Leaving Yesterday

This was a better book than I expected. This is not just a story about Trace and Rafferty but a story about a town, the community and family. Throughout the story you are introduced to many residents. I loved Trace Black. He has such a strong family commitment. He was so devoted to his brothers (Reese, Harley) and his teenage sister (Cadie). He would do anything for them; even help Cadie find her “mango bra and panty set because it’s the only bra that holds…”. Can you just imagine how a grown man likes being asked this by his teenage sister? But he knows he will not get “any peace until the Great Mango Bra caper is solved”. He is the glue that keeps everything together. But because he is too busy taking care of everyone else; he doesn’t have time for himself. The book is told from many different POVs not just the H/h. However sometimes it could get confusing. Around the 4th chapter, it was like what the heck. I had to look to see if I was reading the same book. It seemed like it took a 180 turn. It totally started off with a different character but there was no transition/build up for this character. In the beginning I think Rafferty couldn’t see past this broken down town. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily because she thought it was beneath her because she was rich. But as time passed she saw the beauty in the people, town, environment and especially Trace. While Trace thinks Rafferty is the type of woman who will leave, just like his mother did when he was 10, he soon realizes there is more to her than this fancy rich woman. I like the way the author sets the stage for the next book. I look forward to reading more about the characters of Laurel Falls.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



Leaving Yesterday started strong with a hero and heroine I liked. Right off the bat I could tell they were both good people, each with their own set of baggage, each deserving to find real love.

Things I liked: The hero and heroine. They were both strong and independent and meshed well together. I loved the nickname he had for her (Commander Princess). I liked the town, I want to visit and see the mountains and springs and stay at that rundown abandoned old inn! This book also had great, fully developed side characters who have been set up to get their own novels.

What I didn't like so much: Those side characters I mentioned? While I loved them all, I wasn't a fan of the POV shifts into their heads. Call me a traditionalist, but I'd rather my romance novels stick with the h/H POVs and leave the side characters to the side. I don't want in their heads yet, learning all the details of their personal stories. I think this would have benefited with either a revised blurb indicating that there were more stories here than just the main characters romance, or reclassifying this as.... something else. A contemporary drama maybe? I don't know. It just wasn't what I expected and that sort of put a damper on my reading experience.

All that said, this was an enjoyable story about enjoyable characters. I would gladly revisit Laurel Falls to see what happens for those secondary characters as well as to see how things are going with Trace and Rafferty. (I really hate her name by the way. But it is the perfect trust-fund baby name.)

Quirky town meets hotel heiress looking to make a name for herself by acquiring property for her family’s hotel chain.

Rafferty, recent divorcee, wants to make her family proud by making the perfect acquisition for their hotel chain when her car breaks down stranded her in Laurel Falls. Rafferty is immediately taken by the opportunity and possibility she sees in this town in need desperate need of a big pick me up. One of those possibilities being the hot mechanic fixing her car, Trace Black. But she quickly finds friends, a curious town pet and people that welcome her and want to make her feel at home.

Trace knows Rafferty’s type, they never stick to a town like Laurel Falls. Trace is a decorate vet, who came home take care of his siblings, a spunky teen sister and a brother suffering with PTSD. But something about Rafferty just clicks and he can't resist.

Dawson pulls you into this town with a writing style that made me feel like this could be my home town with neighbors and friends that you can’t wait to get back and check in on. The slow building romance, with social aspects coming into play, just gives the meat to a story with wonderful personalities as the dessert. I really enjoyed spending time getting to know these characters and look forward to further installments in the Laurel Fall series.

A strong story with heart and soul, dont' miss Leaving Yesterday.

I received this ARC copy of Leaving Yesterday from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for a honest review.