**DO NOT read this book unless you've read the whole series!**
I adore this series and have felt like a resident of Fircrest, WA from the very beginning. I've been with these characters through their ups and downs and feel like they are real and true friends. When I close a book, I often feel like the characters have finally worked through their trials and are on their way to their happily-ever-after, so it was very interesting to get a glimpse of these characters 3+ years later to find that they're not all happy. Don't most people have a roller coaster of a life? I guess book people do too.
This felt like a high school reunion, with so many of my favorite, beloved characters, but there's drama galore. I'm not a fan of real-life drama, so I'm glad it stayed in the book and I liked the way the characters handled it, but I wanted there to be more restitution from a couple of them for events that occurred.
I can't even express how happy I am that Kam finally gets another chance at a happy life because it was torture to see him as a shell of himself. His new Sous Chef, Grace, is a charmer and wins the hearts of pretty much the whole town--with a couple of exceptions. I love how, in spite of her upbringing, Grace is a positive and sweet person, with a very big heart. As for the romance, it's there and there's chemistry, but the main focus isn't on Kam's story and I would have loved to see more of how he fell in love again. You can't have too much romance, can you?
There are a lot of little glimpses into the many characters lives in this series finale. I'm sad to say goodbye to them, but I'm so excited to see what's next.
Content: mild romance