Title: Hope Smolders
Author: Jaci Burton
Series: Hope #0.5
In: Hot Summer Nights (Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy & Jessica Clare)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 30th October 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: And her bangs covered what would undoubtedly be a slight scar, so she wasn’t too worried.
In Jaci Burton’s “Hope Smolders”, sturggling divorcee Jane has put her personal life on hold to raise her kids – until she runs into Will, her ex’s former best friend, who convinces her it’s time to start having fun again.
As the first story in a series, this definitely pulled me in. A small town, romance and characters that have their own baggage? Yeah, sign me up. That seems to be the thing that draws me in lately.
I love that Jane is working on being a strong independent woman. And even when Will comes in to try and help her, she still holds onto her independence. Alright, she might take it a little too far. But I can totally respect and admire that strength and power.
The pool setting, the romance and the feeling of second chances makes this a perfect summer romance. There are some bumps along the way, but ultimately, this is such an easy and sweet read. One I’ll definitely return to.
Earth and Skye 
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