REVIEW: Doing It Over by Catherine Bybee

In Doing It Over (Most Likely To #1) by Catherine Bybee, Who knew a ten year class reunion would set into motion events that would change Melanie Bartlett’s life all over again? But coming back to her hometown of River Bend, Oregon, with her seven-year-old daughter Hope just felt right. Longing for a new start, she was comforted by being in the company of her longtime best friends Jo, the town sheriff, and Zoe, a chef, as well as Miss Gina who owns the local B&B. Upsetting her plans, though, was meeting local builder Wyatt Gibson. After a disastrous relationship with Hope’s father, Mel is admittedly scared to try again. But Wyatt may just prove himself worthy of giving love another shot.

‘Fear. She hated that about herself. The last time she was in River Bend fear wasn’t part of her vocabulary. Then life’s punches reminded her how much it hurt to get hit.’

Wyatt is pretty intrigued with sweet and sexy Melanie as soon as they meet. He wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship, busy as he is growing his contracting business and helping out the good people of River Bend. But Mel and her cutie pie of a daughter worm their way into his heart. Before long, Wyatt finds himself protecting them as a threat from Mel’s past comes to town and Hope is put in harm’s way. If they can manage to come out the other side of the situation unharmed, Wyatt is going to find a way to convince Mel they belong together.

“You’re so sure of yourself.”
“Yeah. A little cocky. But I happen to know you came back to River Bend for a do over. And that do over is with me.”
She smiled, tilted her head to the side, and kissed him again.

Doing It Over is the exact type of small town romance that I crave. Between the relatable characters, the thread of intrigue, and the sense of redemption, I absolutely fell in love with this first book in Catherine Bybee’s latest series, Most Likely To.

“Who is the knight?”
“He’s the warrior who fights for the princess. He’s the one who can protect her.”
“Is he rich?”
Melanie sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Hope’s hair from her face. “No. He has something money can’t buy.”
Hope’s eyes were drifting closed. “What’s that?”
“The princess’s heart.”

I really am a sucker for a well-written small town story. And what a fantastic town River Bend, Oregon was to explore as Melanie reminisced upon her arrival in her hometown. The quirky residents all brought something unique to the table, but honestly, it was the community as a whole pitching in to watch out for Mel and her intelligent little girl Hope that truly warmed my heart. Those acts of kindness meant the world to our heroine, being a single mother trying to do the right thing for her precious daughter but getting knocked around by life.

Friendship was a strong theme, especially the longtime friendship between Melanie, Zoe and Jo. I loved them together. They were each other’s cheerleaders, support system, and shoulder to cry on, depending upon the situation. It was great to see that sisterhood between them and I thought it was the anchor for the story. When things went crazy in Mel’s life, she had her ‘sisters’ and some other carefully chosen friends (Miss Gina and Wyatt) to help navigate the issues and her emotions.

Can I just say how much I came to adore Wyatt? As much as I loved Melanie and her innate strength and ability to do the right thing, Wyatt kind of stole the show for me. He was such a charmer! But he was also a good, rock-solid dependable guy who really did care about the town and the people there. Wyatt was patient with Mel, knowing that she was a single mom who had not always been treated well. And he was her champion, or her knight as Hope would say, always there to protect her as much as was possible. Makes you want to sigh dreamily, doesn’t it?

With a dialogue full of energy and depth, and a twisting storyline that captured my attention, I would say that Doing It Over was a great way to start off a new series. (And look at that gorgeous book cover!) I can’t wait to visit River Bend again and see who else gets to find their HEA.

Book Info:

April 19th 2016 | by Montlake Romance | Most Likely To #1

Voted Most Likely to Succeed, Melanie Bartlett ended up anything but. The down-on-her-luck single mom wants a complete do-over—is that too much to ask? With her family long gone from River Bend, strong, independent Mel is as surprised as anyone to end up in the quaint small town she once called home. But with her friends, Jo and Zoe, by her side, and a comfortable room at Miss Gina’s quirky bed-and-breakfast, she just might have turned the corner on a new life.

Wyatt Gibson never liked the big city. River Bend suits the ruggedly handsome builder just fine. Wyatt knows he’s home, even if that means being charmed by the appearance of Melanie and her spunky, adorable daughter. Is Wyatt’s calm devotion—even amid a coming storm—enough to convince Mel she may have found a home to call her own, a family that never leaves, and a true love to last a lifetime?