Trouble in Loveland by Jennifer Peel

Synopsis:

Charlee Jensen had what she considered the idyllic childhood growing up in a town named for that most prized emotion of all, Loveland, Colorado. At seventeen, her teenage crush, a man eight years older than her, marries and she naively thinks this is the worst thing that would ever happen to her. Then her parents divorce and her world crumbles. She finds herself being whisked away from her beloved home and estranged from her father.

Now eight years later, with two degrees that she never wanted in hand, and no job prospects, her father offers her a position with his CPA firm. With no other options available, Charlee accepts his offer and returns to the hometown she loved. While rebuilding her relationship with her father, she discovers that perhaps a romantic relationship is in the cards for her, with her old teenage crush, Ryan Carter, who just happens to still live next door and is now a partner in her father’s CPA firm.

Newly divorced and single dad, Ryan Carter, isn’t quite sure what to make of the girl next door, who’s all woman now. He finds himself having a hard time resisting this beautiful yet annoyingly charming woman, but their age difference and his complicated relationship with his ex-wife cause quite a bit of trouble for the couple. Ryan finds himself torn between keeping the peace with his ex-wife and mother of his child and his feelings for Charlee.

Can they successfully overcome their troubles in Loveland? Find out in this clean romance filled with sparks, humor, and of course, a little bit of trouble.

My Review: 5 Stars

May 2017

Holy Hannah! Second time reading this book and I have to say... the feels are still SO real! I found myself wanting to throw my kindle AGAIN! And yes... I still wanted to Gibbs slap Ryan! Haha. But oh how I LOVED this book! *dreamy sigh*

May 2015

I have mixed emotions about this book. I loved it and could not put it down! I read it in less than a day for crying out loud! But then I hated it and wanted to throw my kindle across the room! At one point I'm sure I would've thrown it so hard that my neighbor would've come home to a broken kindle in their house! Lol.

Charlee has had the biggest crush on Ryan ever since she was a teenager and was absolutely devastated when he married Ms. Hoity Toity. On the day of their wedding her life was flipped upside down not only because he was now married but because that was the day that her parents marriage ended as well. Her parents divorced and she is whisked off to Kansas where she spends the next 8 years of her life.

Charlee returns home to Loveland, CO where she will live with her estranged father and work for his CPA firm. She learns that her long time crush, Ryan, is now divorced with the most adorable 3 year old son, Josh, and lives right next door to her father. And not only does he live next door but he is a partner at her father's firm. And let's just say life gets very interesting once she returns home.

Charlee has a lot of spunk and is not afraid to tell it like it is... which I loved!! Any heroine with backbone is an instant favorite of mine! She is definitely strong, knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. But she is also vulnerable at times. I mean seriously... how many times can a girl get rejected before it really starts to take its toll?! But she stuck to her guns and did what was best for her... even when it broke her heart into a million pieces. And I just have to say that I loved seeing her rebuild her relationship with her father. It was seriously one of the sweetest things ever! He really is the best father a girl could ever ask for!

Ryan. *sigh* Ryan... Ryan... Ryan. What am I going to do with you?! You were the one that made me want to throw my kindle!! I could have Gibbs slapped you SO many times!! But I really do know where he was coming from. Dating a divorced parent with kids is definitely hard and it can pull you in so many different directions. While some people bashed him for the way he acted, I was actually feeling bad for him. Don't get me wrong... I still wanted to smack him... but he was doing the best that he could in an impossible situation. Dating anyone with kids can be extremely hard and finding the right balance is tough.. especially in the beginning. I was very proud of Ryan in the end when he told Ms. Hoity Toity just what was going to happen! I did a fist pump in the air and said... "It's about dang time!!" And I absolutely loved when he went and made things right with Charlee! I was one happy girl!

Oh!! And I absolutely LOVED Josh!! He is just so stinkin cute!! I think he was one of my most favorite parts of the book! I'm going to steal one of the lines from my dear friend Katie's review... he stole the show!! I loved every single part that he was in!! That little guy was just PERFECT!!

This is the second book I've read by Jennifer Peel and I have to say she is definitely a new favorite of mine!! I LOVE when I find new authors!! I can't wait to read more of her books!! :)

And of course... my review just wouldn't be complete without the casting!! I absolutely LOVE this one... and yes... I am TOTALLY bias!! They are just PERFECT in my opinion!! ;) Hehe.