In the tradition of New York Times bestselling authors Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis,
and Marina Adair, comes the first in a new series by Lia Riley about two city
sisters finding love in a small town.
The most romantic place she never wanted to be
. . .
Pepper Knight moved to Everland, Georgia, as
step one in her plan for a successful legal career. But after this big-city
gal's plans go awry, going home with her tail between her legs isn't an option.
So when the town vet—
and her sexy new neighbor—offers Pepper a
temporary dog-walking job, she jumps at the chance. No one needs to know that
man's best friend is her worst nightmare . . . or that Everland's hot animal
whisperer leaves her panting.
The last thing Rhett Valentine wants is to be the center of small-town gossip. After his first love left him at the altar, he's been there, done that. These days, life is simple, just the way he likes it. But sultry southern nights get complicated once sparks fly between him and the knockout next door. When she proposes a sexy, secret fling—all the deliciousness and none of the prying neighbors-it seems too good to be true. And it is. Because Pepper's determined to leave Love Street, and when she goes, she just might take his heart with her . . .
The last thing Rhett Valentine wants is to be the center of small-town gossip. After his first love left him at the altar, he's been there, done that. These days, life is simple, just the way he likes it. But sultry southern nights get complicated once sparks fly between him and the knockout next door. When she proposes a sexy, secret fling—all the deliciousness and none of the prying neighbors-it seems too good to be true. And it is. Because Pepper's determined to leave Love Street, and when she goes, she just might take his heart with her . . .
BUY THE BOOK HERE
THE EVERLAND, GEORGIA SERIES
IT HAPPENED ON LOVE STREET, #1
THE CORNER OF FOREVER AND ALWAYS, #2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lia Riley is a contemporary romance author. USA Today describes her as
"refreshing" and RT Book
Reviews calls her books "sizzling and heartfelt." She loves her
husband, three kids, wandering redwood forests and a perfect pour over coffee.
She is 25% sarcastic, 54% optimistic, and 122% bad at math (good thing she
writes happy endings for a living). She and her family live mostly in Northern
California.
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REVIEW
* * *
Pepper moves to a small town specifically for a job as a clerk at the Mayor's office. She shows up on her first day only to learn that she no longer has that job. She had everything planned around this move including the fact that it would've been a stepping stone to bigger and greater things but now those plans are in tatters. Resident hunk and much-loved local vet Rhett has a successful business but has been tight-lipped about his personal life mostly because he's determined to keep his private affairs from prying eyes. Rhett meets Pepper on her worst day ever and despite their awkward start, he finds her incredibly attractive. That's a reaction he hasn't had in a while. Hoping to keep her in town longer, he arranges a temporary job for her: that of a dog walker. It's so ridiculous that it's funny because she's petrified of dogs. Bills have to be paid though and this gig should buy her some time while she resets her plans. Falling in love with the town's most eligible bachelor is so not part of it.
The
most enjoyable part about IHOLS is Pepper adapting to small town
living, the slower pace and the friendliness. It’s weird after spending so much time in New York, and
for her it’s coming full circle since she grew up in an even smaller town.
However, she constantly worries about having a reliable income so that
she can take care of her father. She has always felt the weight of
responsibility therefore, while she may be taking to Everland and its quirks, she's always mindful that it’s
temporary. Rhett on the other hand sees her a welcome breath of
fresh air. She has no history here, she's smart, isn’t immersed in the town gossip and not to be forgotten, hot
as hell. He’s finally interested in someone except that she wants to skedaddle as
soon as she can. They have a fun thing going where they're at ease with each other to a certain extent. Unfortunately, Pepper’s just at
a tough stage in her life trying to pick apart her needs from that of others. It’s
going to take patience, encouragement and a lot of love to convince her to stay.
My only hangup was all the town gossip. It's a minor story detail but everyone’s business is on full display and even worse, some even openly meddle and barge in on you. That intrusion just makes me so
uncomfortable. Luckily, that doesn't overshadow Rhett and Pepper being annoyingly adorable or her entertaining adventures in
dog walking.
It Happened on Love Street is a cute, small town romance filled with friendly people and a few wacky personalities. It's not my personal favourite of Riley's romances but it's an ideal escape if you're in need of one this summer and you can bet that I'll be reading The Corner of Forever and Always because how can I resist? These titles just make me smile :) For now pour yourself a tall glass of iced tea and enjoy!
~ Bel
The lovely folks at Forever Romance would like you to experience Everland. Enter below to win 1 of 10 copies of the book - good luck!
~ Bel
EXCERPT
“Here’s an idea.” He nudged his finger on hers. “Say we—and this is purely hypothetically—enjoyed the . . . ahem . . .pleasure of each other’s company in the privacy of our homes.”
“Hypothetically, kept it casual and under the radar?”
She nudged back. “When I leave, there’s no heartbreak, no drama, and no one is the wiser.”
“Interesting theory?” He reached out, his hand splaying her knee. “Or recipe for disaster?”
Tingles shot up her thigh. His skin was warm, those fingers very big and very male. “I have enough to worry about with my future. If you don’t need me for more than a little here and now? I might be persuaded. Hypothetically.”
He moved his hand from her knee to the back of her neck. The touch melted her faster than an ice cube in the July sun.
“What are you thinking?” she murmured.
His deep blue gaze locked on hers and there it came again, that curious sensation of floating and drowning. “That I’d like to hypothetically kiss you.”
There was a sudden roaring in her ears, a whoosh of blood. “Well, there’s only one way to test a hypothesis.”
Slowly, oh so slowly, he dipped forward. His lips didn’t settle on hers like she expected. Instead, he kissed the center of her forehead, softly, experimentally. A tremble rocked through him.
The evening air was sultry, no a hint of chill. The idea that she shook this steadfast man sent a shiver of need through the join of her thighs, a throbbing shudder that swelled to an ache as he peppered a light trail of kisses down her temple, and then moved lower. He took his sweet time on her cheeks, treating her as something to savor, a delicious dessert you didn’t want to wolf in one bite. Tension spread through her body, pulling tighter and tighter, her belly doing a fluttery dips and dives.
When he finally reached her lips, it seemed reasonable to expect that the kiss would be as soft as the others. Silly. Because Rhett was full of surprises. He didn’t hold back, his tongue was greedy, insistent, and hungry. Their teeth banged together. A chair tipped over. They crashed against a table leg, sent it screeching across the floor.
“In theory, you’re a good kisser,” she gasped, tracing her lower lip with her tongue. The skin was puffy, aching.
“Let me experiment a bit more. The initial results are promising.”
GIVEAWAY
The lovely folks at Forever Romance would like you to experience Everland. Enter below to win 1 of 10 copies of the book - good luck!
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