In need of a quiet place to write her novel, Charity Anderson returns to her parents’ home in Kings Meadow, Idaho after because her house has flooded and is undergoing renovations. Returning to the small town and reliving painful memories is not the best option for Charity, it is her only option. And to top everything off, Buck Malone, her high school crush, lives next door. When Charity’s dog causes Buck a broken wrist and ankle, a loss of employment, and a lot of downtime, there is no choice but for Charity to assist her neighbor as he recovers. As she spends more time with him, she bases the hero for her romance novel off of him
Buck is perfectly content with his life. Perhaps he never went to college and gave up some dreams, but he has no complaints about his bachelor lifestyle. The more time he spends with Charity, the less he’s convinced remaining a bachelor is what he really wants. He senses pain and sadness in Charity but she shuts down whenever he tries to get her to talk. Should he get involved emotionally? And what will happen when Charity moves back to her home in Boise?
As a former resident of Idaho, I really enjoy Hatcher’s books and the memories of the area (this one even mentioned my alma mater—University of Idaho in Moscow). I’ve been small towns like Kings Meadow. There are plenty of them. But what is even better about the books are the characters. In Whenever You Come Around, both Charity and, especially Buck, are likable. Sure, Charity is running from mistakes she’d made in her past and hiding from her friends and her family. Buck is hiding in a way too but it’s not as obvious as it is with Charity. Loved the addition of Charity’s dog in this one too. Cocoa is another character in her own right. There are some familiar faces in the book as well but this story is most definitely built around Charity and Buck and their story.
Release date: May 12
Thomas Nelson Fiction provided me with a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.