3.75/5 stars!

The hero arrives at the small town to fulfill his dead best friend's dream of opening a bar, he meets the heroine when she came to his building due to the noise level. There's instant attraction between the strong-minded individuals. How will the two stubborn people reach their happy ending when they're facing obstacles together and as individuals?

This is a nice read from a new-to-me author. I enjoyed the small-town vibe and the diverse group of characters. I liked the heroine a lot more than the hero but do feel the connection between them. I liked the exploration of the characters' background and how they evolved throughout the story. And as a personal preference, I do feel there are more details needed in certain parts of the story. Overall, I liked the book and look forward to reading more Jeannie Chin books in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.** ( )

June Wu, 32, thinks it is up to her to solve all her family’s problems and take care of them, and for that matter, to do the same with everyone else in her life. What would even happen if she let up trying to control everything? But when she meets the sexy owner, Clay Hawthorne, of the new bar across the street from her family’s inn, her life gets upended, as does his.

Clay, also in his 30s, is a veteran carrying both physical and mental scars. He has come to Blue Cedar Falls in North Carolina because that was where his best buddy Bug was from. It was Bug’s dream, before Bug bled out in Clay’s arms in Afghanistan, to open a bar on Main Street, and Clay was determined to see Bug’s dream through.

But most days, as Clay knows, “he wasn’t fit for human company.” He struggled with depression and pain, and had a chip on his shoulder over his bad experiences. He felt angry and lost.

But when he and June meet, there are fireworks. Clay was “freaking gorgeous” with a “chiseled jaw,” “hard muscle” and “hot skin.” June was beautiful; “the pout of her lips heated his blood.” When they finally come together, so to speak, “he crushed his mouth to hers with a dominance and a power that made her burst into flames…”

Everything manages to work out in spite of June’s control-freak nature and Clay’s “grumpy vet” aspect, in a pleasing and entertaining manner.

Evaluation: I’m not a big fan of romances, because of all the overheated unrealistic tropes, but Jeannie Chin is an engaging writer. In fact, I hope she tries something more literary, because she definitely has the talent to do so. Not that romances don’t have appeal, but Chin deserves a wider audience. ( )