Good book about love, friendship, starting over, and letting go. This is the third book in the Indiana Summers series. I haven't read the first two, and this book easily reads as a stand-alone. We have a two-for-one romance and four people who have come to Cemetery to escape their pasts and start over.
Berkley grew up in a poor neighborhood in a small town in Kentucky. She left town under a scandal that was no fault of hers but has affected how she sees herself. She has a new life running the Love Shack Animal Haven, where she pours all the love in her heart into the animals she cares for. However, the fallout from that past makes her wary of getting close to anyone, so she tends to keep to herself. She's shocked when someone from her hometown also moves to Cemetery, raising fears that her past will come to light.
Lawson grew up in poverty with awful parents. He left as soon as he could and traveled the world, seeing the good and the bad of people everywhere. He settled in Cemetery and opened a t-shirt printing business. He was surprised to see Berkley, who he knew when they were younger. He feels guilty that he didn't do anything to help her back in the day.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Berkley and Lawson. They initially planned to avoid each other, but it is a small town, and they live close to each other. Their early interactions are facilitated by Berkley's pets - Hero, the overprotective rescue dog, and Cheese, the klepto-kitty. I loved the background stories of these two animals and how they came to live with Berkley. I laughed out loud whenever Cheese would steal something from Lawson's (usually laundry) and hide it at Berkley's, necessitating Lawson to retrieve it. He earned big brownie points with Berkley and me and with his kindness and understanding toward her pets.
I liked how easy it was for Berkley to connect with Lawson since she had nothing to hide from him. He already knew about her past. They quickly developed a strong friendship, and it wasn't long before sparks of attraction flared between them. I liked the slow build from friends to more, allowing each to deal with their pasts. I loved Lawson's protectiveness and support when Berkley's past threatened to wreck her new life. The ending was great.
A secondary romance developed between two other newcomers. Lark owns the local hair salon. She also came to Cemetery to escape the trauma and memories of the past. She is bubbly, outgoing, and determined to get to know everyone in town. She and Berkley bond quickly, forming a deep friendship that fills a hole neither realized they had. I loved seeing Lark zero in on Oliver, another newcomer, who seems serious and standoffish. She is determined to get him to lighten up. Oliver, a former physical therapist, came to Cemetery to escape a toxic situation with his family. He is opening a fitness center. The first meeting between the two was fun to watch as Lark smashes through his aloofness. Their relationship was also fun to follow.
Two other characters played significant parts in the book. The first is Betty Cemetery, the town matriarch and descendant of the town's founder. She is deeply immersed in everything that goes on in "her" town and doesn't hesitate to interfere if she sees the need. I loved how she took Berkley under her wing and became like a surrogate grandmother to her. Her support and belief in Berkley go a long way toward rebuilding Berkley's confidence.
The other character is the town mascot, a mannequin named Kathleen. Kathleen appears in various locations, but no one knows who is behind it. Lawson is initially creeped out by her, and it is especially funny to see some of the goings on as someone takes advantage of that. I laughed out loud at some of the antics and enjoyed seeing Lawson slowly join in the fun. I loved seeing Lawson, Berkley, Lark, and Oliver join together in a special Kathleen event.
#netgalley
Berkley grew up in a poor neighborhood in a small town in Kentucky. She left town under a scandal that was no fault of hers but has affected how she sees herself. She has a new life running the Love Shack Animal Haven, where she pours all the love in her heart into the animals she cares for. However, the fallout from that past makes her wary of getting close to anyone, so she tends to keep to herself. She's shocked when someone from her hometown also moves to Cemetery, raising fears that her past will come to light.
Lawson grew up in poverty with awful parents. He left as soon as he could and traveled the world, seeing the good and the bad of people everywhere. He settled in Cemetery and opened a t-shirt printing business. He was surprised to see Berkley, who he knew when they were younger. He feels guilty that he didn't do anything to help her back in the day.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Berkley and Lawson. They initially planned to avoid each other, but it is a small town, and they live close to each other. Their early interactions are facilitated by Berkley's pets - Hero, the overprotective rescue dog, and Cheese, the klepto-kitty. I loved the background stories of these two animals and how they came to live with Berkley. I laughed out loud whenever Cheese would steal something from Lawson's (usually laundry) and hide it at Berkley's, necessitating Lawson to retrieve it. He earned big brownie points with Berkley and me and with his kindness and understanding toward her pets.
I liked how easy it was for Berkley to connect with Lawson since she had nothing to hide from him. He already knew about her past. They quickly developed a strong friendship, and it wasn't long before sparks of attraction flared between them. I liked the slow build from friends to more, allowing each to deal with their pasts. I loved Lawson's protectiveness and support when Berkley's past threatened to wreck her new life. The ending was great.
A secondary romance developed between two other newcomers. Lark owns the local hair salon. She also came to Cemetery to escape the trauma and memories of the past. She is bubbly, outgoing, and determined to get to know everyone in town. She and Berkley bond quickly, forming a deep friendship that fills a hole neither realized they had. I loved seeing Lark zero in on Oliver, another newcomer, who seems serious and standoffish. She is determined to get him to lighten up. Oliver, a former physical therapist, came to Cemetery to escape a toxic situation with his family. He is opening a fitness center. The first meeting between the two was fun to watch as Lark smashes through his aloofness. Their relationship was also fun to follow.
Two other characters played significant parts in the book. The first is Betty Cemetery, the town matriarch and descendant of the town's founder. She is deeply immersed in everything that goes on in "her" town and doesn't hesitate to interfere if she sees the need. I loved how she took Berkley under her wing and became like a surrogate grandmother to her. Her support and belief in Berkley go a long way toward rebuilding Berkley's confidence.
The other character is the town mascot, a mannequin named Kathleen. Kathleen appears in various locations, but no one knows who is behind it. Lawson is initially creeped out by her, and it is especially funny to see some of the goings on as someone takes advantage of that. I laughed out loud at some of the antics and enjoyed seeing Lawson slowly join in the fun. I loved seeing Lawson, Berkley, Lark, and Oliver join together in a special Kathleen event.
#netgalley
