Finding Family in the Small Town

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 beautician and a beastly mechanic.

This beautician is determined to find beauty and kindness everywhere.

Brittany Lambridge wants to bring beauty back to small town Harmony Valley. Not only is she opening a beauty shop, but she’s also salvaging junk and giving it a second life as art. Of course, that means she’s poking around a lot of abandoned properties looking for salvage. And not every property comes without its share of secrets.

What she doesn’t expect to find is a beast and a secret.

While prospecting an overgrown plot of land filled with abandoned vehicles, Brittany comes across an intriguing car grill and a cranky car mechanic, a man named Joe with rumpled black hair, icy blue eyes and an inability to trust. Joe believes those cars are his and they can’t seem to come to a truce. Not about the rusting cars, where they came from, or his past as the town bad boy.

Fans of bad boy-nice girl movies like A Walk To Remember or 10 Things I Hate About You will enjoy this heartfelt, sweet romance with a happily ever after.

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Book Details

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Subgenre

Small Town

Series

Love in Harmony Valley • Book 7

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

August 20, 2023

Language Versions

English

Narration Type

Digital

Fiction Form

Novel

Editorial Reviews

“I didn't want to put it down.” Goodreads Reviewer, 5 Stars

“This is a heartwarming story of second chances! I loved it!” Goodreads Reviewer, 5 Stars

“Melinda Curtis pulled me into this emotional story from the first page. ”Goodreads Reviewer, 5 Stars

Second chance at Love for an unlikely match

Joe Turino and his daughter Sam returned to this small town for a place to start over. They find out very quickly that it was not going to be easy with his last name.Brittany and her twin Reggie came to town to start over too but things do not turn out as they planned either. Having grandparents in town gave the girls family and places to live. Brittany lived with her grandfather and Reggie with her grandmother.When Brittany and Joe meet on his property, he caught her trying to take car parts off a car sitting in his field sparks fly both good and bad. This was a great story where two people trying to find new lives find a new LOVE too! Great read.

Sunshine and grump in a Small Town!

I adored this book!!! This book is all about Britney and Joe, and who could forget Joe's daughter Sam! Britney moves in with her grandfather hoping to help in his barber shop and find a way to getting back to her art. Art is her passion, but she quickly takes over the barber shop when ALL the ladies in town decide to get their hair done too! Joe and Sam moved to town trying to escape demons from Joe's past. They meet by chance when Brittney goes looking at old "junk" cars for inspiration, and Sam is smitten with her! Joe and Brittney are attracted to each other, but they are total opposites, her sunshine to his grump! Can they overcome their differences, and can Joe outrun the trouble he's gotten himself into???

Bad Boy, Nice Girl, Sweet Small Town Romance

This is a sweet romance in the bad boy meets a nice girl trope and how the two get together and make things work creates some hilarious moments as well as some fireworks with sparks. This is part of the Harmony Valley series and although it can be read as a standalone, I did enjoy my visit with all of the regular quirky characters as well as meeting new ones. Brittany and Joe are like oil and water when they meet but they are also attracted to each other and not quite sure if either wants to start a new relationship or not. I really liked Sam, Joe’s daughter who shows her father tough love and tries to get him to do what he should. Joe is a widower and not ready for love again and Brittany is convinced that she doesn’t look good enough for anyone to love her. With the residents of Harmony Valley voicing their opinions loudly and frequently, this book was a fun read. The pacing is good, just perfect for a humorous romance just getting started. It’s an easy read with an uncomplicated plot but lots of side maneuvers from townsfolk and family. I especially liked Brittany’s unusual art of “upcycling” and creating beauty from old treasures. She finds her own treasure in Joe and learns to appreciate herself, too. Good, uplifting story!DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via the Fiction Addiction Review Team. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Small town thrills

I am loving this series of book situated in the town of Harmony Valley. I am currently going back and reading one of the original stories about all the different characters in the town but have read enough of them that I can follow along with who everyone is and how they are all related or make their mark here.In this story we are introduced to Phil's family by getting to know the two Lambridge twins. One of the sisters plans to take the family Victorian estate and make it into an official B & B while the other sister has her beauty shop credentials as well as being a wonderful artist who does unique art with the junk she finds around her. She is currently working in Phil's barber shop much to his displeasure but he has agreed to let her continue. She is concerned by the fact that he has gotten tremors and should not be holding scissors and cutting peoples hair.Now we are also introduced to Joe whose family used to live and work there but took a wrong turn when the family experienced a tragedy and their uncle came to take care of them. Nothing the uncle did was acceptable to the law and the boys were allowed to run wild and so had built up a bad boy reputation.Joe has since been married and has a daughter who is his price and joy and so he opens back up the garage that his family owned. Will the town support him or turn their back on him and will he meet Brittney and develop a relationship with her.Great book, easy to read and full of fun.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.