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Given Grace
Grace McEntire returns to her small hometown of Blackwater, Texas, to help her mother clear out her grandparents’ home amidst her grandmother’s declining health. As she steps back into the familiarity of her youth, she finds solace in reconnecting with her childhood best friend. However, the return also stirs up unresolved feelings for Dax Collier, her first love and her best friend’s older brother, who is now engaged to someone else.
Haunted by her perceived failures and the dreams she left behind, Grace navigates the bittersweet memories of her adolescence while grappling with the complexities of her rekindled connection with Dax. As old emotions resurface, the two find themselves drawn together, challenging their loyalties.
Haunted by her perceived failures and the dreams she left behind, Grace navigates the bittersweet memories of her adolescence while grappling with the complexities of her rekindled connection with Dax. As old emotions resurface, the two find themselves drawn together, challenging their loyalties.
324 pages, Paperback
Published January 30, 2025
2 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 24, 2025
This is an absolute page turner! 🤩 This book gets 5 stars because of the slow burn that kept me hooked until the very end—so worth it! 🔥 I love second chance romance tropes with wit, comedy, drama, and spice! 🌶️ This was a rollercoaster read and highly recommend! 💯 #Romance #Books #SecondChanceRomance #FiveStars #MustRead
February 23, 2025
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a small town romance book by Author H.B. Skinner and this is her debut book. I have not read many debuts, but in my personal opinion this story was an incredible debut. Given Grace was evenly paced, very relatable, funny, spicy, sad at times, and I felt so invested in Grace and Dax’s story.
My Chaotic Thoughts:
🩶The introduction of this book immediately grabbed my attention as someone who’s always felt too big for a small town.
🩶This book is for the plus size girls from small towns who never felt like they were “enough” to be liked by one of the “popular” cute guys or who maybe felt like it was a mean joke if a cute guy showed interest.
🩶I don’t always like flashback chapters interspersed with present day, moving the story back and forth, but in this book it kept me more invested to have the back and forth. It was good timing to help you understand present day events better.
🩶I was getting Sweet Home Alabama vibes with the small town bar scene - and other scenes. Loved this!
🩶 I felt sad for Grace when she let her insecurity (and a slight miscommunication) initially get in the way of her and Dax’s future.
Quotes that I loved:
🩵“I have thought about you in every quiet moment for the greater part of a decade.” -Dax
🩵 “It's not that l think I'm better than the people who stayed, I've never thought that. I just felt like a goldfish who couldn't grow any bigger because of the size of my bowl, and I couldn't stomach the idea of swimming in circles until the day I died.” - Grace
(Re: staying in a small town)
🩵”…I’m going to have you by my side every day until my last.” -Dax
This is a small town romance book by Author H.B. Skinner and this is her debut book. I have not read many debuts, but in my personal opinion this story was an incredible debut. Given Grace was evenly paced, very relatable, funny, spicy, sad at times, and I felt so invested in Grace and Dax’s story.
My Chaotic Thoughts:
🩶The introduction of this book immediately grabbed my attention as someone who’s always felt too big for a small town.
🩶This book is for the plus size girls from small towns who never felt like they were “enough” to be liked by one of the “popular” cute guys or who maybe felt like it was a mean joke if a cute guy showed interest.
🩶I don’t always like flashback chapters interspersed with present day, moving the story back and forth, but in this book it kept me more invested to have the back and forth. It was good timing to help you understand present day events better.
🩶I was getting Sweet Home Alabama vibes with the small town bar scene - and other scenes. Loved this!
🩶 I felt sad for Grace when she let her insecurity (and a slight miscommunication) initially get in the way of her and Dax’s future.
Quotes that I loved:
🩵“I have thought about you in every quiet moment for the greater part of a decade.” -Dax
🩵 “It's not that l think I'm better than the people who stayed, I've never thought that. I just felt like a goldfish who couldn't grow any bigger because of the size of my bowl, and I couldn't stomach the idea of swimming in circles until the day I died.” - Grace
(Re: staying in a small town)
🩵”…I’m going to have you by my side every day until my last.” -Dax
February 5, 2025
*4.5 stars
this was such a cute and fun small town romance!! i loved the flashbacks throughout the story and how much we can see the characters grow. very impressive debut novel!
this was such a cute and fun small town romance!! i loved the flashbacks throughout the story and how much we can see the characters grow. very impressive debut novel!
May 19, 2025
4.5 Stars.
This book had some really beautiful qualities and then there were parts that will rip your heart out. I loved the small town vibes and the second chance themes (Not only with romance, but friendship as well). I gave a half a star deduction simply because there were a few parts that didn't flow naturally to me, but I would say majority of the storyline had a really good flow that worked and made sense (some of the spicy scenes felt misplaced to me. I'll own it LOL).
Grace drives back into town to handle some affairs as her grandmother has fallen very ill and moved to a care facility. On the drive back in, she bumps into her hometown fling (also her first love) that ended pretty badly. Fear, love and angst bubbles within her as she attempts to navigate all these emotions she has after taking a peek at Daxton Collier all around town; it's almost as if his entire being surrounds her. Though there are many obstacles standing between them, love wins in the end and they 100% deserve every second of it. When they finally make it back to one another, things do move fairly quick, but it felt right? I guess with second chance it makes it work because it really didn't seem rushed! And then the back of the book came... and THAT ENDING!? I need book two now. Immediately. How dare Ms. Skinner leave me hanging like this!? I am beyond ready to dive back into Blackwater as soon as I get the chance!
This book had some really beautiful qualities and then there were parts that will rip your heart out. I loved the small town vibes and the second chance themes (Not only with romance, but friendship as well). I gave a half a star deduction simply because there were a few parts that didn't flow naturally to me, but I would say majority of the storyline had a really good flow that worked and made sense (some of the spicy scenes felt misplaced to me. I'll own it LOL).
Grace drives back into town to handle some affairs as her grandmother has fallen very ill and moved to a care facility. On the drive back in, she bumps into her hometown fling (also her first love) that ended pretty badly. Fear, love and angst bubbles within her as she attempts to navigate all these emotions she has after taking a peek at Daxton Collier all around town; it's almost as if his entire being surrounds her. Though there are many obstacles standing between them, love wins in the end and they 100% deserve every second of it. When they finally make it back to one another, things do move fairly quick, but it felt right? I guess with second chance it makes it work because it really didn't seem rushed! And then the back of the book came... and THAT ENDING!? I need book two now. Immediately. How dare Ms. Skinner leave me hanging like this!? I am beyond ready to dive back into Blackwater as soon as I get the chance!
March 1, 2025
I absolutely loved this book! It was so easy to root for this romance despite the odds being against them. The small town vibes were spot on and I was equally as invested in the side characters as the main ones (making me that much more excited for the continuation of the series). It’s dual pov so you’re never left wanting for context or emotion. The spice and the pining never quit, a rare combination to see intertwined throughout a whole book. It’s a quick and easy read that you don’t have to think too hard about. I read most of it on the beach and it was the perfect light vacation read.
February 26, 2025
Ahh 😍 Grace and Dax are perfect for those wanting a small town, best friends brother, second chance trope! In my opinion, Grace represents a lot of plus size women’s feelings about how they’re seen. Their love story was years in the making and I’m so happy they got their HEA. I cannot wait to see their relationship in other books!
The spicy scenes are perfection 🤌🏼 10/10 recommend 🤭
The spicy scenes are perfection 🤌🏼 10/10 recommend 🤭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2025
Omg this fueled my need for a Hallmark romance in the best way. The small town, the second chance romance, the angst, the passion-tension-SPIIIIICE. 😱🥵
I can't say enough good things about it. 😍
I can't say enough good things about it. 😍
February 21, 2025
Loved it so much! I'm not a fast reader, but I never wanted to put it down!
March 16, 2025
Bravo! Excellent debut novel! I loved every minute of it despite not being one of my favorite genres! I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel!
May 1, 2025
This spicy small town romance was amazing!!!! I can't wait for book two! I usually don't read books like this but I took the chance because the blurb pulled me in and I couldn't resist the tropes.
June 22, 2025
I absolutely loved this book! I'm obsessed with everything Dax and Grace!
Such a feel good small town romance book!
Such a feel good small town romance book!
January 27, 2025
Such a great read! Perfect mix of sweet southern charm and spice!
August 16, 2025
5/5 ⭐️
Oh. My. God.
Why haven’t I read this book already. It’s just been sitting on my shelf since I met the author last year. This book was soooo good.
I sat there sobbing while Dax was talking to his dad towards the end of the book 😭
Oh. My. God.
Why haven’t I read this book already. It’s just been sitting on my shelf since I met the author last year. This book was soooo good.
I sat there sobbing while Dax was talking to his dad towards the end of the book 😭
March 17, 2025
I will add a detailed review once I’ve gotten some sleep but just to start….wow 🥵
My thoughts 💭
This book literally satiates any need of hallmark small town second chance romance you would need… I mean at least until the next one 🤭
The characters are HOT 🥵 the story line is beautiful. Now give me another? Please! And completely relatable and realistic.
Favorite Quotes:
🖤 “It was all I had of our time together. I told you, Grace, I couldn’t let go of you - no matter how much time passed.”
🩷”Hey lover boy. Those shorts are slut-ty”
🖤 “Shh, be a good girl, Grace….” We’ll leave the rest to the imagination
My thoughts 💭
This book literally satiates any need of hallmark small town second chance romance you would need… I mean at least until the next one 🤭
The characters are HOT 🥵 the story line is beautiful. Now give me another? Please! And completely relatable and realistic.
Favorite Quotes:
🖤 “It was all I had of our time together. I told you, Grace, I couldn’t let go of you - no matter how much time passed.”
🩷”Hey lover boy. Those shorts are slut-ty”
🖤 “Shh, be a good girl, Grace….” We’ll leave the rest to the imagination
July 7, 2025
I’m STILL thinking about this book months after I’ve read it. 👏🏻🥰
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews