There isn’t a lot of plot to this one which may not work for everyone but the internal obstacles keep things plenty interesting. Lara’s past as a foster child makes it tough for her to rely on other people when they’ve rarely stayed in her life and former soldier Alex is struggling with PTSD, so both characters have a decent amount of emotional baggage to work through if they’re going to be together.

I appreciated how Alex and Lara’s bond is established and gradually strengthened in part through their small businesses and in part through smartly showing some parallels in their experiences (even though they come from vastly different backgrounds).

I liked the ending a lot, while it may be too abrupt for some readers, for me it very much suited where this relationship was at which is much more my preference than suddenly pushing/rushing the couple into a particular stage just because that’s what’s expected for a “romantic” ending, to me, this feels real while still being satisfyingly happy. ( )