What She's Having

Big Love from Galway #2

by Laura Moher

She may be strong, but she's not unbreakable.

July Tate is a force to be reckoned with—a big, strong blond with a heart the size of her whole town—but beneath her capable exterior lie the scars of a devastating lost love. To July, love equals vulnerability, and she can't afford either.

Joe Anderson knew from the first moment he saw her that July was The One. Now, after years apart, he's back, driven by the need to explain his disappearance. In search of the girl who filled his teenage dreams, he finds instead a powerhouse woman who steals his heart and soul.

Joe embodies everything July has been missing, and together they spark as brightly as ever. But with Joe around, July, who can usually outwork four men is suddenly making mistakes right and left. And that scares her. Because if July falls again, this time her beloved town could go down with her.

Readers of Olivia Dade, Talia Hibbert, and Lucy Score will adore this sexy Southern small town contemporary romance between a cinnamon roll hero and a plus size heroine looking for a second chance at love.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Chick Lit

Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Hi! I'm Laura.
I write contemporary romance novels set in the fictional North Carolina mountain town of Galway.

In my stories I want you to get to know the town and the characters well: what brings them together, what holds them apart, what they want and need. I want you to root for them and care about them, even when--like the people we love--they frustrate you. My stories may not be the best thing for you if you're in a don't-care-about-this-other-stuff-let's-cut-straight-to-the-sex-scenes mood. But if you're into yearning and mutual pining, I'm your girl.

If you're looking for stories of relationships that would raise red flags in real life, I am not your author. Repeat: Not your author.
That said, some of my characters have not had easy lives, so please check my website for warnings if you have triggers.

And then if you like stories of people of all sizes going about their daily lives with humor and curiosity and love, and you want to see them get their HEAs, please check out my Galway books!

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, well-written, steamy, contemporary romance novel. It is a fast paced, second chance romance with small town charm, a generous and kind female protagonist, an engaging, caring male protagonist, supportive friends, softball, wit, a touch of humor, relationship drama, and a happily ever after ending. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrators, Mr. Paul Bellantoni and Ms. Michelle Price, are truly talented and do an outstanding job voicing the characters.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

What She’s Having by Laura Moher
Big Love from Galway series #2. Contemporary second-chance romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but characters from the first book are present in this second book and could be considered a spoiler. First person, present tense. Alternating POV. Multi-timeline via sequential letters.
Joe Anderson moves back to Galway, North Carolina after twenty years hoping to reconnect with his one true love. He only recently learned that all the letters he wrote to her, were never delivered. He wants a second chance. He’s never stopped loving her.
July Tate is a powerhouse in the town of Galway. She cooks and runs a popular and busy restaurant, helps and supports a group of veterans every week, plays on the town softball league and gets involved in other community improvements. What she doesn’t do, is involve her heart. The devastation left behind when she lost the love of her life is simply too much to bear a second time.
When Joe shows up back in town with a pile of undelivered letters addressed to her, she’s unwilling to soften her heart. She simply can’t go a loss like that again.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook for this book. The narration was performed by Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni who did the first book in the series as well. They each do their POV chapter or section, voicing the other characters as well. Using the male female combo makes it easy for the audiobook listener to know immediately whose POV it is. The performance is solid with emotions clearly heard. A couple of the letters were heartbreaking that can through.
To match reading speed and conversational consistency, I listened to the audiobook at a speed of 1.5.

A lot of sadness that wasn’t their fault. They are both good people and deserve to be happy. It’s going to be a lot of heart searching decisions and trust in themselves.
PS. It’s a romance! You know how it’s going to end.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Dreamscape Media.

[Laura Moher]

Hi, everybody! Laura Moher here.
Just a note that my stories often contain stuff that might be triggering for some readers. You can always check out content warnings for all my books on my author website (lauramoher dot com) under the "CW & Resources" tab.
I'll also paste the warnings for "What She's Having" below.
Thank you for reading and for checking out my book(s). <3

What She's Having (July & Joe's story, Book 2 in the Galway series, out now):

July and Joe's story is a little more serious, a little more poignant. July's back story contains a struggle with depression and a serious eating disorder. Joe's back story contains abuse of him and his mother by his father. Both of these are revealed mostly in conversation, with no graphic depictions or descriptions.

There is some mention of fat phobia and of July's past struggle to love her body, but now in adulthood she has made peace with her size and considers it a source of strength and power and her ability to accomplish the things she wants to do (for herself and for Galway).

Issues various characters face over the course of the story include homelessness, young people in trouble, homophobia, death of a loved one, rejection by family. These are shown not by graphic descriptions but by their effects on the characters.

Resources (active links on my website):
* The Trevor Project for LGBTQ young people, for resources and help 24/7 call/chat/text links
* Psycom for emergency mental health hotlines/textlines for various situations/needs including domestic violence & suicidal feelings
* NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) for emergency resources and information
* USDHHS (US Dept. of Health & Human Services) resources & programs for people facing homelessness

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew, this got a lot heavier than I had anticipated! What She's Having is a contemporary small town, second chance romance following characters who met as teens and were forcibly separated. It's a good book, but it's a lot to read at times. It deals with parental abuse, mental health, eating disorders, fatphobia, and more. Also because of the trauma the characters have experienced, they aren't always great at communicating clearly which only adds to their relationship issues.

July is a strong, plus-size woman who runs a local restaurant and always taking care of other people. For Joe she was the one who got away, until a deathbed confession reveals the truth of their separation. He decides to go back and try to get the girl he fell for at 16, but they have both been through a lot. While I didn't adore this in the way I did the first book in the series, I appreciate that the author is using romance to tackle big issues in a human way. Just be aware this one has some fairly intense moments. The audio narration is spot on! I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[pears ✧ ☽ ☼ ଳ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf @ 33%
I tried to hype myself up into finishing this book bc I didn’t want to waste a hoopla loan but I just couldn’t do it😔
The writing and pacing seems clunky to me and I’m not liking the characters/ story.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy has the title "Just the Way You Are" but I'm thinking it's the same story ;)

So, I'm sitting here in a reading slump, middle of summer, no clue what to read next. I LOVED Ms. Moher's Curves for Days because it was written so freakin' well (not like my reviews, that's for sure). So I said screw it, I'll read her next one, its not coming out until next year but meh, it's July's story so I'll give it a go. HOLY CRAP!! ARC has NO issues!!! No 2nd book in the series issues!!! LOVE, love, loved this story!!

Give this series a try!! You won't regret it.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

July + Joe

We already met July in Curves For Days . She runs the restaurant in town.
In highschool she was super madly in love with Joe for two amazing months. Then he disappeared after their first and only night together. Never to be heard of again. Which destroyed July. And now he's back in town and both Joe and July never let go of these old feelings .... and the anger and sadness.
Will there be a second chance after so many years?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

════════════════




That was adorable.
I loved the people and the town and the food and the amazing community feeling of it all.
I cried for the lost love - the twenty years they missed. For how broken they both were back then. And I cried for the kids that July hired for the restaurant.
I really enjoyed reading this.

Three points that I didn't love. I would change them if I were the author - but I'm not - so don't mind me! First the talking ... Laura lets people talk like they are gangsters doing a criminal deal thingy. She leaves out the are's and other little words. Example: How you end up here? or That your car? Know what I mean? Also - did you realize I just did the same thing? LOL! Almost every conversation has these weird sentences. I could live with it if one person talks like that. But they all do and it sounds so ridiculous. That's not something that belongs in a book. So weird.
The second thing. Why are they not immediately a couple after meeting again? I just didn't get the point in all the drama. They both love each other and they never forgot each other and yet Laura creates such a ridiculous and silly misunderstanding that they can't be together all through the book. I hated that. Yes - romance books most often all have that silly misunderstanding or fight towards the end - but here we get that in the beginning and it makes zero sense. I would've edited that all out and just have them fall in love again with some problems here and there but the way it was done was so not well executed.
And the last thing... their first love at 16. They were together for two months. TWO MONTHS! That makes no sense. I wanted it to be a year or at least six months. But two months is so not enough!

Another thing I just thought about... why did I think - all through the book - that July had a daughter?? Huh?? No idea. So weird. I always expected Joe's secret daughter to jump out at him.
Also - why did 20 years have to go by? Wouldn't 5-15 have made more sense??

BUT - still - I loved reading this. It was a sweet and emotional second chance love story with a heartbreaking side story thrown in. I really enjoyed this book! I would definitely watch a tv show set in this town with all those amazing people!


💜 💜

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

July was in love once, when she was 16 and he disappeared without a goodbye and her heartbreak took over her life in devastating ways. Fast-forward 20 years and Joe is suddenly back in their small hometown and offers her the truth about why he left. After illuminating 20 years of misunderstanding, they try to get to know each other again but it only sends July spiraling, thinking she’s going to relapse into dangerous territory. As Joe starts to become more and more of a fixture in their small town, July and her battered heart, can’t stay away.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

Liked
* I was very invested in the characters and the town. This is the second book in this series so it was nice to see some old friends.
* The altruism of the MCs and the loving supportive network of friends was heartwarming.

Disliked
* This book was a big letdown after having enjoyed the first one. The story felt disjointed, the pacing was awkward.
* It felt like we kept spinning around the same pole in weird ways. Almost like the primary tension kept changing.
* They… had sex with each other while they were dead asleep and then woke up in the middle of it??? Huh?
* His backstory is absolutely wild. Screw his family but also it seemed so implausible.
* Tom was an absolutely dumb character

🔫+🫡 Tropes & Triggers: second chance, small town, chef MCs, curvy FMC, complex family dynamics, childhood abuse, depression, disordered eating

[Elizabeth O'Keefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

July and Joe have a lot of history, dating at 16, and now 20 years have passed since the last time they saw each other. Oh which that was the night they lost their virginity.

The story has a lot of heavy topics (eating disorder, depression, physical abuse by a parent, spousal abuse, verbal abuse, etc.). This is discussed a lot throughout the entire novel, so if these are triggers for you, this might not be your cup of tea.

The novels main focus is of course around Joe and July, a will they or won't they so to speak.

It will make you frustrated, want to be mad at the characters (for the obvious reasons mentioned above), and then also want to grab some tissues. There are some head tilt scratcher, like when July is sick that just make you go "huh". I feel like part of that scene was maybe a bit too far? Maybe that's just me.

Overall this was a good read, heavier topics, but still easy to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, Sourcebooks Casablanca (publisher) for my ARC!

[Jen Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea the emotional journey this story would take me on. It’s much more than just a romance novel… the humorous quirky characters, the deep-seated mental health struggles, the gut wrenching stories of abuse…. ❤️😭 it hit me in ALL THE FEELS! I laughed… I cried… and ultimately, I LOVED this book!

As the second book in this series, it’s normally helpful to have read the first book so you can gain backstory on the characters. I read What She’s Having as a standalone and never felt lost or confused. There’s enough details where it works, but I’ll probably go back and read Curves for Days since I enjoyed this story so much.

While it definitely had the makings of a 5 ⭐️ read, a few aspects missed the mark (please note as I read an advanced copy of this book, these issues may be addressed prior to publishing):
- There were times the story felt repetitive and purposely drawn out with the characters rehashing the same details over and over.
- Tom went from being possessive over July to completely leaving her alone and basically being nonexistent in the story.
- The epilogue was extremely short and made the story feel like it ended abruptly, leaving much to be desired.

Overall, this book truly surprised me and was really hard to put down! I finished it in one day because I was so emotionally invested. It’s easily a 4.5 ⭐️ read!

Please note the trigger warnings:
- Eating disorders
- Severe depression with suicidal ideations
- Loss of a parent
- Domestic & familiar abuse
- Homelessness

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was difficult to get through. I liked the characters and the setting, found the story fascinating, but the writing was not for me. I get that they met in high school and never had a chance to be together but it’s still writing as if they are angsty teenagers still. There’s a dual POV, which is not my favorite, and when it’s Joe’s turn, it’s all in his head and it’s telling and not showing, which added with the overly breathy narration is over the top cliché and difficult to listen to. I did enjoy the story so it kept me listening to see where it would go but the writing wasn’t great and the narration didn’t help any.

I received a copy from #NetGalley and #dreamscapemedia for an honest review.

[Hijinx Abound · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second chance story with real leftover feelings and questions that need to be answered.
I loved the backstory. The way they were separated as teenagers. Nothing either did. Things were beyond their control.
I did have some trouble with their inability to talk through what happened. So much misunderstanding.
Overall, I liked the MC’s and their story.

[Makayla Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this is a super quick read, I love small town, found family vibes.
Other than it being extremely slow burn I enjoyed it. Some parts frustrated me and I kept saying “omg just get together already”

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

July Tate is a strong and resilient woman with a heart as big as her hometown, but she's still haunted by the pain of a lost love. For her, love means vulnerability, something she can't afford. Joe Anderson knew from the moment he met July that she was The One. After years apart, he returns, determined to explain his sudden disappearance. Instead of the girl he once knew, he finds a formidable woman who captivates him completely. Joe represents everything July has been missing, reigniting their old spark. But his presence causes July, usually more capable than anyone, to start making mistakes. This terrifies her because if she falls in love again, she risks everything, including her beloved town.

The book has a lot of potential and drew me in from the very beginning, but this changed by the third chapter. We know that July and Joe are still in love with each other, but do we really need constant reminders that they were together for two months as teens? I think two months is too short a time, and twenty years is too long to wait to reconnect. I like that the story is about love in a small town, where everyone is connected, knows everything, and helps each other.
The side story was very interesting to me, and I was more curious about what would happen with the children. Although the book is dual POV, I didn't like that the characters said one thing but did another. I also didn't like the miscommunication trope stretched throughout the entire book. The sex scenes were interesting, but the first one came out of nowhere and didn't fit at all, in my opinion.

Overall, the book is sweet and interesting, with well-developed characters throughout. The plot is simple and easy to follow, even though some parts are repetitive. Unfortunately, I haven't read the first book yet, but it's in my library, and I can't wait for the third book to come out. I will definitely read the entire series, even though I didn't give this book the best rating.

*Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, Laura Moher, for providing me with this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.*

[kennedy parrish · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

they had more chemistry in their memories of one another than they ever had in the present day romance

[Linzi Adkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

What She's Having by Laura Moher and narrated by Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni is a good listen. I particularly enjoyed Mr. Bellantoni's accent. Michelle's was VERY southern. ;) Both narrators did a nice job.

When Joe met July in high school, he knew that she was the one. When his parents abruptly moved him across the world, he was shattered. Joe wrote July letters for days, professing his love, until one day, he gave up after not hearing back.

To this day, July dreamt of Joe. Often, she thought about him and wondered why he destroyed her life by moving away abruptly and never telling her why.

When Joe cleans out his mother's home, he finds a box containing all the letters he sent July years ago. He is shocked, stunned, and downright heartbroken that she never received the letters. He thought she had received the letters and chosen not to respond.

Joe sets in a motion to reunite with July and tell her about the letters.

Both characters have a lot of baggage about not hearing from the other. July is still heartbroken about Joe, and Joe is still reeling from never hearing from July. Both characters have a lot of baggage to unpack, and hearts need to be mended.

We follow as they are reunited, and Joe tries to rekindle the past relationship. While they were both the love of each other's lives, there may be too many hard feelings to move past.

There are many entertaining characters in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Destiny’s Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

also definitely another 3 ⭐️ not entirely a favorite but definitely favored more over the first book.

this book follows July and Joe and they're two star crossed lovers (really a teenage romance pit) who has been without eachother for 20 years, crazy right?

fast forward 20 years later and Joe finally gets a wild hair out of his ass to finally come to his senses to move back but it isn't such an easy task.

his parents withheld so much from him that even he didnt know and then fast forward to stuff about July that he also didnt even know and you get a bunch of tangled emotions and horrible conversations and awkward exchanges later and it can really do something to someone, sadly a lot of emotional damage at that.

July being the strong willed woman she is doesn't let anything in her way easily besides when it comes to Joe, so its not surprise when it hits her like a frieght train, just like the first book the communication had me face palming myself because is it truly so hard to conversate your feelings? in these I suppose so.

other than that I enjoyed their story, im excited for Andi's story but im scared what comes with it.

[Althea · Rating 3 out of 5]

What She’s Having is the embodiment of a heartwarming small-town romance.

Joe returns to Galway after twenty years, with the intention of rekindling his relationship with July. But time has changed them both, and their reunion isn’t as grand or satisfying as they had longed for it to be. So, they start from scratch, with the help of a tight-knit community who would do just about anything for each other.

This subverted my expectations in a pleasant way— I didn’t think this story was going to be as wholesome as it was! That said, it was cute, but I guess community-driven romances aren’t my cup of tea. A me thing, I admit, because I can see how this could be a favorite for others. I just like being contained within the main couple’s bubble.

Would recommend if you like: small town romance, second chance love, dual POV!

[What Sam Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What She’s Having is everything I could have hoped for in a Southern second-chance romance! July Tate is such a powerhouse heroine—strong, capable, and carrying more than her fair share of burdens. Watching her wrestle with the scars of her past and the return of Joe Anderson, the man who broke her heart, is emotional and gripping. Joe is just as irresistible, and the chemistry between them literally lights this book on fire. I loved how their history added so much depth to their connection, making their journey to reconciliation all the more satisfying.

What really made this book special for me was the seamless inclusion of the characters from Curves for Days. Seeing how they're still woven into the fabric of this new story gave it a richness and a sense of continuity that I adored. It felt like catching up with old friends while falling in love with new ones!

Now, I’m counting down the days until book 3—I can’t wait to see what Laura Moher has in store for us next!

[Antoinette Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it’s able to be read as a stand alone, I didn’t realize this book was apart of a sequel. I really enjoyed the story overall, but was disappointed In the stubbornness from the main character. I can understand having past trauma and not wanting to forgive, but it became a bit repetitive at times. It focused on a lot of sadness that they didn’t have any control over. This book does take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and it does have some trigger warnings in it that you should prepare for. It also shares alternating pov between the multifaceted main characters. If you enjoy romance with a lot of drama, this is definitely a great one for you

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute second chance, dual POV small town romance set in the fictional town of Galway, North Carolina. I liked that there was a plus size FMC but overall the romance just fell a little flat for me and wasn't anything special or outstanding. Just okay on audio and a tad long if I'm completely honest. Recommended for fans of Penny Reid's Winston Brother's series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Bailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

‼️ uh-oh, mean review incoming ‼️

⭐️/5 - This is one of the worst books I’ve actually finished… I don’t know what possessed me to just keep reading, whether it was the constant layers of miscommunication that I just wanted to know at least ONE could be solved… or if I was just torturing myself… but I would’ve been better off DNF.

🚩 Joe is almost 40 and has no one in his life that could tell him purchasing a building across the road from the girl he dated at 16 is crazy impulsive and obsessive? Like, an unhealthy level… not a “long lost love reunited”.. you’re putting your entire future into the hands of someone who you haven’t spoken to in 20 years.
🚩 Even after knowing Joe loved her all these years, July is SO mean to him.
🚩 July hurts him so badly, and makes no effort to better their relationship and make things right. Instead, she makes everyone around her be friends with him. Lady… he moved cross country for YOU. Selfish idiot.
🚩 July wakes up to Joe giving her sexual affection… to which she never consented or was aware was happening. But, it feels good, so she accelerates it, and Joe doesn’t wake up until they’re actually. Having. Sex.
Seriously? And then July eggs him into continuing. He was ASLEEP. None of this seems entirely consensual?! This is wrong!!!
🚩 How did no one know Maisie and Sam didn’t have family?! Why was this looked over? Joe literally saw Sam sleeping outside. They were 16 and got jobs… wouldn’t they need a parent’s position? Shady. All of this was just way too much.
🚩 Lastly, this was the worst Plus Size representation I’ve read thus far. She hates her body, believes no one can want her because she’s big, has an eating disorder where she starves herself when she’s upset. The comments she’s making about how she’s 50lbs heavier than Joe, she’s squishing him when she sits beside him??? Saying people love her “curves” does NOT make this book body-positive.

[Emily K. Suarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I really enjoyed the way Joe looked at July and really took her in. Saw past her tough exterior, and really appreciated the parts of her the were soft and unsure. Looking forward to more books in the series.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 stars. Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the review copy, RTC!

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

speaking as someone who adored book 1 and has reread it multiple times, I am heartbroken.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!

[Kathryn Card · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is definitely not what I was expecting. I was hoping for a sweet second chance/small chance romance but it really turned into a small town that cares for each other and how one bad heartbreak can mess someone up. This book was extremely hard to finish and the book just dragged.

While there was some spice I felt like there was so much miscommunication between Joe and July I just wanted this story to end. This book could have gone in so many different directions and the one the author picked was not the one I would have.

I listened to the audiobook and I did not like the performance by Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni. I felt like Paul Bellantoni's attempt at a female voice was horrible and the accent that Michelle Price put on was annoying.

[Ashly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the book in change for an honest review.

This book was decent, but it was slow. I loved that there was a back story, but maybe the author could have reeled that in a bit because i found myself bored around a quarter way through. If you like second chance romance then you’ll probably enjoy this book. There’s a lot of miscommunication between the characters and i found myself wanting to scream at them.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and so immediately picked up book #2. I thought the premise here had a lot of potential, and liked a lot of what developed from it, but had some doubts about the romance arc Moher develops.

July Tate, owner of an eponymous North Carolina café, is the town of Galway's den mother. Not only does she work 20 hour days at her inviting restaurant, she also volunteers, plays softball on the local team, offers free food to the needy, and basically supports everyone in town. She grew up in a loving family, but being abandoned by her first love, Joe Anderson, at 16, and the difficulties that abandonment led to major depression and an eating disorder, has made her deeply wary, not only of her own judgement of potential romantic partners, but also doubtful of her own ability to maintain emotional stability in the face of the strong emotions that romantic love inevitably bring. did it seem odd to anyone else that a woman with self-esteem issues would name her restaurant after herself?

Twenty years later (as we find out in the book's prologue), Joe finds out from his mother on her deathbed that the more than 100 letters he sent as a teen to July after his family unceremoniously dragged him off to Germany were intercepted by his abusive parents and never posted (a bit hard to buy; why would Joe trust such letters to the family post when he knew his parents knew about his relationship, and had moved in all likelihood in part to break it up?). The revelation leads Joe to impulsively decide to upend his life, selling off the two restaurants he runs in Colorado to move back to Galway, both to enter a Social Work MS program at a local university and in the hopes of rekindling the sparks with the girl who once lit up his entire life. (The narrative tells us that Joe is "impulsive," but nothing we see on the page in the subsequent story supports this assessment).

A weak storyteller might have had Joe and July immediately fall into each other's arms right after their mutual revelations, and their tale would have been immediately resolved. A strong storyteller might have realized that a two-months-long teen romance is not enough upon which to base a life together after twenty years of life experiences apart, and instead shown July and Joe learning who each other is now, as an adult. Wanting to give their romance another shot, because that spark is still smoldering, but also having rough spots as they discover things about one another that their 16-year-old selves did not have the maturity to see or understood.

Moher falls somewhere in the middle. Oddly, where I would have expected July to be upset or angry at Joe for not being more creative in trying to figure out a way to get in touch with her, instead she's pretty much immediately forgiving. In fact, after she discovers that he suffered parental abuse, she basically asks all her friends and relations to befriend him, so he won't be lonely. For his part, Joe is totally on-board with the idea of giving a romance with July a second shot.

The obstacle, then? Both characters' worries that the other doesn't still feel drawn to him/her, which Moher shows through some rather awkward and occasionally contrived situations/conversations between the two. It takes Joe and July far too long to actually talk to each other about their feelings; we don't get enough of the two enjoying one another together on page (although we do get lots of each of them longing for the other and thinking how great the other is) to make this a real feel-good romance.

Especially when a bigger obstacle to their second chance finally rears its head: July's fears that if she risks loving Joe again, she'll inevitably be hurt and the personal trauma she experienced at 16 will take over her life again and derail everything positive she's built since. An obstacle that some wise words from a character who only appears in one scene, and who is speaking about an entirely different situation, conveniently lead July to reconsider her fears.

The couple from book 1, as well as many of its secondary characters, make appearances here, demonstrating the tight-knit nature of small-town Galway as well as giving readers friendly feels at encountering familiar and appealing characters. I liked the two new secondary characters, too, two teens working in July's café who are struggling with far more difficult emotional trauma than teen July lived through. And I liked both Joe and July as characters, although Joe is rather a cinnamon-roll of a guy for someone who grew up in an abusive household.

I'm just not sure I liked the way their second-chance romance unfolded, or found it all that convincing.