Thank you to R.L. Kenderson, Sarina Bowen, Jenn Gaffney and the rest of the World of True North team for the advance reader copy of Sidetracked, the seventh story in the Busy Bean series.
Read all my World of True North reviews here.
“Sometimes, not knowing where you’re going will lead you to where you need to be.”
CHARLI
My workplace eliminated my position the same month my relationship ended. With nothing keeping me in Richmond, Virginia, I get in my car and head northeast, unsure of where I’ll end up.
Until I walk into The Busy Bean Café.
With the Help Wanted sign and the quote on the wall meant for me, I know I’ve found my new home.
GABE
I gave up my executive job in Boston to come home to help run my family’s hardware store and to open my own handcrafted furniture business. I have specific plans for my life.
Those plans don’t include the coffee shop’s new flighty barista even if she is cute as hell.
But when I become Charli’s landlord, I find it harder than ever to stay away from her. And soon, I don’t want to.”
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: Our main gal is Charli has just left the only life she’d known in Virginia. She just kept driving until she hit Vermont. She gets a job at the Busy Bean and needs a place to rent. That is how Gabe enters her life, as her landlord. Gabe used to work in Boston after attending Harvard but has returned home as his dad’s health has declined. So now Gabe is helping his brother run his family’s hardware store. My favourite aspect of the book was how the author depicted Charli’s PCOS. I liked how she was upfront and honest about it when she started to get intimate with Gabe. Gabe is such a grump. As the story progresses you start to understand why.
- Setting: The story is set in Colebury, Vermont. Charli just moved there from Virginia and she gets a job at the Busy Bean. I really loved this because it meant we got to spend a lot of time with the Busy Bean staff. Especially we got to spend some quality time with Audrey and Zara. Characters you will be familiar with if you have read any of Sarina Bowen’s books in the True North series.
- Pacing: This story had interesting pacing. I found the beginning dragged a bit but then the later chunks just flew by. Overall this was quite an enjoyable read.
- Romance: This book is very steamy as these two really really struggled to keep their hands off each other. There is so so so much sex in this book. These two were incredibly horny once they gave in to their lustful feelings for each other. Instead of friends-with-benefits, this story is like landlord-with-benefits. Which made for a really entertaining love story and an entertaining book. This love story was still quite deep though. As both characters really had to come to terms with the fact that they were deserving of this kind of love.
Sidetracked receives four out of five stars.
You can pick up the story here.
Thank you again to Sarina, Jenn and the rest of the World of True North team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
