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Plotting Up My Next Chapter: An Enemies-to-Lovers Sweet Romantic Comedy
He’s her landlord, her favorite author, and her anonymous pen pal—and she has no idea.
Jessica
My landlord hates joy. And bookstores. And probably puppies.
Scott Avery just announced he’s hiking my rent by forty percent.
Which would be tragic, since The Fiction Nook is my happy place…and he’s my least favorite human.
Except he also reads poetry when he thinks no one’s looking. And gives great book recommendations.
And the anonymous letters I’ve been trading through the “Letters to Local Authors” program are starting to sound suspiciously like him.
No. Absolutely not. I am not crushing on my grouchy landlord.
Scott
Jessica Wells is chaos wrapped in sunshine and sticky notes.
She drives me insane in the kind of way that makes me check her socials just to see her smile.
I’m supposed to be raising her rent, not falling for her.
But she doesn’t know her secret pen pal is me.
Or that I’m the romance author she loves to critique. Some plot twists you just can’t write yourself.
Perfect for fans of You’ve Got Mail and small-town beach romcoms, Plotting Up My Next Chapter is a heartwarming, enemies-to-lovers clean romance about second chances, secret letters, and finding love when you finally stop hiding who you are.
Jessica
My landlord hates joy. And bookstores. And probably puppies.
Scott Avery just announced he’s hiking my rent by forty percent.
Which would be tragic, since The Fiction Nook is my happy place…and he’s my least favorite human.
Except he also reads poetry when he thinks no one’s looking. And gives great book recommendations.
And the anonymous letters I’ve been trading through the “Letters to Local Authors” program are starting to sound suspiciously like him.
No. Absolutely not. I am not crushing on my grouchy landlord.
Scott
Jessica Wells is chaos wrapped in sunshine and sticky notes.
She drives me insane in the kind of way that makes me check her socials just to see her smile.
I’m supposed to be raising her rent, not falling for her.
But she doesn’t know her secret pen pal is me.
Or that I’m the romance author she loves to critique. Some plot twists you just can’t write yourself.
Perfect for fans of You’ve Got Mail and small-town beach romcoms, Plotting Up My Next Chapter is a heartwarming, enemies-to-lovers clean romance about second chances, secret letters, and finding love when you finally stop hiding who you are.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2026
9 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Ray Hale
60 books565 followersCindy Ray Hale loves to write romcoms set in small towns and has been writing and publishing books since 2012, all the while, laughing at her own funny stories. She is married to the sweetest guy and has a blended family with him, consisting of seven kids.
She loves nerding out on video games, creating book covers, and drinking too much caffeine. When she can find a moment, she loves to sing and play the piano and often includes acting and singing somewhere in her stories.
She was born and raised in the hills of Tennessee in a large crazy family and as an adult, has moved all over the United States. She's finally settled down in a small town in the mountains of western Virginia where she loves to go hiking, boating, and dig in her garden.
She loves nerding out on video games, creating book covers, and drinking too much caffeine. When she can find a moment, she loves to sing and play the piano and often includes acting and singing somewhere in her stories.
She was born and raised in the hills of Tennessee in a large crazy family and as an adult, has moved all over the United States. She's finally settled down in a small town in the mountains of western Virginia where she loves to go hiking, boating, and dig in her garden.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Plotting My Next Chapter was completely on point for me. I loved the chemistry and witty banter between Jessica and Scott—it had strong You’ve Got Mail vibes while still feeling fresh and grounded in its own story.
The small-town, beachy setting and close friendship group added so much charm, giving the book that comforting, community-driven feel I adore. I also really appreciated that the main characters are older; it added emotional depth and made their journeys feel more authentic and earned.
I found myself fully rooting for Jessica and genuinely wanting her to find love after everything she’s been through. The humour really shines too—especially the moments involving cats and seagulls—which gave the story plenty of laugh-out-loud charm.
A feel-good, heartwarming read with romance, comedy, and depth in all the right places.
The small-town, beachy setting and close friendship group added so much charm, giving the book that comforting, community-driven feel I adore. I also really appreciated that the main characters are older; it added emotional depth and made their journeys feel more authentic and earned.
I found myself fully rooting for Jessica and genuinely wanting her to find love after everything she’s been through. The humour really shines too—especially the moments involving cats and seagulls—which gave the story plenty of laugh-out-loud charm.
A feel-good, heartwarming read with romance, comedy, and depth in all the right places.
January 2, 2026
I received a ARC copy of this book from the author and even though I didn’t have to post a review, I truly wanted to because I loved the book and wanted to offer my honest, voluntary impression of it.
I have loved reading this series by Cindy and have found the stories delightful and down to home! They reflect what I believe real life is like and the situations the main characters face are very realistic to my way of thinking!
This series deals with women who live in a small town who have found love on the second time around for the most part. This book concerns the story of Jessica and her landlord Scott who is hiding multiple secrets from Jessica because of his fear of what she will think if she knew the truth about him!
It begins with Scott giving her a updated lease for an amount she can’t pay and her wondering what and where she’ll go. She loves to read- no surprise since she owns a bookstore but she needs to make it profitable somehow.
She starts a correspondence program where readers can write to anonymous authors on matters of mutual interest. Jessica is caught up in the campaign herself by an author who she likes not knowing who he is but liking his openness in the letters they write back and.forth.
As things go they express their fears and hopes but along the way the mystery author recognizes Jessica even though she’s using a pen name like him. When they talk about being brave she encourages him to be just that for the girl he likes not knowing it’s her he’s talking about.
Things come to a head when he does tell her but just as she’s ready to admit her feelings for him another person and her ex show up to expose another secret he hasn’t been able to tell her about yet which drives her away. Her friends intervene on her behalf and help her see the difference between what her ex did and what Scott has done leading to a dramatic reveal in front of the whole town when the anonymous letter writing turns into a night when both writers meet at a gala reveal!
I believe this is the best book yet in this series as well it should be as authors should get better as their latest books come out. This one certainly reflects that! Interpersonal relationships are a land mind if one isn’t truly honest with the other person and hurt, betrayal and feelings of not being enough or worth surface as a result. I think everyone can relate to this book because they’ve either been in that situation or know someone who has!
I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend this book as one I totally enjoyed and recommend to one and all as a book I know you’ll enjoy and love as much as I have!
It’s a book you really shouldn’t pass up! I would hope after reading it you’ll get the other books in this series and enjoy them as much as you did this one! I’ve read them all and I certainly was glad I did!
Start the new year off right by getting an enemies to lovers romcom that will bring smiles and groans to you as you read the complicated relationship between a man who loves a woman despite his hiding behind different personas and a woman whose kept her feelings locked up tight because of what her ex did to her and the courage both take to see if they can finally find that happiness they’ve been searching for!
I have loved reading this series by Cindy and have found the stories delightful and down to home! They reflect what I believe real life is like and the situations the main characters face are very realistic to my way of thinking!
This series deals with women who live in a small town who have found love on the second time around for the most part. This book concerns the story of Jessica and her landlord Scott who is hiding multiple secrets from Jessica because of his fear of what she will think if she knew the truth about him!
It begins with Scott giving her a updated lease for an amount she can’t pay and her wondering what and where she’ll go. She loves to read- no surprise since she owns a bookstore but she needs to make it profitable somehow.
She starts a correspondence program where readers can write to anonymous authors on matters of mutual interest. Jessica is caught up in the campaign herself by an author who she likes not knowing who he is but liking his openness in the letters they write back and.forth.
As things go they express their fears and hopes but along the way the mystery author recognizes Jessica even though she’s using a pen name like him. When they talk about being brave she encourages him to be just that for the girl he likes not knowing it’s her he’s talking about.
Things come to a head when he does tell her but just as she’s ready to admit her feelings for him another person and her ex show up to expose another secret he hasn’t been able to tell her about yet which drives her away. Her friends intervene on her behalf and help her see the difference between what her ex did and what Scott has done leading to a dramatic reveal in front of the whole town when the anonymous letter writing turns into a night when both writers meet at a gala reveal!
I believe this is the best book yet in this series as well it should be as authors should get better as their latest books come out. This one certainly reflects that! Interpersonal relationships are a land mind if one isn’t truly honest with the other person and hurt, betrayal and feelings of not being enough or worth surface as a result. I think everyone can relate to this book because they’ve either been in that situation or know someone who has!
I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend this book as one I totally enjoyed and recommend to one and all as a book I know you’ll enjoy and love as much as I have!
It’s a book you really shouldn’t pass up! I would hope after reading it you’ll get the other books in this series and enjoy them as much as you did this one! I’ve read them all and I certainly was glad I did!
Start the new year off right by getting an enemies to lovers romcom that will bring smiles and groans to you as you read the complicated relationship between a man who loves a woman despite his hiding behind different personas and a woman whose kept her feelings locked up tight because of what her ex did to her and the courage both take to see if they can finally find that happiness they’ve been searching for!
January 7, 2026
Jessica runs a bookstore in Twin Waves called The Fiction Nook, and she’s just found out from her landlord — and nemesis, in her mind — that her rent is going up forty percent. She treats Scott (the supposed nemesis) like he’s an unfeeling robot who has it out for her.
Little does she know, her point of view is incomplete. Scott is actually a well-known author of romance books, but he writes under a pen name to protect his identity. He fears how people will react when they see who he really is. AND he’s also pen pals with Jessica, writing under yet another pen name, and to be fair, he didn’t know he had been matched with Jessica until later. Oh, and he’s hopelessly in love with her, and has been for YEARS.
Basically, this is their love story, but man, they sure go the roundabout way. I get it, though. Jessica has been divorced for ten years, after finally having the courage to leave a man who claimed he loved her while also making her feel small. She’s never going to let that happen again, and that fierce determination does make her blind to certain things, assuming that it’s the same thing that her ex did to her.
Scott was raised under the tyrant hand of his father, and was taught all of the toxic male things. But he never was a toxic male. In fact, when he’s being his true self, he’s kind and empathetic and caring, but he doesn’t know how to express that in public.
Since Twin Waves is a small town, there’s the usual roster of interfering (with love) people, and at least one dragon lady who has to knock people down in order to make herself feel important. This town is full of family, related or found, and they pull together to help one of their own. Or, in this case, two of their own.
This book made me laugh, and made me cry (in the good way), and I appreciated the journey, especially as I saw a lot of parallels between Scott and me, especially where putting on a social performance to hide fear is concerned.
Another excellent tale in the series that is Twin Waves, and I look forward to the next.
Little does she know, her point of view is incomplete. Scott is actually a well-known author of romance books, but he writes under a pen name to protect his identity. He fears how people will react when they see who he really is. AND he’s also pen pals with Jessica, writing under yet another pen name, and to be fair, he didn’t know he had been matched with Jessica until later. Oh, and he’s hopelessly in love with her, and has been for YEARS.
Basically, this is their love story, but man, they sure go the roundabout way. I get it, though. Jessica has been divorced for ten years, after finally having the courage to leave a man who claimed he loved her while also making her feel small. She’s never going to let that happen again, and that fierce determination does make her blind to certain things, assuming that it’s the same thing that her ex did to her.
Scott was raised under the tyrant hand of his father, and was taught all of the toxic male things. But he never was a toxic male. In fact, when he’s being his true self, he’s kind and empathetic and caring, but he doesn’t know how to express that in public.
Since Twin Waves is a small town, there’s the usual roster of interfering (with love) people, and at least one dragon lady who has to knock people down in order to make herself feel important. This town is full of family, related or found, and they pull together to help one of their own. Or, in this case, two of their own.
This book made me laugh, and made me cry (in the good way), and I appreciated the journey, especially as I saw a lot of parallels between Scott and me, especially where putting on a social performance to hide fear is concerned.
Another excellent tale in the series that is Twin Waves, and I look forward to the next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I have loved Scott Avery since he was introduced in the last book and could not WAIT to see him get his own story. I found him hilarious in a dry/sarcastic sort of way and knew he would make for a great character to read.
Jessica and Scott are almost like two sides to the same coin. Both have high walls to keep people from seeing them fully, yet while Jessica hides it behind a sunshine exterior, Scott hides it behind a grumpy one. They are both unintentionally funny and work well together, shown when Scott makes space for Jessica’s chaos in his spreadsheets at an event planning meeting.
I may be in the minority who read it more in a protective way of Jessica being good enough for him and Scott getting his happy ending than the other way around. I loved watching the awkward interactions, mutual pining, and baby steps of vulnerability leading up to the biggest truth bomb of them all.
Twin Waves has a way of drawing you in and making you emotionally invested in everyone in their small town. We could all use friends like the Bookaholics Anonymous crew in our lives. Thanks Cindy for letting me tag along for the Twin Waves adventures.
Jessica and Scott are almost like two sides to the same coin. Both have high walls to keep people from seeing them fully, yet while Jessica hides it behind a sunshine exterior, Scott hides it behind a grumpy one. They are both unintentionally funny and work well together, shown when Scott makes space for Jessica’s chaos in his spreadsheets at an event planning meeting.
I may be in the minority who read it more in a protective way of Jessica being good enough for him and Scott getting his happy ending than the other way around. I loved watching the awkward interactions, mutual pining, and baby steps of vulnerability leading up to the biggest truth bomb of them all.
Twin Waves has a way of drawing you in and making you emotionally invested in everyone in their small town. We could all use friends like the Bookaholics Anonymous crew in our lives. Thanks Cindy for letting me tag along for the Twin Waves adventures.
January 8, 2026
I liked the book, the characters, easy to read. This is the third book in the Twin Waves Sweet RomCom series. Now I loved Jessica who owns a bookstore. She reminded me of Meg Ryan in You’ve got mail. Scott Avery was the landlord, and person who was trying to get her to close the shop by raising her rent.
The only thing was he did things for her, and went out of his way to help her. He also participated in an anonymous pen pal writing in the community, and so does Jessica. It gets interesting when all the participants find out who their pen pal is. A very fun moment happens between Scott and Jessica from friends, and later at the destination more notes. They didn’t have a choice but to go along with it. They learned so much about each other.
A very moving moment when Scott shows her something that shocks her, because it was something she wrote that he kept. I won’t say anything but I can relate. I once did the same thing Jessica did, and i too was treated poorly. I was being honest about something. I was turned away, and never told why. Not given a chance ever again. It hurt.
Highly recommend.
Oh yes Scott Avery so Tom Hanks.
The only thing was he did things for her, and went out of his way to help her. He also participated in an anonymous pen pal writing in the community, and so does Jessica. It gets interesting when all the participants find out who their pen pal is. A very fun moment happens between Scott and Jessica from friends, and later at the destination more notes. They didn’t have a choice but to go along with it. They learned so much about each other.
A very moving moment when Scott shows her something that shocks her, because it was something she wrote that he kept. I won’t say anything but I can relate. I once did the same thing Jessica did, and i too was treated poorly. I was being honest about something. I was turned away, and never told why. Not given a chance ever again. It hurt.
Highly recommend.
Oh yes Scott Avery so Tom Hanks.
January 6, 2026
Cindy Ray Hale has become one of my new favorite authors with her sassy, never snarky characters, the small beach town, Twin Waves, and her realistic contemporary romances. She has done it again with Plotting Up My Next Chapter, with landlord who is raising rent to an outrageous amount and businesswoman who can’t afford the raise in rent. Add a secret identity in a You’ve Got Mail kind of way and you have a delicious story. The characters, Scott Avery and Jessica Wells are not as different as they think. Instead I saw that they were both lonely but with high walls. It was how they managed this that is different. Another excellent small-town romance with characters that you fall in love with, while they are doing their dead level best not to fall for each other. Of course, they still do. Hurray for well-written easy reading romances from Cindy Ray Hale. Fall in love with Plotting Up My Next Chapter today.
January 17, 2026
I really enjoyed this book, it was sweet, funny, and full of heart. Jessica, who runs a small-town bookstore, is such a great character.
Her landlord, Scott, comes across as grumpy and distant at first, but as the story unfolds, we see a very different side of him.
What I loved most was the mix of romance and community. The small-town setting gave the story so much warmth, with friends and neighbors who added charm and humor. The anonymous letter-writing element was a clever twist, and I thought it was such a fun way to show how Jessica and Scott connected on a deeper level before realizing who they were to each other.
The chemistry between them felt natural, and the banter was entertaining. I especially liked how both characters had their own insecurities and past hurts to work through it made their journey feel real and meaningful.
It reminded me of a modern-day “You’ve Got Mail” but with its own unique charm.
Her landlord, Scott, comes across as grumpy and distant at first, but as the story unfolds, we see a very different side of him.
What I loved most was the mix of romance and community. The small-town setting gave the story so much warmth, with friends and neighbors who added charm and humor. The anonymous letter-writing element was a clever twist, and I thought it was such a fun way to show how Jessica and Scott connected on a deeper level before realizing who they were to each other.
The chemistry between them felt natural, and the banter was entertaining. I especially liked how both characters had their own insecurities and past hurts to work through it made their journey feel real and meaningful.
It reminded me of a modern-day “You’ve Got Mail” but with its own unique charm.
January 18, 2026
Time makes no sense. Scotts grandmother died 15 years ago. She read the book that Jessica gave two stars to. She read a 15 year old book, gave it two stars, and was then kicked off his ARC team 3 days later?
He has written 12 books. Jessica only recommends the first 9. So either book 10, 11, or 12 was the book she gave 2 stars to. Grandma read the book. Has he written less than 3 books in 15 years? How would he still have an agent? Why would he have ARC team if he’s not writing?
Edit: Wait. At the end of the book, he has apparently written 23 books over the last 15 years? Grandma has not read any of those books!
What the hell?
There are too many inconsistencies for this to be enjoyable, and it’s kinda boring.
Oh god I just got to the beach scene with Penelope and David. I hate it. I hate this book.
This has been a bad reading experience.
I’m so angry I kept reading, but I wanted a sweet, spice free, easy read. I got the first two, but this was so frustrating.
He has written 12 books. Jessica only recommends the first 9. So either book 10, 11, or 12 was the book she gave 2 stars to. Grandma read the book. Has he written less than 3 books in 15 years? How would he still have an agent? Why would he have ARC team if he’s not writing?
Edit: Wait. At the end of the book, he has apparently written 23 books over the last 15 years? Grandma has not read any of those books!
What the hell?
There are too many inconsistencies for this to be enjoyable, and it’s kinda boring.
Oh god I just got to the beach scene with Penelope and David. I hate it. I hate this book.
This has been a bad reading experience.
I’m so angry I kept reading, but I wanted a sweet, spice free, easy read. I got the first two, but this was so frustrating.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Scott and Jessica
Tropes:
* Enemies to lovers
* Secret identity
* Second chance
* Unrequited love
* Grumpy MMC
There’s something about the heroes and 60 days….
This time, Scott has given Jessica 60 days before her rent goes up. The problem is, the rent increase will put her out of business…
Scott has been in love with Jessica for a couple of years, and add in some other secrets, this becomes an angsty read for him…
I loved the different interactions…
The awkward face-to-face where he trips over his own tongue and loses the brain-to-mouth filter, then the sweet letters, and then his conversations with Grayson… who knows all about eedjit business (and personal) decisions.
This small town read is full of meddling friends, meddling family members, and a hard-won HEA between a grumpy cinnamon roll MMC and the conflicted sunshine-y FMC.
Tropes:
* Enemies to lovers
* Secret identity
* Second chance
* Unrequited love
* Grumpy MMC
There’s something about the heroes and 60 days….
This time, Scott has given Jessica 60 days before her rent goes up. The problem is, the rent increase will put her out of business…
Scott has been in love with Jessica for a couple of years, and add in some other secrets, this becomes an angsty read for him…
I loved the different interactions…
The awkward face-to-face where he trips over his own tongue and loses the brain-to-mouth filter, then the sweet letters, and then his conversations with Grayson… who knows all about eedjit business (and personal) decisions.
This small town read is full of meddling friends, meddling family members, and a hard-won HEA between a grumpy cinnamon roll MMC and the conflicted sunshine-y FMC.
January 6, 2026
Jess is trying to heal from her past marriage. He was pretty mentally abusive so she thinks lowly of herself. So she opens a bookstore which is one of the things she always wanted to do but her ex said there was no monetary value in doing so.
Scott is a romance writer who lost his writing mojo and slowly starts to get it back due to his current romance with Jess.
I've read a lot of books by Cindy Ray Hale and I've always enjoyed them. In a world full of spicy reads, Cindy is a breath of fresh air with her sweet romances. In Plotting Up My Next Chapter, I noticed her writing has improved and pulls me in even more. My only complaint and why I made it a 4 star review is it was really repetitive and they needed their friends to do most of the heavy lifting. Overall, such a great and cute read! Definitely worth the read.
Scott is a romance writer who lost his writing mojo and slowly starts to get it back due to his current romance with Jess.
I've read a lot of books by Cindy Ray Hale and I've always enjoyed them. In a world full of spicy reads, Cindy is a breath of fresh air with her sweet romances. In Plotting Up My Next Chapter, I noticed her writing has improved and pulls me in even more. My only complaint and why I made it a 4 star review is it was really repetitive and they needed their friends to do most of the heavy lifting. Overall, such a great and cute read! Definitely worth the read.
January 11, 2026
The story is very reminiscent of the You’ve got mail movie. Jessica is loving her life, running a bookstore in a small coastal town. She’s been divorced from her manipulative husband for a few years now. But when her landlord Scott, informed her that her rent would be basically doubling. She has to decide how she’s going to pay it or close down. I thought the story was cute and charming. I enjoyed the main characters. But also the towns people were quite entertaining not to mention nosy. There are some interesting twist and turns that keep the book flowing. I do believe it could have been shortened a bit. It did make me realize why I don’t have cats. They are constantly under foot and causing havoc, but entertaining to read about. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. This is a clean, wholesome romance.
December 31, 2025
I received a digital ARC of this book. I didn’t know it was book 3 of the series and I’m guessing it has spoilers to the first 2 books, but that’s not going to stop me from going back and reading those. Cindy pulls you into this story from the beginning. I read the first 2 chapters and didn’t really want to stop, but had to go to sleep. Today I started on ch 3 and didn’t stop until the end. Jessica is the adorable bookstore owner and Scott is her grumpy landlord. If you enjoy grumpy vs sunshine, small town romance, you’ll enjoy this book, and want to move to this small town to be friends with the characters.
January 19, 2026
The yearning😍🥹
I love reading about Grandma Vera so much!!
This was such a sweet book. Definitely a slow, slow burn book lol but I loved it! Loved the boat and the crab scene😂 The growth in both characters was very inspiring and this is a book that will be dear to my heart, with many rereads happening in the future! It is the 3rd book in the Twin Waves Sweet Romcom series which can be read as standalones but are better read in order.
I rated this 4.5⭐️
📚Midlife Romance
♥️He Falls First
📚Slow Slow Burn
♥️Forced Proximity
📚Grumpy/Sunshine
♥️Hidden Identity
📚Pen-Pals
♥️Slightly Clumsy MMC😂
🌶️: Kisses Only
🤬: None
I love reading about Grandma Vera so much!!
This was such a sweet book. Definitely a slow, slow burn book lol but I loved it! Loved the boat and the crab scene😂 The growth in both characters was very inspiring and this is a book that will be dear to my heart, with many rereads happening in the future! It is the 3rd book in the Twin Waves Sweet Romcom series which can be read as standalones but are better read in order.
I rated this 4.5⭐️
📚Midlife Romance
♥️He Falls First
📚Slow Slow Burn
♥️Forced Proximity
📚Grumpy/Sunshine
♥️Hidden Identity
📚Pen-Pals
♥️Slightly Clumsy MMC😂
🌶️: Kisses Only
🤬: None
January 15, 2026
Sweet Romance
I wouldn’t say it’s a comedy any more than a step-by-step to falling in love. Scott has loved Jessica for a while, but Jessica has a lot of trust issues from her ex-husband. This was a hard read for me (my ex is Scott), but I thought her Scott was adorable, and he was trying so hard to be helpful! I like that Jessica was very honest with him and how he gave her space, but still tried to do a grand gesture. I loved their communication and how supportive he was of her dreams!
I wouldn’t say it’s a comedy any more than a step-by-step to falling in love. Scott has loved Jessica for a while, but Jessica has a lot of trust issues from her ex-husband. This was a hard read for me (my ex is Scott), but I thought her Scott was adorable, and he was trying so hard to be helpful! I like that Jessica was very honest with him and how he gave her space, but still tried to do a grand gesture. I loved their communication and how supportive he was of her dreams!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed reading this story. Very captivating with great characters in a great setting. This is part of a series although it isn't necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this story. A second chance romance for Jessica. It's like reading a story within the story you're reading. A lot of self discovery and learning to be honest with yourself. Happy endings and looking forward to the next in the series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Overall, I thought the storyline was super cute! Reminiscent of You've Got Mail, with characters with more complicated pasts. I liked Scott (although I didn't feel like he was as grumpy as everyone said he was...) and sweet Jessica. The only part I didn't care for was the drama that ensued when David came back to town. I think the book could've skipped right over that part and would have been even better!
January 12, 2026
2.5⭐️
This was kind of confusing to me.
Some things were not explained well and some things were very repetitive.
There were some obvious inconsistencies and plot holes that affected my reading experience.
With that being said, I can see that the author has potential and I would surely give her future books a shot.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was kind of confusing to me.
Some things were not explained well and some things were very repetitive.
There were some obvious inconsistencies and plot holes that affected my reading experience.
With that being said, I can see that the author has potential and I would surely give her future books a shot.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 7, 2026
Lovely story
I have to say I was totally caught up in this story. I loved the story line and the characters that had deep, caring friendships that support and encourage you. I loved watching the tentative but deliberate stepping out of hiding despite the fears of being seen and and rejected. It was a well done story and now I am going to find more in the series.
I have to say I was totally caught up in this story. I loved the story line and the characters that had deep, caring friendships that support and encourage you. I loved watching the tentative but deliberate stepping out of hiding despite the fears of being seen and and rejected. It was a well done story and now I am going to find more in the series.
January 11, 2026
Scott and Jessica share such a beautiful heartfelt story. Hurt and fear are front and center in their pasts, but as their paths repeatedly cross it becomes clear that life will be so empty if they continue to rule. There was so much real emotion throughout this story balanced by nature causing chaos. Twin Waves is the perfect town for finding love and family.
January 20, 2026
Thought-provoking and Humorous
This is such a great, fun story! I love Scott and Jessica and all their best friends and the animals! Some of this book is almost therapeutic in its writing, and then there are the laugh out loud moments with the animals and all the bantering and dialog. The ending is perfect as well.
This is such a great, fun story! I love Scott and Jessica and all their best friends and the animals! Some of this book is almost therapeutic in its writing, and then there are the laugh out loud moments with the animals and all the bantering and dialog. The ending is perfect as well.
January 21, 2026
An emotionally rich romance with a cozy, heartwarming, and beautifully complex plot. Scott, grumpy businessman and secret romantic, is my favourite character, I loved his speech. The “Letters to Local Authors” program is a fantastic idea!
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
January 2, 2026
I really enjoyed this complicated relationship between Jessica and Scott. I loved the book club and all of their unsolicited advice. the story is heartwarming and has a happily ever after.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Fantastic dual pov story of Scott and Jessica. He is her landlord of her Bookshop and secretly writing to her under the name "Coastal Quill" for six months. Over this time and further back, Scott has also remained in love with her, but he has a few other secrets too. Love how this Enemies-to-Lovers relationship unfolds and, as it has been said, "Finding love when you finally stop hiding who you are" does happen.
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