Nora Calhoun keeps her life just like her Provincetown B and B, neat and tidy. She’s thrilled when her niece Graham comes to stay with her while completing her graduate fieldwork aboard the Dolphin Fleet. She’s less than thrilled when Graham starts hanging out with Willa Lange, a sexy wanderer who works for the Fleet and seems to have her sights set on Graham.
At the encouragement of her sister Emerson, Will’s short stay in Ptown becomes a fresh start. She’s doing great—a decent job, a place of her own, and new friends. But when she meets Nora, she finds herself pining for more. The only problem? Nora is fifteen years her senior and doesn’t like her. Can the women overcome past hurts and find love or will their affair leave battered hearts in its wake?
Aurora Rey is a college dean by day and a life coach award-winning author of queer romance author the rest of the time, except when she’s cooking, baking, riding the tractor, or pining for goats. She grew up in a small town in south Louisiana, daydreaming about New England. She keeps a special place in her heart for the South, especially the food and the ways women are raised to be strong, even if they're taught not to show it. After a brief dalliance with biochemistry, she completed both a B.A. and an M.A. in English.
She is the author of the Cape End Romance series and several standalone contemporary lesbian romance novels and novellas. She is has been a finalist for the Lambda Literary, RITA®, and Golden Crown Literary Society awards, but loves reader feedback the most. She lives in Ithaca, New York with her dog and whatever wildlife has taken up residence in the pond.
3.5 Stars. Not my favorite book of the series, but still a good read. While there are some characters in this from previous books, you could start at this book if you really wanted to. My personal recommendation would be to read book 2 first, than this one. Two main characters are sisters; one is the main in book 2, the other is the main in this book. Book 1 is more on its own, while the last two books are more connected.
This is an age-gap romance, I think about a fourteen year difference. There is also a slight love triangle but it’s not the main plot point. The two main characters are Nora, the owner of a B and B, and Will, who just moved to P-Town to be closer to her sister. Will works for a whale watch boat in the summer and has more of a care free attitude, while Nora is more set in her ways.
I am usually a fan of age-gap romances and also a bit of an ice queen fan, which I found Nora to be, but I didn’t connect to this as much as I thought I might. All the ingredients were there for me to love this, but I wrestled with a few things. I think my biggest issue really was Nora. I hated the way she treated Will half the time. Will is an absolute sweetheart. I’m not normally attracted to butches, but Will in real life, I’d date her in a second. It was hard to read about someone squashing such a sweet person the way Nora did. I started to wonder why does Will even like her? Will is not perfect, she has low self-esteem from a past relationship, so she is used to taking scraps and being okay with it. I started to think because of that maybe their pairing isn’t exactly that healthy. But this is fiction. And I realized that I’m thinking too much into everything and I just need to enjoy the story more. That little clarity session helped and I was entertained again. I still can’t help thinking Will could do better, but in the end I’m okay with the pairing.
What I did appreciate is after some of the conflict or major angst part, there was still plenty of the book left. Things didn’t feel rushed at the end. Rey actually gave the characters time to work things out. The pace everything unfolded was actually realistic to me. I thought the ending was well done.
Overall, I did like this book. I think the key is to not dig too much into the characters. Just sort of go with the flow and you will enjoy this book more. I will absolutely be reading the last book in this series. Hopefully it will be the best one yet.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
This novel is book 3 in the Cape End Romance Series by Aurora Rey. I would advise all readers to read Winter’s Harbour and Summer’s Cove first for continuity with protagonists throughout the series.
One of my favourite subplots is age-gap romance and this novel definitely falls into that category. Spring’s Wake has shot to number one in my age-gap romance favourites shelf.
So a little about the book... Nora runs her own successful B&B in Provincetown, which is her life, and she loves it. She has had her heart broken before and almost lost everything so she’s not eager to fall in love again. That is until her niece brings her friend, Emerson home for dinner one night and it awakens feelings she’d long since forgotten she could have. Emerson is young, hot and doesn’t seem to have a clear path in life so how can Nora even contemplate something between them when it has heart break written all over it. Emerson knows as soon as she see’s Nora that she wants her. She too has had her heartbroken but she’s willing to chance it all for a shot with the beautiful B&B owner. She just needs to convince Nora she’s worth the shot.
The pace was perfect with just the right amount of delicious angst. This book was written flawlessly and had me hooked from the first chapter. I have a bit of a thing for older women; normally of the butch or androgynous variety but in this instance I’d forget I had a type for Nora Callhoun. She was perfect and the older woman part really worked for her personality and it was sexy as all hell. The chemistry between Nora and Emerson was so powerful and extremely sexy. It leaves me really torn as to who my favourite couple is in this series.
There is no epilogue however, due to the book being part of a series, the characters are carried on and it doesn’t actually impact my love of the book in the slightest. I really enjoy that Aurora has kept the character recurrences from the previous two novels and has made the bunch of friends into a little Ptown family. I’m really excited to see what’s next for this group of women.
Aurora Rey really taps into knowing what this reader loves in they way romances are written. She continues to be one of my favourite authors and I know every time a new book of hers is released it has my name written all over it.
Willa is finally settling in Provincetown. She’s found a job, an apartment and she’s close to her sister. She hasn’t entirely recovered from her previous, abusive relationship but she’s getting there. Working aboard the Dolphin Fleet, Willa meets Graham, a young graduate doing fieldwork. Graham takes her home to her aunt’s B&B and Willa is attracted to Nora the moment she lays eyes on her. Nora, however, seems to dislike her. She too, hasn’t quite recovered from the disappointment of her last relationship.
I enjoyed Rey’s writing; the description and the flow of the novel. I didn’t really like the main characters though. Will is a little spineless and allows her needs and desires to become less important. Nora is cold and guarded and a bit of a game player. She’s quite clear about what she wants or expects from a relationship but then her nose is out of joint because Will takes her at her word. It might be because I didn’t like either of them but I found they lacked chemistry too.
The secondary characters were much more interesting and more likeable. Graham’s genuine openness is appealing, as is her bubbly nature. Emerson is just as likeable and I think I’ll go back and read the first two in the series.
On the whole this is a nice enough read and mostly because of the writing skill.
Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Brilliant! This is why Aurora Rey is my favourite author!
This is the third book in the Cape End Romance Series - you don't need to read the other two to read and enjoy this one. Although, it is nice to reconnect with some of the other couples from previous books as they are mentioned on occasion in this book. When Will finishes the summer season working on the Dolphin Fleet with her new friend Graham, she finds herself facing the winter with no jobs lined up. It's hard to find a job in Provincetown over the winter, but Provincetown has become her home and she doesn't want to leave. She finds herself picking up odd jobs, including a few home improvement jobs at Graham's aunt Nora's Bed and Breakfast. Their attraction is undeniable, but both women have been badly hurt before by past relationships, and neither are sure they're willing to risk their hearts.
This book had all my favourite things from Aurora Rey's work. It had amazing food and little home improvement projects and perfect romance and lovely people. This book was so cozy. I think Aurora Rey's writing has only gotten better - this book felt so real. The descriptions and the emotional connection you had to every scene made it feel like you were there. I love the little community of characters that has been growing throughout this little series, I love the little group they've become. It's always nice to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones as well. The characters are always unique and multi-dimensional. Even the secondary characters and Nora's guests had their own layers and nuances to add to the story. I loved the friendship between Will and Graham, and it was lovely to Will's relationship with her sister Emerson(Summer's Cove) grow. Ah, and the romance. It was a perfect combination of an attraction between these two women that was off the charts, and the way their relationship naturally developed into friendship and into love. This book was a cup of tea and a warm fireplace and a good book. Cozy. Comforting. Beautiful. Peaceful. Sexy. Perfect.
The love scenes in the past few books have been next level. This book was on fire. The sensuality and the emotions written into every moment, heighten the scenes. You can feel the tension and the unspoken love between the two women. It's so real. It's insane.
Aurora Rey's books are always so personal and special to me. I always see myself in her characters. I always finish the book feeling like anything is possible in my own life. The sky's the limit.
I loved everything about this book. Even down to the name Nora. It's one of my favourite names. How can I not love this story! How can I not recommend this to anyone who loves a gorgeous, cozy, romance! Or anyone who loves the name Nora.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is actually a very nice book, with an interesting development, and a plot that is pretty appealing, at least to me. I am a fan of any May-September and May-December pairings. However, I had a great problem with one of the characters in this book. I didn't like Will at all. She seems very servile, she rarely speaks her own mind without being timid of others' opinions; we figure pretty early that she has a huge crush on Nora, but her being flirtatious or trying to seduce Nora kinda seems like she's trying to be a handyman and hopes it's enough for Nora to fall for her. It could be me, of course, and it probably is, but I prefer intellectually more substantial characters, with firmer mind of their own, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars.
I really liked this story. Not your usual slow growing romance to a grand finale. This one had many surprises and many twist that kept me off balance. The two lead characters are both interesting and real. The dialog is very real and made me want to, at times, strangle them. ( I guess you know it's good writing when you react with such passion) After completing this book I realized that it was book #3 in a series, although it reads as a stand alone, there are many references to other couples and has drawn me to get the previous 2 books.
This was a very good sequel in the series . The two main characters had a lot of chemistry and angst at the same time. Will has lost a lot of her confidence because of her failed relationship with Kai. Nora on the other hand was afraid of trusting in love because of her failed relationship with Jordyn and her being self conscious about being older than Will. These dynamics make a very good story with a lot of ups and downs till the very end. I hope there is a fourth story with perhaps Graham. I liked her character very much as well. All in all, well done.
I loved Spring’s Wake. Absolutely a great story. Wonderful to follow the ups and downs of Nora and Will’s relationship. It’s always great when our favorite authors take us to Ptown.
Nora runs a little B&B and when her niece Graham comes to stay she is excited to see her but when Graham brings along her friend Will, Nora is hesitant to let the instant attraction she developed for Will develop. Will is embracing her fresh start in town and the opportunity for some work at her friend’s Aunt’s B&B is just what she is looking for, but upon meeting Nora her attraction to her adds extra complication to the situation. When fate throws them together, both Nora and Will have to decide if they are going to continue to let their past experiences stand in the way of potential happiness, or just take a chance.
I loved this so much! It was a perfect story for me with age-gap romance and all the angst and cuteness surrounding the potential of a perfect relationship for Nora and Will. They were so cute together and it was obvious they were just meant to be but there was of course going to be drama. For the most part it was Nora who was having the most difficult time with this. Her past experiences had been anything but good and so rightly so she was guarded about her emotions and feelings for more reasons than just the age-gap between her and Will.
This is the third book in the Cape End romance series but works well as a standalone story so you don’t have to have read the other books in the series to be able to enjoy this one. I would recommend reading the other books in the series (because they are awesome!) because there are a cast of characters who run throughout the series that crop up in each story and it will help to give some background and understanding, and especially in this story where Will is concerned.
What I loved most about this story is that Aurora still had her Hollywood romance moments! In every one of Aurora’s stories I have read so far, she includes one or two of these Silver Screen moments and they are just so amazingly perfect! I loved those moments in this story and they really made it for me. Not only did Nora and Will have this amazing connection but just the moments they shared, from the intimate ones to the those where they felt like the only people in the room despite the crowd were just so meaningful and powerful that I really felt that passion, connection, and love between them.
Many a time I got quite frustrated with Nora but I really understood her hesitance and initial judgements. She’d been burned before and she had a lot to lose, but it also went to show she didn’t really know Will and was never going to from just first impressions. That ‘getting to know someone’ message was loud and clear and really well portrayed throughout the story not only with Nora and Will, but also where Graham was concerned and I hope we will see more of her in future too!
I am so excited to read the next book in this series and hope there will be more beyond that. This cast are fantastic and I can totally imagine these being movies or a TV series. The way they are written just really brings the whole story and place to life and you feel like you are just there in the moment and can picture it perfectly. There was just a quaintness to this story I loved so much, so I highly recommend Spring’s Wake and the Cape End romance series!
So I came a little late to the Cape End Romance series and have just read the last two. But this one was just as good as the one before. I really enjoyed Will and at first had to remember who she was from the previous book, but once I realized it made her all the more interesting. It was good to see Darcy and Emerson again as well. The only issue I really had was Nora. She could be a little annoying. The assumptions she had about will bugged me. But I'm sure that is what Rey was going for, so mission accomplished. It was nice to see her wake up at the end and see what was right in front of her. I'm just hoping we get to see Graham get her girl as she seemed like a really good person, someone very forgiving and loving and she deserves someone to love her. I hope that is the next installment.
I tried really hard to read this novel but I could not get into it. Initially it held some promise; I was rather interested in the seaside town and a hotel/bed and breakfast setting where these two women meet, one who is about 15yrs. older than the other. But there was so much 'telling' rather than 'showing' that it put me off reading continuously. I had to take many breaks to get into the book and at times forgot prior events that happened. It was a good effort, and I applaud that, but I feel that the characters, Will and Nora, were just a bit too internal with their thoughts and actions, especially when it came to revealing to the read and their friends that they felt 'something' towards the other. I do wish the author all the best, however. I would not mind trying out another book by this author. I feel like they definitely have what it takes!
What a wonderful read. Interesting characters and a lovely heartwarming story line with some back and forth misunderstandings. Nora Calhoun is relationship shy with good reason. Willa Lange is looking for a fresh start and stability. Graham (Nora's niece) and Emerson (Willa's sister) make wonderful additions to the story as they provide feedback, encouragement, and support. I appreciate the depth of character and the Provincetown description. The read had me thinking about family, forgiveness, and letting go. I have really enjoyed reads by this author and I look forward to reading more.
Read provided with thanks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc, via NetGalley.
Love this series. With each book Aurora Rey gets better and better. Her characters are always very well developed and her descriptions of Provincetown are spot on! The love scenes are hot! Full disclosure I won a contest and got to name a character in the book so that was super cool! My character is awesome!! Wonder who the Autumn book will feature, maybe Graham? I will be sad to see the series end, but it’s been wonderful. I love how the characters from the previous books show up and we get to see how they are doing now.
4 stars Another good romance in the Cape End series with a nice plot, great setting and two interesting leads. Recommended to all romance fans especially for those who love butch/femme and younger/older relationships. I'm totally looking forward to the next book in the series. eARC via NetGalley
I love Nora and Will. (Slight spoiler, marking it just in case) I thought the relationship was well developed and I enjoyed the plot device that led to Nora having to accept Will’s help and that she was going to be around. The back-and-forth got a bit boring after a while and I wish it had been handled earlier in order to give the two of them more time to allow their relationship to develop into a domestic couple-y cuteness.
Older/younger relationship Nora and Will. Nora allow her past relationship to give Will the cold shoulder even though she was attracted to her and she also thought was attracted to her niece. Will's character even though she was in a abusive relationship (mental) she still kept her heart open. With the support of sister could truly believe how close they are to one another. Let's just say snow storm was a welcome segue for our two main characters.
This is a nice second book to the series and it is fun to see how previous characters developed and meeting the new ones. It is a typical romance story with many ups and dows and a happy end. I enjoyed reading it but it not a memorable story.
Review to come, but that was lovely. I maybe wanted to yell at Nora a couple of times, but nothing was out-of-character, just frustrating in a "Oh, I know people like you, and people like you need a kick sometimes" way.
I liked this book and gave it a solid 3 stars. I felt like Will was kind of mistreated by Nora a bit and it knocked a star off for me. But overall it was a good quick read with a good plot. Would recommend.
So this is book 3 of and on going series. You could read this as a standalone novel if you wanted to. But I tend to read books in order. It's usually why my reviews are often late.
This is a nice age gap story of about 15 years. Apologies, I'm really bad at maths. It's set in Provincetown. ( I'd really like to visit that place sometime). Nora owns a B + B and Graham comes to stay while finishing her graduate field work.
I found the back and forth a little frustrating. But I guess that's what you get from a love triangle. It all works out in the end.
I liked the book but I didn't love it. I didn't really like the way Nora treated Will ( the third part of the triangle) I found her very dislikable in those scenes. But love does funny things to us all.
This is the third book in the Cape End Romance series by Aurora Rey and another great love story. Nora is an older B&B owner and when her niece, Graham brings home a friend Will, the sparks fly between Nora and Will. Nora is a guarded character, while Will is more open and willing to allow love to blossom between herself and Nora. However Nora's past experience and age difference are walls between herself and Will.
This is a good read, my only wish was to see more development between Nora and Will. It felt a little rushed towards the end.
ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review.
Okay I have to admit I couldn't put this one down until I was finished, but it was solely because of Will, she was sure a sweetheart, she really didn't deserve the self-esteem damage her past relationship left her with. My big issue with this book was Nora! God did I dislike her!!! I mean I get being cautious because of past betrayals but she was beyond self-centered, egotistical and a bit of an icy b!tc#. Nora, seriously! You know Will just got out of an abusive relationship, you considered it abusive yourself, yet you didn't give a flying f*ck about what Will wanted, or how she felt, it was ALL about you! Will pretty much was just a means to an orgasm. Will really deserved much better that Nora, someone who actually cherished her, not someone who only kept knocking her self worth down and making her feel like the woman she was falling in love with was ashamed of her... Also, why the f*ck be with someone (even if you see it as just a sex thing) if you're gonna compare them to your awful ex at every turn!? Like you need therapy to move on before even trying to be with someone, because you're the one setting yourself for failure no matter what! And Nora was so f*ucking full of herself, you told her to leave, that you didn't want to see her, you ain't all that for her to come back begging like a puppy after you treat her like crap!
Ok, ok, I'm rambling.....I just really really had issues with Nora....
My 3 stars are for Will and only for Will!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A lesbian romance novel, that's part of the age gap trope.
(3.5 stars is my actual rating.)
The book follows the lives of Nora Calhoun, a 48 years old inn owner with a cautious heart. And Willa Lange–Will–, a big hearted 34 years old drifter. They meet through Graham, Nora's optimistic sunny niece, who befriends Will while they're both working aboard the Dolphin Fleet. When Nora and Will do meet, the attraction is nearly instant, but the pursuit isn't. With quite a lot of things standing in their way, including a possibly disastrous ‘love triangle’ and troubling pasts that uncomfortably resemble the present, it's almost unlikely for anything to happen between the two of them.
I think the book was alright. I certainly enjoyed the plot. I'd easily recommend it to anyone looking for a butch-femme lesbian fiction in the age gap trope. The only problem I had with it... the plot overrall, wasn't gripping. I'm not sure if that's what the author was going for, but I found the book really easy to put down and just resume whenever I wanted to. Which isn't a bad thing but I just felt like it could have been more somehow. More gripping.
The Love Keeps Coming!! Having read a few other stories in Ms Rey's Seasons stories I was VERY happy to read this book too. This is the third in the series and they just get better! It was a mostly happy, sweet and feel good book that I adored to pieces! The characters were fantastic, it was nice that there were couples from the other Seasons books to connect them all together. I loved the age gap in this story. Older Nora is a bit closed off but charming Will is determined to win her over. They are both special and are so well suited! The whole book gave me the warm fuzzies and made me say Awww and mist up more than once. It was a wonderful story, with a wonderful ending.
This is the third book I have read by this author and all three were fantastic ,though I may have read the harbour series out of order as I have yet to read winters harbour.The three main characters are well written .Both Nora and Will carry some pretty heavy baggage from previous relationships but eventually their walls break down and learn to love again.There is also the slight misunderstanding between Will and Graham Nora’s niece but things work out well in the end.Enjoyed this book so much waiting for whisper sync so I can download on KU
3.5 stars. Third in the Cape End series, but if you’ve not read the others, or like me only read the first one (and so long ago you can’t remember it well), you can jump straight in with Spring’s Wake. A good age gap romance, with two interesting lead and some hot sex! I just wish Ms Rey had given us a better physical description of Nora, and to a lesser extent Will. All in all, a good read. I was given a copy by Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Another great P-town book featuring a minor character from a previous story and an Innkeeper. This is Book 3 in a series of 4. It features older women (which I definitely appreciate), with misadventures and misunderstandings abounding to keep the tension going. The sex isn't bad either! And the unexpected turn at the end is really gobsmaking! Rey's stories are always easy to read and consistently hold the attention all the way through. Highly recommended series. Be sure to read them in order.
The Lange sisters of Provincetown have hearts of gold! 💖💖
I love age-gap romances, and this one is a good one. Willa meets Nora and is instantly attracted to her. Nora hires Willa to do some projects around her inn during the off-season. Close quarters, a snow storm, some wine... things happen!
They both are scarred from their pasts, but like I said - Willa Lange is hard not to fall for! And again, it was nice to catch up with Emerson, Darcy, and Liam.☺️