Flirting with the Past

by Kaylie Newell

Only love can make them whole. 

Poppy Sawyer has spent years struggling with survivor’s guilt over the car wreck that killed her high school boyfriend. But when her grandfather wills her part of his antiques shop in Christmas Bay, she returns home to face the pain in her past—and Justin Frost, the deceased’s brother. Neither expected their long-buried, forbidden attraction would spark at their first meeting. Nor the healing they find in each other’s arms. But guilt is a hard obstacle to overcome, as is Justin’s family. The only way forward together is to find forgiveness—with their loved ones and each other.

Genres: Category Romance, Harlequin

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Kaylie Newell lives in Southern Oregon with her husband and two daughters. She’s the proud author of over a dozen romances, including the RITA® finalists, Christmas at The Graff and Tanner’s Promise.

Reviews

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flirting with the Past by Kaylie Newell,book one in the Hearts on Main Street series, is a wonderful and heartwarming story of healing and finding unexpected love when you believed you were unlovable. It is also a story of reconnections with your past and working toward a future you never expected to find. I loved this story and the way Poppy and Justin were able to work past their hurts, but how they helped Justin’s mother heal by moving past her anger. I also enjoyed the reconnecting of the cousins and the lessons young Mary taught the adults. I highly recommend this book to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Harlequin

[HiDee Ekstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Flirting with the Past (Book 1 of Hearts on Main Street series), Kaylie Newell tugs at the heartstrings in a big way. Poppy Sawyer returns to Christmas Bay upon the death of her beloved grandfather, who attempts to heal family rifts by leaving his antique shop to Poppy and her two cousins, Beau and Cora. Per the stipulations of his will, they must run the shop for one year. That means upending all of their lives. Will they do it?

Poppy’s history in Christmas Bay is painful. Returning means facing not only the ghosts of her past, but also those of the family left behind when her teenaged boyfriend, Danny, was killed in a car wreck in which she was driving. Survivor’s guilt is a powerful emotion and it has been running her life for years. While she’s in town, trying to decide what to do, forbidden attraction sparks between her and Danny’s brother, Justin Frost, who has temporary custody of her grandfather’s dog, Roo. When Justin’s mom, Evelyn witnesses the attraction, life becomes even more complicated for them. Evelyn has never forgiven Poppy for causing her son’s death. And although Justin initially blamed Poppy, he’s exhausted from the grief and anger, and just wants to move on. And then there is the matter of his rekindled attraction…

The cousins decide to give running the antique store a go, although they each have different reasons for doing so. When Cora’s daughter, Mary, meets Evelyn, the tides begin to turn. Eventually, between the influences of Roo and Mary, Poppy and Justin (and Evelyn, too) discover it’s not too late to begin healing. Never underestimate how the love of a dog and a child can bring people together!

This was an emotional read that kept me turning the pages, wondering how Poppy and Justin would ever come to terms with their past and be able to look toward the future. Ms. Newell masterfully pulls the story together for a satisfying and surprising ending. I can’t wait to read Beau and Cora’s stories to see how their lives are made better, thanks to the love of a grandfather who manages to will his family back together!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story about love and healing. Poppy returned to Christmas Bay after her grandfather's death to take up the conditions of his will - to run his antiques shop with her two cousins. It was a difficult decision because of the guilt she felt over the death of her high school sweetheart. Her attraction to Justin, Danny's older brother, complicates matters.

Justin spent the first years after Danny's death blaming Poppy, but sustaining the grief and anger is exhausting. Seeing her again creates a resurgence of his teenage feelings for her. His desire to avoid her and the grief she reminds him of wars with his need to get closer to her.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Poppy and Justin develop. Their first meeting surprises Justin when he discovers he can't sustain his anger at Poppy. He attempts to maintain his distance from her but can't stay away. Poppy is equally drawn to him, but some obstacles keep her from believing they have a future together. One is Justin's mom's continued bitterness and grief over Danny's death. An early confrontation with Poppy shows that Evelyn still blames her. However, the biggest obstacle is Poppy's self-blame and belief that she doesn't deserve love. Every time she takes a step forward in their relationship, something happens to push her back. I ached for Poppy and her struggle to forgive herself. I loved seeing them getting to know each other and working past their grief together. The ending was very emotional, with an unexpected twist.

I enjoyed the secondary characters also. Poppy's cousins, Beau and Cora, and Coras's daughter, Mary, were brought together by their grandfather's will after they'd drifted apart. Each is at a crossroads in their lives, and their return to Christmas Bay is the perfect time to reevaluate. I especially enjoyed young Mary. She struggles to deal with her father's death, which leads to an unexpected connection with Justin's mom. I liked how Mary helped Evelyn.

[Asheley T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy has returned to Christmas Bay, along with her cousins Beau and Cora, to run her grandfather’s antiques store after his recent death. His will stipulates that the three cousins stay in town and run the store for one year before they sell it, or they can decide to keep it. I love that their grandfather had the foresight to force them to come together again because he knew they all would benefit from the company of family, as each one is at a crossroads in their lives.

Poppy fled town after high school out of guilt and shame, after a car accident claimed the life of her boyfriend Danny. She was driving, and Danny’s family has never been able to forgive her. Neither can she survive herself.

The relationship between Poppy and Justin developed as the two began to work thru shared grief and trauma. Danny was Justin’s brother, and his crush on her while she was dating his brother was complicated by anger and grief after Danny’s death. Poppy’s return to town allows him to re-examine his feelings, and he finds that he isn’t angry like he once was. As he begins to grow closer to Poppy, it forces his parents to try to forgive her too. Thru Poppy, her young niece Mary, and a sweet dog called Roo, Justin’s family moved toward healing, and Poppy does too. So wholesome, so sweet, and I adored the dog. I’m excited for the books featuring Beau and Cora.

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderfully written sweet romance by Kaylie Newell!

Thank you for letting me read your latest book in exchange for an honest review.

Flirting with the Past is the first book in a new series for this gifted author and I can't wait to read the next installment.

Poppy Sawyer struggles with a dark past in which she was driving the car that crashed and killed her boyfriend. Not only has she been grappling with survivor's guilt but with the guilt of having feelings for his older brother. She leaves town only to come back 10 years later when her beloved grandfather passes away.

Can she move forward from her past mistakes and allow love in again? It's a struggle anyone would have in her situation.

I love how Kaylie Newell navigates the emotions of not only Poppy and her deceased boyfriend's brother, but both their families as well. Those are tough and many times conflicting emotions to deal with.

If you like soft romance and emotional struggles, you will love this book. I highly recommend it.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart felt emotional read that kept me turning the pages. A lesson of accepting the past and learning to live/love again. A re connection of three cousins, that are at crossroads in their lives have returned to Christmas Bay for one year to run their grandfather's antique store per his will. Poppy has not returned home since the death of her high school boyfriend that she has survivors guilt, now to face his family once again. His brother Justin has always had feelings for Poppy, can he now help her to move on. I must say, Mary brought such joy into this story and helped Justin's mom with her anger of the death of her son. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, I highly recommend.

[Harlequin Books]

Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Hearts on Main Street (Book #1)

[mumu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just read a similar plot from another book...

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Flirting with the Past* by Kaylie Newell, the first book in the *Hearts on Main Street* series, is a heartwarming romance centered on Poppy's return to Christmas Bay after her grandfather's death. Tasked with running his antiques shop alongside her cousins, Poppy is haunted by guilt over her high school sweetheart Danny's death. Complicating matters, she reconnects with Justin, Danny's older brother, who initially blamed her for the tragedy. As old feelings resurface, Poppy and Justin navigate their grief, guilt, and growing affection, leading to a tender story of healing, forgiveness, and family reconnection.