Small Town Charmer

by A.J. Lange

Take one small town, add a dash of feuding business owners and a sprinkle of holiday cheer...

Owen

By ten a.m. Owen Green had seen his dream of expanding his grandfather’s hardware store dashed. By one, his car had been impounded off the street. By midnight, Owen’s personal space had been invaded by an angry, wet bookseller with hot blue eyes and an armful of natty first editions.

Coop

Returning to the small town where he spent a fateful summer as a child probably seemed crazy to an outsider. But to Coop, it felt a lot like coming home. By ten a.m. he had a new lease on his grandfather’s bookstore. By one, he had managed to make his first enemy. And by midnight, he knew without a doubt that the handsome hardware store owner next door was going to put a kink in his plans for a peaceful new life.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Gay

320 pages, ebook

Published December 2, 2019

About the author

AJ Lange pens romance and mystery novels in many sub-genres, but has the most fun writing m/m romance. She lives deep in the Southern Plains and when she’s not devising new ways to describe pectorals, she watercolors, reads, and naps.

She spends way too much time looking up at the stars.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/8/2020)! 🎁

[David Wickham · Rating 1 out of 5]

68% in. The main characters were boyhood friends. Coop went by his first name of Ross. They spend one summer together until Coop's father, who was a real SOB, who had dumped him with his grandfather in the small town where Coop met Owen, came to get him. Coop's dad made sure that the boys had no contact.

Fast forward to the present day. Coop moves back to the small town and reopens his grandfather's bookshop. Owen runs his grandfather's hardware store. Owen has no idea who Coop is. Coop thinks Owen abandoned the friendship. They become friends once again, but Owen still doesn't know who Coop is and Coop keeps the truth from him.

Owen's mother knows the truth and is after Coop to tell Owen the truth, which he never does. Owen finds letters from Coop to Owen in Owen's workshop. One would think that there would be some sort of emotional reaction. Nope-they end up having sex in the bathtub. I couldn't force myself to finish the book. This is the second book today I couldn't bother to finish.

[Pam Brauner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story!!

This was a great story with lots of personality, romance, sexy times and centered around a small town!! I'm fact, it's one of those stories that you really wish was real and you could reach out and meet he entire cast. The author did a great job with the dialogue, building up the characters, and keeping to the details. Did have a few minor editing mistakes, but nothing that really distracted from the story. I look forward to more books from this author and highly recommend for others to enjoy. I never leave reviews. Only exceptions are when a book is done really well and deserves a good review..or when a book totally sucks and the author needs pointers. Happy to say this is one of the good ones!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute frienemies to lover story that takes place in a small town during the holiday season. Coop and Owen knew each other as children and were best friends until Coop had to leave town. After he returns, Owen doesn't know right away that they were childhood best friends unlike his family and the rest of the town. His cluelessness in the beginning is really endearing and cute. I loved their rapport and slow slide into something more as well as the second romantic story that was taking place between Owen's best friend and his younger brother. Such a cute story with a wonderful happy ending.

[Monika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm left a bit confused by this story. I loved the MCs but their story could have been a really great one instead of the just okay story that I got, which is a shame.

I had a few too many quibbles with this one and I'll leave it at that.

● More just a holiday story than a Christmas one
● Small town
● Returning home
● Second chance
● Boyhood best friends
● Loved the MCs... Owen & Coop
● More off page sex than on
● Great family
● Maybe too many secondary characters
● Time jumps
● There were a few things left unclear or unanswered
● A satisfying enough ending I guess
● Kept putting this one down

[Pati · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm truly baffled by this book. I like the MCs and their story. However, this IS NOT JUST THEIR STORY. It's also one of the MCs straight brother and female bestie's story. Way too much abrupt POV changes between all four of them. Even a couple time jumps that take us into the POVs of their grandfathers. I finally DNFd at 68% when their part of the story came to an acceptable conclusion. I NEVER WANTED TO READ THE MF relationship. And I certainly didn't want to bother reading about Coop's friend Bryson.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars? This book was odd. I was all in suspense for this secret one was keeping from the other to be revealed and when it was . . . nothing really happened. What this book does have going for it is super cozy vibes; the MCs get together early on and don't have much drama, the family/friends/town characters are well-drawn and we even see a satisfying romantic subplot unfold. But the writing style was a little . . . strange at times, and there are a few odd errors, as well. Not enough to DNF, but enough to raise an eyebrow.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What A Story Full Of Love

First time reading anything by this author, I enjoyed it so much. There was a lot of heart, sweetness and discovery. I would call it a Monroe R rating. Mentions sex but not fully descriptive so it shouldn't turn people away. It was about falling in love in a small town at the holiday time.

[Kristin Grella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

Another great book by AJ Lange. It drew me in from the very first page and I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved Coop and Owen and I didn't want their story to end. The love they shared was heartwarming and beautiful. Loved it!!

[Shirley (Secret Squirrel) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved every single character in this book, but I did not enjoy the story. It was all over the place. There was no real controversy, no real plot just a group of very like able people going about their day. I gave it 2.5 stars based on the characters.

[Nuvolachecorre · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★☆☆☆½ ~ 2.5 Stars
Childhood friends reconnect years later.

[Antisocial Recluse]

19% Lots of head hopping. Abrupt, confusing swings between supposed enemies.