Hello there, bookworms! I hope you’re all well and have lots of books to read! If you’re in search of something, don’t fret, because I’m bringing you a review right now!
If you can’t tell, maybe I’m a little delirious. I head out on Saturday and while I can’t wait to get to vacation and relax for a bit, I still have some release deadlines to make, errands to run, a job to work, and packing to do. To say I’m stressed is a hint of an understatement, but I’m actually remarkably shocked at how disciplined I’ve been in balancing my time. If you know me, or knew me during any part of my school career, you know that I sometimes tend to have the attention span of a fruit fly and have super poor time-management skills, so the fact that I’ve basically locked myself away for the last week or so just getting my reading done is saying a lot. While I may lose sleep, I think I’ll be able to get my books read and get some more suggestions to you just in time for the weekend!
Anyway, I’m really excited because tonight is not only another one of my review requests, but it’s a romance novel! Obviously, I love my romance novels and it’s been quite awhile since I’ve been able to enjoy a good and tortured book boyfriend, so I’m thrilled I finally got to this one. Unlikely in Love is the first in a series, and the first I’ve read by author Ashlie Knapp.
I haven’t been to Oklahoma in years, so I was thrilled to go back when I visited this story. I got to meet a plethora of funky and interesting characters and enjoy the daily workings of life on the farm which served as a nice retreat into solitude for awhile.
Wyatt is recently back from his latest tour overseas, and he’s not only wounded, but haunted and feeling broken as well. At twenty-nine, he finds himself back to his old life, but not really serving a purpose while he stays in his childhood bedroom and tries to find himself once again.
Annabelle has just become the soul owner of her crazy grandmother’s estate. When she’s smacked with the news that her grannie spent her years accumulating more than anyone thought possible, Annie feels the need to fulfill her spirited legacy. As she makes plans for the farm’s future, she finds herself in over her head.
Luckily, news travels fast in a small, rural town, and soon, Wyatt is gainfully employed by the seemingly strange girl with mint green hair. He can’t help but be intrigued with her determination to keep her grandmother’s property as a fully functioning farm, and is even charmed by her spitfire attitude. In turn, Annie does everything she can to persuade herself that she isn’t dazzled by the rugged, handsome solider with a heart of gold despite his inner turmoil.
When Annie reminds him that they knew each other years ago in high school, Wyatt is bombarded by memories of the quirky, brilliant, and vibrant girl he found himself drawn to so long ago, but knew he’d never have because they ran in very different circles.
Annie and Wyatt are two very different people from almost opposite ends of the spectrum, but that seems to be what makes them work so well together. He’s tormented by his time on the battlefield, haunted by flashbacks and nightmares, but Annie’s warm and almost carefree personality keeps his demons at bay. In turn, he embraces her “weirdness”, her quirks, and all the bright colors in her universe and makes her feel completely cherished.
This story was just what I needed right now. Like I said, it ‘s been awhile since I’ve been able to lose myself in a love story, and these two didn’t disappoint. My heart broke for everything Wyatt went through while he was deployed and even more so for the loss Annie suffered in losing her grandmother. These two may have initially started out as colleagues and acquaintances, refusing to cross any boundaries, but thankfully, they were able to become more and try to heal together, no matter what obstacles came their way. My only hang up was that this novel seemed to speed by and I wished there was just a bit more text to read so that I got more time and detail with this pair.
Their adventures in the Sooner State made for quite a lovely and homegrown romance that I couldn’t help but become immersed in. I still have some books to catch up on, but once I do, I plan to head back to Parker Lake to see what Wyatt, Annie, and the rest of the Okie crew are up to next!
My Final Rating: four out of five stars
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