Bountiful (True North #4) by Sarina Bowen

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No last names. No life stories. Those were the rules.

Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on.

Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life.

Two years later, she’s made peace with the notion that Dave No-Last-Name will never be found. Until one summer day when he walks into her coffee shop, leveling her with the same hot smile that always renders her defenseless.

Dave Beringer has never forgotten the intense month he spent with prickly Zara. Their nights together were the first true intimacy he’d ever experienced. But the discovery of his child is the shock of a lifetime, and his ugly past puts relationships and family out of reach.

Or does it? Vermont’s countryside has a way of nurturing even tortured souls. The fields and the orchards—and hard won love—are Bountiful. 

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


You latch on to a series and by the fourth book wonder what the author can do differently to keep you tuned in. In Bountiful, Bowen expands the True North universe she's created by introducing a crossover from her hockey romance series, Brooklyn Bruisers. It's exciting to see how she melds these two different worlds in this lovers-to-friends-to-lovers story.

Zara agrees to a one-night stand with Dave that winds up lasting a few weeks long because, why not? There's really nothing else going on at the moment. She's an adult and Dave brings something refreshing to the mix. They agree not to share personal information so that it'll be easier to make a clean breakaway once their arrangement ends and he returns to wherever he came from. That plan blows up when Zara discovers she's pregnant shortly after Dave's left and she has no way to contact him. A couple of years later, he returns to the area with his teammates for a vacation. He's all but given up on finding Zara when he finally runs into her. It's more of a scary fright than a happy reunion at first and that's before she drops the bomb that he's her baby daddy. Saying that's the last thing he expected is an understatement.

I have to give props here because I like that the story isn't mired in sex the entire time. There is plenty of magic time but I feel the bulk of it is spent with Zara and Dave getting to know each other for real this time and establishing how to move forward now that the truth is out. Neither of them have memories of perfect childhoods themselves so they don't have good examples to fall back on which fills Dave with dread. Overcoming their insecurities as adults and doubts of their parenting abilities, along with what aspects of their lives are negotiable to them is the overall essence of Bountiful.

Bowen brings back familiar characters as well as introduces new ones through Zara's family that I'm hoping will make appearances in subsequent books if she plans on having any. I've said this repeatedly: Bowen is my go-to, autobuy author. I admire her way with words and the how her stories always flow so easily. Once I start one of her books, I can't stop. I'm in it until it's over, and then I'm sad that it's over but also content that I got to experience what I've read and will be happy to re-read again!

~ Bel

The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase

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Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, this bright, funny debut from a fresh voice in fiction offers a delicious take on love, family, and what it means to build a home of one’s own.

Sarina Mahler thinks she has her life all nailed down: a growing architecture practice in Austin, Texas, and an any-day-now proposal from her loving boyfriend, Noah. She’s well on her way to having the family she’s hoped for since her mother’s death ten years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer — and former flame — Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina’s life takes an unexpected turn.

Eamon proves to be Sarina’s dream client, someone who instinctively trusts every one of her choices — and Sarina is reminded of all the reasons she was first drawn to him back in the day. Suddenly her carefully planned future with Noah seems a little less than perfect. And when tragedy strikes, Sarina is left reeling. With her world completely upended, she is forced to question what she truly wants in life — and in love.

Full of both humor and heartbreak, The One That Got Away is the story of one woman’s discovery that, sometimes, life is what happens when you leave the blueprints behind.

Sarina is a well-respected and successful architect in her early thirties whose career is gaining traction. She’s her own boss, managing her own projects and genuinely in love with what she does for a living. She has a wonderful roommate Danny, a fun best friend Nicole and a devoted boyfriend, Noah. Noah’s a corporate lawyer and currently in Argentina working on a huge merger. This means that they’re apart for months at a time, resorting to phone calls and skyping to keep in touch. Sarina feels happy with her world, that is until Eamon comes back into her life.

Eamon is the one (night stand) that got away. She thought they’d hit it off perfectly but when the next morning came he had an abrupt change in attitude and left after promising to call her. That left Sarina wondering all sorts of things. Could she have done something wrong? Why didn't she ever hear from him? She was understandably hurt by the quick departure and kept their involvement a secret from Danny, his best friend. She eventually met Noah with whom she has found that stability she values. Eamon’s reappearance illicits mixed emotions. She acknowledges that though she’s happy to see him, there’s still some level of hurt there, naturally making things a wee bit awkward. Worse, he’s still as gorgeous and as sweet as ever. Not that she’s willing to admit that aloud. When he announces that he’s ready to move back to Austin to lay down roots, he hires Sarina to help him find a place to rehab. Great, so now he’s a client!

Here’s what I loved about this book: while it’s a romance, it’s not focused solely on Sarina's love life. She is written as a well-rounded character with so many facets to her. She is a career woman who enjoys her job and has ambitions for expanding. I really liked how absorbed she’d get in her projects and how she described her euphoria over light-bulb moments or ideas that inspired her creations. She’s a go-getter who’s smart, calm and confident in her skills. The other side of her is her close relationship with her step-dad whom she adores. He’s the last connection to her beloved mother and the way she looks up to him is just so incredibly sweet.  

Trouble does arise when she starts developing feelings for Eamon just as her relationship with Noah starts to get shakey. The distance hasn’t helped and as they discuss their long-term future, she realizes that they may not want the same thing. Now as she enters the next stage in her life, she has to give serious thought as to how her ambitions fit into a marriage and possibly children. Or is it the other way around – how do marriage and children fit in with her ambitious plans to become a well-known architect? The fact that she and Noah have differing opinions on the matter is troublesome. Then there’s Eamon on the periphery who's praising her talents while encouraging her to pursue her dreams. He finally comes clean about his feelings for her and why he left all those years ago. Now Sarina is not a whimsical little thing and won't drop everything simply because he announces that he's ready. And this is what I love best about her: as confusing and frustrating as life has become, she's still level-headed enough to examine her motives and not throw away years she has invested in a relationship with Noah without some serious contemplation.

The One That Got Away is simply adorable and I fell for it hard. For me personally it was refreshing to read a female protagonist with that level of maturity and self-assurance. And I can't forget the other co-star in this story - the city of Austin. All I know about it is that it's home to Austin City Limits, South By Southwest and incredibly hot in the summer. Bethany Chase's description of some of the local areas and markets has me wanting to visit sooner rather than later. If you're in the mood for a well-written, well-balanced romance, don't pass up The One That Got Away!

~ Bel

Connect with Bethany on Twitter and Instagram. Being an interior designer herself, she often posts gorgeous pictures that capture her attention!