Emma Laroux’s a fallen Southern beauty queen whose past is barely whispered about in her small town. But the secrets and lies surrounding her scandal still haunt her, and something about Matthew Pope may hold the answers…if only she could put her finger on it.
Matthew Pope wonders what awful karmic thing he’s done to land him in Podunk, Alabama. But when he sees Emma Laroux again after all this time, he knows he’s still the only one who holds the key to unlocking the truth of her past…
Will a shared moment in time ten years ago threaten the best thing that’s ever happened to them – each other?
Review
Emma is a retired beauty queen. She runs her own business and keeps to herself as much as possible. Enter Matthew, who rocks her world when she least expects it.
Both of these characters are flawed and have had some terrible experiences in life. This is, to me, why they hit it off. They each recognize the damage and the strength in each other. As their pasts unfold it brings them closer until….Matthew has a secret!!
I never understand why characters don’t come clean when given the perfect opportunity. It would make life so much simpler. Which, I guess is why the author chooses not to do it. It keeps the story moving. Matthew has ample opportunity to tell Emma (and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why he didn’t want her to know). What would it change if she knew. His secret, in my opinion, is not that big of a deal. But, like I said, my opinion.
I did enjoy the setting of Alabama. Being a Mississippi girl, I felt right at home with all the small town characters. The author did a fabulous job with all the quirky southern ways and especially the southern sayings. I caught myself grinning through most of this book because of the southern antics.
There is a twist at the end but it is rushed and almost like it was added as an afterthought. BUT! I did enjoy this book. It is cute, quirky and fun to read. It hit the right spot!
I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.
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