Springtime at Hope Cottage

What a great story. Author Annie Rains is a wonderful writer who tells such beautiful stories. Her stories always pull at the heart & have humour run through them. Her characters are always strong of will & sometimes stubborn to a fault, but always loving, gentle & caring. Josie & Tuck are no different & when their chemistry explodes it brings a new outlook on life for each of them. The past had been hard for both of them & they’re about to find out that the futures they thought were in front of them have taken a sharp curve. For Tuck finding out his 11 yr old patient is his daughter is life altering & Josie’s career that’s brought her here is about to change. This story is a tale of love & loss, grief over past mistakes & how the small town of Sweetwater Springs changes the life of another visitor. I enjoyed the beautifully descriptive scenes of sunsets, horseback rides, town dances & festivals & small town life. Definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something with heart & soul. I voluntarily reviewed this book generously given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

SPRINGTIME AT HOPE COTTAGE is the second instalment in Annie Rains’ contemporary, adult SWEETWATER SPRINGS romance series focusing on the people of Sweetwater Springs. This is thirty–year old, New York journalist and editor Josie Kellum, and widower/ physio-therapist Tucker Locklear’s story line. SPRINGTIME AT HOPE COTTAGE can be read as a stand-alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Josie and Tuck) SPRINGTIME AT HOPE COTTAGE follows the building relationship between thirty–year old, New York journalist and editor Josie Kellum, and widower/ physio-therapist Tucker Locklear. Taking some well deserved R&R in Sweetwater Springs Josie will come face to face with her future, physio-therapist and widower Tucker Locklear, a man who struggles to let go of the past. When an ankle injury and a fire back home forces Josie to remain in Sweetwater Springs a little longer, Josie and Tucker will go from client to tenant to friendship to something more. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tucker and Josie, and the potential fall-out as Tucker’s past comes full circle.

Tucker Locklear has loved and lost. Battling with memories from the past, Tuck struggles to let go and move forward including giving himself permission to again, fall in love. Josie Kellum never expected to like the pace and ambience of small-town living but something about Sweetwater Springs and Tucker Locklear may convince Josie to step back and breathe the fresh air.

The relationship between Josie and Tuck begins acrimoniously when Josie mistakenly takes Tucker for a potential threat. A sprained ankle finds Josie needing help from our story line hero, help that comes in the form of physio therapy, and a roof over her head.

The world building continues to focus on small-town living: the people, the businesses, the gossip and the love. We are re-introduced to several of the local characters including Mitch and Kaitlyn (Christmas on Mistletoe Lane #1), police chief Alex Logan, Fudge Shop owner Dawanda; bookstore owner Julia Kent; as well as the introduction of Tuck’s sister and florist Halona, and several phsysio clients including eleven year old Maddie, who struggles with loss of her beloved mother. Alex and Halona’s story is next in SNOWFALL ON CEDAR TRAIL.

SPRINGTIME AT HOPE COTTAGE is a sweet, heart warming and delightful story of family, friendship, loss and hope. The character driven premise is spirited; the romance is tender- the $ex scenes are all implied; the characters are fun, sassy, and energetic.