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Fox River Romance #3

The Worth of a Penny

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Sweetheart Penelope Davies is what her daddy calls gullible, right after he told her she was stupid and worthless. With her cheek red from being slapped by him, and her heart trampled by a worthless boyfriend, she packs up and follows her half-brother to Fox River, North Carolina, in need of a fresh start.

Dominic MacKenna is the youngest of five brothers, the friendly one with a killer smile and easy laugh. His brothers are all grown up, and one by one they’re flying the nest, leaving him out of sorts and unsure of his place. Who is he if not the youngest MacKenna?

Penny falls in with the MacKenna brothers, welcomed in as family, and offered the kind of love and support she never knew existed. With a new job and a lot of determination, she is finding out what she’s capable of. The last thing she needs now is to fall in love with the most notorious flirt in town.

Dominic falls for the sweet strong girl with a penchant for random facts and quirky homemade dresses. All he wants is to show Penny how wonderful she is, how smart and funny, and how desired and loved—even if he has to do it as her friend.

Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2019

41 people are currently reading
90 people want to read

About the author

Jess B. Moore

8 books145 followers
Jess B. Moore is a writer of love stories. When she’s not writing, she’s busy mothering her accomplished and headstrong children, reading obscene numbers of books, and knitting scarves she’ll likely never finish.

Jess lives in small town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.

The Fox River Romance novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into a thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love. These books can be read as stand-alone, or as a series starting with The Guilt of a Sparrow.

Follow Jess on social media @authorjessb
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for DJ Sakata.
3,299 reviews1,781 followers
April 20, 2019
Favorite Quotes:

Are they monitoring your texts now? Should I send a shot of my nipples? My gentleman sausage? Would it get you fired?

“I can show you all the places girls have professed their love for Dominic.” “Oh, yes, please show Penny all the graffiti. Way to keep it classy, Magnolia.” I deadpanned, shifting my weight, and wishing for an end to this conversation. “Don't’ Magnolia me, Dominic Oswald MacKenna.” I sucked in a breath. Maggie middle named me. In front of Penny.

It’s all my sisters do, and all the women working here. Like a sickness. I swear, if and when I meet a woman who doesn’t gossip, I’ll know she’s the one.


My Review:

There has to be some type of bewitchment or inexplicable magic that Jess B. Moore sprinkles on her stories as I am immediately sucked into her characters’ vortex whenever I pick up her books. This is my third exposure to her craftily written and heart squeezing tales, and this delightful phenomenon has occurred each and every time. Her word voodoo is strong! I adored these quirky, irresistible, and complex characters. Ms. Moore certainly has a knack for casting her tales with uniquely compelling and slighted dented yet highly endearing individuals. Penny and Dominic were both adorable, highly appealing, and gentle souls who were well worth knowing. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Moore conjures next for Fox River.
Profile Image for Dash fan .
1,517 reviews714 followers
April 21, 2019
5☆ A Heart warming and Captivating Contemporary Romance I didn't want to end.

The Worth of a Penny is a wonderfully compelling and heart warming romance that swept me away.
It's the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone perfectly fine.

Penny really hasn't had it easy.
Her father makes her feel useless and worthless, he puts her down whenever he can, bullying her.
She has no self confidence and little self worth.

So when Elliot her stepbrother decides to leave and move to Fox River, Penny asks him if she can go with him.
She so desperately needs to get away from her bullying father that Elliot takes his sister under his wing. It's a chance for her to find her second chance at happiness.

It's here Penny meets the devilishly handsome and charming Dominic. But Dominic comes across as a ladies man and Penny knows she should keep away. But they clearly have an instant attraction, like a magnet that pulls them closer together.
But can Dominic prove to Penny he is worthy of her?

The Worth of a Penny is a beautifully Compelling and Captivating read.
It's a strong character driven story filled with emotion, passion, second chances, friendships, romance and drama.
The pace flowed along perfectly, I didn't want it to end.

If you are looking for a Contemporary Romance that is filled with warmth and poignant moments, that will captivate you and draw you in, then you will love The Worth of a Penny.
I really hope there will be another instalment. Jess B. Moore is definitely an Author you need to add to your list!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...
Profile Image for Berit☀️✨ .
2,095 reviews15.7k followers
April 15, 2019
A beautifully told intimate story about love.This is the type of story you don’t just read you live! You take every breath and feel every emotion with these characters. A definite character driven story that will worm its way into your heart. Jess B Moore has a special talent of creating characters that pop off the pages!

Penny has not had the greatest of upbringings and her confidence is shattered. In need of a fresh start she moves to Fox River with her stepbrother. There she gets a new job, a new start, and a new family. The problem is the family that has taken her in is Dominic Makenna’s family. Dominic is that friendly guy with a sweet smile, the kind of guy you try to avoid falling in love with. Dominic however is determined to prove to Penny that he is worthy.

There is so much emotion packed in this story and I completely fell in love with these characters. I was seriously ready to pack my bags and head to North Carolina and join the Makenna clan. Penny was tremendously likable and Dominic... well I may have fallen a little in love with him myself!

Jess B Moore is a must read author if you love the love! She writes romances with tremendous depth and amazing heart!

*** many thanks to Rachel and the author for my copy of this book ***
Profile Image for Carla.
7,619 reviews179 followers
April 17, 2019
The Worth of a Penny by Jess B. Moore is the third book in the Fox River Romance series, but it was a wonderful story that I read as a standalone and enjoyed very much. Starting with the cover that gave me a feel of the sweet, shy Penny, I felt I knew her by the time this story ended. Penny has not had the greatest of upbringings and her confidence is shattered. Her father has belittled her most of her life, then her boyfriend dumps her and starts rumors in town about her, that most of the townspeople believe. She needs a fresh start so her half-brother Elliot moves her to Fox River to live with him and his partner, Beau MacKenna. Beau's brother Dominic, is the one who helps her to move and is attracted to her vulnerability and sweetness. Dominic arranges a new job that she loves. With a new start, a new family and feelings for Dominic that she tries to ignore, Penny is ready for her new life. Dominic is that friendly guy with a sweet smile, the kind of guy you try to avoid falling in love with. Dominic however is determined to prove to Penny that she is worthy as well as the fact that he is right for her.This is a character driven story and Jess B. Moore does an amazing job writing her characters. I wanted to meet them, party with them and travel to Fox River to stay with them. Penny was a great character. Seeing her blossom in this story under Dominic's gentle love and caring was wonderful. Dominic is that guy I would love to see my daughter bring home. He is caring, sweet, protective, smart and the type of person everyone wants to be friends with, but he has not found that one person he wants to spend his life with, until Penny. His siblings and friends all added to the wonderful atmosphere of this small town. That doesn't mean that there weren't some people who gossiped, spread lies and tried to make life miserable for Penny, but for the most part, they were put in their places. This is a very emotional story. Reading about Penny's life and how it has beat her down was sad, but watching her blossom was wonderful. Both her and Dominic were trying to fight their emotions, but love has a way of working out. This was a wonderful second chance romance story and I am going to read the others to learn about some of the other characters residing in Fox River. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who likes a contemporary second chance romance. I received a copy of this book from Rachel's Random Resources upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
Profile Image for Jessica.
1,626 reviews54 followers
April 14, 2019
I’m in love with Jess B. Moore’s writing. It’s beautiful, serene and sweet, and makes me feel like I am part of the world. I feel as though I know the characters personally, and I’m right at home.

This book touches on sensitive topics and is filled with emotions. It is also sweet and wonderful. Everything I expected from Jess B. Moore. She has become one of my favorite authors to read, because she takes a genre I don’t read a ton of and makes me obsessed. So, thank you, Jess!

I highly recommend reading this novel. You will feel as though you know these characters and live in their world.

*I read this book as part of a blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources. All opinions are my own.*
Profile Image for Jéssica.
Author 1 book70 followers
April 21, 2019
This isn't my first rodeo in the world of Jess B. Moore's books, so I was already ready for a lot of emotions, from tears to laughter, from excitement to falling in love with the characters... but are we really ready for a book from an author we really like? Yeah, I was ready... not really. Although I thought I had prepared my heart for all the adventure, I was still surprised with my feeling and thoughts through out the reading journey, because that's the power of Jess B. Moore's writing style.

We follow Penelope Davies and Dominic MacKenna, and oh my goodness! Although I loved the previous books, I think I love this story more! I could connect with Penelope, although I don't have the same personal experiences has she had, the emotional, vulnerable moments made me feel like I know her, like I'm her friend. That feeling makes me feel empathy for Penny and want her to be happy, because she deserves it.

Penny is is an amazing woman, and much stronger than people realize, even herself. She's a great heroine that made us, the readers, think about a lot of things and go on a journey with her that we may not even realized we needed. I loved that. Then there is Dominic and his personality is a good balance to Penny's and to make the story even more interesting.

I always love to see the development of the characters personalities and relationships. In this book, no only do we see how every characters interacts with one another, but how the romance between Penny and Dominic builds. It's a sweet romance, but it doesn't lack passion so it's just perfect and fun.

Overall, I loved the book! I loved all the amazing characters, even the mean ones were complex and gave some sense of reality to the story. I love the personalities and the interactions. And it made me feel like I was part of the world, part of the town, and it was definitely had a mesmerizing quality in the storytelling that made me see how real this book feels and could be.

It was full of emotions (which I was expecting), love, friendship, family and drama. That been said, if you like contemporary romances with those aspects, I highly recommend this book.

I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Jess B. Moore for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Profile Image for Stephanie Dagg.
Author 81 books52 followers
April 18, 2019
I didn’t want this book to end! It’s a beautiful story, with a lovely heroine. And just like Penny, the book is sweet but there’s a lot of strength beneath the surface. The title is clever: a penny isn’t apparently worth much, and our Penny felt like that with her unforgiving family and first boyfriend. However, without pennies we’d never have pounds, and in the same way Penny learns that she is valuable, deserves to be cherished and has a lot to contribute.
The setting of Fox River is beautifully described and it quickly feels like home. We soon get to know all the characters, nice and not-so-nice. This is the third book in a series but we’re given all the information we need to enjoy this story to its fullest.
This is a novel of second chances handled in a unique and thoroughly enjoyable way. Be prepared to fun the full gamut of emotions from sadness and frustration to joy and satisfaction whilst in this author’s company. A lovely book absolutely to be recommended.
Profile Image for Tasha Mahoney.
1,215 reviews45 followers
April 15, 2019
First of all, I must say that the cover of The Worth of a Penny is beautiful. It makes you want to follow her into the story and as I read this sweet, heartwarming romance that is exactly what I experienced. A complete treat for the eyes and heart, Jess B Moore's story-telling really did transport me to  Fox River. With a host of wonderful characters and a pleasantly paced romance, this was right up there with chocolate for a sweet, pleasing treat. I have not read the preceding books in the Fox River series, but I did not feel that it was necessary for the enjoyment of this third in series. The Worth Of A Penny does work perfectly well as a standalone. Having said that, I would have liked to have read the previous titles prior to The Worth Of A Penny as this was a pleasurable read.
Profile Image for Jess Moore.
Author 8 books145 followers
September 14, 2021
As the author, I will not leave a review. I admit I'm biased.

This can be read as a stand alone, and is my sweetest book.

To get maximum enjoyment, read it third, after The Guilt of a Sparrow and Fierce Grace. And don't let the "sweet" thing fool you, it deals with sensitive topics even if it's not super steamy.
Profile Image for Christie72 (Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews).
1,450 reviews32 followers
April 21, 2019
Jess B. Moss takes us back to the small town of Fox River, North Carolina. This is Penelope and Dominic’s journey to finding their HEAs.

Penelope has always been a good daughter to her wretched father. In fact, she has done everything she can to make him love her, but no matter what she does he makes sure she knows that he thinks she is absolutely worthless. Adding insult to injury, her longtime boyfriend has shattered her heart. When her half-brother comes for a visit, he convinces her to leave with him, going to Fox River. She packs her things and embarks on a journey to discover who she is and possibly find a love she deserves.

Dominic is the youngest of the MacKenna clan and a notorious flirt, shunning commitment. However, when he sees Penelope, his world shifts. He finds himself wanting to spend more and more time with her. Despite his flirtatious manner, he really does have a good heart. He bends over backwards making her feel like a part of his family and the town.

Penelope is stronger than she believes. She has completely been beaten down by her father and ex. She has also been victim to vicious rumors, but she still picks herself up and gets living her life. She is full of tenacity and determination, everything I love in a heroine.

The romance between her and Dominic is a slow build, even though they are attracted to one another. I loved the friendship the two developed before moving into a relationship. If you like a sweet romance with great characters, I recommend reading this one.
Profile Image for Between The Pages (Gemma M) .
1,355 reviews28 followers
April 19, 2019
This is the first book I have read by this author and awwwh this is such a beautiful, heart-warming and uplifting story. Just what I needed. Perfection. At the beginning I felt so sorry for Penny she deserved so much better for herself…
Bring in hot, superhero and adorable Dominic and that soon changes her life in more ways than one. He’s the perfect gentleman, the perfect character. Like a dream come true, that can’t be real right?
An easy to read story, one I easily devoured. Enjoyed every minute of it. Especially the perfect ending. However, small towns gossip… Will that get in the way of Penny trying to turn her life around? Brilliantly written. Highly recommend! A well deserved four stars from me.
Profile Image for baps sieperda.
30 reviews3 followers
February 22, 2022
A perfect,lovely clean ,not so sweet love story!
This author knows how to write a perfect story ,which has it all-in it!
Abuse ,sadness, emotions, excitements,love and more! Its fits perfect together with the plot and storyline! Complete with two intense and complex characters!

Penny, abused by her dad, fleds to her step brother! Dominic becoming her friend ,but both have a crush!wiil the find there so longed for LOVE??
Its not a page turner ,but it hold you from the first page to the last!exellent!
Without a doubt a 5 star!
Profile Image for Jo Fenton.
Author 7 books52 followers
April 8, 2019
Loved this beautiful romance, the third set in Fox River. The author's skill with scene setting and characterisation kept me right there in the story with the characters, and I can't wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Margo Haydu-Givoni.
45 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2019
The worth of a Penny

Enjoyed reading this ebook. The author wrote a ‘coming of maturity’ ebook. Penny lives and works with an abusive father. It’s painful reading about how the father attacks and slaps her and calls her ‘stupid’.

Until one day she’s had enough, her brother from another woman, helps to convince her to leave and move in with him.

She becomes slowly independent, (she’s extremely shy too) learns to get out of her ‘panic attacks’ as well, with the help of Dominic.

A great book.
992 reviews4 followers
October 3, 2019
Jess B. Moore is being added to my list of favorite authors. This is the second Fox River book I’ve read ( don’t know how I got 3 before 2, but it’s next!). I loved Penny, who grew being called hateful things by her father. When he slapped her one day, she finally had enough and moved from GA to NC to live with her stepbrother and his boyfriend. And she meets Dominic, who falls for her. She falls, too, but wants to stand on her own before she gets serious. They made a really great couple, and I enjoyed getting to know them.
Profile Image for Kate A.
559 reviews14 followers
May 2, 2019
Rating 3.5/5

I seem to have a knack for picking up books that are in a series and reading them out of order, this book is the third in the series, for the most part it can be read as a standalone I feel like everything was explained in a way that made me feel like I wasn’t missing out on the other two books. However, I did feel like I was missing out on a lot of the family dynamics it’s probably a personal thing but I just prefer to read a series from the start so I can get a proper feel for everyone, so I’m more involved with all the relationships.

The story overall was really sweet, I loved the idea of Penny going from her quite solitary and not very enjoyable existence to being enveloped into this big loving family. Fox River definitely sounded like an amazing place to end up, with lots of events and music sessions and everyone generally being very community spirited.

This was, of course, made even better by Dominic MacKenna, the really caring and generous guy who Penny starts to fall for. He’s the type of guy who is lovely to everyone and nothing is too much trouble for him, if he were real he would have lots of women and men after him, me included. He was super sweet towards Penny and I liked how the relationship between the two of them developed, the uncertainty and trying to distinguish when they might be crossing the line from friends to something more.

Unfortunately, I did have a bit of a problem with Penny, she’s a nice and quirky character and I empathised with a lot that she had been through and I was, of course, rooting for her and Dominic from the start, I just felt that her voice was at times a bit muddled. It’s hard to explain, I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot but I just felt like I was getting to know her and getting used to her and then she would say or think something that seemed a bit out of character and I felt like I had to keep changing my perception of her character too often. It meant that I had a lot less patience for her and that her repetitive insecurities over Dominic started to grate on me rather than add to the experience of the book.

This is a lovely romance book with great pacing and a lot of obstacles that really keeps the tension building on the will they/won’t they. It is a shame that I didn’t quite gel with Penny but I don’t at all think that will be the case for most people and it won’t stop me from picking up more books from this author.

Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
4 reviews
February 15, 2022
Ggggreat!

Totally good read in 2 days! Love all the characters and all their separate lives within the story
Hear- hear for Penny and Dominic
1,035 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2020
Great family story

Story of a dysfunctional family, abuse, miscarriage and small town gossip. Then a change. Big brother takes her away from all that to a family that has strong bonds, accepting of each other and others!
Profile Image for jessica whittle.
27 reviews2 followers
December 9, 2019
Excellent love story

I love how real Jess B. Moore’s romances are. The Worth of a Penny really brought the town of Fox River alive for me, and I find myself wishing it were my hometown. The story is built around more than just the two main characters and has a depth that is refreshing. I appreciate that the relationship was not rushed, as well. Penny deals with some very real challenges, and the way she triumphs makes me wish she was real and we could be friends. An excellent read, and I can’t wait to dive into the next Fox River book!
Profile Image for Stephers G.
118 reviews4 followers
May 25, 2019
One of the hardest things about writing a book review, is trying to hold back when it comes to telling my readers about the story I have read. I really want to tell you everything about this book, because it was wonderful from start to finish. I loved the character interaction and I enjoyed reading as Penny grew as a person.

The love story had me captivated from the start and I willed on the young couple as they experienced new feelings. My heart raced as they grew closer and closer. One of the things I loved so much was the connection the brothers had with one another; the author did so well with building up their bond and I felt the connections as I read greedily from the pages. I have always been a fan of romance, but this story ran deeper than that. It was written with charm and tenderness; I found the words oozed easily from the book and it flowed wonderfully.

Although a standalone story, this was part of a series, and I will be CERTAINLY going back to read the previous ones.

Profile Image for Cali Gal’s.
1,225 reviews146 followers
May 13, 2020
I binge read this series in a couple days. I love them all but this is my fav. Dominic made an appearance in the other story but he is AMAZING in this story. I love his heart and not only does he made an awesome love interest but he is an wonderful friend.

Penny breaks my heart a bit in this story yet I love her Tenaciousness. She has this soft fighter spirit that makes me want to hug her.

Dom and Penny’s brothers being together is the icing on the cake. Ugh swimming in “all the feels” as I think about this story. This author continues to develop an heartwarming community in this series. Sigh definitely a beautiful YA read. Happy Reading Everyone!
234 reviews3 followers
April 23, 2019
When I saw that the front cover of this book referred to it as “A Sweet Romance,” I will confess that I wasn’t to sure what to expect. Although I often wander into the romcom Chicklit genre, out and out romance isn’t something that I would normally pick up. However, something about the blurb for this one caught my attention, and I am so glad that it did.

Although this is most definitely a sweet romance, this is not in a saccharine, sickly way, it is more that the strong family bonds, and the welcoming nature of the MacKenna brothers puts you in mind of simpler times when family and community were what mattered. As I was reading, I kept coming back to the thought that this book made me feel safe, like I was enveloped in a huge fluffy blanket with a mug of hot chocolate in my hand. It was a beautiful, gentle escape from the real world. That’s not to say that the characters just sailed through life. They certainly had their fair share of upsetting experiences to contend with, but through them all I just knew that they would help each other through.

This is the third book set in the Fox River community, but it can easily be read as a standalone – I haven’t read the previous books and I certainly didn’t feel as though I was missing out on any character back story. That said, I would love to get to know the characters better so I’ll be heading off now to check out the other books.
7 reviews
March 27, 2019
Another fantastic book by Jess B Moore!! I won't lie, I was super excited when I heard Jess had written a book about Dominic!! He's my favorite character!! Jess did not disappoint me! It is by far my favorite book!! As with all of Jess's books, she hits all the emotions and tackles some deep topics!! Bravo, Jess!
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