Starting Over

Highland Falls #5

by Kat Ryan

Starting over in a small town, relationships aren’t on the horizon. Especially with your neighbor.

Drew Spencer
My future was well mapped out. Since college I’ve dreamed of working with the Hotshots, fighting fires out west as part of a team. But plans are great—until they aren’t. When my dreams crumbled to ash, my brother provided a soft place to land in the small town of Highland Falls where he settled years ago. I’m not looking for anything more than days at the brewery and time with family. And then I take a yoga class taught by Kate Ashley and my plans change. Again.

Kate Ashley
I thought I had it all: a career I loved and forever with my college sweetheart. But it was all a lie—one I told to myself. So, I picked up my yoga mat and moved to a small town in Illinois to go into business with my best friend. Meeting a Norse God named Drew was not in the cards until he moved in next door and we get snowed in. I mean, what’s a girl to do?

Genres: Adult

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 6, 2022

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I finish a Highland Falls novel I think that it's my favorite. Same goes with this one! I think it's my favorite. Drew and Katie were both extremely relatable and just really well rounded out characters. I liked their love story but what I liked more was how they both overcame the trails that they faced. But um.... Logan and Alyson?! Yes, I need to know more! Where is Lou when I need some answers!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up in a small town, visiting Highland Falls with each book written by Kat Ryan is like being home enveloped in the familiar and the security it provides. When we walk the streets and park with the characters and enter places of business and community, we are among friends. They love and live just as we do. They have struggles and triumphs, but their family and friends, the true ones, have their backs. The conversations, the banter among siblings and friends, and the thoughts of the main characters will have you laughing out loud repeatedly and turning the pages as fast as you can.

In this fifth book, Kate Ashley and Drew Spencer have arrived in Highland Falls with past experiences weighing heavily on their souls. They both believe they are too flawed to trust in real, lasting love. In alternating chapters in their voices, we follow them as they discover their best selves. We agonize with them and cheer for them. We come to love them as their friends and families do. And it all starts to heat up with a snow day.

[Colorado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Highland Falls! Kat Ryan's series and this small town offer warmth, friendship, comfort and romance - in addition to taking place in a very contemporary world and tackling some serious issues. Starting Over is Drew's story. Introduced in Loving Ivy, Drew was such a likeable man that I immediately wanted to know more about him. (While this is part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone.) A former firefighter, Drew is suffering from anxiety and meets Kate when he decides to try a class at her yoga studio. As Drew learns how to cope with his issues, he and Kate build a relationship together. Having lived through a massive wildfire in Boulder County about a year ago, I completely empathized with Drew's experience with anxiety. Ryan's depiction of both the condition and coping mechanisms is light-handed and realistic. Very satisfying story!

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Great series!
What an amazing read this was. I absolutely loved this slow burn between Kate & Drew. I appreciated their friendship & how extremely real their mental struggles were. I love that their friends & most of their families supported them unconditionally. Great book & a great series!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series and holy smokes Drew and Kate and their slow burn was phenomenal! Such an excellent read. I loved the journey these two took in starting over and finding their HEA. Absolutely fabulous.

[Kelly]

Another winner in the Highlands Falls series. This time the couple featured is Kate and Drew. Drew is dealing with anxiety after a traumatic experience. Both characters are questioning their own intuition and life choices. Slow burn, but not too slow. Kate’s feelings and experiences regarding friendships really resonated.

I also commend the author for showcasing a healthy breakup where the two people remain friends.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat Ryan’s best yet!!!

[Richard Gaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drew and Kate rock!

Another great couple written by Kat Ryan. So happy to see all the siblings and friends. Reading about Highland Falls is like going home.

[Amanda Wittig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite Kat Ryan story so far.

[Robin | TheWanderingReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sweet story set in Highland Falls, with happy Hallmark movie vibes.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it - so happy for Drew to get his HEA.