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Falls Creek #2
What Heals Us
"Surely losing your virginity to a firefighter in a cabin getaway that was won at a fundraiser was against some fine-print bylaw in the town charter."
______________________
It all started with a list.
Ten resolutions for a new year, new me.
Or at least the me I thought I should be.
It was going all fine and dandy until I got snowed in with my friend’s brother.
Her much older brother. What happens in the cabin, stays in the cabin. Right?
Wrong.
When Austin Hale shows up on my doorstep, offering to help me with my list, I decide that I’d be crazy to say no. He’s new in town, and I’d rather not go on my journey of self-discovery alone.
We can do this as friends. Besides, he’s too old for me, and the two of us have enough baggage to fill an airplane.
Ten resolutions, and then we move on.
In my mind, the rules are clear. But my heart has plans of its own.
______________________
Welcome back to Falls Creek, North Carolina, where gossip is a way of life and meddling is a show of affection. What Heals Us is a small-town romance packed with heat and heart. Get ready to melt over hunky firefighter Austin Hale, and sweet kindergarten teacher, Caroline Tyree. This is book two in the Falls Creek series, but can be read as a standalone.
______________________
It all started with a list.
Ten resolutions for a new year, new me.
Or at least the me I thought I should be.
It was going all fine and dandy until I got snowed in with my friend’s brother.
Her much older brother. What happens in the cabin, stays in the cabin. Right?
Wrong.
When Austin Hale shows up on my doorstep, offering to help me with my list, I decide that I’d be crazy to say no. He’s new in town, and I’d rather not go on my journey of self-discovery alone.
We can do this as friends. Besides, he’s too old for me, and the two of us have enough baggage to fill an airplane.
Ten resolutions, and then we move on.
In my mind, the rules are clear. But my heart has plans of its own.
______________________
Welcome back to Falls Creek, North Carolina, where gossip is a way of life and meddling is a show of affection. What Heals Us is a small-town romance packed with heat and heart. Get ready to melt over hunky firefighter Austin Hale, and sweet kindergarten teacher, Caroline Tyree. This is book two in the Falls Creek series, but can be read as a standalone.
436 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2023
905 people are currently reading
7442 people want to read
About the author
Maggie C. Gates
24 books2,165 followersMaggie Gates writes raw, relatable, romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her Kindle is always within reach due to a love of small town romances that borders on obsession.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 595 reviews
November 12, 2024
3.5 stars
Easy sweet read. Low angst and with a sweet cinnamon roll hero. But this did not need to be a 436 page book. A good 100 pages could have been cut down. There wasn’t enough tension or conflict to drag it out that much. The last 50 pages especially felt pointless, like a long running epilogue.
The heroine Caroline is a 22 year old kindergarten teacher who has lupus. She had a kidney transplant when she was 11 years old so she's spent most of her young life in and out of hospitals. She's now trying to make up for "lost time" and find her independence and normalcy after living such a sheltered smothered life. I liked the chronic illness representation here. Seeing her deal with her lupus flare-ups was also great to see because you don't normally get that. I learned stuff here I didn't even know about lupus and kidney donors, like a transplant recipient getting similar food cravings from their donor. So interesting! I also liked that the heroine was an artist who paints and sells her work. I just wish her personality was a little more interesting. She's very shy and skittish in the beginning but slowly comes out of her shell with the hero's help. Their first kiss and the hero "teaching" her was quite sexy I have to say. 🔥 So sensual. But between her reservedness and snappiness (that sometimes just comes out of nowhere) you don't really get much beyond that as far as a personality. Side note: I really need authors to do their research when writing characters who are painters. You don't leave your oil paint brushes soaked "in water for days". Only way to clean oil paint brushes is with a solvent or a bar of soap so not sure why Caroline would be dipping/leaving her brushes in water for? Oil paint is not the same as watercolor.
The hero Austin is a total sweetheart. A stacked firefighter with a heart of gold. But he was a little *too* sweet and perfect for me that it started to wear thin and take me out of scenes. He's the type of hero who knows exactly what to say and when to say it, how to act, how to take care of everyone around him, needs to fuss and pamper the heroine 24/7 and calling her "sugar" and "sweets" in good rotation to the point you can guess when he's gonna use which nickname next. lol It's sugar, sweets, sugar, sweets, sugar! sweets! 😅 The stuff this guy says sounded like it belonged on a Hallmark card or a Ted Talk, it was a little bit much. It was so frequent and constant that it started to feel unrealistic and less meaningful. It really read like the author pulled inspirational quotes from her Pinterest board and slapped it in here as dialogue.
I'm sorry but no man talks this way:
The hero is 35 so there is a big age gap here and I liked how it was handled for the most part (although the "old" remarks by everyone were a bit much). Someone so patient and gentle like Austin is what the heroine needed. Also the size difference here is glorious but is the heroine an elf? The number of times the 6'5 hero is described "dropping down to his knee" to talk to her eye to eye was weird and anatomically not correct? Unless your heroine is child sized? lol I don't know the writing for me felt a bit off in places as far as world building and just prose in general. It's very purple. That and this book is crowded with one too many characters. I didn't realize this series is a spinoff from another larger series so you get a handful of secondary characters from that series pop in and endless name dropping that makes your head spin. I lost track of how many women "friend zoned" the hero that apparently took place in the previous books. While I don't think Gates's writing is for me I feel obligated to give Book 1 a try since the heroine is Iranian. :P
Easy sweet read. Low angst and with a sweet cinnamon roll hero. But this did not need to be a 436 page book. A good 100 pages could have been cut down. There wasn’t enough tension or conflict to drag it out that much. The last 50 pages especially felt pointless, like a long running epilogue.
The heroine Caroline is a 22 year old kindergarten teacher who has lupus. She had a kidney transplant when she was 11 years old so she's spent most of her young life in and out of hospitals. She's now trying to make up for "lost time" and find her independence and normalcy after living such a sheltered smothered life. I liked the chronic illness representation here. Seeing her deal with her lupus flare-ups was also great to see because you don't normally get that. I learned stuff here I didn't even know about lupus and kidney donors, like a transplant recipient getting similar food cravings from their donor. So interesting! I also liked that the heroine was an artist who paints and sells her work. I just wish her personality was a little more interesting. She's very shy and skittish in the beginning but slowly comes out of her shell with the hero's help. Their first kiss and the hero "teaching" her was quite sexy I have to say. 🔥 So sensual. But between her reservedness and snappiness (that sometimes just comes out of nowhere) you don't really get much beyond that as far as a personality. Side note: I really need authors to do their research when writing characters who are painters. You don't leave your oil paint brushes soaked "in water for days". Only way to clean oil paint brushes is with a solvent or a bar of soap so not sure why Caroline would be dipping/leaving her brushes in water for? Oil paint is not the same as watercolor.
The hero Austin is a total sweetheart. A stacked firefighter with a heart of gold. But he was a little *too* sweet and perfect for me that it started to wear thin and take me out of scenes. He's the type of hero who knows exactly what to say and when to say it, how to act, how to take care of everyone around him, needs to fuss and pamper the heroine 24/7 and calling her "sugar" and "sweets" in good rotation to the point you can guess when he's gonna use which nickname next. lol It's sugar, sweets, sugar, sweets, sugar! sweets! 😅 The stuff this guy says sounded like it belonged on a Hallmark card or a Ted Talk, it was a little bit much. It was so frequent and constant that it started to feel unrealistic and less meaningful. It really read like the author pulled inspirational quotes from her Pinterest board and slapped it in here as dialogue.
I'm sorry but no man talks this way:
“You are more than the sum of your past and present. The future is an unknown variable, and that’s the best part.” He kissed my forehead. “Don’t give up.”
“You know what I see?” Austin said. “I see the ocean and think of how strong you are. And the way you look at that sunrise? The brilliant colors, the power of the waves, the steadfastness of the sun—that’s the way I look at you. No matter how hard the days are, the sun keeps rising. It never stops. Never gives up.
“Maybe sometimes it’s better to wait and seize life when you’re ready for it, rather than just floating along, letting life happen to you. You feel like you’re behind, but you’re not. You have miles more earned empathy and life experience under your belt. Not despite everything you’ve been through, but because of it.”
The hero is 35 so there is a big age gap here and I liked how it was handled for the most part (although the "old" remarks by everyone were a bit much). Someone so patient and gentle like Austin is what the heroine needed. Also the size difference here is glorious but is the heroine an elf? The number of times the 6'5 hero is described "dropping down to his knee" to talk to her eye to eye was weird and anatomically not correct? Unless your heroine is child sized? lol I don't know the writing for me felt a bit off in places as far as world building and just prose in general. It's very purple. That and this book is crowded with one too many characters. I didn't realize this series is a spinoff from another larger series so you get a handful of secondary characters from that series pop in and endless name dropping that makes your head spin. I lost track of how many women "friend zoned" the hero that apparently took place in the previous books. While I don't think Gates's writing is for me I feel obligated to give Book 1 a try since the heroine is Iranian. :P
January 26, 2025
Let me start with other friends loved this book and especially the MMC, Austin. I think it wasn’t as big of a hit for me personally because of my own preferences. It’s me, not necessarily the book.
Written in first person, dual POV. No ow drama, small om drama from someone who keeps asking the h out and she keeps turning down. H is experienced but has always ended up in the friend zone while the h is completely inexperienced because she was sick for many years and then being protected due to a lowered immune system.
Some themes/tropes:
☆ Small town
☆ FMC testing out her new independence with resolutions
☆ MMC unexpectedly upends his life to support his sister
☆ Firefighter MMC/kindergarten teacher FMC
☆ Crossing items off a list
☆ Hiding relationship
☆ Friends with benefits
☆ Size difference (he’s a giant and she’s tiny)
☆ Age gap (13 years)
Austin (H) has terrible luck with love. He’s got a big heart, but he’s never the one chosen (I guess he was a side character in another series by this author). He’s in Falls Creek to support his younger sister when she has a surprise pregnancy, along with some other surprises, and he’s quickly crushing on Caroline (h). Caroline’s crushing on him back, but her lived experiences are very limited due to having lupus and then needing a kidney transplant. She’s only 22, but hasn’t experienced most of what her peers have, leading to the creation of her New Year’s resolution list. Austin catches a glimpse of it, they talk about it, and he offers to help her fulfill the list.
I loved Austin’s heart and even his overprotectiveness for those he loved. It was sad that he needed more for himself, but was usually the one giving instead of receiving. Caroline was sweet and a talented artist. She was also brave to want to take chances when she was overwhelmed and it would have been easy to hide in the safety of her parents’ house instead. Also, yay for chronic illness representation. Caroline sometimes had hard days and she appreciated being care for, but she also didn’t want to be babied.
I struggled with how often it was mentioned in this story that Austin was older and Caroline was innocent though. Yes there’s more than a decade between them, but they’re both adults. The emphasis on how tiny she was and giant he was also eventually wore on me. Same with the internal angst both felt about the looming ending of their friends with benefits relationship, because once the list ended, they were ending too. There isn’t a third act breakup, but it comes down to the wire before they step up to the plate and discuss the hard stuff about wanting to continue to be with each other.
There’s plenty of steamy scenes between them with good consent and discussion about safe sex. Austin would say frustrating things ocassionally referring to whoever she’d date in the future though and I wanted to shake him. I know each had their personal struggles, but c’mon, they were so crazy about each other and neither was happy when there’d be a mention of a future with someone else. Still, the intimacy was developed well between them. Loved the lingerie store scene and anytime that Austin was blatant with how much he loved Caroline’s body, since one of her resolutions centered around her loving her body.
Lots of their daily living and small town going-ons happening. Austin’s younger sister was a challenge for him since he was smothering her. I’ve already read her book so it was interesting to see the seeds being laid for her romance in this one. It was nice that co-workers for both of them, friends in the town, and other side characters are also featured. Loved that Caroline was the one to have the final set-down of the co-worker who kept asking her out.
There are a couple of emotional scenes and ones where the characters struggle. One scene was intense and another tugged on the heartstrings hard. I do think this was a sweet romance despite the parts that didn’t work as well for me. The ending is headed into their HEA with them engaged and was adorable.
Written in first person, dual POV. No ow drama, small om drama from someone who keeps asking the h out and she keeps turning down. H is experienced but has always ended up in the friend zone while the h is completely inexperienced because she was sick for many years and then being protected due to a lowered immune system.
Some themes/tropes:
☆ Small town
☆ FMC testing out her new independence with resolutions
☆ MMC unexpectedly upends his life to support his sister
☆ Firefighter MMC/kindergarten teacher FMC
☆ Crossing items off a list
☆ Hiding relationship
☆ Friends with benefits
☆ Size difference (he’s a giant and she’s tiny)
☆ Age gap (13 years)
Austin (H) has terrible luck with love. He’s got a big heart, but he’s never the one chosen (I guess he was a side character in another series by this author). He’s in Falls Creek to support his younger sister when she has a surprise pregnancy, along with some other surprises, and he’s quickly crushing on Caroline (h). Caroline’s crushing on him back, but her lived experiences are very limited due to having lupus and then needing a kidney transplant. She’s only 22, but hasn’t experienced most of what her peers have, leading to the creation of her New Year’s resolution list. Austin catches a glimpse of it, they talk about it, and he offers to help her fulfill the list.
I loved Austin’s heart and even his overprotectiveness for those he loved. It was sad that he needed more for himself, but was usually the one giving instead of receiving. Caroline was sweet and a talented artist. She was also brave to want to take chances when she was overwhelmed and it would have been easy to hide in the safety of her parents’ house instead. Also, yay for chronic illness representation. Caroline sometimes had hard days and she appreciated being care for, but she also didn’t want to be babied.
I struggled with how often it was mentioned in this story that Austin was older and Caroline was innocent though. Yes there’s more than a decade between them, but they’re both adults. The emphasis on how tiny she was and giant he was also eventually wore on me. Same with the internal angst both felt about the looming ending of their friends with benefits relationship, because once the list ended, they were ending too. There isn’t a third act breakup, but it comes down to the wire before they step up to the plate and discuss the hard stuff about wanting to continue to be with each other.
There’s plenty of steamy scenes between them with good consent and discussion about safe sex. Austin would say frustrating things ocassionally referring to whoever she’d date in the future though and I wanted to shake him. I know each had their personal struggles, but c’mon, they were so crazy about each other and neither was happy when there’d be a mention of a future with someone else. Still, the intimacy was developed well between them. Loved the lingerie store scene and anytime that Austin was blatant with how much he loved Caroline’s body, since one of her resolutions centered around her loving her body.
Lots of their daily living and small town going-ons happening. Austin’s younger sister was a challenge for him since he was smothering her. I’ve already read her book so it was interesting to see the seeds being laid for her romance in this one. It was nice that co-workers for both of them, friends in the town, and other side characters are also featured. Loved that Caroline was the one to have the final set-down of the co-worker who kept asking her out.
There are a couple of emotional scenes and ones where the characters struggle. One scene was intense and another tugged on the heartstrings hard. I do think this was a sweet romance despite the parts that didn’t work as well for me. The ending is headed into their HEA with them engaged and was adorable.
September 23, 2023
all the men in this series are all whores when it comes to their love interests it’s so delectable
February 10, 2024
Моя оцінка 4,5. На початку книжки мені було якось нудно, нічого такого не відбувалось, а потім Керолайн попала в аварію і виявилось що це Шейн був донором багато років тому. І з цього моменту мені стало цікавіше читати, хоча в мене було відчуття, що колись я щось схоже читала, коли були моменти з Шейном і Бет, ось прям дежавю якесь постійно було. Хоча я не пам'ятаю щоб читала саме цю серію. Всю книжку очікувала, що вчитель фізкультури з садочка, де працює Керолайн, хоч щось зробить, розчарувалась, хоча я дуже очікувала на якесь викрадення або підпал чи що таке.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2024
(edit: I keep coming back to this bc I think of things i forgot😭)
This is a six-star book for me. I have tried to write this review 3 times, and each time I fail to fully encompass what this book truly meant to me.
For context, Caroline, the FMC in this book has lupus. She has been sick most of her life, and it has held her back from a great many things. With overbearing parents who treat her like she is made of glass, and a town so small everyone knows the details of her health, she feels smothered.
I have been sick since I was twelve years old, and while I do not have the same illness as she did, SO many of her experiences mirrored mine. It was as if she had taken the thoughts right out of my head. I'm not sure if the author personally has a chronic pain disorder, or if she knows someone who does, but she got the experience of being chronically ill DOWN.
There were so many niche experiences, like a scene where she takes a massive handful of pills with no water, shocking Austin stupid. That exact thing has happened sooo many times to me, to the point of my friends getting excited to watch me take my meds because they think it’s interesting.
Caroline has a list. A list full of all the things she missed out on because of her health. Simple things, at the beginning, like a first kiss and holding hands with someone.
In comes Austin Hale.
Austin Hale is a firefighter who moved from Beaufort, (the town from one of her other series!) to help his pregnant sister, (who is the FMC of the next book in this series.)
He has an excitable and go-with-the-flow personality, and after getting snowed in a cabin with Caroline, tells him about her list. About her health, and everything she has missed.
A healthy person may not understand this, but telling someone about your health issues can be incredibly intimate and personal. It is saying, "I am broken. This is what's wrong with me."
How someone responds to this information is incredibly telling. Austin reacted perfectly. Never did he treat her as less than, he did not act as though she was made of glass. He respected her and it showed through his every action. Even the small things (which really aren't small to someone with a chronic illness) like helping her through her flare-ups, knowing which meds to take and what helped her feel better.
If she couldn't do something because of her health, he accommodated her. Found a way to make it work. He never gave up on his mission to prove to her that she was not broken, that her life was one worth living, and that it could be just as magical as any other person's. He made everything feel so special. He validated her, and in turn, me.
I literally cannot rave about this author or this series enough. The small town of Falls Creek comes alive through the pages, charming you and making you wish you could move there. The side characters are all perfect, each having their own place and their own stories. They jump off the pages, making you feel as though they are right there reading along with you.
This author has quickly made it up to my list of favorites and she deserves the world for writing this book.
Quotes (there's gonna be a lot):
"It was a peculiar thing, love. It was a thing that required armor and nakedness. There was an expectation of sacrifice. Of trust. Of protection. There was an expectation of vulnerability, the willingness to expose your wounds to someone and trust that they will ease your suffering, not add to it. Trust makes you feel bulletproof, but love makes taking the bullet worth it."
"So yeah, I think I have earned the right to hate my body. It has literally tried to kill me."
"My body made me miss over half my life. I basically grew up in doctor's offices and hospitals. I had to be homeschooled after fourth grade because I was never well enough to attend school.'
(that happened to me too!!)
"I couldn't be angry at them for anything, but I sometimes felt like they forgot I was the one who had felt all the pain. I had felt all the bad days. I felt my body shutting down on me."
"Do you actually need to be alone or are you trying not to seem like a burden? Because I'll tell you right now, you are not a burden, sweetheart. I'm right here, and I want to help you, if I can."
"Conversation was easy when the company was her."
"I see the ocean and I think of how strong you are. And the way you look at that sunrise? The brilliant colors, the power of the waves, the steadfastness of the sun, that's the way I look at you. No matter how hard the days are, the sun keeps rising. It never stops. Never gives up. And that's exactly who you are."
"Caroline's laughter was a soundtrack I wanted to listen to for the rest of my life."
This series is everything to me 🥹🥹🥹🥹
This is a six-star book for me. I have tried to write this review 3 times, and each time I fail to fully encompass what this book truly meant to me.
For context, Caroline, the FMC in this book has lupus. She has been sick most of her life, and it has held her back from a great many things. With overbearing parents who treat her like she is made of glass, and a town so small everyone knows the details of her health, she feels smothered.
I have been sick since I was twelve years old, and while I do not have the same illness as she did, SO many of her experiences mirrored mine. It was as if she had taken the thoughts right out of my head. I'm not sure if the author personally has a chronic pain disorder, or if she knows someone who does, but she got the experience of being chronically ill DOWN.
There were so many niche experiences, like a scene where she takes a massive handful of pills with no water, shocking Austin stupid. That exact thing has happened sooo many times to me, to the point of my friends getting excited to watch me take my meds because they think it’s interesting.
Caroline has a list. A list full of all the things she missed out on because of her health. Simple things, at the beginning, like a first kiss and holding hands with someone.
In comes Austin Hale.
Austin Hale is a firefighter who moved from Beaufort, (the town from one of her other series!) to help his pregnant sister, (who is the FMC of the next book in this series.)
He has an excitable and go-with-the-flow personality, and after getting snowed in a cabin with Caroline, tells him about her list. About her health, and everything she has missed.
A healthy person may not understand this, but telling someone about your health issues can be incredibly intimate and personal. It is saying, "I am broken. This is what's wrong with me."
How someone responds to this information is incredibly telling. Austin reacted perfectly. Never did he treat her as less than, he did not act as though she was made of glass. He respected her and it showed through his every action. Even the small things (which really aren't small to someone with a chronic illness) like helping her through her flare-ups, knowing which meds to take and what helped her feel better.
If she couldn't do something because of her health, he accommodated her. Found a way to make it work. He never gave up on his mission to prove to her that she was not broken, that her life was one worth living, and that it could be just as magical as any other person's. He made everything feel so special. He validated her, and in turn, me.
I literally cannot rave about this author or this series enough. The small town of Falls Creek comes alive through the pages, charming you and making you wish you could move there. The side characters are all perfect, each having their own place and their own stories. They jump off the pages, making you feel as though they are right there reading along with you.
This author has quickly made it up to my list of favorites and she deserves the world for writing this book.
Quotes (there's gonna be a lot):
"It was a peculiar thing, love. It was a thing that required armor and nakedness. There was an expectation of sacrifice. Of trust. Of protection. There was an expectation of vulnerability, the willingness to expose your wounds to someone and trust that they will ease your suffering, not add to it. Trust makes you feel bulletproof, but love makes taking the bullet worth it."
"So yeah, I think I have earned the right to hate my body. It has literally tried to kill me."
"My body made me miss over half my life. I basically grew up in doctor's offices and hospitals. I had to be homeschooled after fourth grade because I was never well enough to attend school.'
(that happened to me too!!)
"I couldn't be angry at them for anything, but I sometimes felt like they forgot I was the one who had felt all the pain. I had felt all the bad days. I felt my body shutting down on me."
"Do you actually need to be alone or are you trying not to seem like a burden? Because I'll tell you right now, you are not a burden, sweetheart. I'm right here, and I want to help you, if I can."
"Conversation was easy when the company was her."
"I see the ocean and I think of how strong you are. And the way you look at that sunrise? The brilliant colors, the power of the waves, the steadfastness of the sun, that's the way I look at you. No matter how hard the days are, the sun keeps rising. It never stops. Never gives up. And that's exactly who you are."
"Caroline's laughter was a soundtrack I wanted to listen to for the rest of my life."
This series is everything to me 🥹🥹🥹🥹
March 13, 2023
I...am truly at a loss for words. I knew that I was going to love this book (I mean, I literally have loved every single book Maggie has released). But this...man, this is 100% my new comfort book. I was so excited to read Austins story and see him finally get his happy ever after - he really did deserve it after being repeatedly placed in the friendzone - but this ended even more perfectly than I could've ever dreamed.
I loved Austin when he showed up throughout the Poker Club but he is SO MUCH MORE than what I expected. He is so soft, insecure, relatable, self assured, protective...and of course, HOT AS FORK. Oh my lanta - that paint scene...whoosh goes my heart.
But for me, the part that captured my heart more than I ever expected was Carolines story. I applaud Maggie endlessly for her true and real representation of chronic illness. I myself have a chronic illness - but what hit close to home is that my mom has lupus (which is what the FMC, Caroline, has).
Maggie has magic woven into her stories and I'm not sure how she does it repeatedly, but there truly is something special in her writing. Its addictive and all consuming and I will read anything and everything she writes from a novel to a grocery list.
I haven't stopped thinking about the scene where Austin runs a bath for her because she's having a flare up and he puts a towel and her PJs in the tumble dryer to warm them up for her. Then goes ahead and tidies round for her because she's been struggling to hold it all together. AND THEN COMBS THROUGH HER HAIR FOR HER. I just love this man y'all. I never really write long reviews anymore, but this book deserved a full on spiel (and I don't think I could've stopped anywhere less than this. And in all honesty, I could carry on for days).
One of my favourite lines in the Poker Club series was when Chase said “Bouquets die. Gardens bring the promise of something better tomorrow." and fittingly from this book, one of my favourite quotes is: “Florists are for anniversaries and apologies. Gas station roses aren’t planned. It’s something that says ‘I saw this and thought of you.’ Gas station roses die in, like, five minutes. A gas station rose means I thought of you and I had to see you before I did anything else because I’ve been thinking about you all week and couldn’t go another minute without seeing your pretty face.”
This is the Maggie magic. And now tulips AND roses have a special place in my heart. As does this book.
I loved Austin when he showed up throughout the Poker Club but he is SO MUCH MORE than what I expected. He is so soft, insecure, relatable, self assured, protective...and of course, HOT AS FORK. Oh my lanta - that paint scene...whoosh goes my heart.
But for me, the part that captured my heart more than I ever expected was Carolines story. I applaud Maggie endlessly for her true and real representation of chronic illness. I myself have a chronic illness - but what hit close to home is that my mom has lupus (which is what the FMC, Caroline, has).
Maggie has magic woven into her stories and I'm not sure how she does it repeatedly, but there truly is something special in her writing. Its addictive and all consuming and I will read anything and everything she writes from a novel to a grocery list.
I haven't stopped thinking about the scene where Austin runs a bath for her because she's having a flare up and he puts a towel and her PJs in the tumble dryer to warm them up for her. Then goes ahead and tidies round for her because she's been struggling to hold it all together. AND THEN COMBS THROUGH HER HAIR FOR HER. I just love this man y'all. I never really write long reviews anymore, but this book deserved a full on spiel (and I don't think I could've stopped anywhere less than this. And in all honesty, I could carry on for days).
One of my favourite lines in the Poker Club series was when Chase said “Bouquets die. Gardens bring the promise of something better tomorrow." and fittingly from this book, one of my favourite quotes is: “Florists are for anniversaries and apologies. Gas station roses aren’t planned. It’s something that says ‘I saw this and thought of you.’ Gas station roses die in, like, five minutes. A gas station rose means I thought of you and I had to see you before I did anything else because I’ve been thinking about you all week and couldn’t go another minute without seeing your pretty face.”
This is the Maggie magic. And now tulips AND roses have a special place in my heart. As does this book.
February 2, 2024
Це було солодко. Дуже дуже🤩
Всі жителі цього містечка, ці крікери😆, чудові 🫶
Всі жителі цього містечка, ці крікери😆, чудові 🫶
August 28, 2024
Spoilers ahead
My very first read by this author was Beth and Shane's book, this is the story of her big brother Austin.
Austin is a firefighter, the guy who's looked for love but always loses the girl. When his little sister calls him crying Austin makes the decision to uproot his entire life and leave Beaufort to support his sister during her pregnancy and single motherhood
Caroline is twenty two years old and now about to start living life, she suffers from lupus and had been sick most of her life. Now thanks to an anonymous donor she has a new kidney and a new lease on life. She's shy and sweet but more than ready to start ticking items off her list. A prize at the town's fair leads to her spending a weekend with the hot new firefighter and her friend's brother. Enlisting Austin to complete the items on her list is fun but what happens when the list is complete?
******
Ok this was so damn good
13 year age gap
H wasn't a manwhore, he'd tried relationships many times but he had the shittiest luck lol. Forever in the friend zone
Caroline was a virgin due to her medical condition and the host of issues that came with it
The secondary characters were all awesome, I loved Shane in his book but I loved him even more here
I felt Beth could've been a little more grateful considering Austin gave up his whole life to cone support her but I understood her reasoning. He was a little heavy handed at times
All in all a good small town romance
No cheating
Virgin h
H has some experience
h has lupus and we experience a little of life with the disease
My very first read by this author was Beth and Shane's book, this is the story of her big brother Austin.
Austin is a firefighter, the guy who's looked for love but always loses the girl. When his little sister calls him crying Austin makes the decision to uproot his entire life and leave Beaufort to support his sister during her pregnancy and single motherhood
Caroline is twenty two years old and now about to start living life, she suffers from lupus and had been sick most of her life. Now thanks to an anonymous donor she has a new kidney and a new lease on life. She's shy and sweet but more than ready to start ticking items off her list. A prize at the town's fair leads to her spending a weekend with the hot new firefighter and her friend's brother. Enlisting Austin to complete the items on her list is fun but what happens when the list is complete?
******
Ok this was so damn good
13 year age gap
H wasn't a manwhore, he'd tried relationships many times but he had the shittiest luck lol. Forever in the friend zone
Caroline was a virgin due to her medical condition and the host of issues that came with it
The secondary characters were all awesome, I loved Shane in his book but I loved him even more here
I felt Beth could've been a little more grateful considering Austin gave up his whole life to cone support her but I understood her reasoning. He was a little heavy handed at times
All in all a good small town romance
No cheating
Virgin h
H has some experience
h has lupus and we experience a little of life with the disease
March 20, 2023
omgggg this book
So I’ve read the first of the series and this one. But this one holds my heart. Austin is just goals. He was the alpha simp we all want in our lives. The older brother we all wished our best friend had. I absolutely adored him and his ✨sugar✨. She was so strong and felt so genuine to her character development with being a v card holder. Nothing felt forced. Loved it so much.
So I’ve read the first of the series and this one. But this one holds my heart. Austin is just goals. He was the alpha simp we all want in our lives. The older brother we all wished our best friend had. I absolutely adored him and his ✨sugar✨. She was so strong and felt so genuine to her character development with being a v card holder. Nothing felt forced. Loved it so much.
May 15, 2024
4.25⭐ / 3🌶️
— vibezz
🖌️ small town
🚒 firefighter x teacher
🖌️ she's got a list✨
🚒 age gap [35H 22h]
🖌️ found family
mini blurb — ✍🏻
Because of her condition, Caroline has always been sheltered for most of her life, and now at 22 she think she missed out on so many first events that usually mark one's youth.
Austin would do anything and beyond for his family, and when his sister drop a bomb on him he's ready to uproot his life and move to be closer to her. Despite being a little older than her, he's dead set to be a companion on his little k-grad teacher's crash curse in livin' life at its fullest.
Feelings included.
//
Alexa, play Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond 🎵
you can't hear me singing and that's a good thing.
He saved her contact as "Sweet Caroline"
And he calls her "Sweets"
🥹🩷🫠🩵🥹🩷🫠🩵🥹🩷🫠🩵🥹🩷🫠🩵
Stut up just shut. up.
Who doesn't want a big loving overbearing firefighter do dote on them that gets you gas station roses and take you to see the sunrise on the ocean and stargazing at midnight??
UUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHH
-0.5⭐ for the nerve-wracking people of this town, they are a menace to society and to my patience.
— vibezz
🖌️ small town
🚒 firefighter x teacher
🖌️ she's got a list✨
🚒 age gap [35H 22h]
🖌️ found family
mini blurb — ✍🏻
Because of her condition, Caroline has always been sheltered for most of her life, and now at 22 she think she missed out on so many first events that usually mark one's youth.
Austin would do anything and beyond for his family, and when his sister drop a bomb on him he's ready to uproot his life and move to be closer to her. Despite being a little older than her, he's dead set to be a companion on his little k-grad teacher's crash curse in livin' life at its fullest.
Feelings included.
//
Alexa, play Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond 🎵
you can't hear me singing and that's a good thing.
He saved her contact as "Sweet Caroline"
And he calls her "Sweets"
🥹🩷🫠🩵🥹🩷🫠🩵🥹🩷🫠🩵🥹🩷🫠🩵
Stut up just shut. up.
Who doesn't want a big loving overbearing firefighter do dote on them that gets you gas station roses and take you to see the sunrise on the ocean and stargazing at midnight??
UUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHH
-0.5⭐ for the nerve-wracking people of this town, they are a menace to society and to my patience.
September 24, 2024
це 3.5/5 зірочок.
все починається з того, що Остін Гейл дізнається про вагітність своєї сестри Бет, і миттю переїжджає до неї в місто, щоб бути поруч (батько дитини ще той козел, я вже хочу швидше дістатися до історії Шейна і Бет). знайомство Остіна з Керолайн було швидкою іскрою, яка з кожною зустріччю спалахувала яскравіше. різниця у віці (13 років) спочатку стримувала, але обставини, де вони знаходилися на вихідних у спільному просторі, вирішують все за них. спочатку це не мало бути довгостроковим, але все переросло у щось більше (хто б сумнівався?). мені сподобалося, що не було ніяких болючих розривів і страждань. хоч і було трохи затягнуто, але вони були бусінками і змогли розібратися у своїх стосунках вчасно. Остін трохи дратував та й взагалі не дуже мені зайшов, але часто говорив толкові речі, за це йому плюсик у карму.
все починається з того, що Остін Гейл дізнається про вагітність своєї сестри Бет, і миттю переїжджає до неї в місто, щоб бути поруч (батько дитини ще той козел, я вже хочу швидше дістатися до історії Шейна і Бет). знайомство Остіна з Керолайн було швидкою іскрою, яка з кожною зустріччю спалахувала яскравіше. різниця у віці (13 років) спочатку стримувала, але обставини, де вони знаходилися на вихідних у спільному просторі, вирішують все за них. спочатку це не мало бути довгостроковим, але все переросло у щось більше (хто б сумнівався?). мені сподобалося, що не було ніяких болючих розривів і страждань. хоч і було трохи затягнуто, але вони були бусінками і змогли розібратися у своїх стосунках вчасно. Остін трохи дратував та й взагалі не дуже мені зайшов, але часто говорив толкові речі, за це йому плюсик у карму.
May 27, 2024
forgot to review all these but Austin got his happy ending xxxxxx
March 21, 2023
Maggie has quickly became one of my top 5 authors… ever! She writes the most relatable, sweet, hints of spice yet amazing story lines that I have ever read!
And that is no exception to What Heals Us! This book was so good! I felt all of the emotions from happiness to wanting to yell “shut the front door, no way!!” I loved everything about it!
Austin, MMC, was so kind and gentle yet had that ~alpha~ feel here and there. He was so genuine from the beginning to Caroline and I love that for her.
Caroline, FMC, gosh I love her. She had been through so much yet still so brave. And a kindergarten teacher at that?! You go sister!
5/5 stars for the ~swoon~
3/5 spicy stars but honestly that was ok with me for this book! The story line was magical, so I’m glad there wasn’t an overload of spice
Thank you, Maggie, for letting me be apart of your ARC team. I love it here 🥰💕
And that is no exception to What Heals Us! This book was so good! I felt all of the emotions from happiness to wanting to yell “shut the front door, no way!!” I loved everything about it!
Austin, MMC, was so kind and gentle yet had that ~alpha~ feel here and there. He was so genuine from the beginning to Caroline and I love that for her.
Caroline, FMC, gosh I love her. She had been through so much yet still so brave. And a kindergarten teacher at that?! You go sister!
5/5 stars for the ~swoon~
3/5 spicy stars but honestly that was ok with me for this book! The story line was magical, so I’m glad there wasn’t an overload of spice
Thank you, Maggie, for letting me be apart of your ARC team. I love it here 🥰💕
August 31, 2025
After how much I enjoyed book 1, I think my expectations for book 2 were a teeeeensy bit too high.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Austin and Caroline. Austin especially was such a star. But I think you could tell he was written by a woman. He's a little too perfect the way he coaches Caroline through all things sex and relationship related. While I definitely appreciated his consideration and the way he makes Caroline feel cared for and confident, there were times I was bored because MOST of their relationship is based on just making her feel good physically.
There's not a ton of time spent on giving HIM what HE needs beyond orgasms.
The man's apparently from another series by Gates - and he's the perpetual BFF, never the one a woman chooses. And you can tell it's damaged his confidence and hurt his feelings.
But there's SO much time spent on making Caroline feel confident, that it almost feels like Austin's wants and needs and feelings get glossed over sometimes.
Caroline isn't my favorite FMC, either. She's cute and sassy and I like her well enough - but she's got a few quirks that grated on my last nerve.
The "Holy Thomas Kinkade" and "What in the Bob Ross" and "I swear to Degas..." and "Holy Picasso" etc got really irritating after a while. I get it. She's an artist. But using these phrases, and choosing a different artist EVERY SINGLE TIME just reeked of try-hard. She's interesting enough on her own, I don' t need these pithy little phrases to keep popping up. She says this crap out loud more than once and NOBODY comments on it, like it's natural to be groaning a random dead painter's name in everyday conversation.
She also loves the phrase "I'm fine." Honestly the word FINE is written SO MUCH in this story I want to see Ms. Gates' keyboard. Because I'd bet cold hard cash those 4 letters no longer exist.
I think I counted 71 different versions of "I'm fine" in this book. SEVENTY ONE.
What I did like about Caroline was that she has Lupus, and has had a kidney transplant and people sort of treat her with kid gloves and she hates it and wants to be independent. THAT I could get behind. I also think the representation was done really well. Major bonus points for Gates for doing her homework in that regard.
A lot of the angst in this book could have easily been solved if these two grown up adults had a single clarifying conversation with one another. The fact that the ENTIRE TOWN knows that they're in love with each other and is constantly trying to push them together and telling them to go for it got old as hell. They finally get around to confessing their feelings about 85% of the way through the book and by then I was just tired.
The paint scene was sweet as all get out though.
The dramatic climax that happens after was riveting, if somewhat regurgitated from book 1.
The whole relationship Caroline grows with Shane in the very last part of the book was super special too - but it felt like it happened right at the 11th hour and there wasn't a ton of room to flesh out what otherwise could have been a big and beautiful and bittersweet part of the story.
Shane's backstory is also really, really good (read: gut-wrenching) - but I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't have been better in book 3 (seeing as that's HIS book with Beth). It feels like a lot of heavy stuff to dump on your reader 90% of the way through a story when Shane's just a side character.
Mostly, this book just felt...long. I'm not unhappy about this story - I'm just not buzzing like I was coming out of book 1.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Austin and Caroline. Austin especially was such a star. But I think you could tell he was written by a woman. He's a little too perfect the way he coaches Caroline through all things sex and relationship related. While I definitely appreciated his consideration and the way he makes Caroline feel cared for and confident, there were times I was bored because MOST of their relationship is based on just making her feel good physically.
There's not a ton of time spent on giving HIM what HE needs beyond orgasms.
The man's apparently from another series by Gates - and he's the perpetual BFF, never the one a woman chooses. And you can tell it's damaged his confidence and hurt his feelings.
But there's SO much time spent on making Caroline feel confident, that it almost feels like Austin's wants and needs and feelings get glossed over sometimes.
Caroline isn't my favorite FMC, either. She's cute and sassy and I like her well enough - but she's got a few quirks that grated on my last nerve.
The "Holy Thomas Kinkade" and "What in the Bob Ross" and "I swear to Degas..." and "Holy Picasso" etc got really irritating after a while. I get it. She's an artist. But using these phrases, and choosing a different artist EVERY SINGLE TIME just reeked of try-hard. She's interesting enough on her own, I don' t need these pithy little phrases to keep popping up. She says this crap out loud more than once and NOBODY comments on it, like it's natural to be groaning a random dead painter's name in everyday conversation.
She also loves the phrase "I'm fine." Honestly the word FINE is written SO MUCH in this story I want to see Ms. Gates' keyboard. Because I'd bet cold hard cash those 4 letters no longer exist.
I think I counted 71 different versions of "I'm fine" in this book. SEVENTY ONE.
What I did like about Caroline was that she has Lupus, and has had a kidney transplant and people sort of treat her with kid gloves and she hates it and wants to be independent. THAT I could get behind. I also think the representation was done really well. Major bonus points for Gates for doing her homework in that regard.
A lot of the angst in this book could have easily been solved if these two grown up adults had a single clarifying conversation with one another. The fact that the ENTIRE TOWN knows that they're in love with each other and is constantly trying to push them together and telling them to go for it got old as hell. They finally get around to confessing their feelings about 85% of the way through the book and by then I was just tired.
The paint scene was sweet as all get out though.
The dramatic climax that happens after was riveting, if somewhat regurgitated from book 1.
The whole relationship Caroline grows with Shane in the very last part of the book was super special too - but it felt like it happened right at the 11th hour and there wasn't a ton of room to flesh out what otherwise could have been a big and beautiful and bittersweet part of the story.
Shane's backstory is also really, really good (read: gut-wrenching) - but I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't have been better in book 3 (seeing as that's HIS book with Beth). It feels like a lot of heavy stuff to dump on your reader 90% of the way through a story when Shane's just a side character.
Mostly, this book just felt...long. I'm not unhappy about this story - I'm just not buzzing like I was coming out of book 1.
February 5, 2024
Якщо ви замовляли для душі булку з корицею - це саме той варіант
Остін, який без роздумів покинув роботу в Бофорті, як тільки дізнався, що його молодша сестра побачила 2 поломки і на додачу отримала донора-сперми мудака.
Керолайн - дівчина, яка отримала гіперопіку від своєї мами і пропустила звичайні розваги в старшій школі через свою хворобу. Вона працює вчителькою в дошкільнят, а ще має список, який хоче виконати в новому році.
Хімія між Остіном і Керолайн була помітна всім навколо, але через різницю в віці він себе відштовхував, але все змінилось, коли Бет (сестра Остіна) виграла в аукціоні вихідні в готелі, а Керолайн в ігри за стілець 😈.
Поломка одного будиночку, снігова буря і електрика між ними зробила своє діло🌶️
Відносини між ними просто 🤧, як Остін турбується про Керолайн в моменти її болючих днів, або милі квіти з заправки
«— Флористи - для ювілеїв і вибачень. Троянди із заправок - це те, що не планується. Це щось, що говорить: «Я побачив її і подумав про тебе». Троянди із заправок в'януть за п'ять хвилин. Троянда із заправки означає, що я думав про тебе, і я повинен був побачити тебе, перш ніж робити щось інше, тому що думав про тебе весь тиждень і не міг прожити і хвилини, не побачивши твоє гарне обличчя.»
«— Те, що твій біль відрізняється від мого, не робить його менш значущим. Життя болюче. Речі ніколи не бувають чорно-білими. Це навіть не «відтінки сірого. - Вона повернулася до неба, яке виглядало так, ніби його розмалювали пензлем. — Це колір. А кольори не можна порівнювати між собою. Вони просто є. Як можна дивитися на м'яку зелень північного сяйва і думати, що воно більше чи менше, ніж схід сонця на пляжі? - Керолайн скрутилася і поплескала мене по щоках. — Дай собі простір, щоб визнати, де ти є і що відчуваєш. Дозволь собі відчувати це незалежно від того, як, на твою думку, це порівнюється з тим, через що проходять інші люди. Це єдиний шлях до зцілення.»
4.5 з 5 для мене
Інколи булка з корицею була бісячою у відношенні сестри)
Остін, який без роздумів покинув роботу в Бофорті, як тільки дізнався, що його молодша сестра побачила 2 поломки і на додачу отримала донора-сперми мудака.
Керолайн - дівчина, яка отримала гіперопіку від своєї мами і пропустила звичайні розваги в старшій школі через свою хворобу. Вона працює вчителькою в дошкільнят, а ще має список, який хоче виконати в новому році.
Хімія між Остіном і Керолайн була помітна всім навколо, але через різницю в віці він себе відштовхував, але все змінилось, коли Бет (сестра Остіна) виграла в аукціоні вихідні в готелі, а Керолайн в ігри за стілець 😈.
Поломка одного будиночку, снігова буря і електрика між ними зробила своє діло🌶️
Відносини між ними просто 🤧, як Остін турбується про Керолайн в моменти її болючих днів, або милі квіти з заправки
«— Флористи - для ювілеїв і вибачень. Троянди із заправок - це те, що не планується. Це щось, що говорить: «Я побачив її і подумав про тебе». Троянди із заправок в'януть за п'ять хвилин. Троянда із заправки означає, що я думав про тебе, і я повинен був побачити тебе, перш ніж робити щось інше, тому що думав про тебе весь тиждень і не міг прожити і хвилини, не побачивши твоє гарне обличчя.»
«— Те, що твій біль відрізняється від мого, не робить його менш значущим. Життя болюче. Речі ніколи не бувають чорно-білими. Це навіть не «відтінки сірого. - Вона повернулася до неба, яке виглядало так, ніби його розмалювали пензлем. — Це колір. А кольори не можна порівнювати між собою. Вони просто є. Як можна дивитися на м'яку зелень північного сяйва і думати, що воно більше чи менше, ніж схід сонця на пляжі? - Керолайн скрутилася і поплескала мене по щоках. — Дай собі простір, щоб визнати, де ти є і що відчуваєш. Дозволь собі відчувати це незалежно від того, як, на твою думку, це порівнюється з тим, через що проходять інші люди. Це єдиний шлях до зцілення.»
4.5 з 5 для мене
Інколи булка з корицею була бісячою у відношенні сестри)
February 7, 2024
Оцінюю на 5/5⭐
Щодо цієї серії у мене не було жодних очікувань. Хіба шо знаю, що над 3 буду плакати, тому поки не вирішила чи починати її🥺
Це так неймовірно, зворушливо
Начебто нічого такого незвичайного в цих книжках немає, але зараз, коли я читаю розумію наскільки влучно в ціль я попала 😍🥰
Тепер ще більше люблю троп "маленьке містечко ". Остіну не сильно таке сподобалось 😂 Де кожен в місті знав і пліткував про кожен його крок. Тим паче ще новенький приїхав
Отже, мене місцями дратувала Бет, але впринципі її можна зрозуміти вона вагітна та ще і мати одиночка і ніяк не була до цього готова
До Бі Джей у мене змінилось відношення. Якщо в 1 частині трохи підбішувала і я думала, що за нав'язлива сучка, яка живе за рахунок померлого чоловіка🌚
То тут в 2 книзі після певної ситуації я тепер по-іншому до неї відношусь
На початку книжки я думала, що буде на 4/5 , але дочитавши, я вирішила, що це точно 5/5
Закохалась в Остіна і Керолайн, наскільки ж вона сильна і вольова дівчина😍
Були у них двох звісно промахи, але хто в цьому житті ідеальний
Відношення Остіна до ЙОГО ДІВЧИНКИ 🥰😍😭💅 наскільки він її приймає, оберігає, захищає, залишає останнє слово за нею і вони на рівних
Мене це чимось нагадало Різа, якби він був людиною 🤣😁
Ну видно, що мені сподобалось 🤭🤣
А ще одне на початку я думала, що донор Остін, але потім, коли вони зблизились я така можливо хтось із його знайомих, але ніяк не очікувала, що це буде той, хто є.
І так якось неочікувано мені почали булочки з корицею подобатись🌚😅 Але знаєте наче і милий, але і гарячий оце Остін такий
Сиджу либлюсь на всі 32😁😁😁
Щодо цієї серії у мене не було жодних очікувань. Хіба шо знаю, що над 3 буду плакати, тому поки не вирішила чи починати її🥺
Це так неймовірно, зворушливо
Начебто нічого такого незвичайного в цих книжках немає, але зараз, коли я читаю розумію наскільки влучно в ціль я попала 😍🥰
Тепер ще більше люблю троп "маленьке містечко ". Остіну не сильно таке сподобалось 😂 Де кожен в місті знав і пліткував про кожен його крок. Тим паче ще новенький приїхав
Отже, мене місцями дратувала Бет, але впринципі її можна зрозуміти вона вагітна та ще і мати одиночка і ніяк не була до цього готова
До Бі Джей у мене змінилось відношення. Якщо в 1 частині трохи підбішувала і я думала, що за нав'язлива сучка, яка живе за рахунок померлого чоловіка🌚
То тут в 2 книзі після певної ситуації я тепер по-іншому до неї відношусь
На початку книжки я думала, що буде на 4/5 , але дочитавши, я вирішила, що це точно 5/5
Закохалась в Остіна і Керолайн, наскільки ж вона сильна і вольова дівчина😍
Були у них двох звісно промахи, але хто в цьому житті ідеальний
Відношення Остіна до ЙОГО ДІВЧИНКИ 🥰😍😭💅 наскільки він її приймає, оберігає, захищає, залишає останнє слово за нею і вони на рівних
Мене це чимось нагадало Різа, якби він був людиною 🤣😁
Ну видно, що мені сподобалось 🤭🤣
А ще одне на початку я думала, що донор Остін, але потім, коли вони зблизились я така можливо хтось із його знайомих, але ніяк не очікувала, що це буде той, хто є.
І так якось неочікувано мені почали булочки з корицею подобатись🌚😅 Але знаєте наче і милий, але і гарячий оце Остін такий
Сиджу либлюсь на всі 32😁😁😁
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
I’m not usually a fan of a virgin FMC but Caroline’s backstory was perfection.
Austin Hale: self proclaimed good luck chuck, firefighter
Age gap
Small town, quirky
Teacher x firefighter
Bucket list friends with benefits
Snowed in with one bed
I fall more in love with Brandie Jean with every encounter 🤣
I’m not usually a fan of a virgin FMC but Caroline’s backstory was perfection.
Austin Hale: self proclaimed good luck chuck, firefighter
Age gap
Small town, quirky
Teacher x firefighter
Bucket list friends with benefits
Snowed in with one bed
I fall more in love with Brandie Jean with every encounter 🤣
April 10, 2023
The best part of this was book was Austin. Hands down one the sweetest, kindest, sexiest H I’ve read in awhile.
I couldn’t put this book down, I pretty much finished it in 1 day. It is SO good! Definitely checking out her other books.
I couldn’t put this book down, I pretty much finished it in 1 day. It is SO good! Definitely checking out her other books.
October 9, 2025
3.75⭐️ I enjoyed the plot, the characters and this cute little dysfunctional town has grown on me! I did not enjoy the number of times he called her “Sweets” or the few too many cringe-worthy moments. I am looking forward to Book 3 because something tells me we’re in for some good banter with Shane and Beth…
July 15, 2024
Entire series is a 3/5 for me
Enjoyable if you're looking for
A beefed up smalltown firefighter
Cute and sweet, virgin teacher
Perfect age gap - not too ick
Instalove
Enjoyable if you're looking for
A beefed up smalltown firefighter
Cute and sweet, virgin teacher
Perfect age gap - not too ick
Instalove
dnf
January 18, 2025DNF @ 73% - I’m bored - there’s no actual reason for this couple to not just be together. Their dynamic is boring.
August 25, 2024
"I have you. You´re safe with me."
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Caroline and Austin.
I liked Caroline as a FMC and found her to be very relatable. She maybe isn´t the physically strongest or most badass FMC, but she had a mental strength that was very admireable and I liked the way she carried herself. Austin is a typical masculine, dominant "I will save you from anything" man, but a total cinnamon roll at that.
Regarding side characters, I can´t wait for Beth´s story, I feel like it will be my favorite. I liked to see more of Layla and Callum in this book and how their story progressed and I loved to learn more about Brandie Jean.
Plotwise I have to say I expected a bit more tension, especially considering the age gap. I absolutely loved the beginning, the first spicy scene was really really well done, and after that the tension went a bit out of the window for me. I loved their chemistry otherwise! The pacing of the book therefor also felt a bit slower towards the middle of the book for me and I felt like the ending could have been a little shorter. You can expect spicy scenes in here, and this also doesn´t have a 3/4 conflict.
Overall it was a good read, that I just expected a bit more of after this great start!
trigger warnings: mentions of death/loss of loved ones, mentions of suicidal thoughts/suicide, mentions of addiction
This is a two POV book, told by the POV´s of Caroline and Austin.
I liked Caroline as a FMC and found her to be very relatable. She maybe isn´t the physically strongest or most badass FMC, but she had a mental strength that was very admireable and I liked the way she carried herself. Austin is a typical masculine, dominant "I will save you from anything" man, but a total cinnamon roll at that.
Regarding side characters, I can´t wait for Beth´s story, I feel like it will be my favorite. I liked to see more of Layla and Callum in this book and how their story progressed and I loved to learn more about Brandie Jean.
Plotwise I have to say I expected a bit more tension, especially considering the age gap. I absolutely loved the beginning, the first spicy scene was really really well done, and after that the tension went a bit out of the window for me. I loved their chemistry otherwise! The pacing of the book therefor also felt a bit slower towards the middle of the book for me and I felt like the ending could have been a little shorter. You can expect spicy scenes in here, and this also doesn´t have a 3/4 conflict.
Overall it was a good read, that I just expected a bit more of after this great start!
trigger warnings: mentions of death/loss of loved ones, mentions of suicidal thoughts/suicide, mentions of addiction
September 12, 2023
Safe - low drama, low angst read. Unlike others, I don't think the age gap would be a problem. She's a kindergarten teacher, due to her illness very cautious and considerate kind of person, and he is in his mid 30's already having those wild years behind. It made sense to me.
Curious about next books to come, especially Beth and Shane. 😊
May 8, 2024
Don’t mind me, I’m just gonna daydream about marrying a firefighter in a small town after getting my teaching degree.
January 30, 2024
Однозначно 5/5 😍
Друга книга авторки і знову в саме серденько. Ну така класна атмосфера. Тепло, комфорт і затишок.
Головні герої. Остін - пожежник. Гарячий чоловік і такий турботливий котик. Його вчинки, ставлення - це неймовірно. Керолайн - вихователька. Особлива та сильна дівчина. Її історія розчулила мене. Все життя боротись з наслідками хвороби. Боляче і страшно.
Список з цілями. Такі прості речі. Але такі важливі для неї. Хоч вона і соромилася цього. Була невпевненою у собі. Своєму тілі. Бо вважала, що більшість в її віці все це вже пройшли.
Але Остін зробив все можливе і неможливе для неї. Допоміг їй відкритись. Вивчити себе і власні бажання. Керолайн з ним розквітла. С��ала собою.
"Люди ростуть і пізнають життя у власному темпі. Це не перегони."
Друзі з перевагами. Але їх погляди. Дотики. Розмови. Неможливо не побачити ці почуття. Справжні. Сильні. Глибокі.
Момент, де Керолайн малювала різними кольорами на Остіні. Показувала те, яким його бачить. Яким він є. Він зробив те саме. Вау. Наскільки це було інтимно та чуттєво. Це було дуже красиве зізнання в коханні.
Тема сім'ї та дружби також займає важливе місце в історії. Стосунки між Остіном та Бет. Дружба між дівчатами. Приємно було побачити героїв з минулої книги.
Бренді Джин - справді генійка. Один з улюблених персонажів серії.
Оце так поворот в кінці. Шейн. Його шрами. Ого. Бляха, його минуле 💔
Відчуваю, що історія Бет і Шейна буде най-най ❤️🩹
Оу, епілог. А за ним і бонусний епілог. Це було дуже. В усіх сенсах. 🖇️🫀
Друга книга авторки і знову в саме серденько. Ну така класна атмосфера. Тепло, комфорт і затишок.
Головні герої. Остін - пожежник. Гарячий чоловік і такий турботливий котик. Його вчинки, ставлення - це неймовірно. Керолайн - вихователька. Особлива та сильна дівчина. Її історія розчулила мене. Все життя боротись з наслідками хвороби. Боляче і страшно.
Список з цілями. Такі прості речі. Але такі важливі для неї. Хоч вона і соромилася цього. Була невпевненою у собі. Своєму тілі. Бо вважала, що більшість в її віці все це вже пройшли.
Але Остін зробив все можливе і неможливе для неї. Допоміг їй відкритись. Вивчити себе і власні бажання. Керолайн з ним розквітла. С��ала собою.
"Люди ростуть і пізнають життя у власному темпі. Це не перегони."
Друзі з перевагами. Але їх погляди. Дотики. Розмови. Неможливо не побачити ці почуття. Справжні. Сильні. Глибокі.
Момент, де Керолайн малювала різними кольорами на Остіні. Показувала те, яким його бачить. Яким він є. Він зробив те саме. Вау. Наскільки це було інтимно та чуттєво. Це було дуже красиве зізнання в коханні.
Тема сім'ї та дружби також займає важливе місце в історії. Стосунки між Остіном та Бет. Дружба між дівчатами. Приємно було побачити героїв з минулої книги.
Бренді Джин - справді генійка. Один з улюблених персонажів серії.
Оце так поворот в кінці. Шейн. Його шрами. Ого. Бляха, його минуле 💔
Відчуваю, що історія Бет і Шейна буде най-най ❤️🩹
Оу, епілог. А за ним і бонусний епілог. Це було дуже. В усіх сенсах. 🖇️🫀
December 2, 2024
Наврядчи б я робила високі ставки на цю книгу після двох інших у Меггі, які так і не змогли зачепити. Дарма!
Музичні стільці, коли зацікавлений погляд було неможливо приховати. Хуртовина за вікном в заміській хатині. Прохання цілувати. Перші кроки по піску біля океану. Прохання любити. Малювання на тілах одне одного, розкривання душі перед іншим.
Це було чуттєво, але, не зрозумійте мене неправильно, швидко. Бет ще не народила, а вони вже одружуються. Дівчина, яка не бачила життя виходить заміж менше ніж за рік після танцю з першим чоловіком, який проявив до неї увагу.
Вони зцілюються разом. Вони наче рятівні кола одне для одного. Але це не означає раз і назавжди. Остін - рятівник. Він живе тим, що допомагає іншим. І дівчина, майже на п'ятнадцять років молодша, яка потребує допомоги, як би вона не хотіла думати інакше.
Я був людиною, якій довіряли рятувати людей, але тільки для того, щоб витягнути їх і побачити, як вони біжать в обійми до когось іншого. Те, що моє робоче життя віддзеркалювалося в моєму особистому житті, було жахливо.
Чому вони не повернулися у Бофорт? Жертва, яку піднесли заради кохання чи чергова непотрібна втрата, якою ти доказуєш собі, що за будь-яку ціну річ треба щось віддати?
Дуже хочеться почати книгу про Шейна. Здається, що це буде саме те, що врешті-решт змусить мене полюбити Меггі.
— Дякую, - прошепотіла я.
– Коли ти перестанеш це говорити? - пробурмотів він.
Я витерла очі.
— Ніколи.
— Не смій змушувати мене плакати.
Я шморгнула носом.
— Якби не ти, мене б тут не було.
Він вилаявся собі під ніс і витер очі коміром футболки.
— І мене також.
БРЕНДІ І В ПОПЕРЕДНІЙ КНИЗІ МЕНІ ПОДОБАЛАСЯ, АЛЕ ТУУУТ 😍😍 Дивна, але лялечка 🤌
3,5/5
Музичні стільці, коли зацікавлений погляд було неможливо приховати. Хуртовина за вікном в заміській хатині. Прохання цілувати. Перші кроки по піску біля океану. Прохання любити. Малювання на тілах одне одного, розкривання душі перед іншим.
Це було чуттєво, але, не зрозумійте мене неправильно, швидко. Бет ще не народила, а вони вже одружуються. Дівчина, яка не бачила життя виходить заміж менше ніж за рік після танцю з першим чоловіком, який проявив до неї увагу.
Вони зцілюються разом. Вони наче рятівні кола одне для одного. Але це не означає раз і назавжди. Остін - рятівник. Він живе тим, що допомагає іншим. І дівчина, майже на п'ятнадцять років молодша, яка потребує допомоги, як би вона не хотіла думати інакше.
Я був людиною, якій довіряли рятувати людей, але тільки для того, щоб витягнути їх і побачити, як вони біжать в обійми до когось іншого. Те, що моє робоче життя віддзеркалювалося в моєму особистому житті, було жахливо.
Чому вони не повернулися у Бофорт? Жертва, яку піднесли заради кохання чи чергова непотрібна втрата, якою ти доказуєш собі, що за будь-яку ціну річ треба щось віддати?
Дуже хочеться почати книгу про Шейна. Здається, що це буде саме те, що врешті-решт змусить мене полюбити Меггі.
— Дякую, - прошепотіла я.
– Коли ти перестанеш це говорити? - пробурмотів він.
Я витерла очі.
— Ніколи.
— Не смій змушувати мене плакати.
Я шморгнула носом.
— Якби не ти, мене б тут не було.
Він вилаявся собі під ніс і витер очі коміром футболки.
— І мене також.
БРЕНДІ І В ПОПЕРЕДНІЙ КНИЗІ МЕНІ ПОДОБАЛАСЯ, АЛЕ ТУУУТ 😍😍 Дивна, але лялечка 🤌
3,5/5
July 16, 2025
What Heals Us-
Format: Audible
Narrators: Savannah Peachwood & Tor Thom
4.5/5 Star; 2.5/5 Spice
Thus far, this is already my favorite in the Falls Creek series.
As far as small town goes, this is top tier. There isn't much better than a down-bad, older firefighter MMC pining over his little sister's innocent friend. I'm not typically one for the virginal FMC trope, but this was done very well by the author.
The narrators brought the story to life with such pristine emotion in all the right spots. You felt the anxiety boiling from Austin when Caroline was in danger.
You felt Caroline's frustration at her parents for being overbearing. This was such a wholesome and sweet, captivating story that I truly enjoyed the ride from start to finish.
I can't wait for book 3!
Thank you Blue Nose Audio for the copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review!
Format: Audible
Narrators: Savannah Peachwood & Tor Thom
4.5/5 Star; 2.5/5 Spice
Thus far, this is already my favorite in the Falls Creek series.
As far as small town goes, this is top tier. There isn't much better than a down-bad, older firefighter MMC pining over his little sister's innocent friend. I'm not typically one for the virginal FMC trope, but this was done very well by the author.
The narrators brought the story to life with such pristine emotion in all the right spots. You felt the anxiety boiling from Austin when Caroline was in danger.
You felt Caroline's frustration at her parents for being overbearing. This was such a wholesome and sweet, captivating story that I truly enjoyed the ride from start to finish.
I can't wait for book 3!
Thank you Blue Nose Audio for the copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review!
August 11, 2023
3.5⭐️
La actitud de Caroline del último cuarto me desesperó.
La actitud de Caroline del último cuarto me desesperó.
January 19, 2024
My first Maggie Gates book and not my last. Five stars? Make it ten. Amazing.
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