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The Kincaid Brothers of Pine Harbour #4
Fearless at Heart
For twenty years, Seth Kincaid has kept his visits to his home town brief. He’s not avoiding January Howe, exactly—he’s giving his high school girlfriend space. But that distance evaporates when she takes over her family’s marina for the summer. Which means every time he flies his floatplane into the harbour, she’s there, and the temptation to fall into her sunny smile and forget about the past is stronger than ever. He can’t resist lending a hand, though. Not when she needs the help.
January has a lot on her plate. She’s temporarily raising her niece and nephew while her sister is overseas, and running the family business, too. The last thing she needs is the dangerous risk of pretending a fling with Seth could be simple. Except the grown man version of the boy she once dated is…perfectly easy. He helps with the kids, no questions asked, and then once they’re asleep, satisfies her in ways her eighteen-year-old self couldn’t have imagined.
But two decades of distance is a shadow layered on top of complicated, long ago memories.
Whatever this temporary magic spell they are under, it can only be for the summer. Any chance of something else between them evaporated the day Seth joined the Air Force—and broke her teenage heart.
January has a lot on her plate. She’s temporarily raising her niece and nephew while her sister is overseas, and running the family business, too. The last thing she needs is the dangerous risk of pretending a fling with Seth could be simple. Except the grown man version of the boy she once dated is…perfectly easy. He helps with the kids, no questions asked, and then once they’re asleep, satisfies her in ways her eighteen-year-old self couldn’t have imagined.
But two decades of distance is a shadow layered on top of complicated, long ago memories.
Whatever this temporary magic spell they are under, it can only be for the summer. Any chance of something else between them evaporated the day Seth joined the Air Force—and broke her teenage heart.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2022
95 people are currently reading
454 people want to read
About the author
Zoe York
125 books1,345 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York is a busy working mom of two young boys, wife to a very understanding soldier, and creator of modern, sexy, small town contemporary romances.
She lives in London, Ontario and is currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and dreaming of heroes in and out of uniform.
She lives in London, Ontario and is currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and dreaming of heroes in and out of uniform.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
June 15, 2022
Zoe York really did that thing. That thing where I ate up this steamy, slow-burn second chance between former high school sweethearts who reconnect as they edge toward their 40s. He was the bad boy, she was the tutor, he left her to chase his air force dreams and she stayed in their hometown and put down roots.
They share a deep connection and memories of what might have been, no regrets about what actually was, and dreams of a future they maybe could have.
This book - with its abortion rep (not a trauma, something both characters chose, but a secret they shared only with each other) is so important.
I love this entire series, and cannot say enough about each one.
Thank you to the author for the early review copy.
Content notes: Seth is a cis, white man & a veteran of the Canadian Air Force. He owns a small private plane charter business. January is a white, cis white woman & a teacher at the local school. She's caretaking her niece and nephew while her sister is deployed and running her and her sister's harbor business. Discussion of abortion, in the past, sick bed scene, drinking, baby epilogue.
More in depth, slightly spoilery:
I was aching for these two to kiss by the time we finally got one, and the way Seth edged January along to some self-less oral wow. The man giveth, and he giveth good. I'm such a sucker for former high school sweethearts second chance, because there's all those sweaty first memories, and then you get to remake them with someone who you loved in your way then, but now as an adult it is all the sweeter, and scarier. They also know the hurt.
I really appreciated how Seth supported January through an abortion, how they shared that secret only with each other, but it wasn't what broke them up. They don't have regrets about it, but they have those bittersweet memories of the turmoil. I was also especially glad to see all of the characters and family members they told about it later, during their new courtship, were 100% supportive and only said you COULD have told us, but we understand why you didn't. Especially Seth's oldest brother who did have a child as a teenager.
Seth's military service (along with January's sister's) doesn't feel as rah rah as USA set books with military characters, which is good for me. York also doesn't sugar coat small town life - showcasing the real struggles as the town changes, how businesses can struggle too.
All in all, this series has fit my sweet spot as a reader, and I was both in love with and SO MAD about the author for that cliff-hangy ending featuring the next Kincaid brother and his love interest. SCREAM.
They share a deep connection and memories of what might have been, no regrets about what actually was, and dreams of a future they maybe could have.
This book - with its abortion rep (not a trauma, something both characters chose, but a secret they shared only with each other) is so important.
I love this entire series, and cannot say enough about each one.
Thank you to the author for the early review copy.
Content notes: Seth is a cis, white man & a veteran of the Canadian Air Force. He owns a small private plane charter business. January is a white, cis white woman & a teacher at the local school. She's caretaking her niece and nephew while her sister is deployed and running her and her sister's harbor business. Discussion of abortion, in the past, sick bed scene, drinking, baby epilogue.
More in depth, slightly spoilery:
I was aching for these two to kiss by the time we finally got one, and the way Seth edged January along to some self-less oral wow. The man giveth, and he giveth good. I'm such a sucker for former high school sweethearts second chance, because there's all those sweaty first memories, and then you get to remake them with someone who you loved in your way then, but now as an adult it is all the sweeter, and scarier. They also know the hurt.
I really appreciated how Seth supported January through an abortion, how they shared that secret only with each other, but it wasn't what broke them up. They don't have regrets about it, but they have those bittersweet memories of the turmoil. I was also especially glad to see all of the characters and family members they told about it later, during their new courtship, were 100% supportive and only said you COULD have told us, but we understand why you didn't. Especially Seth's oldest brother who did have a child as a teenager.
Seth's military service (along with January's sister's) doesn't feel as rah rah as USA set books with military characters, which is good for me. York also doesn't sugar coat small town life - showcasing the real struggles as the town changes, how businesses can struggle too.
All in all, this series has fit my sweet spot as a reader, and I was both in love with and SO MAD about the author for that cliff-hangy ending featuring the next Kincaid brother and his love interest. SCREAM.
June 20, 2022
A second-chance, slow-burn romance to leave you warm and hopeful.
Seth and January's path was beautiful.
Their love story was 20 years in the making, and time, distance, and huge decisions weren't enough to dwindle their feelings.
Normally, when we read second-chance romances, there's drama, resentment, and so much pain one inflicted upon the other. But not this time.
Zoe brought a wonderful story where two people parted ways because life happened. There was no revenge, no sense of betrayal, no wrath or indignation.
Quite the opposite. There wasn't one single moment where Seth and January didn't respect and admire each other.
Their story brought some sensitive topics, but they were portrayed so beautifully and with so much responsibility, that it was almost impossible not to understand them.
They made some tough choices, but they also stood up for their decisions, and not even once they resented themselves and each other for what happened.
Seth and January were mature as young adults and they continued to grow nearing their 40s.
Their connection was on point, their chemistry was great, and I loved how supportive they were of each other's hopes, fears, and dreams.
They didn't try to complete each other, they were both already whole. But they sure added love, support, and understanding to each other's lives.
And that's the beauty of adult characters in romance.
Seth and January's path was beautiful.
Their love story was 20 years in the making, and time, distance, and huge decisions weren't enough to dwindle their feelings.
Normally, when we read second-chance romances, there's drama, resentment, and so much pain one inflicted upon the other. But not this time.
Zoe brought a wonderful story where two people parted ways because life happened. There was no revenge, no sense of betrayal, no wrath or indignation.
Quite the opposite. There wasn't one single moment where Seth and January didn't respect and admire each other.
Their story brought some sensitive topics, but they were portrayed so beautifully and with so much responsibility, that it was almost impossible not to understand them.
They made some tough choices, but they also stood up for their decisions, and not even once they resented themselves and each other for what happened.
Seth and January were mature as young adults and they continued to grow nearing their 40s.
Their connection was on point, their chemistry was great, and I loved how supportive they were of each other's hopes, fears, and dreams.
They didn't try to complete each other, they were both already whole. But they sure added love, support, and understanding to each other's lives.
And that's the beauty of adult characters in romance.
August 27, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.
Love second chance romances and Seth and January were certainly that! 20 years after he left to join the military he returns. January is still in their home town and is friends with his brothers. How will Seth's return impact January's life?
Love second chance romances and Seth and January were certainly that! 20 years after he left to join the military he returns. January is still in their home town and is friends with his brothers. How will Seth's return impact January's life?
June 21, 2022
This was a really lovely second chance romance and I thank the author for putting abortion on the page. This series is just so reliable for me and in a world where I feel like I am DNFing everything, I value that so much.
October 17, 2023
Zoe York’s Fearless at Heart is the fourth book in her Kincaids of Pine Harbour series, a spinoff series from her Pine Harbour series. It’s got one of my favourite tropes – a second chance romance for a couple that were together as teenagers – and coming on the heels of Wild at Heart which was a favourite last year, I had high expectations for this one. It definitely lived up to them, putting another book on my favourites shelf.
It’s been twenty years since Seth Kincaid lived in Pine Harbour. His brothers are still there, and he’s the only one who went away, first into the military and then setting up his floatplane business in Blind Harbour, close to home by plane, but also close enough to Blind Harbor not have to stay overnight after visiting with his brothers. And January Howe is still there, his secret high school sweetheart, his high school heartbreak. He’s consciously tried to keep clear of her, so as not to open up old wounds. His ten year plan for his business and his life doesn’t include a permanent relationship, or rekindling an old one. But this summer, things could get complicated.
January is happy that her sister August has a chance to go on a reserve army mission overseas, even if it means January will be taking care of her niece, nephew and Howe’s Marina, an inheritance gift from their deceased father that August is trying to keep afloat. A teacher now, January usually isn’t around at the marina any more than necessary, but now she’s living there full time with the kids. And she knows that Seth has signed an agreement to run charter flights out of Pine Harbour three times a week, an agreement he made with August without knowing she’d be gone for the summer. So while January isn’t surprised to see Seth show up early one morning, Seth is knocked for a loop. After being so careful to keep out of January’s way for so long, not only will he be seeing her at the marina regularly, it also (small town and all) turns out that they’ll be involved in the wedding planning for his brother Will and fiancee Catie, Catie being a friend of January’s and Will being her boss (the principal) at the school.
From no contact to plenty of it, January and Seth struggle to balance their feelings about the past with the knowledge that they’ve grown into fully mature, responsible adults who still find themselves impossibly attracted to each other. Carrying on another secret relationship, just like in high school, but with the knowledge that as adults they can say goodbye at the end of the summer and go back to their previously planned futures seems easy, but will it end in heartbreak or happiness?
There’s just something about this author’s writing that grips me every time and no doubt if you check my Goodreads shelves or previous reviews here at AAR, you’ll see that she’s become a favourite. It seems so effortless to really like all the characters she creates, the families and the friends that intertwine into a community that you want to visit again and again. So being back in Pine Harbour is like visiting an old friend, with new and familiar faces making an appearance.
There are some tough memories and topics in this story. Deaths of parents and teenaged grief. And during their high school relationship, January got pregnant. Keeping it a secret from their families, Seth went with January when she got an abortion, fully present, supportive of her choice, giving her emotional and physical support, and knowing it was the right decision for them both. And then Seth, knowing his path would need to diverge from January’s as he entered the military to make something of himself, broke up with her and left, leaving her to pick up the pieces. All of these experiences have been carried with them and so it’s natural that January is wary of opening her heart up to Seth again. I really appreciated that twenty years later, the author makes it clear that neither Seth or January has any regrets over the choice made to have an abortion. Of course, one can think ‘what if’ but both of them have put it in the past and it’s just part of their history now.
As Seth and January start to share things with each other again, as friends, and then friends with benefits, it’s no surprise that their high school feelings come back to the surface, but deeper and stronger. Of course, this scares them both but it opens their eyes to a new possibility, of merging their future plans into one for them both. With emotional and heart-tugging scenes, laughter, sexy lovemaking and strong family relationships, the happy ending for Seth and January finds the compromise they are looking for and leaves the reader fully satisfied. I can’t wait to visit Pine Harbour again!
This review also appears at All About Romance : https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the author.
It’s been twenty years since Seth Kincaid lived in Pine Harbour. His brothers are still there, and he’s the only one who went away, first into the military and then setting up his floatplane business in Blind Harbour, close to home by plane, but also close enough to Blind Harbor not have to stay overnight after visiting with his brothers. And January Howe is still there, his secret high school sweetheart, his high school heartbreak. He’s consciously tried to keep clear of her, so as not to open up old wounds. His ten year plan for his business and his life doesn’t include a permanent relationship, or rekindling an old one. But this summer, things could get complicated.
January is happy that her sister August has a chance to go on a reserve army mission overseas, even if it means January will be taking care of her niece, nephew and Howe’s Marina, an inheritance gift from their deceased father that August is trying to keep afloat. A teacher now, January usually isn’t around at the marina any more than necessary, but now she’s living there full time with the kids. And she knows that Seth has signed an agreement to run charter flights out of Pine Harbour three times a week, an agreement he made with August without knowing she’d be gone for the summer. So while January isn’t surprised to see Seth show up early one morning, Seth is knocked for a loop. After being so careful to keep out of January’s way for so long, not only will he be seeing her at the marina regularly, it also (small town and all) turns out that they’ll be involved in the wedding planning for his brother Will and fiancee Catie, Catie being a friend of January’s and Will being her boss (the principal) at the school.
From no contact to plenty of it, January and Seth struggle to balance their feelings about the past with the knowledge that they’ve grown into fully mature, responsible adults who still find themselves impossibly attracted to each other. Carrying on another secret relationship, just like in high school, but with the knowledge that as adults they can say goodbye at the end of the summer and go back to their previously planned futures seems easy, but will it end in heartbreak or happiness?
There’s just something about this author’s writing that grips me every time and no doubt if you check my Goodreads shelves or previous reviews here at AAR, you’ll see that she’s become a favourite. It seems so effortless to really like all the characters she creates, the families and the friends that intertwine into a community that you want to visit again and again. So being back in Pine Harbour is like visiting an old friend, with new and familiar faces making an appearance.
There are some tough memories and topics in this story. Deaths of parents and teenaged grief. And during their high school relationship, January got pregnant. Keeping it a secret from their families, Seth went with January when she got an abortion, fully present, supportive of her choice, giving her emotional and physical support, and knowing it was the right decision for them both. And then Seth, knowing his path would need to diverge from January’s as he entered the military to make something of himself, broke up with her and left, leaving her to pick up the pieces. All of these experiences have been carried with them and so it’s natural that January is wary of opening her heart up to Seth again. I really appreciated that twenty years later, the author makes it clear that neither Seth or January has any regrets over the choice made to have an abortion. Of course, one can think ‘what if’ but both of them have put it in the past and it’s just part of their history now.
As Seth and January start to share things with each other again, as friends, and then friends with benefits, it’s no surprise that their high school feelings come back to the surface, but deeper and stronger. Of course, this scares them both but it opens their eyes to a new possibility, of merging their future plans into one for them both. With emotional and heart-tugging scenes, laughter, sexy lovemaking and strong family relationships, the happy ending for Seth and January finds the compromise they are looking for and leaves the reader fully satisfied. I can’t wait to visit Pine Harbour again!
This review also appears at All About Romance : https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the author.
June 27, 2022
I love this book to the moon and back. Small town. Slow burn with palpable chemistry. Cut that tension with a knife. Second chance but make it 20 years and neither of them ever got close to another person like they were with each other. A secret they shared only with each other.
I've been sick and my last day has gone like this:
Sleep.
Take medicine.
Read this book as long as I could keep my eyeballs open.
Feel things.
Repeat.
I read this because b.andherbooks posted about it having abortion rep and Netgalley still had it as an ARC. Sort of a spoiler/content warning, but January and Seth got pregnant when they were teens and decided together to have an abortion. This story is affirming of that choice, and neither of them wishes 20 years on that they had made a different choice. Zoe York notes at the end that this was reflective of her abortion experience, and I'm honoured that she chose to share this with readers. We need healthy representation of people choosing to have abortions to decrease stigma. The MMC's brother was also a teen dad, made a different choice to keep their baby, and things worked out different, but well for him. 5 stars just for this issue being represented well.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
I've been sick and my last day has gone like this:
Sleep.
Take medicine.
Read this book as long as I could keep my eyeballs open.
Feel things.
Repeat.
I read this because b.andherbooks posted about it having abortion rep and Netgalley still had it as an ARC. Sort of a spoiler/content warning, but January and Seth got pregnant when they were teens and decided together to have an abortion. This story is affirming of that choice, and neither of them wishes 20 years on that they had made a different choice. Zoe York notes at the end that this was reflective of her abortion experience, and I'm honoured that she chose to share this with readers. We need healthy representation of people choosing to have abortions to decrease stigma. The MMC's brother was also a teen dad, made a different choice to keep their baby, and things worked out different, but well for him. 5 stars just for this issue being represented well.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
A journey of hearts as turbulent as it is beautiful. Fearless at Heart is a joining of souls destined to ride the wave of deep emotion. January and Seth are an open wound that never quite healed. Neither knows how to move forward when their hearts are broken. When a chance reconnection awakens old wounds, can their emotions survive the fallout? York speaks to the vulnerable side of the heart with an overwhelming sensitivity and strength. Compelling.
June 24, 2022
Initially I wasn’t going to request Fearless at Heart because I have too many arcs and I am struggling to get reviews written right now. But then I saw a tweet about the book that said “he eats!” (iykyk). I decided I could fit in one more arc. And let that be a lesson to me about how I get people to read the books I want them to read.
Plentitude of oral sex aside, Fearless at Heart is a sweet second chance romance. Seth and January were an under the radar couple in high school. We don’t know a whole lot about their prior relationship beyond a few discussions and remembrances. We get a few pieces of information, but Seth and January are more focused on the present, which I loved.
There are no hard feelings and both feel like they made the best choices they could, but there are regrets. As teens they both had dreams that involved leaving Pine Harbor and each other, and they made choices to facilitate those dreams. Seth has largely cut himself off from Pine Harbor, while January came back and is a teacher at the high school.
York navigates her characters through layered small town and familial relationships with respect. Seth’s brother is the Principle at the school where January teaches, and Seth knows without being told that he needs to enforce the boundary between Will his brother and Will January’s boss. January is taking care of her niece and nephew while their mother is on a tour of duty. Seth makes himself available to help, first as a friend of the family. Even when they are hurt and angry with each other, they commit to maintaining their friendship and Seth’s relationship with the kids is maintained.
Towards the end of their senior year in high school, when Seth was getting ready to join the RCAF and January was getting ready to go to college, they realized January was pregnant and chose to have an abortion. As adults, 20 years later, there is sadness around the choice, but no regret. It was the right choice for them at that time and they had the right to make that choice.
CWs – past teen pregnancy, past parental death, military service, financial struggle
I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are my own and freely given.
Plentitude of oral sex aside, Fearless at Heart is a sweet second chance romance. Seth and January were an under the radar couple in high school. We don’t know a whole lot about their prior relationship beyond a few discussions and remembrances. We get a few pieces of information, but Seth and January are more focused on the present, which I loved.
There are no hard feelings and both feel like they made the best choices they could, but there are regrets. As teens they both had dreams that involved leaving Pine Harbor and each other, and they made choices to facilitate those dreams. Seth has largely cut himself off from Pine Harbor, while January came back and is a teacher at the high school.
York navigates her characters through layered small town and familial relationships with respect. Seth’s brother is the Principle at the school where January teaches, and Seth knows without being told that he needs to enforce the boundary between Will his brother and Will January’s boss. January is taking care of her niece and nephew while their mother is on a tour of duty. Seth makes himself available to help, first as a friend of the family. Even when they are hurt and angry with each other, they commit to maintaining their friendship and Seth’s relationship with the kids is maintained.
Towards the end of their senior year in high school, when Seth was getting ready to join the RCAF and January was getting ready to go to college, they realized January was pregnant and chose to have an abortion. As adults, 20 years later, there is sadness around the choice, but no regret. It was the right choice for them at that time and they had the right to make that choice.
CWs – past teen pregnancy, past parental death, military service, financial struggle
I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are my own and freely given.
June 14, 2022
How does one pick up the pieces of a broken heart when there is so much history and pain involved? Seth discovers the truth of the matter when he returns to Pine Harbour for a visit and comes face to face with January once again. Forced to deal with her in the place of her sister who is on deployment, Seth discovers that the hurt in January's eyes is still there. He also finds out that apart from January running the office at the marina, she is also taking care of her sister's children for six months, a task that leaves her depleted at the end of the day. January comes to realize that apart from the fact that Seth is all grown up and a manly man, he is as observant as he's always been and more attuned to her needs than she is herself. However, setting aside her distrust of men in general and Seth, in particular, takes courage and a good deal of self-searching. Furthermore, having to do so under the watchful eyes of the residents of Pine Harbour is fraught with all sorts of difficulties. The story, fortunately, does come to a happy conclusion with both Seth and January having to make some decisions. I received a copy of this romance as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
June 15, 2022
This is a slow-burn, second chance romance. That was all well-written and I really enjoy this author's work, what I want to focus on in this review is the inclusion of abortion in this book. The story takes place 20 years after high school but the back story is: The mc's date on and off in high school, become pregnant and decide to have an abortion. In hindsight, both characters stand by the choice and have no guilt about it nor are they traumatized by it.
Abortion care is not controversial so it shouldn't be stigmatized but it is. Which I assume is why abortion is not often depicted in romance although every instance of contraception failing has. The myth of the super sperm is aplenty - decimating condoms and pharmaceutical barriers left and right. I guess you could say I'm a little salty about that. Anyway, I would love to see folks who have received abortion care included in romance more often. Because many folks who read romance have had abortions or will have an abortion just like they may fall in love with a wonderful person and live out their own HEAs.
Abortion care is not controversial so it shouldn't be stigmatized but it is. Which I assume is why abortion is not often depicted in romance although every instance of contraception failing has. The myth of the super sperm is aplenty - decimating condoms and pharmaceutical barriers left and right. I guess you could say I'm a little salty about that. Anyway, I would love to see folks who have received abortion care included in romance more often. Because many folks who read romance have had abortions or will have an abortion just like they may fall in love with a wonderful person and live out their own HEAs.
November 8, 2025
This is book four in The Kincaid Brother's Series and it is Seth and January's story and omg it is definitely a must read. Seth and January have history as they had spent time with each other in high school and were together in secret but it ended badly leaving her with a broken heart when he joined the air force. January has a lot going on as she has taken over the family marina and also looking after her niece and nephew while there mother was overseas so she doesn't have much time for anything else in her life as she is always busy with one thing or another. Seth doesn't do visits to his home town very often but due to his business taken off and his brother getting married he will need to visit more often and it has nothing to do with January especially after everything crashed and burned with them years ago but when she needed help Seth can't resist being there to help her while trying not to get to close but will it work after all there chemistry is just as strong as it used to be. I absolutely loved this book and it took you on a roller coaster ride of emotions but I still couldn't put it down and had to keep turning the pages wondering what would happen next and it was so addictive and a absolutely beautiful story. I have really enjoyed reading every single book in this series but I have to say that this one is my favourite and Sent and January were so perfect together if only they could get over there past after all with everything that they had both been through they definitely deserve a happy ending. Zoe York is an amazing author and writer and the depth of her story's are what makes you go back time and time again to read them and I can't wait to read the next book in this amazing series.
I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.
I Voluntarily Reviewed a Copy of This Book.
June 18, 2022
I’m not sure what it is about second chance love stories that makes them my favorite, but ever since I read Zoe York’s Love in a Small Town I’ve been hooked. There’s something about the way she writes this particular trope that pulls me in and makes me feel all the angst and emotion from page one, and Fearless at Heart is no exception.
January and Seth fell in love in high school, but life plans sent them in separate directions away from their small town. While January was eventually pulled back and made Pine Harbour her home, Seth chose to make his home farther north after he was released from the Air Force - only returning to Pine Harbour for brief visits with brothers.
Now twenty years later, Seth discovers January managing the marina where he’ll be docking his float plane several times a week during the summer. It takes him all of five seconds to realize his feelings for January aren’t dead. But January’s got a lot on her plate and a tender heart that isn’t sure she is able to let anyone in, let alone Seth.
There were SO many things I loved about this story: the complexities of Seth and January’s past - both as a couple and separately (what is it about Pine Harbour that makes people either want to flee and never return, or not want to ever leave?!), a thoughtful and kind hero who just wants to do whatever he can to make the heroine’s life easier, a heroine who is strong and resilient but is willing to let the hero help, mature people who don’t play games and have honest conversations with each other. I loved how their relationship redeveloped organically through Seth’s quiet presence and January’s reluctant acceptance. Their past issues weren’t barreled through or ignored, but instead were treated with tenderness and care.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: if you’re looking for stories with over-the-top angst and ridiculous drama, Zoe York is not the author for you. But if you want heartfelt stories with relatable people, dealing with realistic issues, then you need to be reading Zoe York. I’m sad there’s only one more Kincaid brother… but can’t wait for his story.
Hopefully, we’ll get another series with more people from Pine Harbour - January’s sister NEEDS a happily ever after, Bailey Patel, the two guys opening the new brewpub - because after eight Pine Harbour books and five Kincaids of Pine Harbour stories, I’ve fallen in love with this town and its people and don’t want to leave!
* thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
January and Seth fell in love in high school, but life plans sent them in separate directions away from their small town. While January was eventually pulled back and made Pine Harbour her home, Seth chose to make his home farther north after he was released from the Air Force - only returning to Pine Harbour for brief visits with brothers.
Now twenty years later, Seth discovers January managing the marina where he’ll be docking his float plane several times a week during the summer. It takes him all of five seconds to realize his feelings for January aren’t dead. But January’s got a lot on her plate and a tender heart that isn’t sure she is able to let anyone in, let alone Seth.
There were SO many things I loved about this story: the complexities of Seth and January’s past - both as a couple and separately (what is it about Pine Harbour that makes people either want to flee and never return, or not want to ever leave?!), a thoughtful and kind hero who just wants to do whatever he can to make the heroine’s life easier, a heroine who is strong and resilient but is willing to let the hero help, mature people who don’t play games and have honest conversations with each other. I loved how their relationship redeveloped organically through Seth’s quiet presence and January’s reluctant acceptance. Their past issues weren’t barreled through or ignored, but instead were treated with tenderness and care.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: if you’re looking for stories with over-the-top angst and ridiculous drama, Zoe York is not the author for you. But if you want heartfelt stories with relatable people, dealing with realistic issues, then you need to be reading Zoe York. I’m sad there’s only one more Kincaid brother… but can’t wait for his story.
Hopefully, we’ll get another series with more people from Pine Harbour - January’s sister NEEDS a happily ever after, Bailey Patel, the two guys opening the new brewpub - because after eight Pine Harbour books and five Kincaids of Pine Harbour stories, I’ve fallen in love with this town and its people and don’t want to leave!
* thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
June 14, 2022
I was all in on January and Seth’s story when little glimpses of the characters showed up in earlier Kincaid of Pine Harbour books…but reading about them in their own story was so much!
It’s been twenty years since Seth and January’s teen romance ended, but it’s safe to say neither is over those feelings. While Seth has, except for various family visits, avoided Pine Harbour, January has made it her permanent home since graduating from university. But now that brother Will’s wedding is coming up, and he’s expanded his business, Seth is going to be around…a lot. January will be getting up close and personal since she’s running the family marina, and taking care of her sister’s kids while she’s away overseas. This either has disaster or a long-awaited second chance written all over it.
I love these two characters. So much time has passed, but it seems like yesterday for them, as they rekindle a friendship, support each other’s businesses and help their prospective families. While full of unresolved feelings, there is no angry angst involved…which is just so refreshing. I love the interactions with Seth and January’s niece and nephew, Summer and Levi. He never oversteps but is there to lend support to them and Jan.
I’ve been a visitor to Pine a Harbour from the start. Zoe York ability to write feel good stories that are filled with complex emotions and family togetherness keep me coming back for more. Each new couple is my favorite but really, I couldn’t actually pick just one. As long as she has more stories to tell, my passport will have yet another Pine Harbour stamp added to it.
It’s been twenty years since Seth and January’s teen romance ended, but it’s safe to say neither is over those feelings. While Seth has, except for various family visits, avoided Pine Harbour, January has made it her permanent home since graduating from university. But now that brother Will’s wedding is coming up, and he’s expanded his business, Seth is going to be around…a lot. January will be getting up close and personal since she’s running the family marina, and taking care of her sister’s kids while she’s away overseas. This either has disaster or a long-awaited second chance written all over it.
I love these two characters. So much time has passed, but it seems like yesterday for them, as they rekindle a friendship, support each other’s businesses and help their prospective families. While full of unresolved feelings, there is no angry angst involved…which is just so refreshing. I love the interactions with Seth and January’s niece and nephew, Summer and Levi. He never oversteps but is there to lend support to them and Jan.
I’ve been a visitor to Pine a Harbour from the start. Zoe York ability to write feel good stories that are filled with complex emotions and family togetherness keep me coming back for more. Each new couple is my favorite but really, I couldn’t actually pick just one. As long as she has more stories to tell, my passport will have yet another Pine Harbour stamp added to it.
July 1, 2022
A second-chance, slow-burn romance that is 20 years in the making. Time nor distance seems to lessen their feelings for one another.
Seth and January's journey to the HEA might have been one of the best I have read in a long time. I am not always a fan of the second chance romance, but this was an exceptionally well done romance. This was not the typical second chance romance. It did not have the over the top angst you often get. I really enjoyed the journey of this story.
This is the story of two people who because of life went their sperate ways. The respect these two characters had for each other was amazing. I really liked the respect they had for each other.
Seth and January showed a maturity and thoughtfulness that I really appreciated. The way to connection with each other was amazing and even with all the year between the chemistry was still there. This was a really well-done adult romance. With adult characters who brought out the best in each other. I really liked this story and highly recommend it.
Seth and January's journey to the HEA might have been one of the best I have read in a long time. I am not always a fan of the second chance romance, but this was an exceptionally well done romance. This was not the typical second chance romance. It did not have the over the top angst you often get. I really enjoyed the journey of this story.
This is the story of two people who because of life went their sperate ways. The respect these two characters had for each other was amazing. I really liked the respect they had for each other.
Seth and January showed a maturity and thoughtfulness that I really appreciated. The way to connection with each other was amazing and even with all the year between the chemistry was still there. This was a really well-done adult romance. With adult characters who brought out the best in each other. I really liked this story and highly recommend it.
October 31, 2023
Second chance romance, heavy on the drama. Life challenges plus a teenage trauma split the main characters up 20 years prior. They re-meet as adults and sparks fly, but is it enough to heal their old wounds? These are characters previously introduced in other context (everyone is intertwined in this small town setting). This story felt uneven for me and really into their drama feelings, which I didn't love. I did enjoy the sister relationship between January and August, and how they supported each other.
June 15, 2022
ARC for honest review with no compensation
Fearless at Heart is book 4 in the Kincaid Brothers series by Zoe York.
This story is 20 years in the making for January and Seth. High school sweethearts, who left each other go to so they could grow and experience life away from Pine Harbor. Only to return and rekindle that love!
A second chance, steamy, tears, broken hearts in need of repair, secrets from family, and so much more… Can’t wait for the final book in this series…Josh’s book!
Fearless at Heart is book 4 in the Kincaid Brothers series by Zoe York.
This story is 20 years in the making for January and Seth. High school sweethearts, who left each other go to so they could grow and experience life away from Pine Harbor. Only to return and rekindle that love!
A second chance, steamy, tears, broken hearts in need of repair, secrets from family, and so much more… Can’t wait for the final book in this series…Josh’s book!
April 16, 2025
I am glad I waited to read the whole series before starting this one. While it would have worked as a standalone, it was so much better with the context. This series is so fun, solid romances with relatable characters that have real issues. I loved how this tackled January's past abortion. It's why I picked this up in the first place and I was not disappointed.
I sometimes have issues with second chance romances because it feels like all of the relationship development happens off the page, but not here. I loved all the angst of this and the very real and realistic reason for their break up that didn't have either at fault.
I really recommend this series, and this book in particular. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the arc I didn't get to in time.
I sometimes have issues with second chance romances because it feels like all of the relationship development happens off the page, but not here. I loved all the angst of this and the very real and realistic reason for their break up that didn't have either at fault.
I really recommend this series, and this book in particular. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the arc I didn't get to in time.
October 1, 2022
By choice and by coincidence I've read a lot of second chance romances this year. It's a trope that almost always works for me, and this one was so well done. I've got to thank Zoe York for putting an abortion on the page as well.
I need to read more of her work.
I need to read more of her work.
June 11, 2022
Good read.
August 24, 2022
I loved this book so much that while I somehow started at book #4, it pushed me into reading not only this series, but all of Zoe York's Pine Harbor series!
Seth and January were HS sweethearts with a complicated past who are going to be thrown together for the summer for the first time in forever, in their 40s. I as SO happy to get older MCs! I love seeing love interests my age, doing their every day lives, and falling in love. And Zoe York does that really, really well.
I'm a sucker for second chance relationships, and this book pulls that off without having any of the intense hatred that can sometimes come with those. They had obstacles to overcome, but nothing that was insurmountable. I loved the kids as well, which can also be hit or miss.
My favorite thing about this book is the abortion subplot - it's handled extremely well, matter of factly, and without any lingering traumatic issues. And I felt that it bookended the first book, Reckless at Heart, extremely with how well pregnancies were handled.
CW: past abortion
Seth and January were HS sweethearts with a complicated past who are going to be thrown together for the summer for the first time in forever, in their 40s. I as SO happy to get older MCs! I love seeing love interests my age, doing their every day lives, and falling in love. And Zoe York does that really, really well.
I'm a sucker for second chance relationships, and this book pulls that off without having any of the intense hatred that can sometimes come with those. They had obstacles to overcome, but nothing that was insurmountable. I loved the kids as well, which can also be hit or miss.
My favorite thing about this book is the abortion subplot - it's handled extremely well, matter of factly, and without any lingering traumatic issues. And I felt that it bookended the first book, Reckless at Heart, extremely with how well pregnancies were handled.
CW: past abortion
September 5, 2022
Fearless at Heart is the 4th book in the Kincaids series.
Seth and January were high school sweethearts 20 years ago. After they found our she was pregnant and had an abortion they went there separate ways. She became a teacher and he went into the military. After he came home he started his own business at a pilot.
January's sister who was also in the military went overseas on a mission and asked Janurary to become her kids guardians for 6 months and take care of their family marina. Seth flew into the marina often to visit his family.
That is where they seen each other after 20 years. One of Seth's brother were getting married and they were putting together some events for the wedding. The more time they spent togother the more they reliazed they will have feelings for each other.
They struggled to find time together but when the kids went to visit there father in the summer time their attraction was very stronger. January was feeling very overwhelmed by everything and got even worse when she found out the their father had an affair and had other daughter.
They had their ups and down but finally got their happy ever after they deserved.
Seth and January were high school sweethearts 20 years ago. After they found our she was pregnant and had an abortion they went there separate ways. She became a teacher and he went into the military. After he came home he started his own business at a pilot.
January's sister who was also in the military went overseas on a mission and asked Janurary to become her kids guardians for 6 months and take care of their family marina. Seth flew into the marina often to visit his family.
That is where they seen each other after 20 years. One of Seth's brother were getting married and they were putting together some events for the wedding. The more time they spent togother the more they reliazed they will have feelings for each other.
They struggled to find time together but when the kids went to visit there father in the summer time their attraction was very stronger. January was feeling very overwhelmed by everything and got even worse when she found out the their father had an affair and had other daughter.
They had their ups and down but finally got their happy ever after they deserved.
June 28, 2022
This was a slow burn romance that was actually 20 years in the making. January and Seth were childhood BBF who became lovers before breaking up upon high school graduation and going their separate ways. They both chose to follow a career path that would take them away from the small town of Pine Harbour. While January ends up returning to Pine Harbour both for her job and to help family, Seth is reluctant and will only make short trips to visit with his brothers. I didn’t really understand his reticence of being in Pine Harbour.
I enjoyed watching them rekindle their friendship and love life (fire alarm hot!). And the way Seth integrated into January’s life with her niece and nephew, was endearing. The peanut gallery, AKA their families, was hilarious.
A low angst and low drama read.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
I enjoyed watching them rekindle their friendship and love life (fire alarm hot!). And the way Seth integrated into January’s life with her niece and nephew, was endearing. The peanut gallery, AKA their families, was hilarious.
A low angst and low drama read.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
August 24, 2022
A love story more than 20 years in the making somehow feels like it needed more tension or frustration or more push and pull. Don’t get me wrong, there was some of that but while reading this I was waiting for a major major explosion of sorts, more friction. There were people who showed up in the story who could have created tension and it seemed like sparks of that but then they were quickly put to the wayside. Seth and January were likable but their story could have had a bit more “meat.” I love reading Zoe’s books but Seth and January’s story could have used a bit more work.
June 17, 2022
I don’t think I’ve ever had anything bad to say about a Zoe York book, which is why I was so excited to receive an ARC of the book from the author. This one does not disappoint. It’s about another one of the Kincaid brothers, Seth. A second-chance love story (my favorite kind), Seth comes back to Pine Harbor and runs into his high school best friend/girlfriend whom he has avoided for the past twenty years. Her name is January. Now, I’ve never met anyone with that name, but okay. What I thought made it extra weird is that her sister was named August, and August named her daughter Summer (and her son Levi). Was February unavailable? I know families can be weird about how they make the choices for their childrens’ names, but I would have liked to know WHY her parents named them after months (and why did August name her daughter after a season?). I mean, I wouldn’t be able to ask a real person, so it would have been nice to have fictional characters’ names explained to me.
My quibbles with the female character names did not affect my review, which is really based on the story itself, and on character development (names aside). Zoe York tells stories in a casual voice, like someone would retell a story of something that happened to them, combined with explicit sex scenes and emotional interactions. Still, it’s easy reading, and you shouldn’t expect to run into advanced vocabulary or convoluted sentences. It’s very reader-friendly. It’s told in third-person, past-tense, by an omniscient narrator.
I’m not one to include an overview of the story in my reviews because, honestly, the author takes a lot of time crafting a blurb, so who am I to reword it? What I do like to do is share some of my favorite quotes from a story, so here I go.
January is quite smitten with Seth, but doesn’t want him to know. In her head, she makes an excuse for why she should take a picture of him (for someone else), and denies that it’s because she wants it. Then the narrator says:
“No. Did she? Maybe. Probably not.
Possibly.”
Seth is also fighting his growing feelings for January, reminiscing, “She was the best part of his life, at the worst time of his life…”
There are many questions of what-if? It’s natural to wonder about what could have happened in our lives if we’d made different decisions. Seth and January naturally wonder what could have been if Seth hadn’t enrolled in the Royal Military College and they had stayed together. In the end, they come to realize that the love they shared for one another when they were young was too much for them to cope with when they were young, and they both needed to go off and live their own lives. They needed to mature to truly be thankful one another.
January says: “I used to tell myself that we didn’t love each other when we were young. But that’s not exactly true, is it?”
He shook his head. “I loved you so much, it was too bright for me to see it as love. And you loved me—so much that you helped me to leave you. Maybe you’re right. Maybe that was a grown-up kind of love we couldn’t appreciate at the time.”
The story ends with a teaser for Josh Kincaid’s story next. I’m looking forward to Rebel at Heart.
My quibbles with the female character names did not affect my review, which is really based on the story itself, and on character development (names aside). Zoe York tells stories in a casual voice, like someone would retell a story of something that happened to them, combined with explicit sex scenes and emotional interactions. Still, it’s easy reading, and you shouldn’t expect to run into advanced vocabulary or convoluted sentences. It’s very reader-friendly. It’s told in third-person, past-tense, by an omniscient narrator.
I’m not one to include an overview of the story in my reviews because, honestly, the author takes a lot of time crafting a blurb, so who am I to reword it? What I do like to do is share some of my favorite quotes from a story, so here I go.
January is quite smitten with Seth, but doesn’t want him to know. In her head, she makes an excuse for why she should take a picture of him (for someone else), and denies that it’s because she wants it. Then the narrator says:
“No. Did she? Maybe. Probably not.
Possibly.”
Seth is also fighting his growing feelings for January, reminiscing, “She was the best part of his life, at the worst time of his life…”
There are many questions of what-if? It’s natural to wonder about what could have happened in our lives if we’d made different decisions. Seth and January naturally wonder what could have been if Seth hadn’t enrolled in the Royal Military College and they had stayed together. In the end, they come to realize that the love they shared for one another when they were young was too much for them to cope with when they were young, and they both needed to go off and live their own lives. They needed to mature to truly be thankful one another.
January says: “I used to tell myself that we didn’t love each other when we were young. But that’s not exactly true, is it?”
He shook his head. “I loved you so much, it was too bright for me to see it as love. And you loved me—so much that you helped me to leave you. Maybe you’re right. Maybe that was a grown-up kind of love we couldn’t appreciate at the time.”
The story ends with a teaser for Josh Kincaid’s story next. I’m looking forward to Rebel at Heart.
June 19, 2022
Long time fan of Zoe York and her other iterations as a writer. She just has a way with down-to-earth characters and great love scenes. January and Seth are perfection as a second-chance couple, twenty years after they break up and go their separate ways after high school. Back in their hometown again, they discover there's more than just a spark left of the old flame. I'm not going to give you a spoiler on this, but there are some triggery things regarding generative choice if you have issues with that; personally, I think it is a very good time for the subject of termination to be included in novels, as a choice, as something accepted by the characters, and without trauma or judgment from other characters. Good on Zoe for the fresh air in the dark closet of women's health.
That said, it's not the focus of the book, it's only a small shadow that the H/h carry with them as part of their journey. They are both hard-working professionals, well trained in what they do, and she's helping her sister who is deployed overseas by fostering her niece and nephew over the summer and managing the family's marina; he uses the marina to dock his water plane and conduct tours and shuttling hunters across the big lake. So, unexpectedly, they are working together for a couple of months, and the forced proximity brings up a whole lot of stuff for both of them, including the realization that though they are both introverted with their feelings and dreams, they have always been, to each other, the one person they trusted with both. It's a lovely story of perpetual friendship and deep love that doesn't let go, and bonus, there's a couple of epilogues, including one that is placed ten years out so you can see how the characters fare. This is the penultimate story in this particular series (Kincaid Brothers) and I'm looking forward to the last one teased at the end of this book, Josh's story.
I read this book via an email opportunity from the author, and receive no compensation for review.
That said, it's not the focus of the book, it's only a small shadow that the H/h carry with them as part of their journey. They are both hard-working professionals, well trained in what they do, and she's helping her sister who is deployed overseas by fostering her niece and nephew over the summer and managing the family's marina; he uses the marina to dock his water plane and conduct tours and shuttling hunters across the big lake. So, unexpectedly, they are working together for a couple of months, and the forced proximity brings up a whole lot of stuff for both of them, including the realization that though they are both introverted with their feelings and dreams, they have always been, to each other, the one person they trusted with both. It's a lovely story of perpetual friendship and deep love that doesn't let go, and bonus, there's a couple of epilogues, including one that is placed ten years out so you can see how the characters fare. This is the penultimate story in this particular series (Kincaid Brothers) and I'm looking forward to the last one teased at the end of this book, Josh's story.
I read this book via an email opportunity from the author, and receive no compensation for review.
July 11, 2022
This was rec'd on IG for positive abortion rep which is why I caught up on this series over the last couple days.
This was a second chance romance about a couple of high school kids that got pregnant, knew neither were ready to be parents so decided to secretly get an abortion on a weekend in Hamilton. They break up and over the next 20 years, they avoid each other. He joins the air force, going away to the Royal Military College and she goes to teachers college and returns to her home town to teach math at the community school. He leaves the air force and sets up his own air ferry service, flying back only occasionally to see his family in an effort to avoid her and his feelings, until the summer that her sister, who runs the marina he's been flying into for the last summer gets the opportunity to travel to Lebanon as a reservist and takes it. January takes a leave from teaching to manage the marina and care for her niblings, throwing her Seth back together.
Once they've overcome the awkwardness of their past, they become friends again, and then lovers with the expectation that it's just for the summer, only it isn't. Seth realizes that he still loves January and even when she gets scared after finding out her dad was even more of an asshole than she thought he was, he continues to be there for her as a friend. I loved that with the hindsight of 20 years, they both agree that the abortion was the right decision for them to make and that neither of them have regrets. I've never read this before in a book and we need more of this on page to normalize this choice. While I enjoy the accidental/secret baby trope, they're going to hit differently in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US and I'm curious about what kind of impact we'll see in the kinds of stories writers will tell in future.
Jul/22: Cross Canada Summer Romance Reading Challenge - Takes Place in Small Town Canada
This was a second chance romance about a couple of high school kids that got pregnant, knew neither were ready to be parents so decided to secretly get an abortion on a weekend in Hamilton. They break up and over the next 20 years, they avoid each other. He joins the air force, going away to the Royal Military College and she goes to teachers college and returns to her home town to teach math at the community school. He leaves the air force and sets up his own air ferry service, flying back only occasionally to see his family in an effort to avoid her and his feelings, until the summer that her sister, who runs the marina he's been flying into for the last summer gets the opportunity to travel to Lebanon as a reservist and takes it. January takes a leave from teaching to manage the marina and care for her niblings, throwing her Seth back together.
Once they've overcome the awkwardness of their past, they become friends again, and then lovers with the expectation that it's just for the summer, only it isn't. Seth realizes that he still loves January and even when she gets scared after finding out her dad was even more of an asshole than she thought he was, he continues to be there for her as a friend. I loved that with the hindsight of 20 years, they both agree that the abortion was the right decision for them to make and that neither of them have regrets. I've never read this before in a book and we need more of this on page to normalize this choice. While I enjoy the accidental/secret baby trope, they're going to hit differently in light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US and I'm curious about what kind of impact we'll see in the kinds of stories writers will tell in future.
Jul/22: Cross Canada Summer Romance Reading Challenge - Takes Place in Small Town Canada
June 17, 2022
5 Stars for this second chance romance!
I have been waiting for Seth and January's story ... and I was not disappointed! I can't say enough great things about this series. The writing captures everyday people and their lives to a T. The realistic banter makes me feel like I could live right there in the pages of the book. I loved how January and Seth had this natural way with each other ... knowing what the other needed before they even knew. I loved how Seth just stepped right in to help January when he saw she was struggling with her new roles. And as usual for Ms. York's books, the steam is at a 10! The last Kincaid brother's (Josh) story is up next and I'll be so sorry to see this series end. I would have liked a story on January's sister August and then there's Shaye ... I know there's a story there.
Seth and January had a secret relationship back in high school that apparently wasn't so secret. But when high school ended, January went off to college while Seth joined the Air Force. Twenty years later, January is a teacher in Pine Harbour while Seth has his own business flying clients into northern Ontario. Even though his base is in Blind River, last summer he starts flying out of Pine Harbour three days a week. January's sister August runs the marina, but goes on a six-month tour of duty and January takes over her duties at the marina and looking after August's two teenage kids. She knew she'd have to see Seth later in the summer three days a week, she just wasn't prepared to see him her first day, when nothing was going right. Seth almost swallowed his tongue when he saw January behind the counter at the marina, in nothing but a little night shirt. All those memories come rushing back for both of them ... love and broken hearts.
I received a copy courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
I have been waiting for Seth and January's story ... and I was not disappointed! I can't say enough great things about this series. The writing captures everyday people and their lives to a T. The realistic banter makes me feel like I could live right there in the pages of the book. I loved how January and Seth had this natural way with each other ... knowing what the other needed before they even knew. I loved how Seth just stepped right in to help January when he saw she was struggling with her new roles. And as usual for Ms. York's books, the steam is at a 10! The last Kincaid brother's (Josh) story is up next and I'll be so sorry to see this series end. I would have liked a story on January's sister August and then there's Shaye ... I know there's a story there.
Seth and January had a secret relationship back in high school that apparently wasn't so secret. But when high school ended, January went off to college while Seth joined the Air Force. Twenty years later, January is a teacher in Pine Harbour while Seth has his own business flying clients into northern Ontario. Even though his base is in Blind River, last summer he starts flying out of Pine Harbour three days a week. January's sister August runs the marina, but goes on a six-month tour of duty and January takes over her duties at the marina and looking after August's two teenage kids. She knew she'd have to see Seth later in the summer three days a week, she just wasn't prepared to see him her first day, when nothing was going right. Seth almost swallowed his tongue when he saw January behind the counter at the marina, in nothing but a little night shirt. All those memories come rushing back for both of them ... love and broken hearts.
I received a copy courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
June 22, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Zoe York for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Fearless at Heart is the 4th book in a standalone series about the Kincaid brothers. This book is about Seth Kincaid and January Howe. They dated in high school but broke up when Seth joined the Air Force. For years, they've been avoiding each other whenever Seth visits their hometown. But, that ends when January has to manage her family's marina while her sister is away, and Seth owns a business where he flies a floatplane and he needs to dock at the marina.
The chemistry between the two is unbelievable. This was very light-hearted compared to other second chance romance I've read. No cheating, no betrayal, no revenge, no resentment. Although I do like the boats of drama those type of second chance romance books provide, it's nice to read one about two ex-lovers who went their separate ways after high school and reconnected years after, albeit unplanned. Their entire relationship (as adults) is so mature, it's refreshing. They were always respectful, understanding and there for each other. I really liked that they didn't dwell over unnecessary things for way longer than necessary.
Another thing I'm glad for in this book is the portrayal of . Not many books portray it and when they do, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But the portrayal of here was written beautifully. They made a tough decision and they were there for each other. Seth and January didn't hate each other or regret their decision. They truly matured over the years.
Fearless at Heart is the 4th book in a standalone series about the Kincaid brothers. This book is about Seth Kincaid and January Howe. They dated in high school but broke up when Seth joined the Air Force. For years, they've been avoiding each other whenever Seth visits their hometown. But, that ends when January has to manage her family's marina while her sister is away, and Seth owns a business where he flies a floatplane and he needs to dock at the marina.
The chemistry between the two is unbelievable. This was very light-hearted compared to other second chance romance I've read. No cheating, no betrayal, no revenge, no resentment. Although I do like the boats of drama those type of second chance romance books provide, it's nice to read one about two ex-lovers who went their separate ways after high school and reconnected years after, albeit unplanned. Their entire relationship (as adults) is so mature, it's refreshing. They were always respectful, understanding and there for each other. I really liked that they didn't dwell over unnecessary things for way longer than necessary.
Another thing I'm glad for in this book is the portrayal of . Not many books portray it and when they do, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But the portrayal of here was written beautifully. They made a tough decision and they were there for each other. Seth and January didn't hate each other or regret their decision. They truly matured over the years.
July 14, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the Victory Editing Co-op for providing this review copy. All opinions are my own.
Wow, what a wonderful story! Fearless at Heart follows Seth Kincaid and January Howe, two former high school sweethearts, who are reunited for the summer and find themselves falling deeper than either imagined. After leaving Pine Harbour after high school for a career in the military, Seth returns to his hometown after twenty years to conduct business for his air ferry company. January, meanwhile, has taken over her family’s marina for the summer and is taking care of her niece and nephew while her sister is out of the country. Seth offers to assist January with the children to help take a few things off her plate, and what begins as one old friend helping out another, quickly becomes something more. As old hurts and feelings are brought to the surface, January and Seth must decide if what they have is for more than the summer— and might even be built to last.
Zoe York writes some of the best small-town contemporary romances on the market, and Fearless at Heart is another winner. She has a way of writing such warm, fully-realized characters that feel like they are so true to life while also being achingly romantic. Seth and January are one of my favorite couples in this year’s crop of contemporaries and are a great addition to the other books in Pine Harbour series (which are also excellent!). This is a story of love, lost and rediscovered, and is a must read for anyone who loves Zoe York or second-chance romances. Fearless at Heart is a definite purchase for our digital collection. 4.5 stars.
Wow, what a wonderful story! Fearless at Heart follows Seth Kincaid and January Howe, two former high school sweethearts, who are reunited for the summer and find themselves falling deeper than either imagined. After leaving Pine Harbour after high school for a career in the military, Seth returns to his hometown after twenty years to conduct business for his air ferry company. January, meanwhile, has taken over her family’s marina for the summer and is taking care of her niece and nephew while her sister is out of the country. Seth offers to assist January with the children to help take a few things off her plate, and what begins as one old friend helping out another, quickly becomes something more. As old hurts and feelings are brought to the surface, January and Seth must decide if what they have is for more than the summer— and might even be built to last.
Zoe York writes some of the best small-town contemporary romances on the market, and Fearless at Heart is another winner. She has a way of writing such warm, fully-realized characters that feel like they are so true to life while also being achingly romantic. Seth and January are one of my favorite couples in this year’s crop of contemporaries and are a great addition to the other books in Pine Harbour series (which are also excellent!). This is a story of love, lost and rediscovered, and is a must read for anyone who loves Zoe York or second-chance romances. Fearless at Heart is a definite purchase for our digital collection. 4.5 stars.
July 10, 2022
Zoe York is a must to me. I’ve bought and reviewed many of her books and I´ll keep doing it.
For twenty years, Seth Kincaid has kept his visits to his home town brief. He’s not avoiding January Howe, exactly—he’s giving his high school girlfriend space. But that distance evaporates when she takes over her family’s marina for the summer. January is temporarily raising her niece and nephew while her sister is overseas, and running the family business, too. The last thing she needs is the dangerous risk of pretending a fling with Seth could be simple. Except the grown man version of the boy she once dated helps with the kids, no questions asked, and then once they’re asleep, satisfies her desires.
But two decades of distance is a shadow layered on top of complicated, long-ago memories. Whatever this temporary magic spell they are under, it can only be for the summer.
This book has an intensity that can be hard to get into in the beginning, but then, you can´t stop reading about these two amazing characters. Seth has all these inflexible ideas about himself and what he should or shouldn’t do with his life. January is a beautiful character too, strong and resilient. I enjoyed a lot all the scenes together. The sparks are right there and the attraction too.
This is definitely a slow burn romance, but full of aghast and emotional moments. There are many interesting side character, many of them from previous books, and it was great visiting them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For twenty years, Seth Kincaid has kept his visits to his home town brief. He’s not avoiding January Howe, exactly—he’s giving his high school girlfriend space. But that distance evaporates when she takes over her family’s marina for the summer. January is temporarily raising her niece and nephew while her sister is overseas, and running the family business, too. The last thing she needs is the dangerous risk of pretending a fling with Seth could be simple. Except the grown man version of the boy she once dated helps with the kids, no questions asked, and then once they’re asleep, satisfies her desires.
But two decades of distance is a shadow layered on top of complicated, long-ago memories. Whatever this temporary magic spell they are under, it can only be for the summer.
This book has an intensity that can be hard to get into in the beginning, but then, you can´t stop reading about these two amazing characters. Seth has all these inflexible ideas about himself and what he should or shouldn’t do with his life. January is a beautiful character too, strong and resilient. I enjoyed a lot all the scenes together. The sparks are right there and the attraction too.
This is definitely a slow burn romance, but full of aghast and emotional moments. There are many interesting side character, many of them from previous books, and it was great visiting them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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