One Hundred Decisions

Aspen Cove #13

by Kelly Collins

From romance author Kelly Collins comes One Hundred Decisions, a standalone small-town romance with found family bonds, grumpy sunshine sparks, and a second chance at love.

Natalie Keane thought she was done with surprises—until social services calls about the brother she never knew existed. Suddenly, she has thirty days to prove she can raise twelve-year-old Will with nothing but a tiny house, a broken-down car, and more determination than resources.

Jake Powers came to Aspen Cove to open a bookstore and leave. Simple plan, clean exit. But when Will steals a Harry Potter book and Natalie storms in to make things right, Jake is pulled into their messy, beautiful fight to hold on to family.

She’s battling to keep the only family she’s ever had. He’s fighting not to fall for the woman stealing his carefully guarded heart. But when Will’s future is threatened, Natalie and Jake must decide if love and family are worth the risk.

Welcome to Aspen Cove, where love finds you when you need it most.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2020

About the author

Kelly Collins is a bestselling, award-winning author of feel-good small-town romance filled with heart, heat, and happily-ever-afters. Her books are perfect for readers who crave heartwarming contemporary love stories, sassy heroines, and slow-burn romances with cinnamon roll heroes you’ll wish were real.

With humor, charm, and emotional depth, Kelly brings to life tight-knit towns, unforgettable characters, and the kind of love that feels like coming home. When she’s not plotting her next happily-ever-after, she’s sipping strong coffee and dreaming up heroes who are tough on the outside and gooey in the middle.

Come for the charm, stay for the swoon—and don’t be surprised if you fall in love with the whole town.

Visit www.authorkellycollins.com to grab a free book and discover your next favorite escape.

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You can learn more about Kelly at www.authorkellycollins.com.

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Reviews

[Pat Mcilrath]

Good

[Carolee Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the dynamic in this one.

[Riet De Bruin-Strijker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so loved this book, it brought me joy and tears as well. I love the people of this fictional little town, I even want to go there myself. So, so well done Ms Collins, for bringing fiction to life in your books. I love your little life lessons on behaviour and mindset in these books. So folks:
Welcome back to Aspen Cove, where home and family take on a whole new meaning…

Aspen Cove has offered Natalie Keane the peace and quiet she lacked growing up in foster care. While fear of getting too close to anyone has led her to settle on the outskirts of town, she’s found a happy routine, until life throws her a massive curveball in the form of the little brother she never knew existed. Thrust into parenthood, Natalie faces the enormous task of handling a rebellious twelve-year-old. When the little troublemaker steals from a local business owner, Natalie must not only tackle her first true test in parenting but also face her growing feelings for the handsome store owner … who she may have threatened to poison.

Jake Powers has a second chance at life. Literally. After receiving a kidney transplant a decade ago, he’s dedicated his time as a life coach to helping others achieve their goals. When a pink envelope arrives bearing a heartfelt letter from the mother of his donor, Jake is drawn to Aspen Cove by the need to give back to the family that gave him so much. The town’s need for a bookstore is the perfect opportunity, and once it’s up and running, he can move on to his ultimate dream—working at a high-profile retreat center where he can make a name for himself. But when he sees Natalie struggling to get her brother on the right track, he finds himself drawn to the beautiful woman with stone walls built around her heart.

When they finally find love in the most unexpected of places, will the wounds of their pasts prevent them from taking the futures right in front of them?

[Ann-Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

The joy I feel reading a book set in Aspen Cove is always a happy and contented feeling I just love to experience. Kelly Collins knows how to tell a story with meaning, laughter and depth to every character that she introduced to the small town of Aspen Cove you do not have a choice but to fall in love them all. Natalie's and Jake's story is no different but in some way something more to me.

Bee is still sharing her generous love around that will give Aspen Cove more love and support even though she has been gone for some time now. Jake Powers is the latest arrival in town, not a permanent one but he is here to give back to the community that gave him his life back. Will the help of Doc Parker he is opening up a new business in town to say thanks for the kidney transplant he received over a decade ago but a local family.

Natalie is a waitress at Maisey's dinner has left Aspen Cove to California to collect her 12-year-old brother that until a day or two ago she never knew existed. They share the same dead beat dad that now has left them both and the world behind. She can only just manage to look after herself how will she go looking after her brother Will as well?

Natalie soon finds live with a pre-teen to have some challenges and when the new guy in town takes interesting in Will a friendship between them unfolds. But that's all it can be a friendship as Jake is returning to his home them he finds a manager for the store.

"She was tough yet vulnerable, closed off, but somehow still open. She was brave and still scared. He saw these things in her eyes. She hadn't told him her story, but those green eyes spoke of a lifetime of challenges."

"He'd have to add remarkable to his ever-growing list of descriptive words. So far he had:
Beautiful
Resilient
Talented
Ambitious
Brave
Creative
Modest
Protective
Proud
Guarded
Natalie was everything he'd find desirable in a woman."

This is a wonderful story of opposites attract as well as the longing for family, love and being wanted not just for the couple but for the whole family. If you are like me and have read this whole series you will be happy to learn a bit more about Louise and her family in this book.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aspen Cove, the town that is a gift that keeps on giving, welcomes Jake Powers and the bookstore that he opens in the small town. It also welcomes Natalie Keane, if only she would allow the townsfolk to give her the love she so desperately needs. Shunted from one foster home to another, Natalie has a few inner vows that make it hard for her to trust, especially when her previous experiences have come at a price. The initial meeting between Jake and Natalie gets off to a bad start, but it gets worse when Jake discovers her newly acquired brother stealing from his store. It is time to take action and that involves Jake, Natalie and her brother Will spending time together. Neither Natalie nor Will has any knowledge of being a true family and their late discovery that they are siblings puts pressure on both of them. I love Natalie's words to her brother, “Maybe we're looking at this from the wrong angle. I'm not the enemy, and you're not the problem.” If only we treated more problems that way! Jake is a hero in anyone's book and his past experiences have left him damaged. He is chasing his own goals and doesn't plan on staying in Aspen Cove. Just long enough to get the bookstore up and running.... and to help Natalie and Jake to find their way. Jake inadvertently finds himself becoming part of their nucleus and before he knows it, he is part of their small family. When Jake's chance of a lifetime arrives and he leaves to chase his dream, newly mended hearts split open once again. This novel is beautifully written, sad in a way but ultimately joyful as Natalie and Will find a home and discover the meaning of family. There is humour, wit and a heartwarming romance that touches one at a deep level. The plot is so entertaining that I was sorry when it came to an end. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

I just adored this story. It was so well written. The story flowed beautifully. I could really see the scenes playing out like a movie. Natalie Keane grew up in the foster care system from an early age. Her mother passed away a year after her father left. She is now thirty when she is notified of a half-brother that will go into the system if she doesn't come for him. Natalie won't let that happen to the twelve year old, Will. Unfortunately she struggles to make ends meet for just herself and now she is fully responsible for Will. She hasn't been in Aspen Cove very long to know that the residents are the most kind-hearted giving people. Jake Powers is a life coach. He is in Aspen Cove, CO to pay back a gift before heading out to fulfill a dream of his. Jake and Natalie are opposites in most every way but are so attracted to each other. You can just feel the sparks fly with these two.

I adored the dual POV format that the book is written in. Natalie had a rough life growing up (I didn't) so there were times that were perplexing to me in her stubborn nature about refusing help. Seeing into her thoughts though, really helped me to identify with her and relate to her. I adored Jake and his persistence to help her and Will while becoming so much more to each other.

This book can be read as a stand-alone even though prior characters make multiple appearances throughout. Once you read this, the series of Aspen Cove will just grown on you and you will want to read them all.

There are sexy scenes here but very tastefully written. That being said though, I can only recommend this to someone over the age of 18.

[TLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Hundred Decisions is the 13th book in the Aspen Cove Small Town Series and it’s another fantastic book for the series. I haven’t read the entire series yet, but I have fallen in love with the town. Each book I’ve read has been amazing and the characters are so sincere and believable. The author’s style of writing draws readers in and brings the book to life. The characters always have so much depth and it’s so easy to connect with them and their emotions. This book was packed with laughter, romance, and sibling love.
Natalie Keane’s life was changed suddenly when she was informed she has a step-brother. She had grown up in the foster care system when her dad left and her mother died. She is determined to save Will, her brother from that life. She didn’t trust love or do commitments and attachments. Natalie barely made a living for herself and wasn’t sure how she would take care of him, but she knew she couldn’t abandon him. She loved living in Aspen Cove but always held herself back because she was afraid of being hurt again.
Jake Powers had received a kidney from Bea’s daughter. He wished to give back to the town and opened a bookstore. He was trying to finish up in Aspen Cove so he could move to California for his dream job, a life coach at a high-profile retreat. Meeting Natalie and Will make him question his goals and dreams. He is drawn towards Natalie and doesn’t want to leave her when he leaves.
Like most of the author’s books, this was so emotional. Even though Bea is dead, she is still giving back to Aspen Cove and helping people find love. I have added the entire series to my TBR file and hope to see more books in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex Family Drama and Romance

I've read Kelly Collins’ other series Frazier Falls and enjoyed that one very much. Even though this series has been around for a while, this is the first book that I’ve read in it. While I certainly have enjoyed the Frazier Falls books, this one blew me away. Not only does the book have a heartfelt romance between two people who are as such wounded souls in a variety of ways, but it is also about a brother and sister who never knew each other before coming together to form a family unit so he wouldn’t be placed in foster care. This is especially poignant at times because neither of them have had a good family life. Our heroine, the sister, was in the foster care system from the age of six and was shuffled around quite a bit. Her younger brother, whom she only discovered she has a new beginning of the story, has mostly had to raise himself because their father was not a good one. I thought the author realistically portrayed what it would be like for this brother and sister to try to adjust to each other and become a family. They alone could have been a book, but the romance aspect added so much more to it. I absolutely adored the hero. He's had his own difficulties but wants to give back to the community he feels helps give him life. He also becomes involved with the newly forming family unit of the sister and brother. A wonderful book about how complicated a family can be and also how simple. If you like your romances with a strong dose of family drama, this book may be for you.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aspen Cove has offered Natalie Keane the peace and quiet she never got growing up in foster care, even though she still has trust issues. When she finds out she has a 12-year-old half-brother, Will, who needs her to take him in or he will go into foster care, she is not sure she is ready for parenthood and is feeling overwhelmed. Neither of them have a good sense of family, and she is floundering as Will seems to get into trouble and she doesn’t know how to deal with it.

Jake Powers is also in Aspen Cove. He came to open a bookstore before he moves on to his dream as a way to give back to the community and family who gave so much to him when he needed a kidney transplant. But Will steals from his store, and Jake sees Natalie’s struggling to raise him right. Although Jake has his own plans that involve leaving Aspen Cove, he stays a while to help Natalie and Jake figure things out. Will Jake and Natalie find love for each other? Or will he leave town to fulfill his dream once she and Will are stabilized and becoming a real family unit?

The beautiful part of this story is how people, whether aware of it or not, work to help each other heal. Jake is amazingly generous and the perfect role model for Will in how a man should act and care for his family. The best way to experience everything that is happening is to grab your copy and immerse yourself in all that is going on that can literally turn lives around. This is a great story with wonderful characters.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showcases all the things that make Aspen cove unique and so very special. Natalie has only known hardship in her life. Kindness, hope, and love are foreign concepts to her, but there’s no way she’s going to let the little brother she only just found out about be put through the system the same way she was. Jake has one goal in Aspen Cove; pay forward the gift of his second chance on life by giving back to the town that made it possible. Can Natalie learn the hardest lesson of all: that of gracefully accepting help? Because Aspen Cove isn’t going to let her struggle alone for long. And can Jake figure out that being alive and living are sometimes two very different things? This book didn’t quite bring me all the way to bawling my eyes out, but there were lots of scenes where it was a very near thing. I loved Natalie and Will’s strength and resiliency, though my heart broke for the hard shells they’d developed as protection. Jake was such a sweetheart, but he’d retreated behind some pretty solid defenses as well. I adored watching this little family learn trust and safety with one another, and learn how to be a family unit.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.

[Yvonne Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have come to love the stories in this series, and this latest audiobook proved to be another winner.
Natalie Keane is new in Aspen Cove. A place where she finally finds the quiet and the peacefulness she never experienced either as a child or an adult. Though she barely has enough money for herself, when she gets a call that she not only has a younger brother, but that he’s about to be put in foster care as she had been, she will do anything to bring him to Aspen Cove so he can live with her. She knows how abandonment can affect a person.
Jake Powers is a well known life coach that got a second chance in life when he received a kidney transplant . A kidney that had belonged to the daughter of Bea. A woman that gave the town a great deal of love and support. As payback to the town, Jake opens a bookstore. Never realizing that his life and priorities would change forever when he met Natalie and her brother Will.
Jake teaches Natalie that about emotions, hope and the possibility of love.
But when it’s time to leave to achieve his goal, will Jake take it, or will staying in Aspen Cove be his new dream?
Another winner in this wonderful series and another audiobook very well narrated by Logan McAllister.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! This book touched my heart deeply. Natalie has grown up in the foster system never feeling loved or wanted. It is so hard for me to begin to understand that feeling. It broke my heart to know that children can grow up never feeling loved. When Natalie finds out she has a younger brother Will she never knew about, she drives miles to pick him up in Los Angeles to bring him back to Aspen Cove to live with her. Will is a 12 year old adult in a child’s body. I felt terrible that Will went through so much. I admired Natalie for all she did to make sure her brother didn’t have to go through what she went through.

It was funny how her and Jake’s first meeting went. Jake is a good man with a lot of money who does so much to help others. He has had his problems with an ex, but has a good attitude. I loved the relationship he built with Will, and was able to show Will how a good man should act. I was so glad he kept trying to get through the walls around Natalie’s heart as the two are so good together. This is an emotional and loving story that I strongly encourage you to read. I was given a copy of the book and voluntarily wrote a review.

[Reading Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Hundred Decisions was another good addition to the Aspen Cove series. I have read all of the books in this small town series and each one stands alone however the characters do reappear throughout the series. Natalie is one of Aspen Cove's newest residents. She hasn't had the easiest of lives and was surprised to find out at 30 that she has a 12 year old brother and now is his only living family member. She brings Will into her life but knows it will be quite a struggle to support them both. Well this is Aspen Cove and miracles do happen here! One of which is meeting Jake at the diner where she works as a waitress. Jake is only in town for a short time and he has lots of plans for his life as a motivational speaker. Not in his plans is staying in a small mountain town and falling for this tough as nails waitress and her younger brother but as we know, in Aspen Cove never say never! This is a really sweet story with the traditional Kelly Collins bit of heat. I spent a lovely day lost in this story and recommend this entire series as well. As all of the other books in the series, it was told from dual POV.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Aspen Cove series!!!! I love this series. This story is about Natalie and Jake. Natalie is able to take care of herself, but when she is told that she has a half-brother, that she knew nothing about, she decides she can do this. She goes to pick him up and even though she doesn’t have any children and knows nothing about raising a teen, she tells him that they are both in it together as they are all they have in family. Something she has always wanted. Will is the half-brother and he of course is your typical boy in the sense that he will do dumb thing and he does when he is caught stealing from Jake. Jake on the other hand is only there in Aspen Cove to open his business, find a manger that can run it and go back home. He has no intention to stay there, but when he comes across Natalie and Will, he wants to help them only, but could this be it? Will he just help and leave like he had planned. This was such a touching story from a sister trying to do her to a man who thinks he knows what he wants…

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another OUTSTANDING visit to Aspen Cove. Ms. Collins has a way of telling a story that makes you laugh, then cry, then laugh again. Natalie Keane is a wonderful character, vulnerable, asks no one for help and doesn’t feel lovable. Her father who abandoned her is dead, leaving behind a twelve-year old half-brother that she never knew existed. Unless she steps up, Will is headed to the same foster care system that she survived. She needs to make changes in her solitary life, for Will, for the social worker, and for herself. Jake Powers, a life coach, temporarily moved to Aspen Cove after receiving a letter from the mother of the donor whose kidney he received when he needed a transplant. He has opened B’s Bookstore to pay back, in some small way, for the kidney he received which saved his life. He has major plans for his future, but will meeting Natalie and Will change the course of his life? A moving and emotional read by one of the best! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author. (by paytonpuppy)

[Anne Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed returning to Aspen Cove in the latest Kelly Collins book One Hundred Decisions. This is Natalie and Jake’s story unlike some of the other books in the Aspen Cove series, they are both newcomers to Aspen Cove but quickly discover that it is a there is a real sense of community and this is a town where folk look out for each other. Natalie suddenly finds herself responsible for a younger brother she knew nothing about and Jake who had intended to stay briefly in Aspen Cove finds himself questioning the path he thought led to his future and they both find themselves being looked out, for and helped, by the townsfolk in very different ways and also becoming a unit helping Natalie’s younger brother settle into a life he had never experienced before while becoming more and more attracted to each other. If you enjoy romance and well written characters living in a town where there is a real sense of community and people genuinely lookout for each other this is the book for you.

[Lyn Brownlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big commitment
Another heartwarming story from Aspen Cove that I loved.
Natalie’s life has been hard, growing up in the foster care system has taught her to only rely on herself.
With a heart of gold she takes on the responsibility of her brother, a 12yo teenage boy she doesn’t know, so that he may have a better life than she had.
Jake being a recipient of Bee’s legacy receives a pink letter which brings him to the little town of Aspen Cove.
Trying to find someone to employ full time at the bookstore he has opened in Bee’s name, he gets to know Natalie and her brother Will.
Leaving at some stage to pursue his career they know that what they feel for each other, can only be temporary.
However a relationship blossoms and Natalie and Jake are not the only people involved.
They slowly have become a family and how will that effect Will when the time comes for Jake to leave?
Can they walk away from each other so easily?
Three new characters to Aspen Cove that add to the huge big family that I have loved reading about

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Hundred Decisions is another terrific story in an awesome series. Natalie and Jake are perfect for each other but neither thinks they have what it takes to make a relationship work. Natalie doesn't trust love and Jake has been burned. Natalie has her hands full just trying to make ends meet and take care of Will. Jake isn't staying. Fate has other ideas--and so do the people of Aspen Cove.

I loved the way the relationship between Natalie and Will developed and evolved. Same for the relationship between Will and Jake. Jake was a wonderful role model and mentor--just what Will needed. I was glad to see that Will was an integral part of the story and not just a side note. Natalie letting Jake go to figure out on his own where he wanted to be was perfect. Actually, the entire story was perfect.

I urge you to read the entire Aspen Cove series. It is a place you will want to live once you meet the wonderful people who live there. I know I do.

[Fleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie is use to living on the outskirts, barley making ends meet and trying to stay under the radar while still feeling like she belongs and is a part of Aspen Cove, but now its not just her but her half brother Will that she had no clue about. I just loved how this was about everyone growing somewhat and learning it is ok to be vulnerable and ask for help and maybe what you thought you wanted you didn't really. I honestly don't know what I will do if this Aspen Cove series ends as I love everyone and how they all pop in at different stage in each book. This was one of my favorite of the series not just because both Natalie and Jake are both outsides to a certain extent but how everyone brought Will into the fold and showed him as well as the others what it is to be loved and have a family/town that cares for you.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christine Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heartwarming new novel in the Aspen Cove series from Kelly Collins about second chances at life and family and discovering that sometimes the plans we have for ourselves aren’t the plans destiny has for us. Natalie is a young woman who decides to make Aspen Cove her home after years of orphanage life, yet also chooses to care for a little brother she didn’t know existed. Jake is a life coach who has been given a second chance at life quite literary and decides to open a book store in Aspen Cove as a way to give back. Natalie and Jake are wonderful characters who must overcome their own fears and pre-made plans to find happiness. Readers and fans of Kelly Collins’ Aspen Cove series will love this new novel and these new residents. A captivating must read that readers will find heartwarming and emotional. I really loved this new book and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story from Aspen Cove with Natalie and Jake who meet when he opens a bookstore in Aspen Cove where she works at the local diner. He is a motivational speaker and wealthy but only in town until he can hire someone to run the bookstore. He wants to pay it back to one of the residence from Aspen Cove that passed away where he received a kidney from her. Natalie grew up in foster care and has just recently taken in her twelve year old half-brother Will that she knew nothing about when their father overdoses and she does not want him to grow up in foster care like she did. This is a wonderful story to read as they all come together like a family unit and Will is a great kid. In the end will Jake leave town like he had planned or stay and have the family he never expected to have?

[Juliana Ignácio · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could, I would live in Aspen Cove forever!
When Natalie Keane is told about an orphaned teenage brother, she immediately leaves for Los Angeles to bring him home, even though she doesn't have the best living and working conditions to support him properly.
Jake Powers went to Aspen Cove with the need to give back to the family who gave him so much, and his plan is to take a job in Los Angeles as soon as everything is finished.
But what Natalie and Jake didn't expect is that the connection that emerged between them would affect their lives forever.
Jake offers Natalie a job at the bookstore, where she will get a better salary. And when she opens up to the people of Aspen Cove, she realizes that they are there to help her without expecting anything in return.
I loved the story and the relationship between Natalie, Jake and Will. I highly recommend the reading.

[Maja · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I have to say that the story would have been a lot better if written in the first point of view. That's a huge pet peeve of mine and one of the reasons why I grade a certain story the way I do. Also the story starts a little depressing actually. Natalie is meeting up with the brother she never knew she had and she doesn't exactly jump up and down. I mean, giving that it was something new for him as well, she sounded a bit selfish for my liking. Like she is the only one who's allowed to feel the anger of not knowing she had a sibling all those years.
Or that was only the feeling I got because the story was written in the third point of view instead of first. The feelings would certainly change if the writing style had been different. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Judith Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie Will and Jake

I really love Aspen Cove so much , I would really like to live there!
This is another great book by Kelly.
From finding out she has a brother who has no other family to take him in. Natalie drives to the city to meet with social service. On meeting Will there's nothing for it but to take him home with her.
The first hurdle they face is when the S S lady comes out to see how things are
working out. It's not good she finds so much amiss she gives Natalie an ultimatum that if conditions don't change Will will have to go into foster care. But Natalie knows how she was treated in the care system and there's no way she's letting that happen.
This new book shows how once again this small town opens it's heart to someone in need, and making a new special friend brings love but will it last?

[Sandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love visiting Aspen Cove and it's residents, it feels like coming home. I really enjoyed Jake and Natalie's story it is well-written with amazing characters. Jake is a fixer, a life coach and Natalie needs a little help to realize she really doesn't need much fixing she just needs to recognize who strong and competent she really is. Natalie has been alone since she was six years old and has had a rough life. She is thirty years old and just found out she has an orphaned twelve-year-old brother Will. They say it takes a village to raise a child and Aspen Cove is the right place to be to help Natalie. Jake is in town to give back some good to Aspen Cove since he has received some blessings in his life. This is a feel-good story with lots of love and romance.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake had a severe kidney condition and got a second chance when he received a kidney from a young woman. Some time later a letter arrived, telling him more about the donor, which made him want to pay the gift forward in her hometown, Aspen Cove.
He opens up a small bookstore, something that had been missing in the small town. But he did not want to stay - that is until he meets Natalie and her enterprising younger brother.
A story of second chances, but also of learning to believe in good things may happen, to accept one's own worth to other people.
A beautiful tale of development and changes, of a small town at its best.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming story about finding love where you least expect it. Jake and Natalie both have past wounds that they are trying to heal from. Ms. Collins weaves a beautiful story with emotion, meaning, laughter and depth that will really pull at your heartstrings. You can't help but fall in love with Aspen Cove and its residents. It's a well written book with realistic characters that deal with emotions and real-life problems. The characters are wonderful and well defined with depth and personalities that give them an authentic quality. The storyline flows very nicely and pulls you in right from the start. Not a lot of fluff, just real and believable characters and plot. Great book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie has had a rough start to life, but when she finds out she has a brother she wont leave him to the same fate. This story is full of growth, forgiveness, acceptance, family, trust, and discovery of love. I was so drawn in that I could not put down, I kept some of the inspirational quotes as they apply to everyone not just those who need to remember to love is to first love yourself. Natalie, Jake and Will are wonderful additions to Aspen Cove, not just a town but a Community and Family always supportive and there for each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Avid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story of Natalie and Jake and Will. Natalie spent most of her life in foster care and has struggled all her life but she is a survivor. Will is the 12 year old half brother she never knew existed. A call from social services after their father dies changes both their lives. Jake is a life coach who may not be properly practising what he preaches and who carries baggage of his own. The development of the relationships between each of the characters makes for a beautiful heart warming story. I loved it. This series and the people of Aspen Cove never fail to disappoint.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a heartwarming story. Very romantic and packed full of warm fuzzy powerful emotions of happiness and hope. Story line is very realistic and although characters are not on the same level, financially, they have huge hearts willing to do whatever they can to help others. She is very strong, patient and determined to independently do the best with the hand she's dealt. Aspen Cove is such a giving and respectful community. Jake is great, a compassionate tower of support. Love their story, ups, downs, all around help them learn more about one another and help the determine what's really most important. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.