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Speakeasy Taproom #3
Homecoming
Who knew falling in love with my fake girlfriend could feel so real?
I don’t have time for distractions, which is a huge problem since my new next door neighbor Rosalie Wentworth is very distracting. She’s kind, beautiful, and makes me laugh like no woman ever has before.
Unfortunately, the two of us add up to one really sad country song—I’m nursing a bruised ego following a broken engagement and she’s suffering through a messy divorce—so I vow to set my attraction aside and focus on being her friend instead.
That’s easier said than done, however, since her mom is convinced Rosalie and I are perfect for each other. When one of her matchmaking schemes goes a step too far, Rosalie and I hatch a plan of our own: pretend to date for a couple of months to get her mom off our backs.
It’s foolproof, really.
Only, what started as a fake relationship is starting to feel very real, and now I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were before. Because it turns out if home is where the heart is, then Rosalie is mine.
I don’t have time for distractions, which is a huge problem since my new next door neighbor Rosalie Wentworth is very distracting. She’s kind, beautiful, and makes me laugh like no woman ever has before.
Unfortunately, the two of us add up to one really sad country song—I’m nursing a bruised ego following a broken engagement and she’s suffering through a messy divorce—so I vow to set my attraction aside and focus on being her friend instead.
That’s easier said than done, however, since her mom is convinced Rosalie and I are perfect for each other. When one of her matchmaking schemes goes a step too far, Rosalie and I hatch a plan of our own: pretend to date for a couple of months to get her mom off our backs.
It’s foolproof, really.
Only, what started as a fake relationship is starting to feel very real, and now I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were before. Because it turns out if home is where the heart is, then Rosalie is mine.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2021
64 people are currently reading
663 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Norinne
56 books416 followersUSA Today bestselling author Rebecca Norinne writes sexy romance from the heart. When not banging away at the keyboard, she is watching rugby, playing board games, or drinking a pint of craft beer.
Originally from California, she now resides in New England with her husband and two cats where she is renovating a house built in the 1700s and trying valiantly not to be eaten alive by mosquitos.
For more information, please visit http://www.rebeccanorinne.com.
Originally from California, she now resides in New England with her husband and two cats where she is renovating a house built in the 1700s and trying valiantly not to be eaten alive by mosquitos.
For more information, please visit http://www.rebeccanorinne.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
July 5, 2021
Rosalie went back to Colebury after her marriage ended. Preston went to Vermont after a break up with his fiancee. They meet at the worst moment, but they are the person that each other need to overcome their heartbreak and their disappointment in love.
Homecoming was a good addition to the series, I really liked it and would recommend it.
I liked how Rosalie and Preston became easily friends and just enjoy each other company, they are so cute together.
You can notice how they get closer and closer as time goes by and you are just there quickly turning pages to know who takes the first step towards love.
I just couldn't put it down, this story made me laugh, angry and in the end it put a smile on my face.
Copy kindly provided by the Publisher/Author.
July 1, 2021
Preston + Rosalie.
34 year old Preston used to work for his dad's building company back in the big city. But after a failed engagement he left for Vermont to start his own company.
Now he's living in Gloria's carriage house.
He's been hearing all about Gloria's daughter out in California. And he's not a fan.
Until she's suddenly moving back home after finally ditching her idiot husband.
Insta sparks!
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!☺
══════════════════
Adorable!
And funny and cute and a bit heartbreaking.
And .. grrr when the next book comes along with horror parents - I'm gonna throw it out the window!! I want great parents in my romances! It wasn't really alll that bad this time, but still.
At least Gloria was great! Even though she got on our darling's nerves a bit with her über matchmaking attempts. LOL!
I really liked Preston + Rosie. They were so cute together.
I loved that we didn't get too much drama until towards the end - where I almost threw my kindle out the window again, because of the ridiculous part where the ex shows up. They react so immature and stupid. Ugh. But fortunately it didn't take them long to get things right again.
I still really liked reading this!
I could read cute books like this one every day for the rest of eternity!
I also wouldn't mind seeing this whole world on Netflix one day!
Can't wait to get more Vermont soon!
HOMECOMING was an adorable + funny mature love story! I loved reading it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Preston - he'll be sold out in no time!
💜
💜
July 3, 2021
I
looooooooooooooooooove
when two leads struggling to get past their past and move forward as individuals. Did that make sense? Lol What I’m saying, hopefully, is that when characters are facing circumstances they need to slay right along side navigating a romance journey, it makes me giddy with reader happiness. So yes, from the blurb, you already know that Preston & Rosalie “add up to one really sad country song” so I don’t have to tell you about the what/why/where but I want to say it was spectacularly planned. The story that is. It unfolded beautifully. The friendship, the fake dating, all of it was a huge package of heart and hope. Spectacularly sexy with excellent character development and a story you can get lost in. There’s nothing more you could ask for out of an afternoon read :) This author is new-to-me with this story but I’ve already downloaded quite a few of her backlist and can’t wait to dig in!
July 27, 2021
4 The New Fake Is Real Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Rebecca Norinne's take on the True North/Taproom Series was Right On. She got all of the feels, all of the interconnected characters happening, and gave a story we could all enjoy. We are given Preston and Rosie.
Preston comes from an icky family, one that wants what it wants and doesn't listen to Preston. His engagement recently ended and Preston needed to get away. He does this by renting Gloria's carriage house. Gloria, a very sweet but sometimes intrusive neighbor, and mom of Rosie, only has the best of intentions. She has fed and cared for Preston over the past months while sharing her dislike for her daughter's husband and the frustrations of her being out in California. All these stories about Rosie haven't made Preston think too much of the woman.
When he discovers the woman who gobsmacked him visually, made him remember he had manly parts below the belt turns out to be the infamous Rosie...he doesn't know what to think. She has left her husband and moved in with her mom.
The main joke is Gloria knows exactly what to think, do, and does. This pushing and hinting of what they should be doing cause them to pretend they are a thing rather than just the friends they have started to be.
The story is cute, reads fast, and is very engaging.
Touchstone (Speakeasy Taproom #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heartwood (Speakeasy Taproom #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Homecoming (Speakeasy Taproom, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sideways (Speakeasy Taproom, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wildflower (Speakeasy Taproom, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Firefly (Speakeasy Taproom, #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Starlight (Speakeasy Taproom, #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stargazer (Speakeasy Taproom, #8)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Safeguard (Speakeasy Taproom, #9)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Rebecca Norinne's take on the True North/Taproom Series was Right On. She got all of the feels, all of the interconnected characters happening, and gave a story we could all enjoy. We are given Preston and Rosie.
Preston comes from an icky family, one that wants what it wants and doesn't listen to Preston. His engagement recently ended and Preston needed to get away. He does this by renting Gloria's carriage house. Gloria, a very sweet but sometimes intrusive neighbor, and mom of Rosie, only has the best of intentions. She has fed and cared for Preston over the past months while sharing her dislike for her daughter's husband and the frustrations of her being out in California. All these stories about Rosie haven't made Preston think too much of the woman.
When he discovers the woman who gobsmacked him visually, made him remember he had manly parts below the belt turns out to be the infamous Rosie...he doesn't know what to think. She has left her husband and moved in with her mom.
The main joke is Gloria knows exactly what to think, do, and does. This pushing and hinting of what they should be doing cause them to pretend they are a thing rather than just the friends they have started to be.
The story is cute, reads fast, and is very engaging.
Touchstone (Speakeasy Taproom #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heartwood (Speakeasy Taproom #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Homecoming (Speakeasy Taproom, #3)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sideways (Speakeasy Taproom, #4)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Wildflower (Speakeasy Taproom, #5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Firefly (Speakeasy Taproom, #6)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Starlight (Speakeasy Taproom, #7)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stargazer (Speakeasy Taproom, #8)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Safeguard (Speakeasy Taproom, #9)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
November 18, 2021
she moves back to her mom's house after leaving her cheating husband, but what she didn't expect was to fall for her new neighbor.
this was so sweet, and i loved the fake dating (I'm not a fan of this trope, so it was a shock to me when i enjoyed it).
this was so sweet, and i loved the fake dating (I'm not a fan of this trope, so it was a shock to me when i enjoyed it).
July 7, 2025
The first two books in this series were pretty meh, good enough to finish, but that is about it -- I would say both were 2.5 stars, though I rounded to 3. This book was loads of fun, and mostly very well written,(which I definitely would not say about the first two. For those unfamiliar, each book in the series has a different author, but they all write in the same universe with a cohesive set of characters. For all the whining I can do about the stories, I really love the town that has been created here. As with the other entries, I listened to this straight through, this one while packing and cleaning -- about 3 hours on 1.65x
Rosalie, the FMC is coming out of a terrible marriage with a gaslighting creep, and Preston. the MMC, is also nursing wounds from a bad end to a bad relationship. I loved their respectful, loving, and delightfully freak-in-the-sheets relationship. The ex was absurdly dastardly, the MMCs parents were absurdly (and inauthentically) rich/White/cold, and the FMCs mother was absurdly intrusive yet inexplicably beloved. Those things along with some weird shifts in the plot that just poof happened instead of being built keep this from being a 5-star, but the degree to which I enjoyed the central relationship keeps this from being a 3-star. 4 stars it is.
Rosalie, the FMC is coming out of a terrible marriage with a gaslighting creep, and Preston. the MMC, is also nursing wounds from a bad end to a bad relationship. I loved their respectful, loving, and delightfully freak-in-the-sheets relationship. The ex was absurdly dastardly, the MMCs parents were absurdly (and inauthentically) rich/White/cold, and the FMCs mother was absurdly intrusive yet inexplicably beloved. Those things along with some weird shifts in the plot that just poof happened instead of being built keep this from being a 5-star, but the degree to which I enjoyed the central relationship keeps this from being a 3-star. 4 stars it is.
July 1, 2021
Homecoming is the third book in the Speakeasy series, set in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Rosalie returns to her mother’s home after finally deciding to end her unhappy marriage. She left San Francisco with more than a few regrets and is looking to start over. But she’s not expecting her mother’s new tenant to be a grumpy lumberjack who could star in her hottest dreams.
Preston left Boston six months ago following a fallout with his family. He decided to leave his wealthy family behind when they took his older brother’s side after he betrayed Preston in the worst possible way. He now has his own business and is doing his own thing, perfectly happy to be alone until Rosalie shows up.
Preston doesn’t have the best impression of Rosalie when they meet. But that dislike fueled by an unwelcome attraction changes when he gets to actually get to know her. They develop a friendship and as their attraction grows stronger, they try to keep their hands off each other. Gloria, Rosalie’s mother, is determined to get them together, and as a way to throw her off their backs, they decide to start fake dating. Except there’s nothing fake about the way they feel for each other.
I really enjoyed the heat and the chemistry between Rosalie and Preston. Their initial reluctance, the funny situations, and Gloria’s hilarious attempts and her outrageous personality. The way their friendship progresses to more, and the way they set each other on fire. I like how they grow and how they evolve together.
I had a great time reading this book and the other books in the Speakeasy series. I really want to read them all, and I cannot wait for the next ones.
Rosalie returns to her mother’s home after finally deciding to end her unhappy marriage. She left San Francisco with more than a few regrets and is looking to start over. But she’s not expecting her mother’s new tenant to be a grumpy lumberjack who could star in her hottest dreams.
Preston left Boston six months ago following a fallout with his family. He decided to leave his wealthy family behind when they took his older brother’s side after he betrayed Preston in the worst possible way. He now has his own business and is doing his own thing, perfectly happy to be alone until Rosalie shows up.
Preston doesn’t have the best impression of Rosalie when they meet. But that dislike fueled by an unwelcome attraction changes when he gets to actually get to know her. They develop a friendship and as their attraction grows stronger, they try to keep their hands off each other. Gloria, Rosalie’s mother, is determined to get them together, and as a way to throw her off their backs, they decide to start fake dating. Except there’s nothing fake about the way they feel for each other.
I really enjoyed the heat and the chemistry between Rosalie and Preston. Their initial reluctance, the funny situations, and Gloria’s hilarious attempts and her outrageous personality. The way their friendship progresses to more, and the way they set each other on fire. I like how they grow and how they evolve together.
I had a great time reading this book and the other books in the Speakeasy series. I really want to read them all, and I cannot wait for the next ones.
July 8, 2021
3.75 Stars. This author is new to me. I'm so happy with all of the True North books and the spin off series.
I enjoy this trope of Coming Home (I have that as a shelf here on GR). Rosalie comes home to stay with her mom Gloria. Rosalie had been living in San Francisco and is newly divorced. Preston has been living in the cottage house on Gloria's property sine having a falling out with his family- mainly his brother. Preston is from a wealthy Boston family.
After a brief, rocky start, Rosalie and Preston become friends, but are determined to keep it at that.
Gloria shamelessly plays matchmaker. Their chemistry warms up gradually but steadily.
This is 1st person POV. alternating Rosalie and Preston.
Rosalie's ex, Blake is more than a tool. I'll say no more about him.
Rosalie and Preston are great together. I enjoyed this and look forward to more Speakeasy books and more by this author.
I enjoy this trope of Coming Home (I have that as a shelf here on GR). Rosalie comes home to stay with her mom Gloria. Rosalie had been living in San Francisco and is newly divorced. Preston has been living in the cottage house on Gloria's property sine having a falling out with his family- mainly his brother. Preston is from a wealthy Boston family.
After a brief, rocky start, Rosalie and Preston become friends, but are determined to keep it at that.
Gloria shamelessly plays matchmaker. Their chemistry warms up gradually but steadily.
This is 1st person POV. alternating Rosalie and Preston.
Rosalie's ex, Blake is more than a tool. I'll say no more about him.
Rosalie and Preston are great together. I enjoyed this and look forward to more Speakeasy books and more by this author.
July 3, 2021
This was such a heartwarming and sweet story that it tugged at my heart. Preston and Rosalie are so perfect together and I love that the author shows them developing this friendship even through their attraction for each other. They're both going through their own struggles but seems meeting each other happened at exactly the right time.
September 14, 2021
This one was cute. I liked how Preston and Rosalie met and interacted from the start, loved how they thought they were getting one over on Rosalie's mom by fake dating. Funny how it turned real, real fast. The drama with Rosalie's ex was crazy, as was Preston's family. Both of them were better of staying in their small Vermont town living their lives happy.
October 10, 2024
The burn was too slow. I was bored til probably 60% in
June 25, 2021
ARC received for an honest review
Ooooh sexy lumberjacky guy on the cover? Let me at it hahah
This is my favourite of the Speakeasy Taproom so far.
I love a fake relationship story, as I love seeing the Fakey McFakersons catch real feelings.
Preston and Rosalie were fabulous, really. This was a sexy and fun and flirty story, however it also had some sad and hurting and frustrating moments
I am not a fan of OTT matchmaking, and Rosalie's mum was the queen of that - however it didn't carry on all the time so it didn't annoy me too much this time.
Also, what is it with horrible fammily/parents in this series? Preston's dad is just ugh and his family are so not there for Preston, and I hated them (except one member) for the whole story. They all need a swift kick in the privates!
There were a couple of tines when our lovelies acted a little stupid and immature, however they got over that crap very quickly, thank goodness.
Overall, Homecoming was sweet and sexy and lovely, and I could read books like it every day.
a>
September 13, 2021
I kept starting and stopping this. I thought it would be a great read but I was bored. 14 chapters in and nothing has happened but some embarrassing moments from the mom and just day to day activities of work, food and Rosalie being down on herself. I started to skim and let’s just say this book isn’t my cup of tea.
October 8, 2021
**Actually a 2.5-rating**
This was a tough book to engage in. I cannot make any sense out of it because the story had a good start but man, oh, man, did it just falter and grow wobbly at every turn.
I think what tanks this so readily is the fact that Preston, Our Hero, has a relationship built with Gloria, Our Heroine's Mom, prior to ever meeting Rosalie "Rosie". So, uhm, we have this mother-figure for BOTH of our MCs and OF COURSE, she assumes she knows what's best and had fathomed a very long, long time ago...Rosie and Preston would be PERFECT together.
This is what I dislike more than fake dating tropes. Eh, lemme say I enjoy fake dating tropes less than a ROMANCE BUTTINSKI one. I would almost class it as a Matchmaker trope, but then Gloria was this unconventional mother out of the gate because apparently Rosie is a sperm donor baby...and has never known who her Bio-father was, except knowing his biologics/character traits from a sheet of paper.
I wished that fact about Rosie made her more interesting but Nah, it never did. Maybe because she brushed it off so casually. As she often did with the way...or the manner in which she allowed her 70-something-old mother to run roughshod over her life.
Granted Rosie is returning home after a bad marriage, a fire at the art gallery she had managed, in NYCity, and simply wanting to come back Home to gain her life back. Let me be real... Preston was no freebird, either.
My problem is...Preston is hung up on his EX-girlfriend who would have become his fiancee. His brother had a months-long affair with her and basically crapped on THAT idea. Preston came from a rich, legacy family... and is now trying to make a different middle-class life for himself [in construction/house flipping] BEYOND his family name and also the past he ran from...the family he still wants NO PART of.
What dragged me down, repeatedly, was Preston constantly equating his EX to Rosie. And of course, Rosie comes out smelling like roses, until FOR ME...she doesn't. And I will tell you why.
What dragged me down with Rosie was that she is STILL immersed or enmeshed in divorce proceedings which are also tied to the insurance claims put on the building that burned in the fire that housed the art gallery she managed. And somehow, in some weird manner...By some oddball California Law... her divorce was tied into the fire insurance claim?? I think with a quick Google search, anyone can learn this is highly improbable of being plausible. Maybe in Cloud CooCooLand, but not in anybody's court of law.
But let me be truthful here...I do not like the fact that Rosie pursues Preston while still MARRIED...even if her EX is an utter bastard and a sociopath. No one should punch down and say, "Fair is Fair...if he got to cheat, then so can I!"
I was fine with them pretending to date to get Gloria off their backs, but then when they felt compelled to become intimate and have sex...I became seriously perturbed. Then it was them being heavily becoming sexually active and trying to force-feed me the ideal that they kept their "friendship" bond intact...while Preston walked around with a perma-boner and Rosie was often flexing her "womb".
NEITHER of the MCs are in healthy un-toxic spaces. And the fact there are so many "cheerleaders" [Gloria, mainly] pushing them to be together...or, really, just to HAVE SEX and break the seal for each of their dead-end romantic lives...it unsettled me to no end.
My other issue is...this book is filled with tediously very dry life routines which makes it such a difficult book to binge in one sitting. I swear I started this book almost a week ago...and every time I picked it up, I forced out a heavy sigh because this book never TAKES OFF... and does much of anything. The only time it got interesting was right at the end, when stupid Blake, Rosie's soon-to-be-ex shows up.
Rosie does not get out of bed, shower, dress to impress...until far into the last 25-30% of the book. After all her foot-dragging to change her life...she stumbles upon one of the most contrived career choices...at Speakeasy that really caused me to shake my head in wild wonder.
I think I understand what was coming off Rosie's resume to impress people...as she "managed" the art gallery back in New York City...so she had to have needed to plan Art & Photography openings with "events" and "parties" to showcase...but my lord, what a far-reaching job she was blindly handed with no sign of checking references or nothing. Just a cold hire on the spot to eventually follow up with those people who could vouch for her. I just...I just...
And let me not even get started on the moment Rosie's Ex shows and how much of an idiot Preston is...I'm sorry. Blake, Rosie's husband/soon-to-be-ex was just a downright caricature I couldn't fathom existing... FOR ONE MINUTE. Nor believe that the asshole had some kind of "charming" side that fooled anyone.
I don't understand why Preston went to get his trust fund money to pay off Blake and then rethought the idea within such a congested time period where he finally gave up...and now did not want to pay Blake a god damn penny. My thing is...Preston never makes choices to do things after talking to Rosie...even when he is dating/fucking her. He does the good ole "fait accompli" where you make weak apologies later and hope someone forgives your trespasses.
This is not how to be a partner in a loving, trusting relationship. He does it twice. Once when he foolishly ghosts Rosie once they start being intimate and then his foolish reaction to Blake's threats against Rosie. And, my gawd, does Rosie simply cave in to Preston and his lame-ass excuses of what he planned to do in order to swoop in and play Knight in Shining Armor.
What's even more unfathomable is now...we must somehow believe that ALL THIS TIME we have known Gloria... from being with Preston and then being with her own daughter, Rosie...Gloria is? was? bisexual. Except she says something I often don't enjoy hearing in this type of reveal...
"Mom, are you gay? Have you been a lesbian all this time?" [Rosie asks...]
"No...I am 'gay for/lesbian for' Patricia [the town librarian]" [Gloria admits rather emphatically]
Here is my big issue...Rosie tells us, through her POV, that she must have not paid close enough attention at times to be fully aware that Gloria and Patricia had that kind of closeness over these long years, even in her childhood. But it comes so out of the blue...so out of left field...and we have had too much TELL AND NOT SHOW in this book. Timelines jumped and hopped over important pieces of information...it feels like a shoe-horned in moment for Gloria as she has maintained being such an unconventional mother right from the start.
I think I was kind of DONE-ZO with Gloria...on two occasions... one moment when Rosie was cooking dinner to start their FAKE DATING...and she complains to her daughter about what she is wearing. How the $200 pair of ripped jeans is NOT DATE WEAR and then Rosie begrudgingly runs up to her bedroom to dig out some fashion designer dress hiding in her closet...
Then Gloria kept OOPSIE! interrupting some heavy petting times with Preston and Rosie...knowing full well what she was doing...
And the straw that broke the camel's back for me was when Blake knows WHO Preston is and just how deeply and seriously the relationship has been building with Rosie...and when asked, Blake says "Gloria called me..."!?!
O_O
Basically, Gloria was getting upset at how broken Rosie was from what torture Blake was doing to her that she took it upon herself and made a call to Blake and pretty much ratted out Preston & Rosie's DATING life...which, to me... IS NONE OF HER BUSINESS!!!!...because it caused Blake to be super-charged in amping up his sociopathic manners... as he threatens Preston, then Rosie...so I really find Gloria to be a HUGE let down... when I assume readers will find her "refreshing" and amazing on some level. I simply wished we had less of her involvement...or that she, literally, considers Preston akin to "her son"...O_O!...and of course, he thinks of her like a mother-figure he never had...O_O!--O_O!
This story had such potential at the on-set because I liked Preston at first. I couldn't find myself enjoying Rosie at all because she was...too downtrodden and mopey and so weakened from what she had left in NYCity with her husband...she doesn't come to life at all. It's only when she finds herself applying for a bartending gig at Speakeasy and is cold-hired as some Event Planner?...because eventually, this is when she learns what Blake and Preston had done, and pretty soon the book is close to the HEA ending...and it falls flat on its face...with a solid WHOMP!
This was a tough book to engage in. I cannot make any sense out of it because the story had a good start but man, oh, man, did it just falter and grow wobbly at every turn.
I think what tanks this so readily is the fact that Preston, Our Hero, has a relationship built with Gloria, Our Heroine's Mom, prior to ever meeting Rosalie "Rosie". So, uhm, we have this mother-figure for BOTH of our MCs and OF COURSE, she assumes she knows what's best and had fathomed a very long, long time ago...Rosie and Preston would be PERFECT together.
This is what I dislike more than fake dating tropes. Eh, lemme say I enjoy fake dating tropes less than a ROMANCE BUTTINSKI one. I would almost class it as a Matchmaker trope, but then Gloria was this unconventional mother out of the gate because apparently Rosie is a sperm donor baby...and has never known who her Bio-father was, except knowing his biologics/character traits from a sheet of paper.
I wished that fact about Rosie made her more interesting but Nah, it never did. Maybe because she brushed it off so casually. As she often did with the way...or the manner in which she allowed her 70-something-old mother to run roughshod over her life.
Granted Rosie is returning home after a bad marriage, a fire at the art gallery she had managed, in NYCity, and simply wanting to come back Home to gain her life back. Let me be real... Preston was no freebird, either.
My problem is...Preston is hung up on his EX-girlfriend who would have become his fiancee. His brother had a months-long affair with her and basically crapped on THAT idea. Preston came from a rich, legacy family... and is now trying to make a different middle-class life for himself [in construction/house flipping] BEYOND his family name and also the past he ran from...the family he still wants NO PART of.
What dragged me down, repeatedly, was Preston constantly equating his EX to Rosie. And of course, Rosie comes out smelling like roses, until FOR ME...she doesn't. And I will tell you why.
What dragged me down with Rosie was that she is STILL immersed or enmeshed in divorce proceedings which are also tied to the insurance claims put on the building that burned in the fire that housed the art gallery she managed. And somehow, in some weird manner...By some oddball California Law... her divorce was tied into the fire insurance claim?? I think with a quick Google search, anyone can learn this is highly improbable of being plausible. Maybe in Cloud CooCooLand, but not in anybody's court of law.
But let me be truthful here...I do not like the fact that Rosie pursues Preston while still MARRIED...even if her EX is an utter bastard and a sociopath. No one should punch down and say, "Fair is Fair...if he got to cheat, then so can I!"
I was fine with them pretending to date to get Gloria off their backs, but then when they felt compelled to become intimate and have sex...I became seriously perturbed. Then it was them being heavily becoming sexually active and trying to force-feed me the ideal that they kept their "friendship" bond intact...while Preston walked around with a perma-boner and Rosie was often flexing her "womb".
NEITHER of the MCs are in healthy un-toxic spaces. And the fact there are so many "cheerleaders" [Gloria, mainly] pushing them to be together...or, really, just to HAVE SEX and break the seal for each of their dead-end romantic lives...it unsettled me to no end.
My other issue is...this book is filled with tediously very dry life routines which makes it such a difficult book to binge in one sitting. I swear I started this book almost a week ago...and every time I picked it up, I forced out a heavy sigh because this book never TAKES OFF... and does much of anything. The only time it got interesting was right at the end, when stupid Blake, Rosie's soon-to-be-ex shows up.
Rosie does not get out of bed, shower, dress to impress...until far into the last 25-30% of the book. After all her foot-dragging to change her life...she stumbles upon one of the most contrived career choices...at Speakeasy that really caused me to shake my head in wild wonder.
I think I understand what was coming off Rosie's resume to impress people...as she "managed" the art gallery back in New York City...so she had to have needed to plan Art & Photography openings with "events" and "parties" to showcase...but my lord, what a far-reaching job she was blindly handed with no sign of checking references or nothing. Just a cold hire on the spot to eventually follow up with those people who could vouch for her. I just...I just...
And let me not even get started on the moment Rosie's Ex shows and how much of an idiot Preston is...I'm sorry. Blake, Rosie's husband/soon-to-be-ex was just a downright caricature I couldn't fathom existing... FOR ONE MINUTE. Nor believe that the asshole had some kind of "charming" side that fooled anyone.
I don't understand why Preston went to get his trust fund money to pay off Blake and then rethought the idea within such a congested time period where he finally gave up...and now did not want to pay Blake a god damn penny. My thing is...Preston never makes choices to do things after talking to Rosie...even when he is dating/fucking her. He does the good ole "fait accompli" where you make weak apologies later and hope someone forgives your trespasses.
This is not how to be a partner in a loving, trusting relationship. He does it twice. Once when he foolishly ghosts Rosie once they start being intimate and then his foolish reaction to Blake's threats against Rosie. And, my gawd, does Rosie simply cave in to Preston and his lame-ass excuses of what he planned to do in order to swoop in and play Knight in Shining Armor.
What's even more unfathomable is now...we must somehow believe that ALL THIS TIME we have known Gloria... from being with Preston and then being with her own daughter, Rosie...Gloria is? was? bisexual. Except she says something I often don't enjoy hearing in this type of reveal...
"Mom, are you gay? Have you been a lesbian all this time?" [Rosie asks...]
"No...I am 'gay for/lesbian for' Patricia [the town librarian]" [Gloria admits rather emphatically]
Here is my big issue...Rosie tells us, through her POV, that she must have not paid close enough attention at times to be fully aware that Gloria and Patricia had that kind of closeness over these long years, even in her childhood. But it comes so out of the blue...so out of left field...and we have had too much TELL AND NOT SHOW in this book. Timelines jumped and hopped over important pieces of information...it feels like a shoe-horned in moment for Gloria as she has maintained being such an unconventional mother right from the start.
I think I was kind of DONE-ZO with Gloria...on two occasions... one moment when Rosie was cooking dinner to start their FAKE DATING...and she complains to her daughter about what she is wearing. How the $200 pair of ripped jeans is NOT DATE WEAR and then Rosie begrudgingly runs up to her bedroom to dig out some fashion designer dress hiding in her closet...
Then Gloria kept OOPSIE! interrupting some heavy petting times with Preston and Rosie...knowing full well what she was doing...
And the straw that broke the camel's back for me was when Blake knows WHO Preston is and just how deeply and seriously the relationship has been building with Rosie...and when asked, Blake says "Gloria called me..."!?!
O_O
Basically, Gloria was getting upset at how broken Rosie was from what torture Blake was doing to her that she took it upon herself and made a call to Blake and pretty much ratted out Preston & Rosie's DATING life...which, to me... IS NONE OF HER BUSINESS!!!!...because it caused Blake to be super-charged in amping up his sociopathic manners... as he threatens Preston, then Rosie...so I really find Gloria to be a HUGE let down... when I assume readers will find her "refreshing" and amazing on some level. I simply wished we had less of her involvement...or that she, literally, considers Preston akin to "her son"...O_O!...and of course, he thinks of her like a mother-figure he never had...O_O!--O_O!
This story had such potential at the on-set because I liked Preston at first. I couldn't find myself enjoying Rosie at all because she was...too downtrodden and mopey and so weakened from what she had left in NYCity with her husband...she doesn't come to life at all. It's only when she finds herself applying for a bartending gig at Speakeasy and is cold-hired as some Event Planner?...because eventually, this is when she learns what Blake and Preston had done, and pretty soon the book is close to the HEA ending...and it falls flat on its face...with a solid WHOMP!
July 1, 2021
Check out our full post for HOMECOMING on Wicked Reads, which includes an excerpt.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the Speakeasy series, but fans of Sarina Bowen's True North series and spin-offs will reconnect with many old friends whether in the Speakeasy or in the Busy Bean! I am just into book four, and there is a bit of hint of what happens in that story in this book, so you might want to reverse the order in which you read them, but it is not anything hugely surprising.
Here we find Rosalie – Rosie to her mum – back living at home after the failure of her unhappy marriage. She has really lost everything, and her wealthy husband is contesting everything. One bright spot is the man living in her mother's carriage house. He works in construction, and whilst clearly successful, he is a million miles away from her ex in appearance and approach. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely convinced by their falling into a 'fake' relationship to appease her mother, nor that they had really been friends before that – given the brevity of their acquaintance. However, I was prepared to out that to one side, as they were both good people and I enjoyed seeing how they came to terms with what life threw at them.
Preston was betrayed in the worst way by his brother, and even if his ex-fiancée wasn't possibly right for him, the brother code should still have applied. That most of his family sided with them he finds incomprehensible, so it is best he stays far away. His preference to renovate older buildings is easy to achieve in this part of rural Vermont anyway, and he has his best friend since primary school working with him. He certainly wasn't expecting to fall for someone who, on the surface, is like his ex, but he soon learns that there is a lot more to Rosie, and he wants it all.
Another sweet and sexy installment, and a chance to see old friends as well as make new ones. There is something rather lovely about being back in this world, like visiting for real!
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
June 30, 2021
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This is the third book in the Speakeasy series, but fans of Sarina Bowen's True North series and spin offs will reconnect with many old friends whether in the Speakeasy, or in the Busy Bean! I am just into book 4, and there is a bit of hint of what happens in that story in this book, so you might want to reverse the order in which you read them, but it is not anything hugely surprising.
Here we find Rosalie, Rosie to her Mum, back living at home after the failure of her unhappy marriage. She has really lost everything, and her wealthy husband is contesting everything. One bright spot is the man living in her mother's carriage house. He works in construction, and whilst clearly successful, he is a million miles away from her ex in appearance and approach. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely convinced by their falling into a 'fake' relationship to appease her mother, nor that they had really been friends before that - given the brevity of their acquaintance. However I was prepared to out that to one side, as they were both good people, and I enjoyed seeing how they came to terms with what life threw at them.
Preston was betrayed in the worst way by his brother, and even if his ex-fiancée wasn't possibly right for him, the brother code should still have applied. That most of his family sided with them he finds incomprehensible, so it is best he stays far away. His preference to renovate older buildings is easy to achieve in this part of rural Vermont anyway, and he has his best friend since primary school working with him. He certainly wasn't expecting to fall for someone who on the surface is like his ex, but he soon learns that there is a lot more to Rosie, and he wants it all.
Another sweet and sexy installment, and a chance to see old friends as well as make new ones. There is something rather lovely about being back in this world, like visiting for real!
This is the third book in the Speakeasy series, but fans of Sarina Bowen's True North series and spin offs will reconnect with many old friends whether in the Speakeasy, or in the Busy Bean! I am just into book 4, and there is a bit of hint of what happens in that story in this book, so you might want to reverse the order in which you read them, but it is not anything hugely surprising.
Here we find Rosalie, Rosie to her Mum, back living at home after the failure of her unhappy marriage. She has really lost everything, and her wealthy husband is contesting everything. One bright spot is the man living in her mother's carriage house. He works in construction, and whilst clearly successful, he is a million miles away from her ex in appearance and approach. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely convinced by their falling into a 'fake' relationship to appease her mother, nor that they had really been friends before that - given the brevity of their acquaintance. However I was prepared to out that to one side, as they were both good people, and I enjoyed seeing how they came to terms with what life threw at them.
Preston was betrayed in the worst way by his brother, and even if his ex-fiancée wasn't possibly right for him, the brother code should still have applied. That most of his family sided with them he finds incomprehensible, so it is best he stays far away. His preference to renovate older buildings is easy to achieve in this part of rural Vermont anyway, and he has his best friend since primary school working with him. He certainly wasn't expecting to fall for someone who on the surface is like his ex, but he soon learns that there is a lot more to Rosie, and he wants it all.
Another sweet and sexy installment, and a chance to see old friends as well as make new ones. There is something rather lovely about being back in this world, like visiting for real!
September 6, 2021
I liked this for the most part but the cracks are beginning to show in the management of the True North Universe. What do I mean? Well, Ty's brother, who had an affair with his ex-fiance and ended up marrying her is named Colton, which isn't exactly a common name. And the chef in the next book in the series is also named Colton, although he goes by Colt, and in this book, becomes one of Ty's reno clients. And Rose and Lily, Sam's grandmother and Great-Aunt make cameos here as Rosalie's mother's friends, and Rosalie is called Rosie by her mother, which is really close to Rose. These are really minor details and maybe no one else cares but it just feels sloppy to me.
It was a quick read though. Ty's damage is his estrangement from his family after they took sides with his brother and cheating ex (we find out in the bonus epilogue that his mother had an affair and he isn't his father's son which is why he was treated differently by his father, which is fine, but WHY WOULD YOU REVEAL THAT IN A BONUS EPILOGUE? These are supposed to be happy glimpses into the couple's HEA. This is not a happy factoid - it's an unnecessary loose end. UGH. Just thinking about it now makes me want to knock a half star off.)
Rosie's damage is her manipulative ex who was prince charming when they met but showed his true colours eventually and wore her down mentally and emotionally. They cook up a plan to pretend to be in a relationship so that her meddling matchmaking mom would leave them alone, but duh, no fake relationship stays fake and they end up falling for each other. The ex as bogeyman was over the top but I suppose the conflict had to come from somewhere. The one thing I liked very much was their decision to not have children - and they stick to it because there are no surprise babies in the epilogue or the stupid unnecessary aforementioned bonus epilogue.
It was a quick read though. Ty's damage is his estrangement from his family after they took sides with his brother and cheating ex (we find out in the bonus epilogue that his mother had an affair and he isn't his father's son which is why he was treated differently by his father, which is fine, but WHY WOULD YOU REVEAL THAT IN A BONUS EPILOGUE? These are supposed to be happy glimpses into the couple's HEA. This is not a happy factoid - it's an unnecessary loose end. UGH. Just thinking about it now makes me want to knock a half star off.)
Rosie's damage is her manipulative ex who was prince charming when they met but showed his true colours eventually and wore her down mentally and emotionally. They cook up a plan to pretend to be in a relationship so that her meddling matchmaking mom would leave them alone, but duh, no fake relationship stays fake and they end up falling for each other. The ex as bogeyman was over the top but I suppose the conflict had to come from somewhere. The one thing I liked very much was their decision to not have children - and they stick to it because there are no surprise babies in the epilogue or the stupid unnecessary aforementioned bonus epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2021
I really have to say one of my favorite things about this series has been finding new to me authors I may not have found otherwise. This is a perfect example. I went into this story completely blind, and loved everything about it.
Rosalie returns home to Vermont and moves back in with her mother as she goes through her divorce, which seems to get messier by the day. Preston has been renting a carriage house from Rosalie's mother and helping her out with her house and various chores while he works his construction job and generally avoids his family, which has its own side of drama.
Though neither person was in the market for a relationship, their friendship came easy, despite Rosalie's mother's push for them to be more. Preston opened Rosalie's eyes to the way a relationship really should be. I loved reading about the ease of their interactions and how they supported each other in friendship first and later romantically. And, yowza, their chemistry was off the charts hot!!!
I really enjoyed the story line, the author's writing style and the main character's, including Rosalie's mom. I read the book in one sitting and cannot wait to read more from this author and more in the series.
Rosalie returns home to Vermont and moves back in with her mother as she goes through her divorce, which seems to get messier by the day. Preston has been renting a carriage house from Rosalie's mother and helping her out with her house and various chores while he works his construction job and generally avoids his family, which has its own side of drama.
Though neither person was in the market for a relationship, their friendship came easy, despite Rosalie's mother's push for them to be more. Preston opened Rosalie's eyes to the way a relationship really should be. I loved reading about the ease of their interactions and how they supported each other in friendship first and later romantically. And, yowza, their chemistry was off the charts hot!!!
I really enjoyed the story line, the author's writing style and the main character's, including Rosalie's mom. I read the book in one sitting and cannot wait to read more from this author and more in the series.
June 27, 2021
Another great addition to the Speakeasy series. I freakin loved this book and Preston - oh yes, we all need a Preston.
Rosalie is out on her luck and dealing with a jackwagon soon to be ex-husband. Her confidence is shot, she moved home to live with her mom - who is already trying to get her hooked up with someone and she can’t find a job.
Preston moved to town to get away from his family…they something else. He’s been burned and. It interested in a relationship until Rosalie moves in with her mom.
These two characters are broken and need some love and friendship. That’s where Preston and Rosalie’s relationship starts but they are both hiding their true feelings. They do become great sounding boards for each other and offer guidance and support.
It’s a really beautiful story of love, trust, moving forward regardless of your past and being true to yourself.
I requested an arc and I am proving my honest review.
Rosalie is out on her luck and dealing with a jackwagon soon to be ex-husband. Her confidence is shot, she moved home to live with her mom - who is already trying to get her hooked up with someone and she can’t find a job.
Preston moved to town to get away from his family…they something else. He’s been burned and. It interested in a relationship until Rosalie moves in with her mom.
These two characters are broken and need some love and friendship. That’s where Preston and Rosalie’s relationship starts but they are both hiding their true feelings. They do become great sounding boards for each other and offer guidance and support.
It’s a really beautiful story of love, trust, moving forward regardless of your past and being true to yourself.
I requested an arc and I am proving my honest review.
October 18, 2021
Story of Preston and Rosalie. Preston is in architectural restoration and rents an apartment with Rosalie's mother; Rosalie has returned home after deciding to divorce her husband. Gloria gets it in her head to match these two. But she's still not divorced and Preston has some major family issues to deal with.
I found Gloria obnoxious. The busy body thing is over done. There are major issues with Preston's family which apparently will never get resolved which is just sad and makes the story incomplete for me. I wanted some conflict with the brother but we never got that.
I found Gloria obnoxious. The busy body thing is over done. There are major issues with Preston's family which apparently will never get resolved which is just sad and makes the story incomplete for me. I wanted some conflict with the brother but we never got that.
September 12, 2021
The “romance” felt a little contrived
It really irks me when authors don’t do even a little research. Here, the author uses as a central device that h’s husband refuses to go through with a divorce by not agreeing to a property settlement. That is NOT the case in California where this divorce occurs. The courts can grant the divorce first so the other side can’t hold the other hostage over all other aspects of a divorce. Even a little research would have shown this.
It really irks me when authors don’t do even a little research. Here, the author uses as a central device that h’s husband refuses to go through with a divorce by not agreeing to a property settlement. That is NOT the case in California where this divorce occurs. The courts can grant the divorce first so the other side can’t hold the other hostage over all other aspects of a divorce. Even a little research would have shown this.
July 7, 2021
I have not read anything by Rebecca Norinne and now she's definitely on my list of authors to read. Rosalie and Preston's story definitely captivated me. They are pretty relatable and easy to love as they have their own baggage to work through. I loved and enjoyed their journey. These two had great chemistry and banter. They definitely belong together.
June 6, 2022
Pretty adorable listen actually.
Two tragic people who have been stuffed over by past relationships, find each other and move forward together.
I liked this relationship. No real angst between mmc and fmc it’s quite seemly actually.
3.5 listen we didn’t really see or hear from anyone else in speakeasy until about 90% in.
Worth the listen. Currently on audible plus.
Two tragic people who have been stuffed over by past relationships, find each other and move forward together.
I liked this relationship. No real angst between mmc and fmc it’s quite seemly actually.
3.5 listen we didn’t really see or hear from anyone else in speakeasy until about 90% in.
Worth the listen. Currently on audible plus.
August 11, 2022
So cute
There was angst and fake relationships and horrible exes. But it was a great romance that i enjoyed. This series has been a good one
There was angst and fake relationships and horrible exes. But it was a great romance that i enjoyed. This series has been a good one
January 31, 2025
3 1/2 - listen to your fucking lawyer.
July 2, 2021
Thank you to Rebecca Norinne, Sarina Bowen, Jenn Gaffney and the rest of the World of True North team for the advance reader copy of Homecoming, the third story in the Speakeasy Taproom series.
Check out the full review here...
https://clarynathanwill.com/reviews/r...
Check out the full review here...
https://clarynathanwill.com/reviews/r...
April 6, 2022
5 ⭐️s! thank you Rebecca Norinne
This book was a great read. There’s a compelling central couple, the wonderful Vermont setting (love how so many authors have added so skillfully to the Sarina Bowen’s original setting!), and an interesting plot. But one aspect I loved most is that finally, there was a romance novel where baby doesn’t make three. Not all women, or men for that matter, want to have children. It was so refreshing to have a couple who were fulfilled individually, as well as in their relationship, without a drive to procreate. I really appreciated how that conscious choice on Rosie and Preston’s part was made a meaningful aspect of their love story. The traditional end and baby-logue of most romances are all well and good, and I often enjoy that tidy bow; however, it’s satisfying to see the evolution of a relationship where a different choice was made.
This book was a great read. There’s a compelling central couple, the wonderful Vermont setting (love how so many authors have added so skillfully to the Sarina Bowen’s original setting!), and an interesting plot. But one aspect I loved most is that finally, there was a romance novel where baby doesn’t make three. Not all women, or men for that matter, want to have children. It was so refreshing to have a couple who were fulfilled individually, as well as in their relationship, without a drive to procreate. I really appreciated how that conscious choice on Rosie and Preston’s part was made a meaningful aspect of their love story. The traditional end and baby-logue of most romances are all well and good, and I often enjoy that tidy bow; however, it’s satisfying to see the evolution of a relationship where a different choice was made.
July 24, 2021
Supposed to be part of the Speakeasy world but neither character had anything to do with it until the story was pretty much over.
The sex scenes were kind of porny. I almost quit with the phrase “fuck her face”. Not exactly romantic!
I hated that several times the author would start something and then abandon it and jump ahead in the story, without ever getting back to it. Frustrating.
I hated how her mother kept embarrassing her on purpose. Ugh!
So, all in all, too annoying to be enjoyable for me.
The sex scenes were kind of porny. I almost quit with the phrase “fuck her face”. Not exactly romantic!
I hated that several times the author would start something and then abandon it and jump ahead in the story, without ever getting back to it. Frustrating.
I hated how her mother kept embarrassing her on purpose. Ugh!
So, all in all, too annoying to be enjoyable for me.
July 3, 2021
Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rebecca Norinne’s Homecoming begins with the perfect combination of elements: a woman returns to her hometown in the shadow of her divorce from her controlling narcissistic husband, a handsome, hunk of a hero lives in the carriage house on her family property, and they engage in a fake relationship to thwart her mother’s matchmaking attempts only to fall madly in love with each other.
Here’s the thing. Homecoming starts out strong and feels sluggish towards its end. Once her hero, Preston, falls in love and commits to a real relationship with the book’s heroine, Rosalie, the story loses a bit of its forward motion. Norinne tries to remedy it with some last-minute tension between them, but, for me, it feels manufactured at best. Preston and Rosalie are fated, and they are the best combination. Both of them have been deeply hurt in past relationships, so they are reticent to leap into another relationship, but Norinne develops their chemistry so well that their pining is the perfect foreplay, kindling a fire that eventually is acted upon.
See, that’s the thing with this story. You will adore Preston and Rosalie together. There is no moment that feels too heavy for these two. Yes, there is the requisite set-up reticence to falling for each other, but they become friends first and lovers eventually. When they encounter trouble, as the reader, you feel unhappy for a fracture in their friendship, but Norinne remedies it quickly with a deep conversation and forgiveness (usually on the part of Preston).
There is a dastardly ex-husband to contend with, but as is the case with most romance, he gets his comeuppance. Rosalie’s mother is the comic relief of this story, and her wily ways of pushing these two together will make you smile big.
While Preston and Rosalie’s story is a sweet one, you will see the cracks of the story at various points. However, Homecoming is another great addition to the Speakeasy world (even if its connection comes fairly late in the story). I recommend this book for its connection to the Speakeasy Taproom series. It will keep you connected while you feel all the love for Preston and Rosalie.
Rebecca Norinne’s Homecoming begins with the perfect combination of elements: a woman returns to her hometown in the shadow of her divorce from her controlling narcissistic husband, a handsome, hunk of a hero lives in the carriage house on her family property, and they engage in a fake relationship to thwart her mother’s matchmaking attempts only to fall madly in love with each other.
Here’s the thing. Homecoming starts out strong and feels sluggish towards its end. Once her hero, Preston, falls in love and commits to a real relationship with the book’s heroine, Rosalie, the story loses a bit of its forward motion. Norinne tries to remedy it with some last-minute tension between them, but, for me, it feels manufactured at best. Preston and Rosalie are fated, and they are the best combination. Both of them have been deeply hurt in past relationships, so they are reticent to leap into another relationship, but Norinne develops their chemistry so well that their pining is the perfect foreplay, kindling a fire that eventually is acted upon.
See, that’s the thing with this story. You will adore Preston and Rosalie together. There is no moment that feels too heavy for these two. Yes, there is the requisite set-up reticence to falling for each other, but they become friends first and lovers eventually. When they encounter trouble, as the reader, you feel unhappy for a fracture in their friendship, but Norinne remedies it quickly with a deep conversation and forgiveness (usually on the part of Preston).
There is a dastardly ex-husband to contend with, but as is the case with most romance, he gets his comeuppance. Rosalie’s mother is the comic relief of this story, and her wily ways of pushing these two together will make you smile big.
While Preston and Rosalie’s story is a sweet one, you will see the cracks of the story at various points. However, Homecoming is another great addition to the Speakeasy world (even if its connection comes fairly late in the story). I recommend this book for its connection to the Speakeasy Taproom series. It will keep you connected while you feel all the love for Preston and Rosalie.
January 7, 2024
Really can't put this series down. I feel like I zipped through the first three books! Speakeasy book 3 and this story follows Rosalie and Preston. Finally fed up with the emotional abuse and the cheating of her husband, Rosalie leaves California and heads home to Vermont with the hopes that he'll sign the divorce papers and the nightmare will be over. Rosalie has been unhappy for years and having caught her husband cheating and her gallery being burned down, she finally admitted to herself that enough was enough. She heads home to her mother, who is beyond happy to have Rosalie home and away from Brad the terrible ex. And her mother is also secretly yet not so secretly hoping to set Rosalie up with their very attractive neighbor Preston. Preston has been burned in the past. The last relationship he had was with a woman he was going to marry but the relationship came to a crashing end when Preston learned that she was having an affair with his brother and planned to marry him. Preston leaves Boston quickly and hasn't looked back despite the phone calls from his siblings and mother telling him to come home. But how can he go back and face the betrayal and the fact that his parents don't seem to care how hurt he was? He's made a good life for himself in Vermont and he plans to keep it that way. What he doesn't expect is Rosalie. One look at her and he knows he's a goner. She's nothing like he imagined and the friendship they form is one he'll do anything to hold on to. Except when Rosalie's mother keeps shoving them into the love zone they realize they need a plan to get her off their backs for a while. Thus the fake dating plan begins. But they both know that plan won't last long. Not when feelings get involved. But feelings aren't the only complications. Rosalie's soon to be ex is causing problems and with each new threat it is only a matter of time until he causes some even bigger issues between Rosalie and Preston. Loved their story! So fun and hilarious and Rosalie and Preston are such great characters. Loving this series so far! It definitely has me hooked.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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