When a popular marriage counselor’s own marriage falls apart, she’s forced to question her methods—and discovers the magical ingredient she’s been missing all along—in the dreamiest possible way . . .
Just one year ago, Chelsea Knight was living the life she’d always wanted. Marriage to the perfect guy, a thriving career, and a gorgeous condo overlooking San Francisco Bay. Then out of nowhere, her husband, Austin, left her. Ironic, because Chelsea fixes marriages for a living. In fact, she’s famous for her techniques. Naturally, she’s been using her expertise to win back her ex—and when he invites her for drinks, she’s sure her work has finally paid off. Until he announces he’s engaged.
Devastated, Chelsea seeks refuge in the beloved small-town lake cabin she and Austin now take turns using. When she arrives, the streets are dazzlingly decked out for Halloween, the autumn leaves are exceptionally vibrant, and the locals are especially warm and welcoming. It’s downright magical—and so is Knox Hart, a talented jack-of-all-trades who’s fixing her roof. Chelsea is instantly drawn to him—and to the simplicity of country life. Slowly, she becomes immersed in the townspeople’s problems and finds a sense of belonging—leading her to reevaluate her own path . . .
But something about the idyllic hamlet—and Knox—seems too good to be true. A trick more than a treat. And when she ultimately learns the truth, her heart is shattered. Miraculously, Austin is there to mend it. It’s everything she’d hoped for. Or is it? On the cusp of making all her dreams come true, Chelsea must find the strength to make an impossible choice . . .
Expected publication July 23, 2024 by Kensington
ISBN 9781496747624 (ISBN10: 1496747623)
As I stand at the Top of the Mark desperately trying to focus on anything other than San Francisco's spectacular skyline, I'm reminded of how much I dislike heights.
Chelsea is a celebrity marriage therapist whose life has become all about the "paid talk" circuit and her public presence. Her ex-husband Austin (whom she had hopes of reuniting with) informs her that he is engaged, and in her shock she is injured after running in front of a cable car. She escapes to the mountains of a small California town to heal physically and emotionally in solitude.
The next we meet Chelsea, she is being woken by her handyman Knox Hart. Funny thing is, she doesn't remember hiring him and figures that she must be suffering some short-term memory loss from the accident. As Knox returns every day to continue work on the cabin, their relationship grows and they settle into a routine.
I've been delaying writing this review simply because I lost my notes about it, and I'm always lost without my notes to focus me!
This is my first experience with author Stacy Finz. She's an easy read. There's nothing pretentious. It's just simple characters and a pretty straightforward storyline even given the twist in the end.
I've been going through a stage lately regarding the magic in life. Seeing the magic in life, recognizing it and embracing it. That was one of the reasons I wanted to read this story, and it did fulfill my desire to explore life's "magic". It has a rather unique storyline, and the first half feels sort of whimsical. It's like walking through the woods and half expecting to see leprechauns out of the corner of your eye.
The character development is rather lacking, but I tend to expect that with what I consider "fluff" reading. The characters are pretty one-dimensional, and this story could have been something much more than simple "fluff" if the characters had been given more time to grow. There were some characters like Knox's sister Katie that could have brought more life to the story if given more time. Although there is a side story involving Chelsea's relationship with her sister that is developed more in the second half of the story, it still remained pretty "fluffy".
On a sidenote, maybe I'm just reading things into it, but...
Knox Hart?
Knocks Heart?
He knocks on her heart?
Knock-knock. Who's there? Love! Open up!
The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.
I received a copy of this book to review through TLC Book Tours and the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.
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