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Little Hope Series #5
Hidden Fears
....Finding home in a person never felt so thrilling...
“Well, that was unexpected. Kenneth Benson can f**k like an animal.”
Josie:
I’ve made my living on building homes for others while never truly having one of my own. Getting the call for a project in Little Hope gives me just that—a little hope that I may find somewhere I love enough to set up roots.
But my hopes get crushed as obstacle after obstacle threatens my peace. From the bears and the locals that don’t trust newcomers, to the biggest, most annoying of them all: the local Sheriff.
A massive, sarcastic man with a hero complex the size of Maine itself.
Sheriff Benson wants the world to know he’s a proper gentleman, but I see right through him. His bark is large, but he doesn’t scare me. There’s a bad boy inside of him, just biding his time until he’s set free.
Kenneth:
I like order. Rules. I like my town and my simple life. And I have those things.
Until a hurricane on heels speeds through my streets, shattering those to pieces.
She’s loud. She’s rude. She’s a city girl who doesn’t belong in this small town.
I just want her to leave me alone…
But why do I find that my life suddenly seems too quiet? Too boring?
He wanted peace, but he didn’t need it. All it took was her to show him.
.
.
This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones. This slow-burn, strangers-to-enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance is filled with funny moments, steam, and finding home in each other. Each book contains a story about a different couple. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA.
TW: Strong language. Adult situations. 18+.
Author’s Note: Kenneth’s book is way lighter than the others in the series. But also, steamier. Enjoy the animal he can become.
“Well, that was unexpected. Kenneth Benson can f**k like an animal.”
Josie:
I’ve made my living on building homes for others while never truly having one of my own. Getting the call for a project in Little Hope gives me just that—a little hope that I may find somewhere I love enough to set up roots.
But my hopes get crushed as obstacle after obstacle threatens my peace. From the bears and the locals that don’t trust newcomers, to the biggest, most annoying of them all: the local Sheriff.
A massive, sarcastic man with a hero complex the size of Maine itself.
Sheriff Benson wants the world to know he’s a proper gentleman, but I see right through him. His bark is large, but he doesn’t scare me. There’s a bad boy inside of him, just biding his time until he’s set free.
Kenneth:
I like order. Rules. I like my town and my simple life. And I have those things.
Until a hurricane on heels speeds through my streets, shattering those to pieces.
She’s loud. She’s rude. She’s a city girl who doesn’t belong in this small town.
I just want her to leave me alone…
But why do I find that my life suddenly seems too quiet? Too boring?
He wanted peace, but he didn’t need it. All it took was her to show him.
.
.
This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones. This slow-burn, strangers-to-enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance is filled with funny moments, steam, and finding home in each other. Each book contains a story about a different couple. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA.
TW: Strong language. Adult situations. 18+.
Author’s Note: Kenneth’s book is way lighter than the others in the series. But also, steamier. Enjoy the animal he can become.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2023
198 people are currently reading
2698 people want to read
About the author
Ariana Cane
14 books565 followersAriana Cane is the queen of sizzling slow-burn romances that blend heart-pounding chemistry. A die-hard Disney fan, she sprinkles a touch of magic into her stories, keeping readers hooked as her characters navigate their way to happily-ever-after. 💖
Forget insta-love—Ariana’s all about crafting damaged alpha heroes with layers of depth and complications that unravel like a perfectly plotted fairy tale. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her dreaming up new ways to torture her characters (and readers!) with a cup of decaf coffee or striding the Disney parks because it’s her happy place.
Writing about herself in the third person? Let’s just say it’s as tricky as convincing her characters to kiss and make up before the final chapter. 📚
Forget insta-love—Ariana’s all about crafting damaged alpha heroes with layers of depth and complications that unravel like a perfectly plotted fairy tale. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her dreaming up new ways to torture her characters (and readers!) with a cup of decaf coffee or striding the Disney parks because it’s her happy place.
Writing about herself in the third person? Let’s just say it’s as tricky as convincing her characters to kiss and make up before the final chapter. 📚
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
September 27, 2023
Look, I'm gonna be quick about it bc the more I think about the book the more I'm pissed to it.
I kid you not these were my comments for certain situations happened through the book:
"I'm gonna ignore the physics of it for the benefit of the story."
"I'm gonna overlook the logistic of the whole situation."
"Can we like pick a weather correctly? Is it sunny the whole day? why the streets are muddy?? Do they live in a fucking swamp?? Do they not have paved roads???"
"Who doesn't have a phd in obgyn after living in a farm for 15 years IS SHE FOR REAL OMG"
"??????????"
It sure lacked interaction between the characters and then when we finally came to that I flip the page and we were at the epilogue, I can spare you the "what the fuck" that came out of my mouth at that moment.
I sure would have appreciated to read about the complexity and all the characteristic that made both Kenneth and Josie them instead of being told 1000+ time that he had a hero complex and she was oh-so-different-and-a-rebel ??? like, back that up with some action.
Just to clarify, I'm disappointed at how the book was written, I felt like the characters were not given the opportunity to express themselves in the story bc they had so much potential.
So, meh.
2.5 ⭐
[I guess we'll be waiting for Jericho now? 🤞]
September 16, 2023
With small-town romance, I never felt one way or another until the Little Hope series. I fell in love with his fictional town, including the majestic moose named Frank. Now add the gossiping Parrot named Bird. Bird is too much. 🤣 I couldn't stop laughing. Now, I can't get enough of this series.
Kenneth is the hunky town's sheriff, always trying to do right by the town and helping others. Josie is the out of Towner down on her luck after several events and hired to restore the town's ghost house. Let’s say, without spoilers, their first encounter wasn’t all that pleasant. But it's made for great chemistry.
I didn't think Kenneth had it in him, but damm🥵. Especially with his piercing. Our feisty girl, Josie, challenges him, sees right through him, and brings out another side of him. She is amusing, especially when putting pretentious people in their place.
All of our favorite characters made an appearance in this book. The lamp is all I’m going to say. I pulled an all-nighter and devoured this book. I can't wait for the next book. Hidden Fears and Little Hope series is a must-read.
Kenneth is the hunky town's sheriff, always trying to do right by the town and helping others. Josie is the out of Towner down on her luck after several events and hired to restore the town's ghost house. Let’s say, without spoilers, their first encounter wasn’t all that pleasant. But it's made for great chemistry.
I didn't think Kenneth had it in him, but damm🥵. Especially with his piercing. Our feisty girl, Josie, challenges him, sees right through him, and brings out another side of him. She is amusing, especially when putting pretentious people in their place.
All of our favorite characters made an appearance in this book. The lamp is all I’m going to say. I pulled an all-nighter and devoured this book. I can't wait for the next book. Hidden Fears and Little Hope series is a must-read.
April 15, 2024
"And what tricks are those?"
"The kind of tricks a good boy like you can´t handle."
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Josie and Kenneth.
Josie is witty, smartmouthed and likes to take control of what she does. I liked that she stood her ground and didn´t cower easily. I liked her whole "smalltown girl turned city girl turned smalltown girl" again vibe. Kenneth has the good boy, hero-complex vibe to him. He definitely gives golden retriever energy and I liked how he always wanted to take care of everybody and do what´s best for his town.
Regarding side characters I always love seeing the other couples from the previous books and how they are growing their little families and their community as well. I loved seeing the couple from book 1 have their baby, it was the cutest ever. And their strong friendships to each other really gave found family vibes.
Plotwise I´d say this is the "tamest" book out of the series so to speak. We don´t deal with many issues in here, so I´d argue it is the most "fluffy" one of the five so far. I liked the bad girl x good guy vibe and the pacing of the book felt good to me. What I want to critique is Josie´s story, since I wish we would have gotten to know more about her background. You can definitely expect some spicy scenes in here and the chemistry and the tension between the two characters is there. I loved how much she hated him in the beginning and I wish that would have been a teeny bit more drawn out, but that is just my slowburn heart speaking.
Overall it was a good book and I can´t wait to get to the next in the series!
trigger warnings: mentions of eating disorder, sexual assault (not done by the love interest)
"The kind of tricks a good boy like you can´t handle."
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Josie and Kenneth.
Josie is witty, smartmouthed and likes to take control of what she does. I liked that she stood her ground and didn´t cower easily. I liked her whole "smalltown girl turned city girl turned smalltown girl" again vibe. Kenneth has the good boy, hero-complex vibe to him. He definitely gives golden retriever energy and I liked how he always wanted to take care of everybody and do what´s best for his town.
Regarding side characters I always love seeing the other couples from the previous books and how they are growing their little families and their community as well. I loved seeing the couple from book 1 have their baby, it was the cutest ever. And their strong friendships to each other really gave found family vibes.
Plotwise I´d say this is the "tamest" book out of the series so to speak. We don´t deal with many issues in here, so I´d argue it is the most "fluffy" one of the five so far. I liked the bad girl x good guy vibe and the pacing of the book felt good to me. What I want to critique is Josie´s story, since I wish we would have gotten to know more about her background. You can definitely expect some spicy scenes in here and the chemistry and the tension between the two characters is there. I loved how much she hated him in the beginning and I wish that would have been a teeny bit more drawn out, but that is just my slowburn heart speaking.
Overall it was a good book and I can´t wait to get to the next in the series!
trigger warnings: mentions of eating disorder, sexual assault (not done by the love interest)
September 29, 2024
3🌟
Not bad. The plot was simple and the writing was good. It does have some absurd parts but overall a decent read.
Not bad. The plot was simple and the writing was good. It does have some absurd parts but overall a decent read.
February 21, 2024
I'm honestly not sure how this book has such good reviews.
July 20, 2024
I think she forgot to write half the book.
September 11, 2023
Once again a great book! The series continues to improve and the more we learn about the people from Little Hope Town the better it gets! So happy I get to be apart of it! And my first read away from home! A great start!
July 21, 2024
I had really high hopes for this book and was so disappointed, everything about this book was just bad. The dialogue is cringe, the story is 99% sex and manipulation, there is no communication, the MMC does this weird alpha male shit that’s so gross to read about.
The author made it seem like we were going to get this happy gold retriever boy and grumpy black cat girl but it wasn’t like that at all.
The author also wrote her FMC so insufferably, she was this strong poised put together women in new york and the second she takes this job in a small town she’s suddenly a hot mess ?! it makes zero sense to me. I don’t get why her character needed to be dumbed down in order to fit into this town ?
The MMC is also wildly controlling and that’s something that is widely acknowledged by EVERY SINGLE side character in this book.
After the 5th chapter it’s all “she awoke something inside me that shouldn’t have been woken” (almost a direct quote) and it just made me cringe.
The MMC even goes as far as demanding the FMC lives with him, and when she doesn’t agree he goes as far as getting her contractors to say she can’t stay where she has been for the entire time she’s been in the town for no actual reason besides “why not”, when they’ve being having sex for all of what? 3 to 5 months at that point IF that. we speed past EVERYTHING and go from 0 to 100 without any actual concrete conversations about it? we go from 0 to 100 but it’s assumed. No actual label or feeling ever exchanged while these choices were made and it honestly makes it ever worse? we’re doing all this for someone we aren’t even actually with, for a glorified hookup?!
The most time these characters ever actually spend with each other is either when they are fucking or the MMC is taking care of the FMCs drunk ass, they never actually spend any time together apart from those instances and it’s just weird.
This book was also just so unnecessary long in the worse way. I was seriously 95% in and we had BARELY gotten a love declaration and even that was in the middle of a workshop like “oh yeah i’m in love with you” in a weird jealous rage the MMC had going on. it was so nonchalant, nothing juicy heartfelt or even angst.
It’s like this author took below the bare minimum and tried to disguise it as “love and respect” when in reality it was plain toxic and disrespectful. It was just sad to read.
The author made it seem like we were going to get this happy gold retriever boy and grumpy black cat girl but it wasn’t like that at all.
The author also wrote her FMC so insufferably, she was this strong poised put together women in new york and the second she takes this job in a small town she’s suddenly a hot mess ?! it makes zero sense to me. I don’t get why her character needed to be dumbed down in order to fit into this town ?
The MMC is also wildly controlling and that’s something that is widely acknowledged by EVERY SINGLE side character in this book.
After the 5th chapter it’s all “she awoke something inside me that shouldn’t have been woken” (almost a direct quote) and it just made me cringe.
The MMC even goes as far as demanding the FMC lives with him, and when she doesn’t agree he goes as far as getting her contractors to say she can’t stay where she has been for the entire time she’s been in the town for no actual reason besides “why not”, when they’ve being having sex for all of what? 3 to 5 months at that point IF that. we speed past EVERYTHING and go from 0 to 100 without any actual concrete conversations about it? we go from 0 to 100 but it’s assumed. No actual label or feeling ever exchanged while these choices were made and it honestly makes it ever worse? we’re doing all this for someone we aren’t even actually with, for a glorified hookup?!
The most time these characters ever actually spend with each other is either when they are fucking or the MMC is taking care of the FMCs drunk ass, they never actually spend any time together apart from those instances and it’s just weird.
This book was also just so unnecessary long in the worse way. I was seriously 95% in and we had BARELY gotten a love declaration and even that was in the middle of a workshop like “oh yeah i’m in love with you” in a weird jealous rage the MMC had going on. it was so nonchalant, nothing juicy heartfelt or even angst.
It’s like this author took below the bare minimum and tried to disguise it as “love and respect” when in reality it was plain toxic and disrespectful. It was just sad to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2025
This was easily the worst book in the series. Both in terms of the plot and writing.
There’s barely any plot, actually. They have a meet-cute, they ignore each other for a month, then they’re suddenly all over each other in the cringiest seggz scene I’ve read for a while. Then they just fool around for a bit, suddenly they’re in love, more fooling around, the end.
There were a few funny moments that bumped up my rating from 1 to 2 stars, but it wasn’t enough to save the story.
As for the writing, it’s confusing, with author constantly jumping forward in time, sometimes within the same sentence.
The character arc is pretty much nonexistent (and they both had great potential to be explored) and their chemistry makes no sense, since it comes out of nowhere and goes from 0 to 100 immediately.
Basically, it felt like a first draft of the story the author wasn’t particularly interested in writing.
There’s barely any plot, actually. They have a meet-cute, they ignore each other for a month, then they’re suddenly all over each other in the cringiest seggz scene I’ve read for a while. Then they just fool around for a bit, suddenly they’re in love, more fooling around, the end.
There were a few funny moments that bumped up my rating from 1 to 2 stars, but it wasn’t enough to save the story.
As for the writing, it’s confusing, with author constantly jumping forward in time, sometimes within the same sentence.
The character arc is pretty much nonexistent (and they both had great potential to be explored) and their chemistry makes no sense, since it comes out of nowhere and goes from 0 to 100 immediately.
Basically, it felt like a first draft of the story the author wasn’t particularly interested in writing.
September 26, 2023
This was such a good book
September 11, 2023
This was an ARC via Ariana’s Patreon! I ran so fast to join once I learned we’d get the book early 😏
I love Little Hope and I’ve been fully invested in this town and it’s residents since I came across tiktok teaser vids (so good 🥵) for the series. And then binged the (then) entire 4 books in like 2-3 days. SO YEAH. I’ve been excited for #5
This book was such a balm for the heart after Fragile Lives (#4. Archie 🥹) Funny and spicy and full of cameos of your fave Little Hope folks.
BIRD. LAMP. MUD. GOSSIP MILL. FRANK. BICEPS. TABLES. TRUCKS. GHOST. GHOST HOUSE. A NEW PLAYER ENTERS THE CHAT. THE SHOES. JAKE. LONELY KURT. DADDY. HIS SHIRT.
things I wanna talk about without giving a ton of spoilers before the book is even officially out lol. Feel free to message me and we can discuss privately 😂
ANYWAY. I know this is the last Little Hope book for a while. But luckily it’s not the end-END. Thank god. Bc we need at least one more.
This is sweet and funny and touches on previous couples in ways that don’t feel forced but still give us little updates of them.
I’m about to reread from the start of the series now 🥰🥰 and then again as the books are released on audiobooks! (#1 is so far! Alex!)
I’ll be back to add in book links. My phone won’t let me 🤷🏼♀️
I love Little Hope and I’ve been fully invested in this town and it’s residents since I came across tiktok teaser vids (so good 🥵) for the series. And then binged the (then) entire 4 books in like 2-3 days. SO YEAH. I’ve been excited for #5
This book was such a balm for the heart after Fragile Lives (#4. Archie 🥹) Funny and spicy and full of cameos of your fave Little Hope folks.
BIRD. LAMP. MUD. GOSSIP MILL. FRANK. BICEPS. TABLES. TRUCKS. GHOST. GHOST HOUSE. A NEW PLAYER ENTERS THE CHAT. THE SHOES. JAKE. LONELY KURT. DADDY. HIS SHIRT.
things I wanna talk about without giving a ton of spoilers before the book is even officially out lol. Feel free to message me and we can discuss privately 😂
ANYWAY. I know this is the last Little Hope book for a while. But luckily it’s not the end-END. Thank god. Bc we need at least one more.
This is sweet and funny and touches on previous couples in ways that don’t feel forced but still give us little updates of them.
I’m about to reread from the start of the series now 🥰🥰 and then again as the books are released on audiobooks! (#1 is so far! Alex!)
I’ll be back to add in book links. My phone won’t let me 🤷🏼♀️
September 19, 2023
I'll start by saying that this was a 5 star read for me. I loved it! The town of Little Hope, everyone in it (even the animals) all have a special place in my heart. Kenneth and Josie were perfect. He's strong and possessive, and just plain hot 🥵. She's so much more than she shows to the world. There were a lot of really funny moments, too. I laughed out loud many times during this one. The humor, the drama, the spice, it was just so much of everything that makes a good book! I never wanted to put it down. So good!
I received this as an ARC for an honest review.
I received this as an ARC for an honest review.
October 5, 2023
*****5 Hidden Stars*****
O what a surprise was this little gem was. I was not ready for Kenneth we only got a peek of what kind of man he is in the other books. I don’t think Josie was ready for Sheriff Benson either but it was well worth it. Josie takes a job offer that she cannot afford to turn down. Restoring the town’s Ghost is just the new start Josie needs. Kenneth and Josie’s first encounter has chemistry flying all around but the problem is they are both deny those feelings. This book is funny and has the spice and full cameos of our other favorite couples this was such an easy read. I can’t wait to read what happens next.
*****ARC from Author*****
O what a surprise was this little gem was. I was not ready for Kenneth we only got a peek of what kind of man he is in the other books. I don’t think Josie was ready for Sheriff Benson either but it was well worth it. Josie takes a job offer that she cannot afford to turn down. Restoring the town’s Ghost is just the new start Josie needs. Kenneth and Josie’s first encounter has chemistry flying all around but the problem is they are both deny those feelings. This book is funny and has the spice and full cameos of our other favorite couples this was such an easy read. I can’t wait to read what happens next.
*****ARC from Author*****
September 29, 2023
What to expect
🖤 small town MF romance
🖤 strangers to enemies to lovers
🖤 age gap
🖤 town sherif and designer
🖤 dedicated bachelor
🖤 curvy, stubborn FMC
🖤 forced proximity
🖤 slow burn
🖤 banter and sexual tension
🖤 a fun new piercing
🖤 entertaining animals
🖤 broken lamp rep IYKYK
Visiting Little Hope is like returning home. All the quirky residents are so familiar it’s like they are your own nosey neighbours.
Kenneth, the local sheriff, has been one of my favourite characters since book one. I knew this very good man would have a very naughty side. I wasn’t disappointed.
Josie has come to town to restore a heritage home for their mutual friend. It’s a big job but Josie has no intention of staying any longer than necessary. Small towns are a hard pass. She is incredibly strong willed and determined. I loved her spirit.
This pair are prickly towards one another from their first encounter but neither can deny their insane chemistry. I loved watching them navigate their complicated relationship.
This book is softer than previous books in the series. Like a fun refresher. I’m here for it. 🖤
🖤 small town MF romance
🖤 strangers to enemies to lovers
🖤 age gap
🖤 town sherif and designer
🖤 dedicated bachelor
🖤 curvy, stubborn FMC
🖤 forced proximity
🖤 slow burn
🖤 banter and sexual tension
🖤 a fun new piercing
🖤 entertaining animals
🖤 broken lamp rep IYKYK
Visiting Little Hope is like returning home. All the quirky residents are so familiar it’s like they are your own nosey neighbours.
Kenneth, the local sheriff, has been one of my favourite characters since book one. I knew this very good man would have a very naughty side. I wasn’t disappointed.
Josie has come to town to restore a heritage home for their mutual friend. It’s a big job but Josie has no intention of staying any longer than necessary. Small towns are a hard pass. She is incredibly strong willed and determined. I loved her spirit.
This pair are prickly towards one another from their first encounter but neither can deny their insane chemistry. I loved watching them navigate their complicated relationship.
This book is softer than previous books in the series. Like a fun refresher. I’m here for it. 🖤
November 14, 2024
Compared to the other 4 books, this one didn't have a whole bunch of drama. It wasn't a bad thing since it focused so much on Kenneth and Josie getting together and developing their relationship. Again Frank makes an appearance, but isn't around as much as the other books. I'm glad Josie stayed and started her own business. She deserved more than what she was getting in the big city. Kenneth finally got to shed some of the good boy hero complex. I'm not so excited for Jake's book, but I'm going in with a somewhat open mind. I think he's got a lot to make up for.
February 29, 2024
Okay.... i didn't expect this rushed ending but all in all it was good.
September 20, 2024
Overall good but didn't expect the rushed ending..
October 11, 2023
Yet another amazing story to come out of Little Hope, starring two people I have been DYING to deep dive into - Josie and Kenneth.
Josie grabbed my attention immediately as Alicia’s best friend - her support during such an important time for Alicia alone had me ready to be her next best friend.
Kenneth took pieces from me each book in the series - he was there on the sidelines most of the time yet continued to surprise and intrigue me. From assisting Justin to getting his piercing with Archer, while also being the upstanding sheriff, I couldn’t predict his next move and this story, his story, was no different.
The way these two sized each other up and their banter from the first meeting sucked me right in. Especially when very little about their back and forth changed once zaddy ken made his appearance 👀
Their chemistry is off the charts, and the story as a whole is such a great follow up to the heaviness and seriousness that was Fragile Lives (don’t get it wrong, I ADORE Archie and his story).
If I could move to Little Hope with this found family, I’d do it yesterday
Josie grabbed my attention immediately as Alicia’s best friend - her support during such an important time for Alicia alone had me ready to be her next best friend.
Kenneth took pieces from me each book in the series - he was there on the sidelines most of the time yet continued to surprise and intrigue me. From assisting Justin to getting his piercing with Archer, while also being the upstanding sheriff, I couldn’t predict his next move and this story, his story, was no different.
The way these two sized each other up and their banter from the first meeting sucked me right in. Especially when very little about their back and forth changed once zaddy ken made his appearance 👀
Their chemistry is off the charts, and the story as a whole is such a great follow up to the heaviness and seriousness that was Fragile Lives (don’t get it wrong, I ADORE Archie and his story).
If I could move to Little Hope with this found family, I’d do it yesterday
February 2, 2024
2.5/5 (rounded down bc i felt like it)
ok so here’s the thing: this book had good bones but there were some things that really threw me off.
1. the writing. There were some parts in which i genuinely think the editor was a bit tired when approving (i’m talking grammar and syntax). The dialogue was also kinda questionable, bc like on some sentences, i was like “that’s not how real people talk” but whatever
2. the family stuff (⚠️SMALL SPOILER ALERT⚠️). When Josie said that she was from a small town and she never wanted to go back, but she still mourned the loss of her relationship with her family, i was expecting a conservative town where women can either be barefoot and pregnant (and oppressed) or dirty whores who are the scum of the earth. I was not, however, expecting a cult-like community in which, if the children do something the adults don’t like (which Josie did a lot of), they are LOCKED IN A BASEMENT OR A BUNKER FOR DAYS WITH NO FOOD OR WATER. Hey girl 😃☝🏼, WHAT? How on earth do you want to reconnect with them, that’s insane.
3. the possessiveness. Listen, i am but a girl: i also love possessive men (in books). But there is a difference between possessive (hot) and possessive (oppressive), and she herself says it. There were some parts where i was like “ouu, i love a jealous man”, but then he would genuinely be out of line. Like look at this:
“I’ve also learned that he doesn’t like to share me with anyone. Even Alicia. He gets grumpy when I choose to go to her house for a movie. I got mad at first, thinking he was trying to control my freedom, but soon I came to understand that it’s just his love language.”
😧😧😧😧😧 hey bestie, fun fact: calling it a love language does not make insanity better! Also, his name is Kenneth. Ken for short. That’s already a crime in and of itself, he doesn’t need “asshole” added to the list.
anyway, yeah. i did love frank the moose, though
ok so here’s the thing: this book had good bones but there were some things that really threw me off.
1. the writing. There were some parts in which i genuinely think the editor was a bit tired when approving (i’m talking grammar and syntax). The dialogue was also kinda questionable, bc like on some sentences, i was like “that’s not how real people talk” but whatever
2. the family stuff (⚠️SMALL SPOILER ALERT⚠️). When Josie said that she was from a small town and she never wanted to go back, but she still mourned the loss of her relationship with her family, i was expecting a conservative town where women can either be barefoot and pregnant (and oppressed) or dirty whores who are the scum of the earth. I was not, however, expecting a cult-like community in which, if the children do something the adults don’t like (which Josie did a lot of), they are LOCKED IN A BASEMENT OR A BUNKER FOR DAYS WITH NO FOOD OR WATER. Hey girl 😃☝🏼, WHAT? How on earth do you want to reconnect with them, that’s insane.
3. the possessiveness. Listen, i am but a girl: i also love possessive men (in books). But there is a difference between possessive (hot) and possessive (oppressive), and she herself says it. There were some parts where i was like “ouu, i love a jealous man”, but then he would genuinely be out of line. Like look at this:
“I’ve also learned that he doesn’t like to share me with anyone. Even Alicia. He gets grumpy when I choose to go to her house for a movie. I got mad at first, thinking he was trying to control my freedom, but soon I came to understand that it’s just his love language.”
😧😧😧😧😧 hey bestie, fun fact: calling it a love language does not make insanity better! Also, his name is Kenneth. Ken for short. That’s already a crime in and of itself, he doesn’t need “asshole” added to the list.
anyway, yeah. i did love frank the moose, though
December 22, 2023
I swear I’ve read other books in this series and by this author and didn’t think they were written badly. Like solid 3 star, good escape from reality reads but what the heck was with how this books was written. The premise is great, small town uptight cop and city slicker. A classic. But it was written SO clunky. The amount of times this story just told us what was happening in simple sentences without building tension or showing us by building up the scene was frustrating. I kept going because I like the characters and the premise and I wanted to see what happened to them in the end. This whole book just felt under edited and underdeveloped. The potential was there but the writing execution was not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
Overall good, but….
This book was lighter than the previous books in the series. Kenneth is the sheriff of the small Maine town of Little Hope, and I’ve been looking forward to his story for a while. He definitely has a hero complex, and is well-suited to his job. He sees the worst of people, and just decides he has to be a better person himself to make up for it. Not that he can get much more into “good guy” mode.
Josie/Joz is Alicia’s online friend and an interior designer. She’s made a few questionable choices recently, mostly dating her boss, which has left her without a job. So when Aiden, who had her design his Boston home, calls her to fix up his Ghost House, she packs up her possessions from her New York apartment and makes her way north.
Kenneth and Joz don’t have the best meet-cute. Or the best second sighting. In fact, it takes a little while for them to get together. Eventually they need a little push from their friends.
Overall, the story is enjoyable, the small-town shenanigans (especially the nosy, gossipy neighbors) are fun, and the spice is…piercing. But I personally felt something was a little missing. Maybe it was because *spoiler* we don’t get a love confession from Joz. Kenneth pours his heart out near the end, and all Joz says is, “ok, I won’t leave town.” She never says she loves him, even in her head. She loves things about him, but she never says the words. And she doesn’t really act like she loves him either. So it kind of comes across as a submissive boyfriend (which Ken is most definitely NOT) begging the woman he loves not to leave him, and her just waving her hand at him in an “I’ll do what I want” gesture. I don’t know. Maybe I��m missing something about the character, but I don’t think a romance is complete without mutual love, and I think Kenneth deserves it. So, for that, I have to give it 3.5 stars. Rounding to 4 because Amazon won’t let me do partials.
In my reviews of the previous books in the series, I’ve mentioned Jake. He had a couple rough spots in this book, but he redeemed himself a little. I hope he pulls himself up and gets himself in a better place. Preferably with a good woman. I also hope some of the other side characters get their own books in the future (especially Jericho).
This book was lighter than the previous books in the series. Kenneth is the sheriff of the small Maine town of Little Hope, and I’ve been looking forward to his story for a while. He definitely has a hero complex, and is well-suited to his job. He sees the worst of people, and just decides he has to be a better person himself to make up for it. Not that he can get much more into “good guy” mode.
Josie/Joz is Alicia’s online friend and an interior designer. She’s made a few questionable choices recently, mostly dating her boss, which has left her without a job. So when Aiden, who had her design his Boston home, calls her to fix up his Ghost House, she packs up her possessions from her New York apartment and makes her way north.
Kenneth and Joz don’t have the best meet-cute. Or the best second sighting. In fact, it takes a little while for them to get together. Eventually they need a little push from their friends.
Overall, the story is enjoyable, the small-town shenanigans (especially the nosy, gossipy neighbors) are fun, and the spice is…piercing. But I personally felt something was a little missing. Maybe it was because *spoiler* we don’t get a love confession from Joz. Kenneth pours his heart out near the end, and all Joz says is, “ok, I won’t leave town.” She never says she loves him, even in her head. She loves things about him, but she never says the words. And she doesn’t really act like she loves him either. So it kind of comes across as a submissive boyfriend (which Ken is most definitely NOT) begging the woman he loves not to leave him, and her just waving her hand at him in an “I’ll do what I want” gesture. I don’t know. Maybe I��m missing something about the character, but I don’t think a romance is complete without mutual love, and I think Kenneth deserves it. So, for that, I have to give it 3.5 stars. Rounding to 4 because Amazon won’t let me do partials.
In my reviews of the previous books in the series, I’ve mentioned Jake. He had a couple rough spots in this book, but he redeemed himself a little. I hope he pulls himself up and gets himself in a better place. Preferably with a good woman. I also hope some of the other side characters get their own books in the future (especially Jericho).
September 17, 2023
It felt great to head back to Little Hope, Maine again with all its wild animals!
Despite it taking me awhile to warm up to Josie (like 80% of the book ngl), I really enjoyed this story and this relationship. Surprisingly Ken and Joz really worked together, both feeding off each other’s energy in a good way. I did kind of find Josie annoying at times with her antagonistic, wild behaviour but it was also clearly what good boy Kenneth needed to relax and let go.
The spice was excellent as always with this series. Kenneth was a total Zaddy and their scenes together were deliciously smutty!
I also loved all our visits with the wildlife of Maine. Frank is such an epic character and I love his scenes together but the new addition of Bird the Snitch was hilarious too.
I loved the found family aspect of the story. I’m such a sucker for that trope and Ariana really laid into it in this story in particular but it was so nice to see Josie join the family. I loved that she had previous history with Alicia but her friendships with the other women, and even honorary big bro Justin, was precious.
The scene at Alex and Freya’s cabin was a hilarious addition to the plot. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say more but Alex losing his mind had me cackling.
Overall, this was a lot sweeter and lighter than previous Little Hope stories. It was funny, sweet, spicy, had no third act breakup scene and was totally enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what comes next!!
Despite it taking me awhile to warm up to Josie (like 80% of the book ngl), I really enjoyed this story and this relationship. Surprisingly Ken and Joz really worked together, both feeding off each other’s energy in a good way. I did kind of find Josie annoying at times with her antagonistic, wild behaviour but it was also clearly what good boy Kenneth needed to relax and let go.
The spice was excellent as always with this series. Kenneth was a total Zaddy and their scenes together were deliciously smutty!
I also loved all our visits with the wildlife of Maine. Frank is such an epic character and I love his scenes together but the new addition of Bird the Snitch was hilarious too.
I loved the found family aspect of the story. I’m such a sucker for that trope and Ariana really laid into it in this story in particular but it was so nice to see Josie join the family. I loved that she had previous history with Alicia but her friendships with the other women, and even honorary big bro Justin, was precious.
The scene at Alex and Freya’s cabin was a hilarious addition to the plot. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say more but Alex losing his mind had me cackling.
Overall, this was a lot sweeter and lighter than previous Little Hope stories. It was funny, sweet, spicy, had no third act breakup scene and was totally enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what comes next!!
September 28, 2023
Hidden Fears: Small town age gap enemies to lovers romance (Little Hope Series Book 5) by Ariana Cane. This book can be read as a standalone.
Josie moves to Little Hope to help Archie and start fresh after losing her boyfriend and job at the same time. The first person from Little Hope she meets sheriff Kenneth Benson as she is pulled over before getting to town. Josie ends up disturbing Sheriff Benson’s peace
This is a slow burn, but once it gets sexy it is scorching. This book is the lightest of all the books of the Little Hope series so far. Josie and Sheriff Benson have a hot and cold and push/pull kind of chemistry. I felt for Sheriff Benson and the pain of his manhood piercing,but also found it rather funny. I also wish I knew what brand of Lipstick does Josie use. I need that lipstick lipstick in my life.
I love the town of Little Hope, even with five books of a series I still have questions and is a bit of a mystery to me, like what is going on with the Inn and why is it always full. I also hope Jake can get a book in the future, but probably a crossover to another town since his reputation isn’t the best and reminds me a bit of how Josie was growing up in her small town as a child. It was also great to see Frank make an appearance and meet parrot. The animals of Little Hope are interesting.
I always love Ariana Cane for beautifully writing complex characters where they are flawed, but not unlikeable. That’s impressive to me. I can be rather picky and petty. It doesn’t take much for me to dislike a character and hold a grudge. I love these characters flaws and all. Hidden Fears is another great addition to the Little Hope series.
I was honored to receive an ARC.
Josie moves to Little Hope to help Archie and start fresh after losing her boyfriend and job at the same time. The first person from Little Hope she meets sheriff Kenneth Benson as she is pulled over before getting to town. Josie ends up disturbing Sheriff Benson’s peace
This is a slow burn, but once it gets sexy it is scorching. This book is the lightest of all the books of the Little Hope series so far. Josie and Sheriff Benson have a hot and cold and push/pull kind of chemistry. I felt for Sheriff Benson and the pain of his manhood piercing,but also found it rather funny. I also wish I knew what brand of Lipstick does Josie use. I need that lipstick lipstick in my life.
I love the town of Little Hope, even with five books of a series I still have questions and is a bit of a mystery to me, like what is going on with the Inn and why is it always full. I also hope Jake can get a book in the future, but probably a crossover to another town since his reputation isn’t the best and reminds me a bit of how Josie was growing up in her small town as a child. It was also great to see Frank make an appearance and meet parrot. The animals of Little Hope are interesting.
I always love Ariana Cane for beautifully writing complex characters where they are flawed, but not unlikeable. That’s impressive to me. I can be rather picky and petty. It doesn’t take much for me to dislike a character and hold a grudge. I love these characters flaws and all. Hidden Fears is another great addition to the Little Hope series.
I was honored to receive an ARC.
February 10, 2024
BLUF: Jumpy, irrationally emotional, hyper masculine/possessive MMC, small town
I'm not the target audience for this book, I get that, but both MCs were unlikable. The MMC is a good guy, forever bachelor, hunk of a sheriff that runs into the from-the-city-but-really-from-a-small-town FMC who irrationally decides to go basic bitch on him. Once the spice starts, he gets hyper masculine and possessive, she gets ultra submissive. I wouldn't want to know either of these two IRL.
Descriptions for each of them could have been improved; she's supposed to be a "curvaceous girl", but little is given in the way of showing that (other than that she loves her curves). He's a hunk who apparently never works out or exercises.
Maybe had the book been longer and more time had been spent on their descriptions and personalities it wouldn't have seemed so jarring, but I felt like the author was giving us the cliff notes version of a book. Anything outside that outline was glossed over and irrelevant.
The moose and parrot, which I'm guessing are present in the author's other works in this series, were odd insertions. I probably won't read more of this series, but reasons for them being here would be nice.
I'm not the target audience for this book, I get that, but both MCs were unlikable. The MMC is a good guy, forever bachelor, hunk of a sheriff that runs into the from-the-city-but-really-from-a-small-town FMC who irrationally decides to go basic bitch on him. Once the spice starts, he gets hyper masculine and possessive, she gets ultra submissive. I wouldn't want to know either of these two IRL.
Descriptions for each of them could have been improved; she's supposed to be a "curvaceous girl", but little is given in the way of showing that (other than that she loves her curves). He's a hunk who apparently never works out or exercises.
Maybe had the book been longer and more time had been spent on their descriptions and personalities it wouldn't have seemed so jarring, but I felt like the author was giving us the cliff notes version of a book. Anything outside that outline was glossed over and irrelevant.
The moose and parrot, which I'm guessing are present in the author's other works in this series, were odd insertions. I probably won't read more of this series, but reasons for them being here would be nice.
September 17, 2023
AAAAAAAAH LISTEN
I went into this book thinking Sheriff daddy Kenneth would be my favourite out of the two, but I'm sorry Ken, miss Josie stole my heart.
Hidden Fears is definitely lighter than any other book in the Little Hope Series, but it was a nice change of pace. I really enjoyed the light hearted scenes and the jokes in this book. Especially anything that had to do with Bird (iykyk) or Kennie's new piercing. I still can't believe Archie set him up like that.
I usually don't enjoy overly possessive men, but when Kenneth did it? OOF SIR!! I almost fainted when started to refer to Josie as his in his head. He didn't even notice he was doing it. And Josie? She's so hot and feisty, I love the way she kept her "city girl" style even when she was judged for it, and I love the way she handled herself. She teased the shit out of Little Hope's Sheriff and I loved every single bit of it 😩
I think what was really cute about this couple was watching them fall for each other. They were both so resistant to it, yet there was nothing they could do to fight it.
4/5 overall ⭐ I know Ariana's taking a break from Little Hope, but I'm really excited for Jake's story. As much as I've enjoyed the romcom vibes of this book, I'm excited to read about one of miss Cane's tortured heroes once again 😩
I went into this book thinking Sheriff daddy Kenneth would be my favourite out of the two, but I'm sorry Ken, miss Josie stole my heart.
Hidden Fears is definitely lighter than any other book in the Little Hope Series, but it was a nice change of pace. I really enjoyed the light hearted scenes and the jokes in this book. Especially anything that had to do with Bird (iykyk) or Kennie's new piercing. I still can't believe Archie set him up like that.
I usually don't enjoy overly possessive men, but when Kenneth did it? OOF SIR!! I almost fainted when started to refer to Josie as his in his head. He didn't even notice he was doing it. And Josie? She's so hot and feisty, I love the way she kept her "city girl" style even when she was judged for it, and I love the way she handled herself. She teased the shit out of Little Hope's Sheriff and I loved every single bit of it 😩
I think what was really cute about this couple was watching them fall for each other. They were both so resistant to it, yet there was nothing they could do to fight it.
4/5 overall ⭐ I know Ariana's taking a break from Little Hope, but I'm really excited for Jake's story. As much as I've enjoyed the romcom vibes of this book, I'm excited to read about one of miss Cane's tortured heroes once again 😩
September 26, 2023
Spice Rating: 🔥🔥.5
I need to start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE Ariana Cane and her writing.
After Kenneth’s unexpected scene in fragile lives I couldn’t wait to dive into his book. I loved digging deeper into the two different sides of the Little Hope cop that kept the town running.
And from getting to know bits and prices of Josie in Broken Souls I was ecstatic to learn more about her character. One of Ariana’s writing superpowers is to create heart warning lovable characters that you can’t get enough about! From Frank the towns heart and soul to the side characters you just can’t get enough of. Little hope is a place I look forward to visiting over and over again.
That being said, my rating of this one is lower than all the other books in the series due to the fact it was a little lacklustre. I know Ariana was going for a more easy read and that would make this book perfect for those looking for a lot of drama and more internal character conflict books. I however felt it needed more interactions between the main characters some more clarity in the timeline and I was really hoping to see more of their relationship once they actually started dating.
All and all it was a good read, kept my attention and breezed through it with no emotional breakdowns.
I need to start off by saying that I absolutely LOVE Ariana Cane and her writing.
After Kenneth’s unexpected scene in fragile lives I couldn’t wait to dive into his book. I loved digging deeper into the two different sides of the Little Hope cop that kept the town running.
And from getting to know bits and prices of Josie in Broken Souls I was ecstatic to learn more about her character. One of Ariana’s writing superpowers is to create heart warning lovable characters that you can’t get enough about! From Frank the towns heart and soul to the side characters you just can’t get enough of. Little hope is a place I look forward to visiting over and over again.
That being said, my rating of this one is lower than all the other books in the series due to the fact it was a little lacklustre. I know Ariana was going for a more easy read and that would make this book perfect for those looking for a lot of drama and more internal character conflict books. I however felt it needed more interactions between the main characters some more clarity in the timeline and I was really hoping to see more of their relationship once they actually started dating.
All and all it was a good read, kept my attention and breezed through it with no emotional breakdowns.
March 21, 2024
Ok so I jumped here without reading any of the other books and.. yeah well it's a romance smut book.. with 39 yr old ml and no mention of the age of the FL. Atleast in the epilogue i would hv liked to see a bit further ahead with her sister interactions and all cz there was no nothing of her presence. If FL's sis had been an actor she never would hv ever needed to come to the studio for shoot! Not even once...
Well still somehow It would hv been better to make it a bit deeper according to the story name and it's cover page... Cz it's looks something dark and deep to me.
And they overcame their marriage aversion and her smalltown just by falling in love.. going a bit deeper and interactions with her family would hv made it more dark.. what I'm saying is.. it could hv a bit of thriller but there was just simple romance...
They didn't even fuck around in secret cz that could hv been interesting but just dismissed it saying small town!! So what that could hv made it better even if everyone may hv realised about it anyways...
Still it's except tht it's a nice romance novel that's it..
So there! I said it. There could hv been a ton of masala but I didn't hate reading it and that's what matters to me.
Thankyou author for writing and sharing with us
Well still somehow It would hv been better to make it a bit deeper according to the story name and it's cover page... Cz it's looks something dark and deep to me.
And they overcame their marriage aversion and her smalltown just by falling in love.. going a bit deeper and interactions with her family would hv made it more dark.. what I'm saying is.. it could hv a bit of thriller but there was just simple romance...
They didn't even fuck around in secret cz that could hv been interesting but just dismissed it saying small town!! So what that could hv made it better even if everyone may hv realised about it anyways...
Still it's except tht it's a nice romance novel that's it..
So there! I said it. There could hv been a ton of masala but I didn't hate reading it and that's what matters to me.
Thankyou author for writing and sharing with us
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