Elle Keaton

It’s a low angst, opposites attract, small-town romance supposedly with an enemy to lovers' theme, but it’s more that they just greatly annoyed one another. I really didn't quite understand the "enemy" part or why these two now, adult guys, seemed to still have their supposed "hate" based something that happened in high school. Adult Vincent is a real estate appraiser and high school shop teacher. He loves living in the small town he grew up in in Washington with his fifteen-year-old daughter, Romy, whose mom...Vincent’s ex-wife...took off for greener pastures and deserted them. Adult Xavier is a realtor, who returns to his hometown after about twenty-years of living in the city. Both men have had enough heartbreak so neither is really interested in a relationship....at least not with each other. The very first chapter of the story was confusing. We saw what could have been a murder or at best an assault...but was this the unsolved murder of the person whose bones are found in the present part of the story? Nothing was after said again about the first incident. Then there was the case of a missing girl that was never investigated. I expected a lot more from this author. I own and have read every series she has ever written up to this current one. This story does have some good “small town” characters, but overall, the town of Cooper Springs felt dull instead of charming or even eccentric. It’s unfortunate because I really did enjoy the two main characters and their romance when they decided maybe they didn't hate each other as much as they thought....and then there was the dogs that Xavier's Mom adopted. Good job Ms. Keaton for showing how lovable and how needful shelter dogs are. That was an extra star-worthy touch. If the story had only focused on the growing relationship between Xavier and Vincent, and the rest of the small town without the unsolved murder and the opening mystery that was never revisited or explained...I would have liked this story so much more. At least it had a Happy Ever After at the end...but it comes very suddenly. I won't give up on this series, and NEVER on this author. I will give book #2 a chance whenever it comes out.… (altro)