Book Review: Sweet Pea Summer by Alys Murray

About the Book:

Title: Sweet Pea Summer

Author: Alys Murray

Series: Full Bloom Farm #2

Page Length: 235

Publication Date: June 16, 2020

Synopsis: It’s been eight long years since May Anderson’s high school sweetheart Tom Riley drove down Main Street in his truck, leaving Hillsboro—and May—in his rearview mirror. Now he’s back and, try as they might, the pair can’t avoid each other.

As Hillsboro prepares to host the prestigious North West Food and Wine Festival, Tom and May are reluctantly called in to plan the big event. Tom needs May’s help to repair his bad-boy reputation and, with the whole town counting on them, May and Tom need to learn to trust each other again.

May is determined to protect her heart, but a lot has changed since high school. She can’t help but notice how the skinny boy she used to know is now a man who perfectly fills out his button-down, and Tom can’t seem to tear his gaze away from May’s sweet smile. It’s clear old feelings are surfacing again, but there is a secret keeping them apart and, until they find the courage to face it, their second chance summer will be only that…

A heartwarming story about first love, family and the importance of second chances.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

May and Tom were high school sweethearts with dreams of traveling the world together. However, their relationship ended when Tom left town after graduation and left May behind. Now, eight years later, Tom returns to Hillsboro. When the pair are reluctantly paired up to organize a food and wine festival for their town, May is certain she’ll never forgive him for leaving her and breaking her heart. But, as May and Tom work together, old feelings start to resurface, and they must confront the events that drove them apart and secrets that hold them back in order to have a real second chance at their relationship.

This is a sweet and fun contemporary romance with such a charming setting. Hillsboro serves as a wonderful backdrop to the story. I love stories with settings like Hillsboro. The small-town charm and feeling where everyone knows everyone else creates a cozy and comforting community feel to the story. Of course, much like many small towns, news travels fast, and because of secrets and loyalty to May, the citizens treat Tom most unwelcomingly.

I liked Tom a bit more than May. She frustrated me at times, and I fell like some of her actions were really catty and mean. However, she endeared herself to me as the story went on, especially as she started to face her feelings and became more honest with herself and others.

It’s clear that underlying feelings still exist between May and Tom. However, lingering trust issues and secrets stand in their way, and it is unclear if they can work through these challenges and give their relationship another chance. It’s interesting to see whether their complicated relationship can blossom into something more permanent. The festival’s success also depends on the pair’s ability to overcome the past and work as a team, and I think the fact that they had to work together changed their relationship and forced them to face some hard truths.

Overall, I thought this was a sweet second-chance romance with characters who face their fears and their truths, take chances, and more. Special thanks to Forever Publishing for sending ,me a copy of the book. all thoughts are my own.