Title: With This RingAuthor: Amy Clipston
Pages: 320
Publication Date: Jan. 1, 2025
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Dakota Jamison is living her dream running Fairytale Bridal Shop in her hometown of Flowering Grove, NC. But despite helping others find their Happily Ever Afters, getting married and settling down isn’t on her radar. In fact, she decided she’d never get engaged again after Hudson Garrity broke her heart and left her to pursue a career in New York City. Besides, she doesn’t have time for a relationship between running her shop and giving roller skating lessons at the local rink.
Hudson Garrity made his dream a reality when he started his own software company in the big city, but now that he’s sold it, he’s at a crossroads. He’s finally made enough money to provide a comfortable life for his younger sister and the aunt who raised them after their parents died. Hoping that a return home will help return his focus, he’s instead thrown into family chaos and roped into helping his sister plan her wedding . . . bringing him once more into contact with the one who got away.
As Hudson’s sister’s wedding date draws closer, he starts to remember how much he loved Flowering Grove and the smalltown life. And as he and Dakota start to wonder what could have been, they reevaluate what went wrong between them.
Will Dakota and Hudson find it in their hearts to forgive each other and forge a new life together?
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With This Ring by Amy Clipston was such a sweet small-town romance with tons of charm and heart. Dakota Jamison runs the Fairytale Bridal Shop in Flowering Grove. She’s independent, determined, and totally focused on helping others find their happily ever after. She, however, has sworn off the idea for herself after her breakup with Hudson Garrity when he left their small town to pursue his dream. It’s taken her a long time to heal after the break-up, and now, seven years later, Hudson returns to town to stop his younger sister’s wedding.
The chemistry between Dakota and Hudson was there from the start, but they both tried pretty hard to ignore it. Watching them work through old wounds and unresolved feelings as well as the new feelings blossoming was lovely. They’re both so stubborn, and it frustrated me at times, but it definitely highlighted how much they changed and grew over the course of the story. I enjoyed their story, and their romance is a slow burn filled with some lovely moments that melted my heart.
The small-town setting added so much charm to the story, and I particularly loved the bridal boutique and the roller rink. It reminded me of when I was a kid – I loved roller skating! lol The supporting characters, from Dakota’s friends to Hudson’s well-meaning family, were also great and added complexity and depth to the story. Dakota and Hudson have strong connections to this town and the people who live there. It has major Hallmark vibes and feels like the kind of place where everyone knows your business but in the best way.
While the miscommunications between Dakota and Hudson got frustrating at times, I appreciated how the story focused on themes of forgiveness and second chances. The romance was sweet, the setting was cozy, and I’m curious to see if any of the secondary characters will be the focus of a future book because there are a couple I definitely want to learn more about!
- The romance.
- The small town charm.
- The characters.
- second chance romance
- small-town charm
- sweet/clean romance
- slow build
Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She’s sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and four spoiled rotten cats. Visit her online at AmyClipston.com.
This sounds like a delightful story, Julie. I love small town settings, but the miscommunication trope does frustrate me.
I feel the same, Carla, but overall, it was a nice read.