From This Moment

The Bedfords #1

by H.C. Bentley

Independent and outspoken, Grace Burgess is everything her conservative parents think she shouldn’t be. To their way of thinking, she should be settling down, not dreaming of adventure. But Grace wants to visit new places and see new things, without having to worry about her parents or being tied down to a man. Then she meets Ray.

​Ray Bedford isn’t looking to meet 'the one'. He’s perfectly content to continue his bachelor ways and to work his job as a firefighter with the Gatlinburg Fire Department. But when he meets Grace, he's more than willing to reconsider his single guy status.

There's no doubt that there's a spark between Grace and Ray. And though Grace feels it, she's determined to live her life on her terms, even if means pushing the charming firefighter away. Her resolve is tested when Ray is involved in a near-fatal accident on the job. Facing the thought of losing him, Grace is forced to confront her feelings and decide which she wants more: her independence or the man she loves.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Firefighters, Contemporary Romance

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2022

About the author

There's just something about a small town that makes relationships interesting, whether they are romances, long-running feuds, or life-long friendships. These are the relationships H.C. Bentley enjoys discovering and exploring. Well that, and the fact she just loves a good happily ever after or second chance story.

When she's not writing, H.C. works as a cataloging librarian at her county library. In her spare time, you can find her playing pool, traveling with her family, or curled up watching movies (romantic comedies are a favorite!). She's also an avid reader, leaning towards various authors of romance and chick lit, but her favorite is Nora Roberts.

A southern girl at heart, H.C. calls Kentucky her home. After opting to join the military to pay for college, she spent three years stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany before returning to her hometown in rural western Kentucky, where she and her husband live with their two daughters.

H.C. loves chatting with readers. You can contact her through her website, or any of her social media.

Website: http://hcbentley5.wix.com/hc-bentley 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HC-Bentley-9... 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... 

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Reviews

[HolidayHabit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t really like that the prologue and the epilogue were the same moment in time. The book starts at their 25th wedding anniversary party, which made me feel like, what was the point of reading it if I already know how it ends!

It also made it difficult to identify what decade the story was being told in. I can only assume the past, but it wasn’t clear if this was the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s. If the prologue/epilogue is current time then it would make the story set in late 90’s but there didn’t seem to be any mobile phones or computers and the old fashioned ideas Grace’s parents had were seriously out of touch for the late 90’s. This niggled at me for the whole story.

This book seems to have set the series up so that subsequent books will now involve their children. This book was free and it was an okay read with minimal drama and conflict, but also quite predictable (considering you already know the ending!). I’d consider reading another in the series if it was also free, but otherwise I’m not invested enough to buy them.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish this book as there is swearing and I am not interested in books that contain it.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/26/2022)! 🎁

[Sonya Wasden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace is fresh out of high school at 18 and Ray is a firefighter with the Gatlinburg Fire department who is a few years older. He is ready to start settling down and looking for someone to spend the rest of his life with. Grace wants to travel and live her life on her terms and is not ready to settle down. When she first meets Ray, there are sparks and definite chemistry between them. As their relationship progresses, it is obvious that Ray wants more and Grace isn't sure. When Ray is injured in a terrible work related accident, Grace begins to see what is most important. Can these two have a forever kind of love story?

This story was sweet but there was a little smattering of foul language and somewhat descriptive sex scenes in this book which I didn't enjoy. For the most part, I enjoyed their love story.

I was given an arc of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly endearing story, filled with true love, admiration, respect and devotion. It was wonderful to see two people find each other and so quickly become more than friends. Although Grace has parents who are controlling, she is stubborn and asserts herself as an adult who can make her own decisions. Ray on the other hand has great family support, but has a work life that sometimes seems overwhelming.

The story beautifully tells about this couple moving from friendship to infatuation to true love. It was a joy to read. And of course there are other friendships that play a crucial role in both of their lives. So when tragedy strikes there are plenty of people to hold things together. What a wonderful life this pair has!

[Sharli Kaltenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how to give half stars, I didn't give a five as there a few places missing words or that have extra words. I have only read the end of the book at the beginning one time and it's because the book was so hard to read. I have also read very few from the man's perspective. This was a great story and so real. Both sets of parents are how parents truly are and life decisions being made together was great. I will read more from this Author, hopefully thier proof reader will be having a better day.

[Tree Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

I love a strong female character and Grace fits. She knows what she wants, who she wants and she stands up to all who try to tell her no. Strong family and friend ties are here too. My first read by H C and I read it because of the location in Gatlinburg (favorite place to visit) ! Well done and I will definitely check out the next one. 💜

[christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top pick of the shelf

I was not only hooked but in love with this contemporary romance. The characters were strong supportive and brilliant. Hats off to the author H.C. Bentley. Highly recommend this book.

[Claire Rackett · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read overall and was easy to follow. I thought the fast forward at the end a bit strange but it was OK and also there were far too many mistakes and errors within the text, it should have been edited much more carefully.

[Rea Alexandris · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I DNF'ed this book, it could be appealing for readers who enjoy a cozy small town romance.
I wish the author hadn't started with the HEA as there is nothing to look towards.
This is a little cliché romance, nothing new under the sun, but could be appealing to the ones who enjoy this.

[zen_s]

[did not finish @ 32%] book doesn't resonate with me, that's all i can say...

[Amanda M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. A small town romance that draws you in from start to finish. It is a page turner with a bit of feels, a little humor and a whole lot of love.

[Steve Thomason · Rating 3 out of 5]

first time reading this author

The story was good. It had more steam than I prefer, though. It also needed better editing. Not only lots of typos, the formatting wasn’t consistent.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story

This book was such a great love story. I love reading can't wait for to start reading more of these love stories

[Bubby D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sweet

I liked the idea of the whole book being a flashback of their lives
Warm feel good story
Great character development
HEA