Not my favorite
I wanted to love it, I really did. But it felt like our couple was barely on the page together - there were these short scenes of them interacting, followed by one or two longer scenes of them apart. Rinse and repeat. Because of that, the book felt slow (I wanted more romance) and fast (they fell for each other quickly). I loved the soft and quiet vibes of the first book in this series and have sincerely enjoyed several of Olivia's other books, but this was the first that felt incredibly "meh" to me. I was not emotionally invested in the relationship at all, despite the fact that the golden retriever hero was adorable. I was so looking forward to the roommates to lovers situation, and there was a ton of potential at the start. But the sunshine/sunshine dynamic was almost TOO soft and sweet for me, especially since we didn't get enough time seeing them fall. A miss for me.
The story follows Cassidy, a man who never stops moving. He's always busy helping someone in town, and he hates the silence of his still house. So when his landlord's daughter comes home unexpectedly and decides to crash in her dad's rental (not realizing that it's already occupied), Cassidy finds himself with a temporary roommate. Though Cass and Marina went to high school together, Marina left town years ago. Now that they're sharing space and getting closer, the two get to know each other in a way they haven't before. And they both like what they see. But Marina is only in town until she gets back on her feet, and neither of them are the type to move quickly.
I'm a fan of Olivia's writing style, which always brings the soft vibes mixed with a bit of spice. I also love a good roommates romance, and a golden retriever hero is never a bad thing. So this had a lot going for it, especially since I loved the first book in the series. The small town and characters are a spin on Peter Pan, and that's definitely going to work out better in some books than others. I thought this one would be right up my alley though, as the tropes are a perfect fit for me. And I did like both Cass and Marina individually, though I still feel like I barely know them. There was a LOT going on that didn't revolve around their relationship, which... isn't what I'm reading these books for, honestly. I don't mind the community aspect, as long as it doesn't overtake the romance. Unfortunately, it did this time. The book is certainly not bad (except maybe that surprise in the last chapter, lol), but I was genuinely bored for a lot of it, which is almost worse to me than a book I'm disliking. I'm still looking forward to more from the series; this simply wasn't a favorite of mine.