Title: No Place Like YouAuthor: Jillian Meadows
Series: Oaks Sisters #2
Pages: 368
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Publisher: AVON BOOKS
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Synopsis:
Fable Oaks never planned to return to Fern River. But after a string of failures, here she is, living in her parents’ backyard, watching her beloved late grandfather’s A-frame crumble around her. She can’t seem to find her direction, and to make matters worse, Theo Nikolaou, her ex-best friend, has also resurfaced, distracting dimples and charming grin in tow.
Theo knew it was only a matter of time before he came back. The demons of his past once drove him to leave, but Fern River always seemed meant to be. So, when Theo’s boss, Arthur, announces he is selling his veterinary practice, it feels like the perfect opportunity. He just needs to show Arthur he’s sticking around for good. And when Fable—Fable, with her smart mouth and sexy curls—quite literally falls into Theo’s lap, an idea forms.
If they can convince the town that they’re madly in love, it could solve all their problems. Theo can prove to Arthur he’s settling down, and Fable can get some much-needed help fixing up the A-frame, a task she is determined to see through.
The only problem is, the more time they spend together, the blurrier the line gets between fake dating and falling hard.
She’s lost her way. He’s finding his path. Together, they might discover there’s no place like home.
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After reading and loving the charming first book in the Oaks Sisters series, Give Me Butterflies, I was really looking forward to reading No Place Like You. I was not disappointed with Fable and Theo’s story. It was a great addition to the series!
Fable is back home after life did not go the way she planned, living in her late grandfather’s A-frame and trying to figure out what comes next for her. Her childhood friend-turned-rival, Theo, has returned to town with something to prove and a lot of unresolved history. Determined to prove to his boss that he is here to stay, he and Fable enter into a fake relationship – one of my favorite tropes! From their first reunion, the tension, banter, and sparks are all there, and I was instantly invested.
Fable and Theo are both such fantastic characters, and I love that the story is told from both POVs. You really get to understand where both of them are coming from. Fable’s grief and insecurity felt very relatable, especially that sense of feeling behind in life while everyone else seems to have it all figured out. And Theo is wonderful! He’s such a soft and steady hero, who shows up and cares deeply, even while struggling with his own issues and trauma from his past. The way he feels, and has felt for a long time, about Fable is positively swoon-worthy. Their shift from childhood friends/rivals to fake dating to more was lovely, and the chemistry between them is fantastic! Every scene they share is emotionally and sexually charged, whether they are bickering, flirting, or pretending they are not falling hard for each other.
Something else I really liked about this story is how it balances heavier topics with lighter, romantic moments. Grief, trauma, and self-doubt are all explored, but the story never feels heavy or overwhelming. There’s a lot of humor, warmth, and swoony scenes, as well as some wonderfully heart-warming moments, to keep things feeling hopeful and fun. I also have to give a special shoutout to Fable’s dad, who I absolutely loved. His quiet support and obvious love for Fable added so much heart and made the family dynamics really stand out.
Fern River itself is such a great backdrop to the story, full of small-town charm, lovable side characters, and all the strong community vibes I like in contemporary romances. At its core, No Place Like You is about finding your way back to yourself and realizing that home can look different from what you expected. It is tender, romantic, sexy, and entertaining, and I’m excited to see what the next book has in store for us.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- fake dating
- second chance romance
- childhood friends to rivals to lovers
- small town charm
- best friends brother
Jillian Meadows writes swoony, sexy love stories. She lives thirty miles past The Middle of Nowhere, Texas with her husband, four wildly wonderful daughters, three unruly dogs, ten quirky chickens and her crippling sparkling water addiction. When she’s not writing or reading, Jillian can be found playing – and often winning – board games with her husband, “delighting” her children with made-up gibberish songs, or enjoying a beautiful west Texas sunset.
