Worth Saving: An Emotional Small-Town Contemporary Romance

by Valentine Foster

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saltwood: Worth Saving is the first book in a new small-town series set in the charming town of Saltwood, and the setting was easily one of my favourite parts of the book. The descriptive writing made it easy to picture the historic town and its crumbling cottage, and I could almost imagine walking the streets alongside the characters.

The story follows June, who is trying to rebuild her life while raising her late sister’s teenage son, and Holt, the town’s grumpy restoration expert who’s tasked with assessing whether her inherited cottage is even worth saving. It’s told through dual POV, which gave a good insight into both characters.

Unfortunately, this one was a slow read for me. The opening took a while to pull me in, and I found myself struggling to fully connect with either June or Holt. Both characters carry a lot of grief, which gives the story an understandably heavy tone, but their conversations are few and far between—it’s around the 60% mark before they really have a meaningful conversation. Combined with the very slow-burn romance and lots of metaphorical writing, it made it difficult for me to become emotionally invested.

There were aspects I really enjoyed. Holt’s relationship with his brother showed glimpses of great banter, the spicy scenes were well written, and I loved seeing the Saltwood community rally around a newcomer. Those moments of kindness really brought the town to life.

I also couldn’t shake the feeling that June and Holt had a lovely relationship developing off the page. There are hints of shared time together outside the cottage renovations, and I found myself wishing we’d actually seen more of those moments, as I think it would have made their romance feel much stronger.

Overall, while this wasn’t the right fit for me, I’m intrigued by the town of Saltwood itself and can definitely see the potential for future books in the series.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a small town vibe with two complicated people. Where she just trying to keep the lights on and his the grumpy handing man that can fix all her problems?

Welcome to Saltwood, a small coastal town that has a lot of heart but has seen some rough times. Holt has been here all his life and when he sees the light on at the house that was his father’s last fix-me-up he has to see who is there.

June isn’t sure what she is doing but she knows how to plan and stick to it! But when Holt shows up at her door step and before she can even step on the porch he is filling her in on all her problems, she is already making lists to fix everything!

I will say this took me a little to get into as they was a lot going on at the start but I fall in love with the characters and the town.

Simply put if you love Gilmore girls meets the area from practical magic this is a read you will greatly enjoy!

Can’t wait to see what is next for this series!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although it initially felt vague, as if I should already be familiar with the town and characters, even though it's the first in the series. June and Holt are compelling characters with flaws and room for growth, learning that communicating and asking questions are ways to connect and feel valued. I recognized traits I share with myself and others, which made the story feel familiar. It took some time for me to get into it, but it eventually picked up, and I grew fond of the characters! The small-town setting was ideal, capturing Saltwood's true nature—everyone knows everyone's business. June and Holt processed grief for different reasons to support each other’s healing. Overall, I appreciated the story and how June, Holt, and Milo evolved together.

[Dannielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book although it took me a minute to get into it as it all felt vague like I should already know the town and the people despite being the first book in the series. June and Holt are both interesting characters with their own flaws and troubles but both show great growth throughout and learn that talking and asking aren’t bad but rather a way to connect and feel wanted just as you are. Both held characteristics that I could see within myself and the people around, making it feel a little like home.

[Tara Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the small town setting and the side characters. I would have loved to have seen those be a little more developed. Overall I enjoyed the story but really struggled to keep slogging through the very repetitive metaphorical writing. I would have loved to have seen more of the romance and relationship in general develop more on the page. As it stands I’m not entirely sure how they originally ended up connecting because there were hardly any conversations between the two main characters. In general I think I would have preferred more character driven content and a lot less time on the metaphor that in my opinion completely overtook the book.

[N.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ SALTWOOD: Worth Saving is an absolute must-read if you love an emotional, cry-your-eyes-out small-town romance. The emotional depth is unreal, tackling heavy real-life issues with so much heart. You will completely fall for the flawed, relatable characters as they heal, and their sizzling slow-burn chemistry is built on genuine vulnerability. Set in a cozy town full of hilarious side characters, this book is way more than just a love story—it is a beautiful reminder of resilience and community. Prepare to laugh, cry, and root hard for their happily ever after!

[Jessica Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book took a bit for me to get into. It moved slowly at first and felt like I was missing something I should already know. Once I got into it I really enjoyed the story.

I loved the small town and all the characters. June and Holt both struggle and work through grief together. They also learn that asking for what you need isn’t a bad thing.

[Mary Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I opened the first chapter to get a feel for the book and it drew me straight in and I couldn't put it down until I finished.

Loved the story of June and Holt along with the community of Saltwood.

This was a first read from this author for me and I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

June meets Holt when she moves with her nephew to renovate the house the inherited. She needs Holt's help to renovate it, but will she get more than she expected. An enjoyable read, and I liked the setting and that it is told from both points of view.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review
3. 5 stars.

Full review to come.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read if you’re in the mood for emotions. I cried happy tears with this one and was also heart broken for a chapter. Do yourself a favor and give this a try!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book but hard to get into in the beginning but once it picked up it didn’t take me long to get through it! I loved the characters as the way everything turned out

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a bit to get into, it felt like there was something I was already supposed to know but didn’t. However it did pick up and I loved the characters! The small town setting was great, the author made the setting perfect it was written how a true small town is! In small towns everyone knows everything and that’s exactly how Saltwood is! June and Holt had to work through their grief for different reasons to be able to help each other move on! In general I like the overall story and how far June, Holt and Milo came together.