Westie Besties: A Second Chance, High School Sweethearts Romance (Maple Cove Dog Lovers’ Society Book 5)

by Nala Henkel-Aislinn

Quinn and Levi were high school sweethearts, but a secret forced them apart.

Quinn carried on with her life in small town Maple Cove when Levi joined the military. She was content, and rarely thought about him, keeping her secret to herself all these years.

After high school prom leaves him broken-hearted, he changes his plan. Not to just join the military, but to join at the toughest level he could—the U.S. Army Rangers. The brutal training worked, squeezing all memories and thoughts of Quinn out of his mind.

Years later, on a dangerous mission, a fellow soldier and friend is killed. Levi must make good on a promise he made to his friend—raise his young child. With his discharge in hand, Levi has no place to go but home. How will he face the woman he once loved, and how will he complete his new mission...substitute father.

Westie Besties is the fifth book in the sweet romance series, Maple Cove Dog Lovers' Society.

262 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2022

Reviews

[Donise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn broke Levi's heart the night of their senior prom so shortly after graduation he left town and became an Army Ranger. Now several years later, Levi is returning to his hometown with his 8-year-old adopted daughter and a lot of mixed feelings. A man in Levi's unit dies and Levi was forced to fulfill his promise to take care of the guy's little girl. All Levi can think to do is to return to his hometown and let his mom take care of Magnolia and then he will reup and go back to being a Ranger.
Quinn has always lived next door to Levi's childhood home and they were always together until a secret and a rejection tore them apart. Quinn now runs a bread bakery in town and it has become her entire world. She is shocked when Levi shows up early on a Sunday morning with a little girl in tow.
The more Levi and Quinn interact the more they start to realize that things aren't as finished as they thought. Magnolia and Levi's mom do their part in trying to keep Levi home and get him together with Quinn, but will it be enough? Can Levi settle down and become a real dad to Magnolia? Read this wonderful small town book and watch Maple Cove and the dog society work their magic.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh! I adore a second chance. This pair desperately need one considering how deep the water is under that bridge. Childhood best friends and high school sweethearts, Quinn and Levi looked like the textbook definition of “soulmates”. Circumstances and personal choices tore this perfect couple apart, but now they’re both in Maple Cove at the same time. Can they get past all the pain and hurt that’s kept them apart for this long or will personal choices and circumstances keep them from their happily ever after again? I adored this story. There are so many big emotions in here and for a drama junkie, they’re pretty much irresistible. It broke my heart, but I loved watching Levi and Quinn reconnect and heal from the wounds they’d inflicted on each other. Magnolia was such a brilliant character. She adds such depth and complexity to the relationships in this story. The teaser that closes out this book has succeeded in making me just a little desperate to get my hands on the next book even though I’ve only just barely finished reading this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levi Whitman is returning home to Maple Cove with a monkey on his shoulder and an orphaned little girl who hates him. He cannot imagine any other life other than the military, but before he can plan his future, he needs to place Magnolia safely into his mother's hands, which of course brings him back to the aggravating monkey and having to see Quinn again. After what she did to him on Prom Night, Levi knows that there is unfinished business between them, but hopefully, he can avoid her and hightail out of town again. Quinn is dreading meeting Levi, especially as she never told him the truth. However, when he arrives with a sulking and angry little girl in tow, she finds herself reaching out to both of them. More than one heart needs to be healed in this novel, and the key to success, apart from a rescue dog, is talking about the problems that beset one. This romance comes to a happy and sweet conclusion, although it would appear that there are others in Maple Cove who also need some closure. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westie Besties: Maple Cove Dog Lovers' Society is the 5th book in this series but can be read as a standalone book.

Levi is home from the Army Rangers because his good friend was killed in action and he promised to care for his eight-year-old daughter if the worst happened. It took some months to sort through the will and adopt Magnolia but now they are both staying with Levi's Mom in Maple Cove. Trouble is, his high school sweetheart, who he never got over the break-up with, is living right next door.

Quinn is running a successful bakery since Levi left for boot camp. He never knew the real reason she broke up with Levi at their senior prom. She tried to move on, but all the new couples in town are making her all work and no fun life choices seem like they are lacking something important.

Quinn and Levi have all the same feelings for each other but are avoiding them to protect their hearts. Can these two work out what they couldn't as young adults? Will Levi re-enlist in the Rangers leaving Magnolia in her Grandmother's care?

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart broke for Quinn when she finally told Levi the real reasons she broke up with him years ago. I don’t think he would have been mature enough to handle it considering he was thinking about eventually marrying Quinn and starting dating someone else soon afterwards. But being in the military and given custody of his deceased ranger buddy’s daughter changed him. Still for someone who had to be so brave he seems scared to confront his past and handle an angry child. Levi and Quinn have a lot of issues with poor communications in this book for fear of getting hurt. Biscuits sounds adorable and I love that he brings such happiness to Magnolia. It was great to catch up with the characters from the previous books in the series.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levi and Quinn had been best friends since very young and eventually a couple during high school, but broke it off the night of Prom. He went into the military and when a situations happened that changed his life, he was coming back to his hometown with a new family member. Heartache, uncertainty and lots of memories keep the pages turning. The storyline was terrific with dogs, new friends, a bakery, friends at the vet hospital and rescue, surprises, twists and much more. Loved the chemistry between Levi and Quinn and Magnolia. His mother was fantastic. Great ending .

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

[Elizabeth Kemper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting and Finding Love

Captain Levi Whitman, Army Ranger, has returned home to Maple Cove, WA with his newly adopted 8 year old daughter, Magnolia. He's also returning to Quinn, his high school sweetheart and the girl who broke his heart. Quinn is a talented baker and owns the local Hearthfire Bakery. Will Levi overcome his fear of civilian life, learn to love his new daughter and his renew his lost love for Quinn? Can Magnolia overcome a tough start in life? Will Quinn face her greatest fear and secret and accept Levi's return? It's a well written, touching love story of lost love found, building family love and renewing community love.

[Lynn Sell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from this author! This is a stand alone book with a HEA but is part of the series. What I love is you get to see how the characters from the previous books are continuing with their lives. It is a small town series where everyone knows everyone. This book is about Quinn who owns the Hearthfire bakery which focuses on breads. Her high school soul mate, Levi, is back from the Army Rangers with a child. There is a lot of pain/hurt between Levi and Quinn. As they start to renew their friendship and truths come out, they begin to feel their love spark again. These were great characters and the author pulled you right into their lives. I couldn’t put the book down! The author makes you feel part of the town and the story as you are reading.
I am a volunteer ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written second chance romance between Quinn and Levi. The author does a great job building the story as she brings them together, working through their pain from the past and start a new and stronger relationship. The scenes are painted perfectly and the story flows fluidly. I loved reading their story and would recommend reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning to Maple Cove, leaving his adopted daughter with his mother and going back to the military is all Levi wants. Then he saw his old girlfriend and she saw his daughter and questions needed to be asked and answered before they could even try to be friends again. I enjoyed the way the story unfolds with painful but truthful conversations that heal old wounds and make old feelings feel new.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read! A well written, second chance romance filled with secrets, heartache, anguish but also hope and happiness and so much more. I will admit to a few tears here and there as Quinn and Levi meet up again after time apart and try to sort out their differences, their unfinished business and hopefully fingers crossed, get their hea!

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful well written book that I loved reading. I loved Quinn and Levi theirs is a second chance story filled with anguish, headache, secrets, hope, some tears, romance, happiness and second chances. .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cecelia Crews · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will love this book

This author is very good at what she does and it really shows in each of these books she has written. Everyone of these stories are different but yet connected and the way they end keeps you wanting to read more.

[Lovell Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay but needed more humour. Believable situations and wonderful characters. Will read more by this author. .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.