Loving the First Edition

Library Love Notes #2

by Shelby Rae

Kinslee never planned to return to Beaver Creek. Matthew has no plans to let her go again.

For Kinslee Wilson, heart break and humiliation led her to leave the only home she'd ever known when she was nineteen. Moving back had never been a part of her plan, but when Grace, her grandmother and the woman who raised her, calls and asks her to come back and run her new cafe location, Kinslee drops everything and makes the move back to the town full of ghosts from her past.

Matthew Miller had lived the single life for years, focusing on his love of working with his hands as a contractor and his family. When he was approached by Grace Wilson, the grandmother of the woman who had her heart broken by his son a decade ago, he couldn't say no.

What neither Matthew nor Kinslee expected to happen was for sparks to fly when they were thrust upon one another by the very woman who'd called on each of them. Will she be able to thrive alongside him for the sake of her grandmother? Or will her past come back to claim her future?

Loving the First Edition is a part of the Library Love Notes series, a series of open-door, small-town romances set in the fictional cozy town of Beaver Creek, Ontario.

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

Shelby Rae writes swoony, contemporary romances with men who are obsessed with their women, and sassy, stubborn best friends who make you laugh while the main characters shake their heads. She writes contemporary romance, shifter romance, sports, and anything else she feels like writing.

Reviews

[Melissa Corday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Shelby Rae for providing an eARC for review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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First, let me start by saying I read this in a single sitting. Love that! Because not all the tropes were to my taste, I'm going to use the CAWPILE review method to ensure this rating and review is as fair as possible and not too heavily biased.

A note on the tropes: This romance-- although NOT a dark romance (it's actually really light and fluffy and Hallmarky)-- may be taboo for some readers.
About the age gap and the fact the MMC is the FMC's ex boyfriend' father. This is stated in the blurb but it's confusing, "When he was approached by Grace Wilson, the grandmother of the woman who had her heart broken by his son a decade ago, he couldn't say no." The MMC was a teen dad and had his son at 18. The son was 3 years younger than the FMC, making the FMC 15 years younger than the MMC. The FMC dated her ex in high school, when she was 16 and I guess he was... 13? They dated for 3 years before breaking up, which means she was 19 and he was 16 at the time of breakup. The FMC does use this personal history to pep-talk herself before her date with the MMC, stating "We've known each other since I was sixteen. He knew me all through high school and all my awkward years. I didn't scare him off then, with my layered tank tops and slouched hats, but that doesn't mean I don't want to impress him now." There's a lot to unpack there, but the suggestion I got was that even at 16, she was interested in a 31 year old, or perhaps he was interested in her. They never spoke about it or acted on anything until the book starts and they're consenting adults, but the fact she WAS sixteen didn't sit great with me.
About the security cameras: The MMC has security cameras installed into the bakery he's remodeling, and he uses them to watch the FMC. It's totally nonsexual and results in some fun banter via text messages, but it is a little controlly and the FMC does eventually put her phone on Do Not Disturb. This kind of security cam situation is not to my taste. But not everything has to be! And some readers may love this and gobble it up, and I love that for them. And the banter WAS choice, right down to the nicknames they have as each other's saved contacts.

Characters: Character growth, development, memorability
FMC Kinslee sees a little growth over the course of the book, but a lot of it happens off-page. She carries a lot of baggage and trauma from her ex cheating on her, and then seemingly resolves it with one week of journaling. Her being a virgin felt like checking off a trope box, to be honest. I was missing the build-up and nervousness and lack of confidence that often accompanies this trope, as well as the "Let me show you" and "You're safe with me" sentiments from the experienced partner. MMC Matthew doesn't do much growing or developing, but he is sweet and simps for his woman (and I do love a man who simps).
Score: 6/10

Atmosphere: Immersion and world-building
I love a small town setting. This, for me, worked really well. The town felt reasonably sized: not so tiny you can walk the whole thing, you do need a car. And not so tiny there's only one bakery in town. But small enough that cafe and library regulars know each other, that there's some gossip that can spread. The book mentioned the population of the town was about 10,000, and that feels about right for the size described. The book also takes place during winter, and the descriptions of snow and ice, heated garages and hot cocoa, felt nice and cozy as I read this during May, in Texas, when it was nearly 90 degrees out.
Score: 8/10

Writing: Writing style and prose quality
This was my first book by Shelby Rae. She's a good writer, and contemporary romance is her jam. Nothing struck me as extraordinary, but the pacing was good, writing was easy to follow, and this was an easy read. There were a few errors but this is an indie book and I do not detract from my score for errors if they are not egregious. There was one instance of "this" instead of "his", and "timber" (wood) instead of "timbre"(voice). To me, this is within the realm of acceptability, and may even be resolved by the time the book publishes. It does not impact the score I'm giving for this category.
Score: 7/10

Plot: Story structure and pacing
Loving the First Edition is a moderate-to-fast pace, with a handful of time skips. Occasionally the timeline was a bit unclear for me, but it didn't really detract from my enjoyment. The story structure was definitely Hallmarky, but I like that, when I'm in the mood for it. The story never lagged at any point, but I do wish a few parts had been detailed out a bit more, particularly Kinslee dealing with her emotional baggage, and the fact she was a virgin. I don't think enough time was given to either of those things. An extra few pages for each point would have gone a long way for me.
Score: 7/10


Intrigue: Engagement and page-turning quality
Ten outta ten. I devoured it in one sitting. This is one of the metrics where I get to be biased, so I'm being biased. No further notes.
Score: 10/10

Logic: Internal consistency and coherence
I mentioned, behind spoiler tags, a few things I felt needed a little more fleshing out to really work in this story. I won't reshash it here, but because of that...
Score: 7/10

Enjoyment: Overall satisfaction
This is the other metric I get to be biased. I enjoyed this, a lot. It's not perfect but it's a fun and easy read and I love me a good interconnected standalone. This book did its job: It entertained, and introduced me to a new author I wouldn't mind reading more of!
Score: 9/10

Overall score: 54/70 = 7.7 = 3.5 rounded up to 4

[Hayleigh Huntley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an arc and I don’t even know how to respond other than squealing with joy. I quite literally couldn’t put it down!

The entire storyline of Kins coming back to assist with her grandmas bakery upgrades only to meet the hunk of a man Matthew again? Ugh my heart!

AND he stands up for her against his own son/her ex!? Sign me up baby.

This book was an absolutely amazing read!

[Abigayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this book! This was my first time reading the trope of ex’s dad. This has truthfully been one of the tropes I have avoided in the past. I thought the author did a great job of taking the possible negative connotations away though. This is a love story about two people who genuinely care for each other so don’t let that scare you away from reading. The cast of characters in this story are amazing, the protective and caring male lead, the sassy female lead, and the all knowing grandma make a wonderful combo. In my opinion the characters grow and face their challenges in a refreshing straight forward way which had me rooting for them. Although this is not a very long book there was the perfect amount of information. The characters have a past that was explained when needed, there is enough of their present to watch them fall in love, and the ending gave a beautiful glimpse into the future. Overall this was a fun read and I would recommend it! Loving the First Edition is the second book in the Library Love Notes series. Each book is written by a different Canadian Indie author and set in the fictional town of Beaver Creek, Ontario.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sharing an ARC copy of this book with me, what a lovely cozy romance this was.

This is a second chance, age gap, small town romance, where the MMC is the FMC’ ex’s dad 🫠

I have to admit I am not a massive fan of the age gap trope, while this story is made in such a way where I really routed for this couple from the get go💕

Matthew is such a sweetheart, and I loved how he is not afraid to stand up for his girl.

Also ALL the characters develop in their own way, both the main characters, as well as the famed ex..I found this quite refreshing, as I do love a bad guy redemption story

This book is part of a series all based in the same town, while each book is made by a different author.
This was my first book of the group, and it so makes me want to read the others in the series!

[Shara Tweedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing contemporary romance, where two people have opportunity to reconnect. I’m so grateful I was able to read this as an ARC and fall in love with this adorable town. I’m excited to see what happens next and what their next adventure will be. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this amazing and adorable Book.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forbidden
Ex boyfriend’s dad!!!!
This was soo well done and executed! I really enjoyed the growth the FMC went through coming back to the town where her heart was hurt!
And to top it off the dad was the yummiest dirty talking golden retriever MMC
A must read

[Kerrie Juric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the First Edition by Shelby Rae is the second book in the Library Love Notes multi author series set in the small town of Beaver Creek. It is a dual POV, an ex’s dad, age gap, hurt/comfort, workplace romance that will have you flying through the pages.

This story follows Kinslee Wilson and Matthew Miller. Kinslee had left Beaver Creek 10 years ago after walking in on her boyfriend of 3 years, Ryan, in bed with another woman. The betrayal was too much and so she fled the small town to start over. But now her Gran, Grace, who raised her from 2 weeks old, is needing help to open and run a new bakery so Kinslee finds herself back in Beaver Creek and confronting all the emotions she’d run from all those years ago.

Matthew is the contractor who Grace hired to help with the new bakery, has always had a connection with Kinslee and oh that’s right….. he is Ryan’s dad. When she left 10 years ago, he was devastated and when he found out the reason why he had been furious. He never thought his own flesh and blood could treat someone like that. Matthew may be 15 years older than Kinslee but doesn’t stop the way he feels about her. The more time they spend together working side by side getting the new bakery ready for business, the more Kinslee’s walls come down.

I really enjoyed the storyline and found Matthew and Kinslee to have a good pace with building their relationship and how they dealt with the past and now present feelings. This would be a good palate cleanser book or if you want a quick cozy read that’s is sweet and a little spicy.

[Sarah Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this look into beaver creek. We meet Kinsey who is returning to help out her gran after leaving town ten years ago following a bad break up where her ex cheated on her and embarrassed her. Gran has her handling the new renovations for the new bakery and who shows up but Matthew her ex’s dad who was always a bit more attentive and saw her. The feelings of longing and tension are there after a run in at the library where Matthew was there with his granddaughter who happens to look just like the girl his ex was cheating on her with. The tension builds over chapters once they spend time working on the new bakery. They both realize they have feelings and Kinsley takes care of Matthew when he is sick, dropping off a care package. They are hot and heavy for a minute but the reality eventually drops and the son Ryan runs into Kinsley at the new bakery and he had no idea she was in town. This brings up old feelings and unhealed traumas for everyone. Kinsley dealt with it in a healthy way and had words with the couple eventually. Ryan eventually finds out about the couple when he lets himself into his dads house uninvited. This comes to blows, eventually leading them after some time to cool off figuring a way forward. The book was quick read and I couldn’t put it down.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the First Edition by Shelby Rae is a sweet, emotional small-town romance that brings together second chances, complicated history, and undeniable chemistry. Kinslee returns to Beaver Creek after ten years away, only to find herself working closely with Matthew—the contractor helping her grandmother and the father of her ex.
The setup alone creates instant tension, and the emotional stakes are well done. Kinslee’s past heartbreak gives her depth, while Matthew’s quiet confidence and steady presence make him an easy character to root for. Their connection builds naturally, filled with longing, hesitation, and moments that feel genuinely heartfelt.
I especially enjoyed the small-town atmosphere and the familiar community ties that make Beaver Creek feel warm and lived-in. The age gap and “off-limits” dynamic add extra spice without overpowering the romance, and their chemistry is both tender and swoony.
At times, the pacing leans a little predictable, and some emotional beats could have been stretched further, but overall this is a satisfying, comforting romance with plenty of heart.
A lovely return-to-home story with a forbidden twist and a well-earned happily-ever-after.

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an ARC from the author.

What a cute age-gap story.

We meet Kinslee who is back in her hometown to help her Gran with a new bakery. She hasn't been back in 10 years since her bf was cheating on her for a whole year. We then meet Matthew, contractor for Grans new bakery, who happens to be tbe father of Kinslees ex. Kinslee knows she will run into Ryan at some pt but doesn't count on seeing Matthew right off the hop with a little girl who looks like her ex. She always like Matthew more than she should. He always saw her and paid attention to her eventho he's 15 yrs older. Matthew is shocked to see Kinslee back and even more shocked when he sees her at the bakery and delivering her usual sass. He always liked her and he knows he shouldn't be lusting after his sons ex gf but damn he came help himself. The more time the two of them spend together thr more Kinsless heart shows and Matthew will stop at nothing to get thr girl

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC.


First off, I do NOT like the age gap trope. Kinslee has returned home to Beaver Creek to help her grandmother run a bakery. She's been away for 10 years and has apparently been pining over Matthew - the father of her high-school boyfriend. He's 15 years older than her so now they're 44 and 29.... oh, and he's been pining for her aka when he was 34 and she was 19 - that's a major ick for me. I never really bought their relationship. Ugh and the nicknames.... why does he call her Sunshine all the time? She's not that happy of a person.

What I liked about the book: I love the Beaver Creek library stories. This is the second one that's come out and I loved the cameos of Brianna, but we never see where she is in her relationship so the books can be read in any order.

[Sarah Reapz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww swoon worthy I truly loved these two.

This is a small town romance, ex's dad, age gap but none of it really matters I loved it, I know it might not be for everyone but it was really nicely done.

It was good being back in Beaver Creek after reading Long Overdue (Library Love Notes series) so we saw some familiar faces.

This is Matthew and Kinslee story and what a beautiful journey it was, some struggles which were to be expected but both brought each other out and so much care and attention that was needed after so long.

If you don't mind age gaps and ex's dad then this is for you, the romance is swoon worthy and they are too damn cute for their own good.

I'm here for it and I'm glad I got the chance to read.

[PrettyLadyMaine Writes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dating someone for 3 years and learning they have been cheating on you for a whole year and half the school knew about it and your friends is tuff.

Kins was dealing with her ex cheating with her best friend it was so painful she moved.

Kins had to come back home to help/takeover her grandmother bakery. Her grandmother set her up by working with Kins ex father since she knew something was already brewing with the two of them years ago.

Kins ex Ryan and the girl he cheated on her with Sierra are still together they’re married and have a daughter

Matthew is 44 so there is a big age gap between him and Kins. He’s so sweet he remembers everything she likes from years ago.

This was a great read I am loving this series thank you for the ARC

[Aimee Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the writing of this book. Unfortunately the rest of it just wasn’t for me. I’m not a fan of age gaps but add in that he knew her in high school and it seemed like he had feelings then, just is not my jam. I know its a novella so its harder to get all of the character and plot development but i wish they had just time jumped instead of having their relationship progress so fast. My last bone of contention was that they had a conversation that she was a virgin and then the spicy scenes just played out like she definitely wasn’t one, or the very least there wasn’t even a conversation about it when they went into it. But again, somehow i still enjoyed the writing just not the plot. I would read another book by this author with different tropes.

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I got to about 70%. Usually the ex-boyfriend's dad trope is right up my alley. Love an age gap. But this one felt off. I feel like the MC should have had more remorse for loving his son's ex for as long as he did. If he had an estranged relationship or some other bad things happened it would be a different story but I didn't feel that here. He was still very much in his son and granddaughters life. Also I feel like a virgin FMC wouldn't have been that comfortable/vocal with s3x the first time, even with a hunky guy she's pining for. I did really enjoy the grandmother and the side characters though. For that I'll give it 3 stars.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Shelby Rae for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I won’t lie, age gap romances have never been my thing, but I wanted to give this ARC a good go. Rae’s writing is really fun, and I think I’d be interested in reading more of her works.

However, this one unfortunately just didn’t do much for me. I found Matthew’s character to be immature and I genuinely don’t think he came across as a 44-year old man—some of his texts & dialogue were so cringy 😬

I loved Kinsee’s character and was happy that she found her strength, but I couldn’t properly get on board with her dating her ex-boyfriend’s dad 😭 maybe risqué romances just aren’t for me!

[Danielle Gallegos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how the title just fits the trope of this book, because the son is the second edition but the dad is the 1st.

Matthew is just chefs kiss, as soon as he realized that he needed some boundaries to put down in order for him to spend time with Kins. To put her first, to prove that he is willing to be a safe space for her and to be with her. Stood up for her and called out his son for the pathetic excuse he had

Kins coming home to help gran with the bakery so she can take over. Loved how her grandma meddled to get them together knowing how they had feelings for each other

I couldn't stop reading it and finished it three day I started it

[Bookish.n.caffinated (Shannon) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet small town May December romance with the ex’s hot contractor dad!! Loved the sweet internal pinning of the main characters and MMC who really listens and see the FMC. The insta attraction through they knew each other when she was a teenager was a bit too quick for my liking and I’m not a big fan of Daddy vibes but I did enjoy their relationship I’m also glad that we were given a slight reconciliation between the ex and his Dad. Sierra can kick rocks though. Loved all the Canadian references too!!

[Jennifer Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for reading within in one sitting if you are able to do so. This book was very well written, the banter was perfect, the obstacles and growth of characters was wonderful.

I did at first struggled with the age gap, until it was known that Kinslee was in her thirties, so once that was known I wasn’t as closed minded.

What I did love about this book was how easy it was to push forward with a painful past. I loved seeing characters grow together. This book will take you through the emotions.

Worth giving a chance.

[Nifer Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐2.5🌶️ ARC Dual POV First Person
Library Love Notes, multi author series, #2
🇨🇦 Authors, settings, and characters 162pgs
Kinslee and Matthew
Love grandma Abby, but Ryan and Sierra are THE. WORST. I like the MCs, they're both very likeable, both with unfortunate relationship history.



I did have to totally ignore the whole age Gap issue- between the FMC and her ex (at the time of their dating) and when the MMC first was attracted to FMC.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! Such a captivating fun read. I really enjoyed the two main characters and looked forward to both their POV’s.

Generally I do not seek out big age gap books but this one was so well written I can honestly say I loved every minute! I like how the connection wasn’t spiteful and the way Mathew stands up for Kinslee is absolutely perfect 👌🏻

Would definitely recommend and looking forward to continuing this series!

[Shadow_Mommy_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was soft, cozy, a little forbidden, and honestly so easy to binge. Kinslee’s growth throughout the story made me love her even more, and Mathew?? sweet golden retriever energy with dirty talk?? absolutely yes. 🖤

the tension, the comfort vibes, the chemistry… such a fun spicy romance read.

[Sylena Douville · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is one of my
Auto-buys and yet again she did not disappoint! I normally cant get into age gaps and so i was a little hesitant to dive in but once it started i was hooked ! There are only a few mentions of the difference between them and instead of making that the focus she made it just a fact

Love love love this one ❤️🖤🖤

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the First Edition was such a sweet and emotional small-town romance.
I loved the chemistry between Kinslee and Matthew, and the second-chance/forbidden vibe kept it interesting.
A little predictable at times, but overall a cozy, heartfelt read.
Cute read. Solid 4 stars.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing sexier than finding love with the dad of your ex. An older, better, more experienced version. Lol. I did really appreciate how it was super sweet and not cringy. This was another cute little small town novella.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute and sweet! I love a good age gap romance, and this was a good little novella for that! It had good back story, and a little bit of drama too. A perfect cozy little romance!

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as an ARC. While I enjoy an age gap story this one did not jell with me. I did not like that the romance was between the woman and her ex's father.