A Small Town Secret

by Melinda Curtis

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Fans of Hallmark movies set in small towns with quirky characters will enjoy this sweet romance between a firefighting single dad and a woman raising her kid sister.

She’s his prime suspect…maybe.

Third-generation firefighter Captain Ben Libby is sworn to keep Harmony Valley safe. But a recent series of fires points to arson. Not that Ben really suspects Mandy Zapien, who's back in town to reopen the defunct post office—a potential fire hazard. Is he letting her off because of her incredible smile?

They have more in common than they think.

They’ve both given up a lot for family. Mandy's raising her teenage sister, just as Ben’s raising his godchild. And they both chose Harmony Valley when other options might have suited their careers better. But is that enough to base forever on?

Fans of single parent and firefighter romance will love this fun, heartwarming romance with a happily ever after.

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Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Subgenre

Small Town

Series

Love in Harmony Valley • Book 11

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

2 Mild

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

March 20, 2024

Language Versions

English

Narration Type

Digital

Fiction Form

Novel

Editorial Reviews

"This is a wonderfully written story with amazing characters that will carry you along with each page turned." Amazon Reviewer, 5 Stars

"This is an enjoyable and quick read that had me cheering for the characters to resolve all of their differences and find solutions to their multiple problems. What a great read!" Amazon Reviewer, 5 Stars

Who are Ben and Mandy?

I have to say I love all of the books Melinda writes but this one was pne of the most confusing story, it really wasn't a story, it was a bunch of words put together but nothing quite made sense to me, it is unfortunate and I hope the next one is a lot better.

Fighting Fires and Attraction in Harmony Valley

A Small Town Secret is another wonderful addition to the Love in Harmony Valley Series but can be read as a stand alone story, however I suggest reading the previous stories for secondary character backgrounds and just for the pure entertainment of the series. This is Ben and Mandy's story of overcoming childhood issues to find the one for your happily ever after. Ben has moved back in with his parents in Harmony Valley along with his godchild, Hannah, until he can find her father and also to assist his father who is struggling with breathing issues. Ben believes this is only a temporary situation, that is until he meets Mandy. Mandy was raised by her grandparents after being abandoned by her narcissistic mother who also left Mandy's little sister several years later. Now having taken care her grandparents in their final battles with health issues and raising her teenage sister who is recovering from a battle with cancer, she has moved back to Harmony Valley to be the postmaster. Ben and Mandy get off to a rocky start when he closes the post office for fire code violations and she is demoted back to mail carrier but when she joins the volunteer firefighter program, they begin to connect as they reluctantly share their fears about the direction that their lives are heading. As they grow closer, secrets are revealed and they must let go of the past to have a future all while battling fires and trying to locate the arsonist who is starting them. This is a wonderfully written story with amazing characters that will carry you along with each page turned.I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.

Mandy & Ben

I liked Mandy and Ben's story, even though they had to overcome some obstacles, but in the end they achieve their happy ending. This series of books set in the small town of Harmony Valley that Melinda writes are highly recommended, to have a pleasant time and fall in love.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A sweet romance with some intense circumstances

I really enjoyed this book. It was one of my favourites in this series. Mandy was a postal employee tasked with reopening the post office in Harmony Valley. She was also parenting her recently graduated, cancer survivor sister, and had a fraught relationship with their mother. After a confrontational first meeting with Ben, a firefighter helping to restore the community’s fire department, feelings grew between them. Unfortunately, Ben had his own baggage in the form of a young goddaughter he was temporarily responsible for and covering for his father’s poor health. Plus, his expressed desire to not have a family. This story had the added focus of a bit of a mystery. It upped the intensity a little. I liked the characters and found them engaging. Hannah, Ben’s goddaughter was particularly fun. I also found Ben’s dad relatable with his conflict between his poor health but still wanting to do what he used to do. In this series most of the books have a third POV who is usually a senior. In this case it was Mandy’s sister, Olivia. If I’m honest, the sections with the elderly character’s POV aren’t always as interesting to me, so I enjoyed having Olivia’s POV instead. I’m looking forward to the extra content that the author is putting out about her. The book includes elements of death, parental abandonment, parental manipulation, cancer, other health issues, firefighting, and arson. This book is part of a long series set in Harmony Valley. There is carryover but this book can easily be read as a standalone. The romance itself is entirely contained in this book. This is a closed door story with mild innuendo and one very mild harsh word used in more of a biblical style context.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Great Story!

I can’t believe that we are at book #11 in this Love in Harmony Valley series. I’m excited as each book comes out since it’s more people heading to this great small town and its younger people as well to help get this town back on its feet. We get to meet Ben who is a new firefighter in town however his family has roots in town and he’s raising his godchild Hannah and Mandy who has lived here before but is coming back to town to be the Postmaster and reopen the post office and is raising her sister Olivia. Both of these great characters are trying to make things work for not only themselves, their godchild and sister and the town but we have someone who is an arsonist and causing problems and we have Ben’s dad who is the fire chief and should most likely retire but he needs a few more months to qualify to get a bigger pension. I definitely felt for both of these characters who are going above and beyond for their families and in some ways, I didn’t feel like their families appreciated it. I did like how Mandy and Ben eventually, through some rough starts, finally have a friendship going and I loved their time with Mr. Moon. So many great parts of this story from the nosy town council ladies to Tracy and her coffee shop, how the residents monitor Mandy on her mail delivery route and even have treats for her and things are somewhat on an even keel for both of them. Unfortunately, when Mandy’s mother comes back to town, she starts a series of events that put not only Olivia and Hannah in harm’s way and then we have Utley who has been a troublemaker from the beginning of this book. I was extremely glad for Ben, his dad, and their training. We also find out that an inheritance isn’t really an inheritance for Olivia but in the grand scheme of things, it turns out better for both of the sisters. I really liked how everything turned out for Mandy, Ben, Hannah and Olivia and we got some major updates about Emma and Becca as well. My favorite line in this story is, ‘Never be ashamed of needing something, because we all do.’