Just finished this little gem and wow, my heart needed this! Claire and Oliver's story is like a warm hug after a rainy day – comforting but with just enough emotional thunderstorms to keep things interesting.
The small-town setting? Chef's kiss! It's like Stars Hollow but with more emotional baggage and fewer pop-tarts. The way the author describes the seaside village makes me want to pack my bags and move there (minus the messy ex drama, of course).
What really got me was how real their healing process felt. No insta-love nonsense here – these two actually work through their stuff like actual human beings. Though I gotta say, the whole therapist-client thing had me side-eyeing at first, but the way they handled it was surprisingly tasteful.
Bonus points for Claire standing up to her gaslighting ex. That scene had me cheering out loud in my reading nook (and startling my cat). More of this energy in romance novels, please!
Perfect for when you want something heartfelt but not too heavy – like emotional comfort food. Definitely keeping Maya Dever on my radar!