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Hearts in Hendricks #1
Love Like Water
Two Hearts. One Tour Bus. Is There Room Enough for Love?
After losing her job, Darcy Conti takes a tour guide position at Sturgeon Widows Tours, a quirky family-run business in the small town of Hendricks on the shores of Lake Superior. As she settles into her new role narrating local history excursions, she fights an undeniable attraction to the man she was hired to replace—the owner’s son.
Fresh from a relationship gone sour, Sean Stetman plans to avoid dating for the foreseeable future. Taking a leave of absence from his parents’ tour company, he wants nothing more than time to fish, hike, and work on his cabin. But when the tour driver quits, he is suddenly back on board, reluctantly shuttling Darcy and the tour guests along the North Shore.
Together Darcy and Sean survive unruly tourists, meddling mothers, and even an unscrupulous developer looking to give the Stetmans’ tour company some fierce competition. Can they also survive falling in love?
After losing her job, Darcy Conti takes a tour guide position at Sturgeon Widows Tours, a quirky family-run business in the small town of Hendricks on the shores of Lake Superior. As she settles into her new role narrating local history excursions, she fights an undeniable attraction to the man she was hired to replace—the owner’s son.
Fresh from a relationship gone sour, Sean Stetman plans to avoid dating for the foreseeable future. Taking a leave of absence from his parents’ tour company, he wants nothing more than time to fish, hike, and work on his cabin. But when the tour driver quits, he is suddenly back on board, reluctantly shuttling Darcy and the tour guests along the North Shore.
Together Darcy and Sean survive unruly tourists, meddling mothers, and even an unscrupulous developer looking to give the Stetmans’ tour company some fierce competition. Can they also survive falling in love?
226 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2018
629 people are currently reading
1748 people want to read
About the author
D.E. Malone
23 books485 followersD.E. Malone writes sweet contemporary romance and is the author of the Hearts in Hendricks and Blueberry Point romance series. She also writes for the middle grades as Dawn Malone, and her work has appeared in Highlights for Children, Pockets, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and other magazines and newspapers. She loves traveling to places off the beaten path which inspire the small-town settings in her stories. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, volunteering with shelter dogs, and continuing her never-ending quest for the holy grail of bakeries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
August 29, 2023
3.75- Loved that it was set in the North Shore. The author really captured the magic of the region.
December 8, 2018
Loved it. Great writing and engaging characters. Looking forward to more in the series.
April 10, 2023
‘every time sean looked at her, it seemed he struggled to look away, as if the sight of her was life-sustaining.’
a suuuper cute short & sweet small-town romance! found this on my nook for free and it definitely exceeded my expectations <3 definitely reccomend
a suuuper cute short & sweet small-town romance! found this on my nook for free and it definitely exceeded my expectations <3 definitely reccomend
December 1, 2019
Finally ... a romance novel that doesn’t include the words wet, moist or hard 🤣 This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I am eager to read more. This is a 4 book series so off I go to read to the next!
January 13, 2021
3 stelle e mezza
Non male, ma magari qualche pagina in più sarebbe stata meglio per dare più spessore ai protagonisti.
Non male, ma magari qualche pagina in più sarebbe stata meglio per dare più spessore ai protagonisti.
July 3, 2020
Sean Stetman and his mother Emily own a family-run business, a tour company called Sturgeon Widows Tours, and have been looking to expanding which means hiring more people, developing more tours, and so on.
Emily has been trying to set her son up with Melina Pereja, the company’s business manager. This has only made him want to escape to his cabin near Three Forks. A recent University of Minnesota-Duluth graduate, Melina’s dreams are to move to a bigger city and take Sean with her.
At the same time, Darcy Conti’s employers, Ingrid and Henry Callahan both run a lodge called Blueberry Point Lodge Kitchen. Lately, they’ve been struggling to manage their business due to Henry’s health. It seems the only option now would be to close the lodge and sell.
This news doesn’t bode well for Darcy who’s just bought a new car and resigned her lease. She’s sad to hear this because the Callahans are the closest she’s had to family in Hendricks. They helped her adjust to the Lakeside community when she moved last summer. Now she has no idea where she’d find another job that paid so well. She’s dreading the thought of leaving the place she’s considered home.
But all hope is not lost when Ingrid tells her she heard there’s an opening for a tour guide at Sturgeon Widows Tours. Sean was the tour guide but due to his tight schedule and personal issues, they’re looking for a replacement.
At first, she balks at the idea but when Ingrid adds that part of the tour involves an old shipwreck site near the Clearwater Lighthouse, she reconsiders. Her former professor had proposed a research project for her involving shipwrecks. Seeing as she’s a history and anthropology major—though she’s yet to pursue her master’s degree—she decides that this would be a good opportunity. So she sets off to inquire about the job position and soon she starts working there as a tour guide.
Sean’s not ready to start dating again after his last relationship which left him a wreck. He’s about to take his much-needed break when the tour driver quits and now he finds himself working with Darcy. At first, they don’t get along, but between coping with unruly tourists and meddling family members, they soon put aside their differences and work together as a team. Can they also make room for love?
Beautiful setting, lovely characters.
Emily has been trying to set her son up with Melina Pereja, the company’s business manager. This has only made him want to escape to his cabin near Three Forks. A recent University of Minnesota-Duluth graduate, Melina’s dreams are to move to a bigger city and take Sean with her.
At the same time, Darcy Conti’s employers, Ingrid and Henry Callahan both run a lodge called Blueberry Point Lodge Kitchen. Lately, they’ve been struggling to manage their business due to Henry’s health. It seems the only option now would be to close the lodge and sell.
This news doesn’t bode well for Darcy who’s just bought a new car and resigned her lease. She’s sad to hear this because the Callahans are the closest she’s had to family in Hendricks. They helped her adjust to the Lakeside community when she moved last summer. Now she has no idea where she’d find another job that paid so well. She’s dreading the thought of leaving the place she’s considered home.
But all hope is not lost when Ingrid tells her she heard there’s an opening for a tour guide at Sturgeon Widows Tours. Sean was the tour guide but due to his tight schedule and personal issues, they’re looking for a replacement.
At first, she balks at the idea but when Ingrid adds that part of the tour involves an old shipwreck site near the Clearwater Lighthouse, she reconsiders. Her former professor had proposed a research project for her involving shipwrecks. Seeing as she’s a history and anthropology major—though she’s yet to pursue her master’s degree—she decides that this would be a good opportunity. So she sets off to inquire about the job position and soon she starts working there as a tour guide.
Sean’s not ready to start dating again after his last relationship which left him a wreck. He’s about to take his much-needed break when the tour driver quits and now he finds himself working with Darcy. At first, they don’t get along, but between coping with unruly tourists and meddling family members, they soon put aside their differences and work together as a team. Can they also make room for love?
Beautiful setting, lovely characters.
July 29, 2020
I picked up this book just to read something short & easy before my next book club read starts. Love Like Water was an entertaining read with lovable characters. I’m excited to continue the series!
Want to read
July 2, 2020Free on Kindle
February 2, 2024
Such a cute book! I loved the setting and the characters were very likeable. I found that the writing was a bit repetitive but overall it was well done. Romances always have a little bit of silliness to it and this one definitely did. Very good! The author has written a lot of books about the same small town so I’ll have to check those out.
August 17, 2023
A nice short read.
Enjoyed the early fall fibes. 🍂🍂🍂
Enjoyed the early fall fibes. 🍂🍂🍂
August 12, 2023
⚠️SMALL SPOILER AHEAD⚠️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i really enjoyed this book as it was a sweet and heartwarming romance between likeable characters.
i found that bethany was iconic and would get the book that is about her if it was free on kindle just because she was such a good and supportive friend to darcy.
the only thing i didn’t like about this book was the public declaration of love at the end because it gave me second hand embarrassment but that’s probably just me.
no trigger warnings i can think of apart from a bit of miscommunication but google to check
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i really enjoyed this book as it was a sweet and heartwarming romance between likeable characters.
i found that bethany was iconic and would get the book that is about her if it was free on kindle just because she was such a good and supportive friend to darcy.
the only thing i didn’t like about this book was the public declaration of love at the end because it gave me second hand embarrassment but that’s probably just me.
no trigger warnings i can think of apart from a bit of miscommunication but google to check
November 17, 2018
What more could you ask for? A clean and wholesome romance set on the North Shore of Lake Superior, "Love Like Water" is a heartwarming and feel-good story about Darcy and Sean, who seem to be total opposites, but end up falling in love. Hop on a bus with Darcy and Sean to take a Sturgeon Widows Tour in the small tourist town of Hendricks and its surrounding landmarks and watch the romance unfold, despite a few roadblocks along the way! Looking forward to reading the next book in the Hearts in Hendricks Series, "Love Like Fire."
November 19, 2018
Fun romance
The setting for this story is amazing! I love the outdoors and now I really want to visit Hendricks and hike all the trails and hang out on the beach. This is a fun romance. Sean and Darcy have great chemistry. I enjoyed them, as well as the supporting characters in this book. I wish, however that there had been more about Sean and Darcy's relationship. I still have questions, and I'm hoping they'll be answered in the next book.
The setting for this story is amazing! I love the outdoors and now I really want to visit Hendricks and hike all the trails and hang out on the beach. This is a fun romance. Sean and Darcy have great chemistry. I enjoyed them, as well as the supporting characters in this book. I wish, however that there had been more about Sean and Darcy's relationship. I still have questions, and I'm hoping they'll be answered in the next book.
February 18, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s probably more like 2.5 stars but I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt and bumping it up to 3. The writing is fine but it’s pretty slow moving and I didn’t really feel the affection between Darcy and Sean. It’s not bad, it’s just not great. Won’t be continuing with the series.
April 25, 2023
More 2.5⭐️
Only a short book but felt long… wasn’t particularly invested in the romance either.
Only a short book but felt long… wasn’t particularly invested in the romance either.
April 22, 2020
I'm shocked at the low reviews of this book, I loved it!
Darcy's character was written in a way that made her relatable. She had a comfy job working at an Inn, which was being sold, and she scrambled to find another job. Her and I being the same age, made this book work for me. Sean was a bit of a "rough around the edges" reclusive man, who had guilt for his ex-girlfriend eating up inside, sure he was opinionated, didn't like change, and a bit of a "stereotypical man" but he was entertaining! Sure he didn't want to change, but the spark of the story was that he found someone that could make him want to change.
The story of Darcy working for Sean's family company, running tours in a hilarious bus with a fish on it, and the setting was a dream come true. They both hated small talk, didn't like getting close to people, and honestly wanted to just move through life and go unnoticed. UNTIL- they were no longer "unnoticed" towards one another. The other characters, Bethany, Sean's mom, and even the Donut worker were charming in this book. There was a twist at the end, I didn't expect it at all.. involving the Blueberry Inn.. you have to read it to see it!
The book was an easy read, it took me a couple hours. I loved it, if you want a book with a gorgeous setting, quirky character who try so hard to not be in love, and an easy read.. this is for you. I'm so happy it's part of a series.
Darcy's character was written in a way that made her relatable. She had a comfy job working at an Inn, which was being sold, and she scrambled to find another job. Her and I being the same age, made this book work for me. Sean was a bit of a "rough around the edges" reclusive man, who had guilt for his ex-girlfriend eating up inside, sure he was opinionated, didn't like change, and a bit of a "stereotypical man" but he was entertaining! Sure he didn't want to change, but the spark of the story was that he found someone that could make him want to change.
The story of Darcy working for Sean's family company, running tours in a hilarious bus with a fish on it, and the setting was a dream come true. They both hated small talk, didn't like getting close to people, and honestly wanted to just move through life and go unnoticed. UNTIL- they were no longer "unnoticed" towards one another. The other characters, Bethany, Sean's mom, and even the Donut worker were charming in this book. There was a twist at the end, I didn't expect it at all.. involving the Blueberry Inn.. you have to read it to see it!
The book was an easy read, it took me a couple hours. I loved it, if you want a book with a gorgeous setting, quirky character who try so hard to not be in love, and an easy read.. this is for you. I'm so happy it's part of a series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2023
Three letters: D. N. F.
I didn't like this one; there wasn't anything bad about it, but there wasn't anything interesting at all to me.
Romance: Clean, I think? I skimmed the last few chapters, so I'm not completely sure. I don't think there are any explicit scenes, but I don't know about curse words.
I didn't like this one; there wasn't anything bad about it, but there wasn't anything interesting at all to me.
Romance: Clean, I think? I skimmed the last few chapters, so I'm not completely sure. I don't think there are any explicit scenes, but I don't know about curse words.
January 27, 2020
Tour bus with a giant fish on it. Sounds like a fun job, right? Not quite what the main character planned on doing, but because the B&B she was working at as an event planner decided to sell, she's got to find something or move to another town.
May 27, 2022
Love like water
My first search for romance in Michigan where I've loved most of my life was this book. Loved the descriptions of water and the sun shining on it as I know so well. Great read
My first search for romance in Michigan where I've loved most of my life was this book. Loved the descriptions of water and the sun shining on it as I know so well. Great read
July 7, 2020
Enjoyable read
A very likable story. The love interests were people I wanted to root for and the setting was divine. It ended before I was ready, but the sneak peek of the next book proves they have more story, even if these two aren't the main focus.
A very likable story. The love interests were people I wanted to root for and the setting was divine. It ended before I was ready, but the sneak peek of the next book proves they have more story, even if these two aren't the main focus.
July 31, 2020
Super cute! A delightful quick read. I loved how real the characters were, and how often does an author actually mention sweaty palms? Loved that! I'm absolutely picking up the next book!
July 19, 2022
Beautiful, sweet, and fun to read
I absolutely adored this story, which I knew I would considering how talented the author is. However, this was just such a fun well written read with amazing characters and chemistry between them. I just loved each one of them (well maybe not Melina haha). This was a wonderful start to a series and fun to see were it all began as I read Blueberry Point series first.
I HIGHLY recommend this and can't wait to start the next in the series.
I absolutely adored this story, which I knew I would considering how talented the author is. However, this was just such a fun well written read with amazing characters and chemistry between them. I just loved each one of them (well maybe not Melina haha). This was a wonderful start to a series and fun to see were it all began as I read Blueberry Point series first.
I HIGHLY recommend this and can't wait to start the next in the series.
April 9, 2023
Decent start with promise and then a super fast speed increase in plot that made NO sense.
July 6, 2020
Nice small town romance.
August 9, 2020
Sweet, charming and fun summer read!
June 18, 2020
I picked this book up just because it sounds interesting to me and I'm glad I did. The last few chapters I couldn't put it down... I smiled I cried and I the heartfelt romantics were just perfect...
April 18, 2020
Liked this book looking forward to the next in the series. Nice one to start with.
May 21, 2022
Kinder Spirits
Two people both not sure what they want in their lives. Both unsure of each other and what they feel. One broken hearted from a relationship and the other not sure what her future holds just knowing she doesn't ego leave the lodge behind. Fast read great characters!
Two people both not sure what they want in their lives. Both unsure of each other and what they feel. One broken hearted from a relationship and the other not sure what her future holds just knowing she doesn't ego leave the lodge behind. Fast read great characters!
February 28, 2024
Unique in that the story incorporated a wounded heart, and an adventuress woman with high credentials. Opposites did eventually attract. It wasn’t an easy journey
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews