Sweet Regrets

Indigo Bay #5

by Jennifer Peel

Melanie Dixon never thought she would find herself divorced, pregnant, and living back with her parents in Indigo Bay. Not one to let misfortune get the best of her, she picks up the broken pieces of her life and bit by bit puts them back together. She’s determined to go it alone, but her loving and equally determined family and friends have another idea.

Enter Declan Shaw, the boy next door from long ago. The boy she wasn’t quite ready to commit forever to at eighteen. Back in Indigo Bay due to a recent job promotion, Declan sees this as a second chance to reunite with the girl who has owned his heart since the day they met in their junior year of high school. But Melanie is a tougher sell on the idea than he thought she would be. Now it’s up to him to prove to Melanie that she can trust him with her heart and that he’s the man she and her baby deserve.

Will the regret and hurt of the past win out? Or will love prevail?

Genres: Contemporary, Second Chance, Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Audiobook

170 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2017

About the author

Jennifer Peel is the mother of three amazing kiddos. Wife to her one and only for the past twenty-two years. Lover of late night talks, beach vacations, the mountains, pink bubble gum ice cream, tours of model homes, and southern living. She can frequently be found with her laptop on, fingers typing away, indulging in chocolate milk, and writing out the stories that are constantly swirling through her head.

Reviews

[Kathy Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raise your hand if you're a sucker for a second chance love story. You can't see me, but both of my hands are waving in the air right now. I don't know what it is about them, but I just love them! Maybe it's the message of hope or maybe it's the way fate brings two people who are meant to be together back to each other for that HEA they deserve. What ever it is, it just melts my heart.

Melanie and Declan have the sweetest love story. She's newly divorced, feeling lost and vulnerable. She's sworn off men for good, but that doesn't stop Declan from being there for her, encouraging her, and loving her no matter what. Oh how I loved watching their love rekindle and grow stronger.

One of my favorite things about being engrossed in a good book is feeling all the feels. I found myself getting teary eyed at the sweet moments, giggling out loud at the funny moments, and of course letting out little dreamy sighs at the swoony moments. It's the best feeling in the world!

And can I just say that Ms. Peel has done it again! Her talent completely amazes me and I am in awe every time I read one of her books. They just keep getting better and better. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

I have to say I'm absolutely in LOVE with this casting! They are perfect in my opinion! What do you think?!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know about anyone else, but my life has NOT gone exactly as I had planned. There are things that I regret, but nothing like what Melanie and Declan feel remorse over. Feeling too young at 18 and dealing with some misunderstandings, they broke off their relationship and now, years later, they have a second chance at love. Sometimes the timing is just off the first time around and I love it when a couple gets another try.

Declan and Mel have an imperceptible thread binding them together and causing an unquestionable chemistry to ignite even after years apart. I absolutely love their bond and how their romance caused me to swoon, especially with how Declan treats and accepts Mel. I love these characters and thought her twin best friends were hilarious.

Of course, I always want more, especially with books from this author, but I was pleasantly surprised at how satisfying this one is for being so short. I think because they're told in first person, I feel like I'm a character in the book and I don't want to leave and I really didn't want to leave Indigo Bay. I'm so happy there are more books set in this darling town.

Grab a tissue and settle in for a charming, adorably heartwarming second chance romance! Ms. Peel will capture your heart and soul and thrust you right into the book. Don't tell, but I think I'm Mel's invisible best friend.

Content: mild+ romance (swoony kissing, vague talk of cheating)

*I received a copy to read and review, which did not affect my opinion in any way.*

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Declan and Mel were high school sweethearts. After a break-up that they both later regret, life has gone on. Mel was married, and now has the distinction of coming back to her hometown divorced and pregnant. She doesn't have room for men in her life, unless her baby is a boy.

Things change when Declan returns to Indigo Bay, as well. Mel still isn't looking for romance, but a friend is just what she needs. Declan was a great leading man, from his confidence and patience, to his support of Mel during her pregnancy. He is the type of hero who makes women swoon!

Sweet Regrets was a sweet romance. It offered humor, hope, and spine tingling kisses. I think every pregnant woman needs someone like Declan in her life, who can let her know that she is still beautiful, even though she feels like a beached whale! You might as well block out a few hours now, because you aren't going to want to put this book down!

Sweet Regrets is part of the Indigo Bay series. Each book can be read independently.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit! I really enjoy Ms. Peel's books and was looking forward to this one for awhile. It's book five in the Indigo Bay series, but stands well on its own. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

I am a sucker for second chance romances and always enjoy seeing couples get a second chance at love. Melanie and Declan have a sweet romance, they grew up together and dated in high school. Chance would have it that they're reunited when Declan has business with Melanie's father. She's just gotten out of a messy divorce, pregnant and currently trying to figure out her life. I liked both Melanie and Declan and enjoyed their story. I also loved the setting of Indigo Bay! Charming town that makes you want to pack up and visit.

Cute story, likable characters, fun setting and a sweet romance!

Content: Clean

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. Declan Shaw!!! I think I just found my new book boyfriend. Because hello? Who wouldn't want a man like him? He's lovin' on Melanie full on pregnant and making her feel beautiful and desired. He is a stand up kind of man, working hard and going out of his way to prove that he is the kind of man that will love Melanie and her baby forever. Swoony.

There is something about second chance at first love stories, especially with the boy next door. Although I'm sure that any book with Declan Shaw would be drool worthy. I'm sorry. I think I'm just not going to get past the whole Declan thing in this review.

I read a book a few days after this one and the character's name was Duncan and I kept thinking in my head Declan. Ha.

It's no secret that I LOVE Jennifer Peel and her books. Anytime, any day. Read. Re-read. New books from her are my favorite things. Right up there with chocolate, lemonade and sunshine. This book is part of the Indigo Bay series (a series of books, set in the same small coastal town, written by different authors) and I feel like she knocked it out of the park with this one because, well, DECLAN. :) And now I'm right back where I began. Full circle. Declan Shaw. 💗

Content: kissing, mention of an affair

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0
A short, but very sweet romance. There really isn’t anything that makes it stand out or anything that hasn’t been written many times before. It is just a nice little confection that leaves a reader feeling happy.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sweetest Story

I once again fell in love with the characters and story in another Jennifer Peel book. This story was tender and sweet; a story about second chances and new beginnings. It hit home for me as our protagonist is pregnant and so much of what she experiences brought back memories of being pregnant with my daughter. There was definitely some swoon-worthy moments, and of course the romance was clean (my favorite!!).

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author's writing style. It's easy to get into the head of the main character, even when she is very different from myself. Melanie has had a difficult past, and is ready to work to make a new future- sans men. Declan is pretty much too good to be true, and it takes Melanie time to get used to the idea of reconciling with him. I loved seeing them together as they rebuilt their friendship and more, great chemistry :)

(I purchased a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are my own)

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah so cute! Another great book from one of my favorite authors!!
Content: clean

[Rachel Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melanie is divorced, pregnant, and living with her parents in North Carolina. The last thing she expected was Declan Shaw to be back in their small town. While Melanie is putting her life back together, and Declan is determined to be a part of that life.

Melanie is very guarded about letting any man in again, especially since her number one priority is the unborn baby taking up residency in her belly.

I find the trope of high school sweethearts getting back together after a significant time apart fascinating. They broke up for a reason, but maybe since they are older, their issues can be talked about rather than argued about.

For me, the pacing was fast, and obviously, Declan is relentless in his pursuit, and Melanie gets in her head. This is a predictable read, and it ends in a HEA.

[Julka Oleś · Rating 2 out of 5]

No normalnie nie mogę. Daddy to jak 30-letnia bohaterka nazywała swojego ojca całą książkę, normalnie mnie to skręcało albo jeszcze było mamma i baby girl no ja nie wierzę . To byli dorośli ludzie a mówili jak przedszkolaki. Fabuła fajna ale przez takie słowa okropnie trudno mi było przebrnąć przez tą książkę. MASAKRA

[Jean Oram]

I love how gentle but persistent the hero was in this book in winning over his first love. It is a book about second choices, trust, love and family. It's a wonderful heartwarming read.

[Shia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super sweet second chance romance where he never fell out of love with her. The surprise pregnancy trope was a rapid one but i appreciate how the author uses our MMC in a way to show not all fathers are ones who contributed genes.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has got to be the sweetest Hero this author has written...I'm not gonna lie, I'm in shock😅

This was a super sweet second chance love story. My only complaint is that her best friends kinda suck and she definitely should have fired her doctor.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't do much for me. Barely enough details throughout the story. I kept thinking it would get deeper as the story went, but it didn't. Not a bad read, but wasn't one of my favorites either.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this. I was put off by the main character woman.

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

#dnf. idk what was worse, the cheese or the cringe.

[LaBlue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was well written and had likable characters. They’re behaviors made sense. It was a healthy dynamic on plot and relationships. I really wanted more of this story and couple.

The FMC is divorced with a baby on the way and meets up with her HS sweetheart who gives off every vibe of wanting her back and not taking no for an answer. This whole book follows them to their HEA.

My only complaints were the twin best friends icked me out because one, they both dated the same man and two, it was the FMC’s OB/Gyn. Ewww. I would never want my doctor dating my BFF because he would have seen both mine and their vaginas. It would feel like sharing. Smh.

The author predictably brings the ex back but then leaves him very one dimensional. Like he married the FMC knowing she wanted the white picket fence and then blaims her for his cheating because she wanted the white picket fence. What??! Why is it her fault when he could have not married her if he knew he didn’t want the same things? This is the reason he became the “villain” in his own life and in this author’s story? Also, he comes back regretting that he signed away his rights to his child but he doesn’t do anything about it. He could fight it in court. Most courts would overturn that document easily in support of the benefit to the child. Not that I would want to read that, I’m just saying his character was a villain for no good reason. It was pretty lame and I didn’t care for the lack of effort on his characters part.

Lastly, it’s a clean read. It did have chemistry between the couple which I loved without the gratuitous s e x but I do like smuttiness in my books and with all their desire for each other on page I wanted this couple to get good and smutty on page. I don’t care that she was pregnant with somebody else’s baby. This was a couple that deserved it. Lol.

Anyway, I really liked this book. It was a lite read with rational characters. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. Enjoy.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 and very enjoyable.

I'm feeling quite dense about the specifics of their break-up. What had Melanie envisioned? Like an open relationship? Break-up, but remain friends? Because I have a feeling if that were to have occurred, she'd still be heartbroken (and hypocritical) when Declan explores other relationships. I suppose she did not know what she wanted so she did not want to make promises. She definitely did not want complete radio silence from Declan. It was not too clear to me about her intentions at 18 and neither does she acknowledge the feasibility or lack thereof for what she had hoped for and imagined back then in hindsight at 30.

If anything, Declan remained more steadfast. I do not agree he should have cut her out, but I think the silence and distance would have happened regardless. For once, I actually think it should have been the heroine in the story who needs to do some groveling.

[Audrey Heeren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, second chance story is all I need for summer reading. Mel and Declan couldn’t be more of a perfect couple needing a little bit of help from the universe to align their fateful stars. Mel moves on from her small town after having that first real heartbreak by her best friend/boyfriend. After life gives her a cheating lemon, she has no choice but to make it into lemonade and head back home to the much needed support of her parents and best friends. This also comes with a price, as Declan has returned after several years; coincidence or fate? No🌶️ but still a really cute read and @jpeel_author never disappoints. Definitely a TBR to add for summer reading! #gottareadromance #romancereaders #secondchanceromance #romcombooks #romancereader #romancereadersofinstagram #romancereads #romancebookstagram #romancereadersofbookstagram

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escape to the beach

One of the things I absolutely love about this authors books is the flavor of the location she works through the story. With beaches, and sights and sounds and smells described, and sweet hometown sayings peppering the conversations, I always leave wanting to live where her characters do.

This story is perfect, moving steadily and wonderfully with the main characters. Staying up until 2:30 am to devour this new book is worth it! Great human characters is a staple, with real life never looking so good. And, she always makes me swoon!

Clean romance, kissing but nothing further even discussed on-screen.

[Charissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This features Declan and Melanie. Mel has just returned to Indigo Bay, pregnant and divorced, with rumors flying after her. When she runs into Declan, her high school boyfriend and first true love, her heart still flutters. But she has a baby to focus on, and doesn’t want to trust a man again after the messy way her marriage ended. But he has other ideas. This story brought the romance to the sweet spot. Their chemistry is pretty fun to read about, and Declan is every girl’s dream. He’s awesome. It’s not too long, and easy to get sucked into once you read page one. Peel’s books always hook me and make me smile.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

This was a fun read. It felt like it moved rather quickly. I know they were in love before, but it still felt really fast. However, I loved every speedy moment. I loved that they didn't overthink it, second guess, and drag it out, wondering. The characters were fun and relatable. The dialogue was flirt and fun. This is a first for me from this author, and I will definitely read more.
*This book is rated PG. There is no swearing or violence. There are a few make-out scenes, but they aren't detailed. Divorce, cheating, pregnancy, breastfeeding, labor and delivery are all talked about.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Cute second chance romance

I thought this was a cute read overall, and I enjoyed it. I liked the reconnection with the main characters and the progression of their relationship in this story. I liked the forgiveness that came at the end with the mother-in-law. I found a couple of places in the story to be a little cheesy. I know they were supposed to be romantic, but for some reason, I found myself chuckling a bit. Still, overall, a clean romance with a little spice but no bedroom scenes.

Content: Clean romance. Triggers with cheating and a husband leaving.
Language: No language
Religious: Not religious

Happy reading!!

[Leann Durrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melanie finds herself somewhere she never thought she'd be. Back home with her parents..pregnant and divorced.. but guess who comes back to town.. her ex boyfriend from high school. Her first love. Who she never thought shed see again. It takes Mel a little while to realize she can trust him.. I can see why she'd be hesitant.. she's pregnant with someone else's baby but he can't seem to stay away from her. It's like they just pressed pause on their love story and the pieces start falling back together. I absolutely loved Mel and Declan's story. Their love for each other is beautiful! My eyes definitely welled up a few times. Jen Peel seriously writes THE SWEETEST books!

[Tami Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

How is this a best seller? It felt like it was written by a middle schooler. How does her overly dramatic experience with the glucose test you have to take during pregnancy end up getting more time than her birth and life after (being vague to not spoil). If I had to hear (audiobook) daddy and mama in reference to an adult woman’s parents one more time I would’ve given her glucose test scene a run for its money 🙄. Not to mention the saccharine voice of the narrator. I will be avoiding anything read by her in the future. She sounds so fake and made the whole book harder to endure. I don’t think I can stomach anymore of the author or narrator again.

[Holly Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Romance of the summer. Five stars just isn't enough! !!!

Well-written. Major sigh moments! Declan would be any girls dream come true. I love the bond of friendship you feel in each of Jennifer's books, not only for the main characters but for their friends and families. This book was a rollercoaster ride you don't want to miss or get off and when you get off you just want to jump right back on! I love the kindness ,compassion and forgiveness this books offers. Well done Jennifer Peel Well done

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

If ever there was a warm fuzzy book, this is it. This book gives hope for life after divorce. For Mel, her divorce and being pregnant made her feel like it was her against the world. But when she took the time to open her heart, she received the best gifts in life. This is one of those books that makes you want to curl up under a blanket and just block out everything to just be in the moment and feel everything Melanie was feeling. Declan showed up just when she thought she would never love again.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww! Every woman deserves a man like Declan! What a sweet man! He was completely devoted to Melanie and her baby. This was such a timely book for me as I received an ARC from the author and read it just before Mother's Day weekend; perfect timing! It's been a long time since I was an expectant mother but reading this brought me back to those days. This story would be even more poignant for young, expectant mothers. This was a sweet, hopeful story of second chances at love.

[Nari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about second chances. Melanie and Declan were high school sweethearts. The two meet up again when both move back. Melanie is pregnant and recently divorced. Declan is trying to convince Melanie to give him a second chance. Will they make it this time around or will Melanie suffer another heart break? I read this book in one day. Jennifer Peel writes very real characters and you can't help loving them.