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Jess has run away. She’s been camping in a tent in a cemetery, but then she sees an older house that’s been sold but is empty for the moment. She figures she can use her lock-picking skills and stay somewhere a little more comfortable for a bit… until she’s saved up some money for her own place.
Then the new owner happens to walk in his house and see her. Jess runs off, but Gethin leaves her a note telling her it’s OK to stay. Jess insists on helping with renovations in return. Soon enough, the two are working on repainting, doing floors, and shopping for a new kitchen and furniture.
When Gethin is ready to move in to his refurbished home, he invites Jess to stay as a housemate. She reluctantly agrees, insisting on paying rent. The two establish a routine, and they spend a lot of time together, quietly sharing meals and things they enjoy. What they don’t share much of is their pasts: Gethin doesn’t talk much about his longtime ex-girlfriend, and Jess is tight-lipped about the relationship that she fled.
While they develop a lovely friendship, it’s also clear the two have feelings for each other. But Jess is afraid to let down her walls.
This novel is a slowly building friends-to-lovers story about two people in their 40s with some baggage. Gethin is genuinely a kind and generous person, and Jess has been hurt. She’s skittish. It’s so sweet to see how patient and good Gethin is with her and how she slowly starts to recover and be herself. I liked just being with the characters, observing them getting to know each other and enjoying each other’s company. It’s very natural and real. There aren’t manufactured “big obstacles”; the conflicts feel organic.
If you’re looking for a sweet and gentle love story, look no further. (And enjoy the setting of small-town Wales. I did!)
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes 6 uses of strong language, around 55 instances of moderate profanity, about 25 uses of mild language, and 60 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Very brief, veiled references a number of times to domestic abuse, but most details are shared in just one section. Sexual content includes some talk about sex and a couple of scenes that are mostly kissing and some unclothing but little past that.
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*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
