Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson left behind a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her hometown of Hart’s Landing. But when a crisis brings her back, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.
Only...Everett is everywhere. The town’s attractive, beloved mayor has resisted settling down, but he’s never stopped wondering about Mila. Having her back in Hart’s Landing is the second chance he didn’t know he was waiting for—and he’s not about to waste it.
As Mila slowly opens her heart to Everett and begins to rebuild her fractured friendships, she wonders if coming home was exactly what she needed. But old wounds threaten to open again when questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left. Who’s really responsible for the fire that destroyed the bakery? And will knowing the truth free Mila from the past, or ignite a blaze that burns down the future she’s trying to build?
People say you can never truly come home again, but sometimes coming home isn’t about where you’ve been. It’s about who you’re brave enough to become.
Sexy, heartfelt, and steeped in small-town charm, Hart’s Landing is a story of forgiveness, friendship, and finding the family who loves you no matter how far you wander
This is the story of a group of girlfriends and how their lives suddenly spun out into new directions and then they lost touch for ten years. This is Mila's story, and one night changed her entire life. And she hasn’t been back to Harts Landing for years. But now she has no choice since she needs to come help her mother, and she has to face her old friends, her old crush, judgmental townspeople, and scrutiny. She’s built a career and a life for herself, but she’s never been able to meet all of her mother’s goals and expectations.
Everett was her friend‘s brother and a crush, and that one night started out with potential and ended in disaster. He runs his family’s cherry farm, and he’s also the mayor of the small town. He’s charming, popular, and totally intrigued by the fact that Mila’s home. He doesn’t waste any time asking her to catch up with him or go on a date. But there’s a lot of trauma in their backgrounds that has shaped their lives. Mila is only supposed to be in town for six weeks, and she left home for a reason. Their friend group has also moved, but there are some reconnections happening. And then there are secrets and mystery components in the background adding depth to all of their stories.
Everett was her friend‘s brother and a crush, and that one night started out with potential and ended in disaster. He runs his family’s cherry farm, and he’s also the mayor of the small town. He’s charming, popular, and totally intrigued by the fact that Mila’s home. He doesn’t waste any time asking her to catch up with him or go on a date. But there’s a lot of trauma in their backgrounds that has shaped their lives. Mila is only supposed to be in town for six weeks, and she left home for a reason. Their friend group has also moved, but there are some reconnections happening. And then there are secrets and mystery components in the background adding depth to all of their stories.
I loved Everett so much. He is the ultimate book boyfriend. He’s just so good, supportive, and kind, and he just wants what he wants, and that is still her. They have amazing chemistry, and he is there for her. And even though she thought she was really fulfilled in her new life, she’s starting to see what she’s been missing as well by trying to avoid the past and old friendships. And with support, she is also learning to find her own voice and empowerment.
It’s a coming home, best-friend‘s-brother, shared trauma, small town romance with a bit of mystery, hurt/comfort, and healing.
It’s a coming home, best-friend‘s-brother, shared trauma, small town romance with a bit of mystery, hurt/comfort, and healing.
I thought it was brilliant how this initially just felt like a really easy love story because the banter and chemistry between the characters is so natural and so good, but then under the surface, there are these layers of shared trauma, secrets, mystery, and so many more layers that they never really addressed. It starts out in the past and moves on to the present. I loved the bonds of friendship and found family aspect.
So it’s also about Mila and these women starting to take charge of their own lives again and reconnect on a friendship level and deal with the past. And I’m very interested in seeing books for the other women Yasmine, Gabi, and Rachel, and how the past shapes their future relationships. One couple has already been teased as enemies to lovers and I am here for it. I enjoyed spending time in this quirky small town.
Main character graphics from Author's FB page
artists @olivia'sartstuff and @ Raph.illust
USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. If she's not writing or reading, she's probably at Orangetheory or watching Schitt's Creek again. She lifts her glass to readers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
She is represented by Rebecca Friedman of Friedman Literary.
