Waylaid

A Vermont Skky Full of Stars!

Waylaid is the eighth book in the True North series, but it can be read as a complete standalone. Daphne and Rickie’s story definitely stands by itself, but I would be doing the world a disservice if I didn’t recommend all the books in this series. They are all outstanding. They own my heart and soul.

To say I loved Waylaid is an understatement. It left me speechless and absolutely impressed. It is such a beautiful story. It gave me all the feels! I was hooked from the very first page, and I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about it. The storyline is compelling and twisty. There’s a bit of suspense to keep one guessing, and it’s highly entertaining, sweetly romantic, and deliciously steamy. The chemistry between Daphne and Rickie is explosive, and their banter is sizzling and witty. It’s perfection.

Rickie is the perfect book boyfriend. He’s the perfect combination of sweet and spice. He’s a mysterious and eccentric tattooed bad boy with a wicked mouth and a heart of gold. He’s sweet and dirty-minded at the same time, highly intelligent and adoringly charming. He has an old, wounded soul and an upbeat attitude. He’s lonely, though. And extremely talented in hiding his feelings. He has it bad for Daphne, and is determined to charm her into bed. And he has secrets.

Daphne is not buying whatever it is that Rickie is selling, though. She’s the odd Shipley. She’s not farmer material, for starters. She feels like she doesn’t quite fit in her family. She has a badass attitude and ambitious goals, but she’s hiding a bruised heart. She’s going through a tough time, keeping secrets and appearances. She’s determined to right her mistakes, one way or another, but she wasn’t counting on Rickie to come back into her life. She’s trying her best to act as nonchalant as possible when it comes to him, but she’s not very successful.

Rickie recognized Daphne the moment he saw her. But he has no idea when or where they first met. Daphne didn’t recognize him at first, but when she does, she decides to stay away from him. The problem is that he’s basically irresistible, and now they’re roommates at the Shipley Farm. Rickie is working there for the summer, and Daphne is back home after leaving Harkness College and transferring to Moo U for her senior year.

I loved Daphne and Rickie together. They are two lost souls that find solace in each other. They help each other heal and become whole again. They discover that they have not only an incendiary chemistry that cannot be contained, but also a soul-deep connection. They’re kindred spirits. And their relationship journey from frenemies to friends to lovers is a truly beautiful thing to watch.

This book is wonderful in so many ways. The setting is always a delight. There’s nothing quite like Sarina Bowen’s Vermont. It’s has the perfect small town vibe. Both Burlington or Colebury have that magic Vermonty feel, and the Shipley farm is always a great place to visit. And watching Rickie keep up with Daphne and Dylan was extremely entertaining.

Lenore, Rickie’s psychologist, stole the show along with Grandpa Shipley, who’s always a hoot. Lenore is an awesome character, and her interactions with Rickie gave his character a lot of depth.

The Shipleys are such a great family. They’re like old friends you want to hang out with all the time, so it was great to spend time with them again. It was great to catch up with May, Audrey, Griffin, Ruth and Dylan. There were big news from some of them, and I cannot wait for more books in this series. I honestly cannot get enough of them.