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Falling in love was never part of the plan for this grumpy private investigator when he came to Charlotte Oaks... but maybe he just needed a little small-town sunshine.

I never thought my penchant for meddling would land me in the crosshairs of a grumpy, wounded PI with a chip on his very broad shoulder—but I suspect it has everything to do with how tall, dark, and annoyingly handsome he is.

No one in Charlotte Oaks knows why Tucker Black really came to town, but that doesn’t stop them from watching like hawks. And it certainly doesn’t stop me from inserting myself into his case to prove my best friend’s innocence.

Tucker calls me his "wild card," and even though he's planning to leave Charlotte Oaks, would a fall fling with the giant grump be such a bad idea? After all, it's not every day a girl gets to play detective with a man who promises to keep her safe.

But when secrets from the past start creeping into the present and a hidden treasure gets everyone’s hearts racing, I might just be in over my head—with both the case and the man trying to solve it.

And with the clock ticking and the plot twisting faster than the falling leaves, do I even want him to solve this case if it means he’ll pack up and leave?



How I Love You is the sixth book in the Love in Charlotte Oaks series, where you'll find families as sweet as the tea, hot veterans who've returned home to find true love, and a beloved pet goat who has the habit of coming in clutch to save the day.



Why you'll love

❤️ romcom with a side of mystery
❤️ grumpy/sunshine
❤️ veteran hero
❤️ found family
❤️ small-town secrets and shenanigans
❤️ pet goats who seem to know more than they should
❤️ swoony kisses with sizzling chemistry

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2024

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About the author

Jess Mastorakos

55 books720 followers
Jess Mastorakos writes sweet military romance books that feature heroes with heart and the strong women they love. She is a proud Marine wife and mama of four. She loves her coffee in a glitter tumbler and planning with an erasable pen.

Get a free novella from her San Diego Marines series, Forever with You, at the link below!

www.jessmastorakos.com/forever-with-you

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5 stars
144 (62%)
4 stars
68 (29%)
3 stars
14 (6%)
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3 (1%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for R. L. Peterson.
947 reviews37 followers
February 28, 2025
I'm not Ready to Leave!

I just need 20 more Charlotte Oaks books 😫 This series is so good and Life's story is an excellent bitter sweet closer 😊
Profile Image for Sierra.
1,113 reviews
October 24, 2024
Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Dakota & Tucker’s points of view

– there is blood briefly mentioned from an injury (Dakota is an ER nurse)

– it is briefly mentioned that a character’s parent left when they were young

Review:

This was so much fun! I loved getting to start off the story with Dakota’s spunky personality and seeing what she thought was going on before we got inside Tucker’s head! I loved that it was clear to everyone (except maybe Dakota & Tucker) how head over heels in love the two of them were for each other. I loved that Dakota invited Tucker & his group into the fold of people her family has collected as their own with barely any insight as to who they were first. I loved that Tucker was thrown by so much in the small town goings-on and I loved that Gertie the goat was following him around to the point that he just allowed it.

I am so excited that we’ll be getting a story for Tucker’s best friend & Dakota’s friend sometime in the future! I loved seeing them interact in this book and can’t wait for more!

Summary:

Dakota loves to be right in the middle of anything interesting. So when a wounded PI shows up in her ER after having been hurt on her friend’s property, she wants to know what’s going on. As Dakota follows Tucker – the PI – on the trail he’s investigating and how to navigate with the small town locals, she finds herself falling for the one man she shouldn’t. Dakota is known for falling for the wrong guys, but this time feels different. Tucker might be the one wrong guy that’s perfectly right for her despite their circumstances & initial desires for life…

Tucker travelled to Charlotte Oaks with his partner in order to fulfill the request of their most recent employer, not to get involved with locals or tell them why he’s in town. Yet that certainly doesn’t stop the locals by any means. And the most persistent one is none other than the nurse who caught him at possibly his weakest moment in the ER – Dakota. No matter what Tucker says or does, Dakota insists on helping with his investigation. And though he’d deny it if it were to ever come up, Tucker has to admit that she helps when it comes to questioning locals for more information. He is completely out of his depth trying to figure out how to appease the tight-knit group of people & get what he wants at the same time. Though when Dakota ends up getting far deeper than he even knew their case went, Tucker knows he will do anything to keep her safe…
Profile Image for Angeline.
809 reviews25 followers
October 15, 2024
4.5 stars
Eek! I have been wanting to read Dakota’s book and it was so much fun! How I Love You is the 6th book in Jess Mastorakos’ Love in Charlotte Oaks series. Dakota was so full of life in the other books and I knew that her story was going to be interesting and exciting.
I adored Dakota and how spunky she was. She truly cared for her family but she was also searching for love. It was cool to finally see her get her own book. Dakota had to figure out if she wanted to risk her heart with Tucker not knowing if he would stay. Tucker was kind of grumpy but he had a heart of gold underneath all of his walls. He didn’t expect to fall in love or even want to add someone to his life but Dakota kind of burst in. Tucker wasn’t the staying kind of guy
I loved Dakota and Tucker’s relationship, they just clicked with each other. They had great chemistry and it was fun to read about them falling in love and interacting. They had different things that they had to work through including the fact that Tucker was only in Charlotte Oaks because of a case.
The characters were engaging and I loved seeing the old characters. The new characters were also interesting and I am excited for books to come. I liked the hints of mystery that were woven into the story, I do want to know how everything turned out in the end.
I would totally recommend How I Love You! The character, romance, and hints of suspense were so interesting. How I Love You is a clean romantic comedy.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
Profile Image for Beth.
537 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2024
This one deserves six stars in my opinion!

Jess is back and her stories are better than ever!!!

This Charlotte Oaks tale was 1000% worth the wait! I loved every single page of Dakota and Tucker's story and I am so sad that this series is coming to an end.

Tucker and Dakota are the perfect grumpy/sunshine couple. I absolutely loved how Dakota drew smiles, laughs and joy out of Tucker for what seemed to be the first time in years! And I love the dependability and unconditional love (whether he would admit or not, that's what it was) that Tucker gave to Dakota from the beginning. Tucker is such a swoony, awesome hero, he's definitely making my favorite book boyfriend list!

I also loved Austin and Phoebe's friendship and of course, the infamous antics of Gerite the goat! However, my favorite part of this novel was the mystery and intrigue that went along with the romance. Jess is definitely sliding into the mystery romance genre and I absolutely love it!

Overall, this love story was beautifully and uniquely written with all of romantic, mysterious, funny and heartwarming scenes you could want! 10/10, I would highly recommend you go read this book!
Profile Image for  The Flipped Page (Susan K).
1,951 reviews41 followers
November 30, 2024
Sweet, contemporary romance with a dash of mystery

Romance, sweet, contemporary, mystery; series but stand alone read.
Dakota and Tucker’s story started out as a reluctant fall. Tucker seems to be all business, but Dakota is just too sincere, fun, and ‘helpful’ inserting herself into his case.
Fun and strong supporting characters, cameos from characters from other books in this series, and the mystery all provide a fun background to this story, and of course re visiting this quirky town again.
The sweet, tender moments with Dakota and Tucker overshadowed by their future separation made for a sweet, tender romance, filled with spunk (thank you Dakota) that made the study sparkle along with being swoony. Fun, sweet, romance with the dash of mystery that will continue with Hope and Colt’s story.
248 reviews6 followers
October 14, 2024
Such a good book!! I loved Dakota’s flirtation with Tucker. She put herself out there early on and flirted outrageously, but it was so much fun! And then she somehow managed to convince Tucker to allow her to help with parts of his investigation. Tucker was completely out of his element with everything about Charlotte Oaks – Dakota, Gertie the “princess” goat, close family dynamics, and the small-town atmosphere and gossips, to name a few. However, he did finally start to get used to how things were just going to be in this wonderful community. I also enjoyed seeing Tucker’s brother fit in and feel at home right away. This was a great small-town romance with lots of laughter and some suspense mixed in.
1,562 reviews7 followers
November 5, 2024
I loved Dakota and Tucker’s story. I loved the fun banter, especially from Dakota, she is sunshine and spunky. Tucker is grumpy on the outside but so sweet and swoony with Dakota. A couple quotes: "Any guy who thinks you're too much for him isn't enough for you" and "In a world where I always felt like a drifter, you're the one who made me want to stay"
Gertie the goat adds so much crazy and fun to the story. I love the Charlotte Oaks community, they may seem nosey, but they are all so loving and helpful, it is wonderful. This is an awesome story with sweet romance, swoony kisses and some suspense added in to make a story I didn’t want to put down.
2,498 reviews16 followers
January 7, 2025
How I Love You

This is one of the funniest mysteries with a hint of danger I have ever read. Tucker Black is a P. I. from Colorado that has come to Charlotte Oaks for a case. Being wounded while on stakeout had not been on his agenda. Meeting a nosy nurse who pushes herself into the middle of his investigation was even less expected but both situations happened. Dakota is an E. R. nurse and witnesses the hunkiest gun shot wound victim ever. When she found out he was in front of her friend’s house she decided to help with his investigation. Be sure to find out if they are able to solve the mystery by reading the book.
Profile Image for Lady M..
1,454 reviews12 followers
October 7, 2024
This has been a great series based in a super quirky small town. This one was romantic suspense lite, which I enjoyed. It was fun seeing Dakota be her crazy self, and having a guy get her. Someone to calm her a little. And she helped balance him too. And for a clean romance, it definitely had some steamy kisses and skated the lines with language,which I also appreciated. You don't need to swear, but it made for some funny scenes at the almosts. There was a lotbgoing on, and this is probably my second favorite book of the series (hard to top Somebody to Lean on)
Profile Image for Katie ♡.
9 reviews
October 14, 2024
Of course Jess never disappoints, but holy cow this blew my expectations away! Dakota reminds me of Tinker Bell & I just love the spitfire & spark she’s brought to Charlotte Oaks.

I loved Dakota & Tucker’s relationship & it gave such a good vibe towards the rough around the edges guy. Jess so seamlessly worked in past books/characters that helped add depth & brought back memorable parts.

This sweet, small town series ended on such a good note. The only thing I’d add, is more in depth about Tuckers backstory. I’m such a nosey person & just love alllll the tmi things lol
1,576 reviews14 followers
October 16, 2024
I had an ARC for this book, but this is my voluntary and honest opinion. Private Investigator Tucker Black is in Charlotte Oaks to find his client’s pirate treasure. While there, he is shot in the behind and cared for by nurse Dakota Cole. They are attracted to each other and she helps him in his quest, but they agree it’s just a fling and neither one will get serious because she won’t leave Charlotte Oaks and he is based in Colorado. This book is filled with humor and sass, and is a great read. Super addition to this series!
Profile Image for Tara.
1,321 reviews11 followers
October 19, 2024
What a fantastic read. I was sooooo happy that Dakota finally found her person...the one she could be herself and not always be the happy, go lucky friend, coworker, neighbor. I loved that quiet, reserved Tucker is her person. They are truly perfect for each other. They balance each other out in many ways. The characters are very well constructed and they have depth and chemistry. There are many twists and turns to this story with action and adventure. This book & the entire series are a must read!

Profile Image for Samantha Ball.
Author 6 books28 followers
October 24, 2024
“Any guy who thinks you’re too much for him isn’t enough for you. Got it?” (Tucker quote)

Every book in this Love in Charlotte Oaks series has been great, and How I Love You was no exception. I loved Dakota’s sunny disposition against Tucker’s grumpy private investigator character. I enjoyed the sizzling chemistry, flirty banter, and swoony kisses. This book had a little mystery, too, which was fun. 

If you love small-town romances with great characters, a pet goat that gets up to mischief, great humor, and sweet happily-ever-afters, then this book is for you.

Profile Image for The Squeaky Clean Reader.
424 reviews137 followers
October 31, 2024
A cozy mystery romance at its finest

Tucker and Dakota's story is the perfect fall romance. It's swoony and sweet and I loved the cozy mystery aspect of it. Dakota was always entertaining as a side character and having her take the stage as a main character was even better than I expected.
I loved the witty banter, the emotional growth, and how open their communication was.
Tucker was all things swoony and protective and of course the wonderful cast of characters from the series made the story so full and fun.

💋Makeouts
⚠️Tucker is a veteran, bullet wound
655 reviews2 followers
September 9, 2025
Grumpy vs Sunsine

Love in Charlotte Oaks is such a wonderful series of stories. I have truly enjoyed reading them. Who knew a grumpy PI shot in his butt during a case would end up liking a small town. Gertie the goat sure does love to get involved and cause hilarious laughter. While reading this I was wondering what it would take to make the whole case turn into a family affair. I found grumpiness , sunny personality, family loyalty, protection, laughter that made it very intriguing. The lost treasure becomes quite the mystery.
Profile Image for MaryEllen.
3,216 reviews34 followers
October 6, 2024
Dakota and Tucker formally meet in the emergency room. Hope that's not a sign of how their relationship will go.
They each know a relationship between them is impossible. He's not staying in town, and she's not leaving. They say they are not going to get serious; it's a fun fling.

There are several lighthearted moments and fun conversations, but there are a few tense moments, too. It was a really engaging story.

This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from the author.
1,108 reviews5 followers
October 8, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this story between Dakota and Tucker. She was an ER nurse in Charlotte Oaks. He was a PI who was based in Colorado but traveled wherever his business took him, which happened to be Charlotte Oaks this time.

They were attracted to each other but knew it would never work. She wouldn't leave Charlotte Oaks, and he wouldn't move there. But would one of them change their mind?

I received a free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.
471 reviews5 followers
October 15, 2024
Grand finale!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had a new Jess Mastorakos book and I’m just smiling after reading it. So. Much. Fun. We get to see all the friends from the series, the Wilson brothers and the Cole sisters and of course, Gertie the goat. Dakota and Tucker will make you smile as she can crack jokes to get under his grumpiest face and make him feel things he never felt. He finally understands the concept of home. Clean. Military vets.
223 reviews
October 15, 2024
Love, Mystery, Suspense, and a Goat

Love this family and community. I also love a good mystery. This book gives a healthy serving of both, and of course, Gertie the goat. There is a lot of fun banter, plenty of protective 'brothers', and a hunt for pirate treasure. Who could ask for more? Jess Mastorakos has great insight into human nature and family relationships. I enjoy and recommend all of her books. Keep them coming Jess!
167 reviews2 followers
October 20, 2024
My goodness how I love this community! The story of Dakota and Tucker is a blast right from the start! From their first meeting in the ER with Tucker having been shot in the backside, to Gertie the goat and the way Dakota‘s family and extended family lookout for her, it is amazing! Great banter, LOTS of flirting, some suspense and good old small-town romance, there is no way you could be disappointed with this new book!
Profile Image for Meredith.
773 reviews33 followers
October 10, 2024
"Tucker." "What?" "You've gotta let me help you with this case. Please."

Jess Mastorakos writes such cute books. Charlotte Oaks is a lovely town and that Gertie is hilarious.

If you like military romances, PI, small towns, pirate treasure, romance, and hilarious female leads, read this book. Because you'll like it.
33 reviews
October 20, 2024
I just loved this book. Dakota is such a spitfire, not backing down from anything. I loved her flirtatious side from the start. They both agreed it was just going to be a fling, but they were just fooling themselves. A touch of suspense that will have you guessing at every turn about who the real culprit is.
1,684 reviews7 followers
October 28, 2024
Banter At Its Finest

Tucker and Dakota have so much sassy dialog and bantering in their relationship, and it's my favorite thing in this book. I also love the small town and friends and family dynamics. The mystery is intriguing, and once again Gertie steals the show. The story is fun, and the ending is so good.
410 reviews1 follower
January 20, 2025
good ole Charlotte Oaks, the charm draws ya in ...

And the people keep you there. Tucker & Colt and their cast away get sucked in real quick. Course Dakota is a handfull of goodness & curiosity wrapped up in southern blanket. Things get as sideways as this case real quick and Tucker better GWT his head on straight.
Good to be back in Charlotte Oaks.
732 reviews2 followers
May 5, 2025
After reading 20 of Jess Mastorakos’ books, I’ve finally hit the wall and DNF this one at 50%. Dakota, the FMC, isn’t cute, she isn’t funny, she’s just over the top annoying and while I’m sure she’s going to get her man, Tuck, he deserves better. She might actually be the most irritating characters ever.
Profile Image for CAH - malphrusc.
728 reviews6 followers
October 7, 2024
I absolutely love the grumpy/sunshine trope and this storyline was very well done! I could totally see the lip twitches and hear the grunts….but what really got me was when Ms. Sunshine was “extra”… Mr. Grumpy could “see her” and she was the good kind of “enough” and perfect for him!
Profile Image for Abby Huffer.
904 reviews13 followers
October 10, 2024
Absolutely loved this one-easily my new favorite! Jess hooks you from the very beginning with a mystery that continues through the whole book! I loved Dakota & Tucker-absolute grumpy sunshine goodness🙌🏻. And his nickname for her of Wildcard?! Swoon🫠.
396 reviews
October 11, 2024
Another great story by Jess Mastorakos. Dakota and Tucker start off meeting in the ER, and their story just gets more interesting from there. Loved how Dakota helped to lighten up Tucker, and, of course, Gertie helped as well. Great read!

I received an ARC for the author for my honest review.
251 reviews
October 22, 2024
It’s time to say goodbye to this adorable town with these lovable characters. Dakota finally meets the man who doesn’t think she is too much. Don’t we all want that person who we can be truly ourself?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews