When I have to mull over what I want to say in a review, it's because I am having a hard time finding the right words to express my opinions. I've been stewing over this one for three days, and I'm still having a hard time with it.
Amy Clipston is best known for her Amish fiction, which she writes quite well. This is not Amish fiction and the story itself is not really in Amy's wheelhouse.
Maya has inherited a toy shop from her Aunt CeCe in Coral Cove, North Carolina. She is moving on the heels of a bad break-up with her fiance, Kyle. Among the first people she meets in Coral Cove are Brody and his rather precocious daughter, Ashlyn. An instant rapport with Ashlyn captures Maya, and to a degree, initiates a friendship with Brody.
What I wish had happened in this book:
Maya created a princess room for tea parties for little girls' birthdays. What about the boys in Coral Cove? Could she not have also made a room for boys' parties? She was needing to create more income for the store and she missed half of the children who would have helped her with her income woes.
Maya's and Brody's relationship seemed to grow organically except that Maya still seemed stuck on Kyle. Brody seems to be a rebound relationship and when Kyle shows up, Maya's feelings flip flop so much as to give the reader whiplash trying to keep up. I wish Maya's feelings for Kyle had been fully resolved.
The story is a typical formulaic romance, with fun parts to keep the reader engaged. The sad thing is that this is not Amy's best offering. Three stars.
Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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