felt like something new from Clayborn while still maintaining the immersive, bingeable quality of her writing. It took me a few chapters to get my bearings – there are four main characters and a lot to unravel about the true crime podcast – but once I got settled in, I ended up bingeing the whole thing in a single day. It’s essentially a road trip romance with a gentle giant of a hero and a black cat heroine who can’t help but fall for the ridiculously smitten man. The romance is fast-paced, but it still features so many of the gorgeous intimate moments that I’ve come to expect from Clayborn. I truly loved the hero and I adored how well his softness contrasted with the heroine’s abrasiveness. I honestly didn’t mind how quickly things developed – when it’s right, it’s right. The mystery is also a major part of the story, which I wasn’t sure about at first. But it’s integral to the romance, and I was soon caught up in every component of this multi-faceted read.
The story follows Jess (31), a woman who became her little sister’s guardian when their mother abandoned them ten years ago. Tegan has just turned 18 and she’s determined to get some answers about what happened, going so far as to reach out to a true crime podcaster who is interested in their mother’s connection to a famous con man. Jess is extremely private and unwilling to open up her life to the public, but she’s gotten roped into the situation by her sister. The only one who seems to have any empathy for her is the podcaster’s assistant, Adam (33). The former football player is intimidating at first glance, but he seems genuinely concerned about Jess and she hasn’t felt that from anyone in a very long time. As the four unlikely companions embark on a road trip to solve the mystery, Jess finds herself growing closer to Adam as she finally deals with the things she’s been burying for years.
I will openly admit that I wasn’t so sure about this for a few chapters, as we’re given a whole lot of information and a whole lot of people to keep track of in a short period of time. But that slightly overwhelming feeling went away as quickly as it came, especially once we got to know Adam better. He is such an absolute sweetheart, this giant mountain of a man who just wants to protect and love his girl. I loved the forced proximity of the road trip, which allowed Jess and Adam to grow closer in only a matter of days. It was great to see Jess slowly open up to Adam and let go of the things that had been holding her back, and there are some seriously excellent moments of heat and heart. Adam was just perfection. The mystery element takes up more space than I initially anticipated, but it really does tie everything together nicely. Jess has been so focused on being there for her sister for the last decade that she hasn’t been living for herself, and they both needed to come to terms with that before they could move forward. It’s a layered story, and I found it incredibly easy to stay invested throughout. In fact, the more I read, the more I loved it.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IO61vr
Blurb:
From the acclaimed author of Georgie, All Along and Love Lettering, a pitch-perfect, radiantly transporting love story about an unexpected road trip, true crime obsessions, and hard won vulnerability…
“Poignant, observant, tender, and deeply romantic. Clayborn takes what she does best and goes deeper, deftly braiding mystery and family drama with an absorbing romance in her trademark lyrical voice. This book is everything.” —CHRISTINA LAUREN, New York Times bestselling authors of The True Love Experiment
Hairstylist Jess Greene has spent the last decade raising her younger half-sister, Tegan—and keeping a shocking secret. Ever since their reckless mother ran off with a boyfriend she’d known only a few months, Jess has been aware that he’s the same accomplished con man who was the subject of a wildly popular podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore.
Now thirty-one, Jess didn’t bargain on Tegan eventually piecing together the connection for herself. But Tegan plans to do exactly what Jess has always feared—leave their safe, stable home to search for their mother—and she’ll be accompanied by the prying podcast host and her watchful, handsome producer, Adam Hawkins. Unwilling to let the sister she’s spent so much of her life protecting go it alone, Jess reluctantly joins them.
Together, the four make their way across the country, unraveling the mystery of where the couple disappeared to and why. But soon Jess is discovering other things too. Like a renewed sense of vulnerability and curiosity, and a willingness to expand beyond the walls she’s so carefully built. And in Adam, she finds an unexpected connection she didn’t even know was missing, if only she can let go and let him in . . .
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IO61vr
About the Author:
Kate Clayborn is the critically acclaimed author of contemporary romance novels. Her work has been featured in The New York
Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Bookpage, and more. By day she works in education,
and by night (and sometimes, by very early morning) she writes contemporary romances about smart, strong, modern heroines
who face the world alongside true friends and complicated families. She resides in Virginia with her husband and their dog, and can be found online at KateClayborn.com.
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