With Love From Rose Bend by Naima Simone ~ New Release Review
WITH LOVE FROM ROSE BEND
WELCOME BACK TO ROSE BEND!
Today on Okie Dreams, we are excited to feature a review for With Love From Rose Bend by Naima Simone.
With Love From Rose Bend is the third full-length book in the author’s Rose Bend series with HQN Books and we couldn’t be more excited to talk about this gem of a read.
And if you missed the previously released novella, The Love List, do not fret because that story appears as a bonus read in the back of With Love From Rose Bend.
BOOK INFORMATION
With Love From Rose Bend by Naima Simone Series: Rose Bend #3
Published by HQN Books on March 29, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 416
Format: E-Arc
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | B & N | Kobo | iBooks | Goodreads
RATING:
Also in this series: The Love List, Trouble for Hire, Mr Right Next Door
He came to Rose Bend to hide. But she’ll help him find everything he’s been missing.
Leontyne Dennison is on a love hiatus. And that’s just fine, because perfectionist Leo is hyperfocused on the success of her family’s Berkshires inn. Volunteering for Rose Bend’s annual spring festival is certain to boost business—and provide the perfect distraction from men—until Leo comes face-to-face with Owen Stafford, the hottest one-night stand of her life.
A retired professional football player, Owen came to Rose Bend to escape after a devastating car accident ended his career. Enter the woman he hasn’t forgotten in the year since their sizzling night together. When Owen’s parents arrive, threatening his low profile, Leo helps keep the peace by pretending to be Owen’s girlfriend. Rose Bend was never part of Owen’s long game, but Leo’s increasingly convincing TLC is starting to give Owen every reason to stay.
Bonus novella!
Rose Bend’s resident bad boy has no business lusting after Korrie Noel, the pastor’s daughter. But Israel Ford can’t help it, even if he’s still bruised from a bitter divorce. When straitlaced Korrie asks him to teach her how to have fun, he’s more than willing. From zip-lining to motorcycle rides, Korrie’s learning to take risks… Will Israel convince her to take the biggest risk of all?
THE ROSE BEND SERIES
Book 0.5: Slow Dance at Rose Bend
Book 1: The Road to Rose Bend
Book 1.5: A Kiss to Remember
Book 2: Christmas in Rose Bend
Book 2.5: The Love List
Book 3: With Love from Rose Bend
BOOK REVIEW
Whew. What an emotional read this book was. I cannot tell you the number of times I found myself tearing up in this read, but there were many. Several times I had to stop and just take a breath because I was completely invested in Leo and Owen’s story. They’ve both been through so much in their life, and they both found it so hard to open up and to hope, that it made for such a powerful and compelling read.
Leo is a woman who prides herself on her control. She may not always feel it, but she has made it a mission to show it. Which is why running into Owen—her secret one-night stand from a year ago—is troublesome for her. She never expected to see him again and the fact that she needs his help to make the Spring Festival the best it can possibly be makes it even worse.
Owen is a man who isn’t ready to be seen. He’s spent too much of his life in the spotlight and coming out into the public eye again is the stuff of which nightmares are made. Yet Leo is asking for help, and that’s something he can tell she hasn’t done much of in her life.
I loved Leo and Owen’s relationship. They had similar fears in a way, but they also made each other come out of the shells that they had placed themselves in. They pushed when the other pulled. It made for such an emotionally tense read because they were both so hurt by something that they froze rather than fight, and once they reconnected again, they discovered freezing was no longer a viable option. They had to move, and that was something they both struggled to do in many ways throughout the read.
If you’re looking for an emotionally satisfying romance with compelling characters in a beautiful, larger-than-life community, this is the book for you. Rose Bend is a charming, delightful town filled with some amazing characters and couples who have each struggled to find their place in life. I am counting down the days until the next book in this series, more than a little eager to see what Simone has in store for us next.
Absolutely loved this story!
What did you think of our review?
Let us know in the comment section below.
About Naima Simone
USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone’s love of romance was first stirred by Johanna Lindsey and Nora Roberts years ago. Well not that many. She is only eighteen…ish. Published since 2009, she spends her days writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark.
She is wife to Superman–or his non-Kryptonian equivalent–and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern US.
