This was the slowest burn I’ve read in a long time. And character-wise it makes sense. Gillian is grappling with a lot and I liked that this was a late in life coming out/coming of age story in so many ways. The setting descriptions were beautifully done. On the flip side, despite her damage, I found Gillian’s treatment of the villagers challenging. And, I prefer faster pacing with more burning chemistry - so the first two books in the series were more for me. Props for a clever title!

Short summary: on the eve of her husband’s death, Gillian prepares to launch Kingsford Manor 2.0 until she discovers she’s saddled with debt and has to sell. Enter Viola, the opposite of everything Gillian thinks she wants, but that dose of outsider-ness might be exactly what she needs.

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