REVIEW: Hope Springs on Main Street by Olivia Miles

In Hope Springs on Main Street (Briar Creek #3) by Olivia Miles, Henry Birch and Jane Madison were once close, until she married his best friend. Soon after the wedding, he left town and they lost touch. Now years later, he’s returned to help his sister fix-up the family’s old home and eventually sell it. Seeing Jane again makes his visit to Briar Creek a whole lot better, since the place doesn’t hold a lot of good memories for him. But the more he’s around her, the more he begins to see that there’s more to the small town than bad memories, including a second chance with Jane.

I enjoy small town romances, and Ms. Miles has delivered a really good read with this stand-alone addition to her Briar Creek series about two friends that have lost touch, and when reunited aren’t looking for love, but find it where they least expect it.

The plot was sweet, fast-paced, entertaining, and I enjoyed the obstacles both main characters had to overcome. Such as would Jane win the custody battle of her daughter? Would Henry be able to overcome his dislike of Briar Creek to stay for good? Would the hero and heroine be able to find a way to be together, despite the fact that Jane is Henry’s best friend’s ex-wife? The latter I didn’t know if they’d be able to overcome at all, as Henry is extremely loyal to his best friend and the man’s family. They were good to him growing up, since the hero and his sister didn’t have the easiest of times with their troublesome mother.

“Do you mind if I take some photos? It’s for the article.” Henry explained.
“Oh, I see. I suggested the article and now I’m being called on for favors.” Jane couldn’t help but grin when she saw the way Sophie lit up around him.
“I seem to recall making a few suggestions of my own.”

The dialogue was a nice blend of intense and playful, and I especially enjoyed the moments where Henry and Jane were bantering, even when Jane lost her cool. As every moment they were together upped the sexual tension, and gave me hope that things would work out for the pair in the end. Besides, the secondary characters meddling went a long way in keeping this pair interacting because they all thought Jane deserved to be happy again. That she shouldn’t allow the unfaithfulness of her ex-husband to make her lose faith in all men. And there’s no one better suited for Jane than Henry. He really is one of the good guys. The way he treated Jane’s daughter, Sophie, was just wonderful, and made me like him even more.

“Though based on your reaction, I’m sort of wishing I had.”
Jane arched a brow up at him. “Blackmail, is it? Though I don’t know what you’d be looking to get from me.”
“Oh, I could think of a few things…”

I liked both characters, but Henry did annoy me a couple of times throughout the story. How could he remain so loyal to his best friend when the man was such a selfish jerk? However, in saying that, he did manage to redeem himself in the end with what he did for Jane, and the way he was with his sister. They have such a close bond, and the scene when he offers his help so she could take a day off work was a good one. Because he had absolutely no idea what he was doing, so I couldn’t help laugh when he mixed things up. While the heroine, she’s kind and caring. She loves her daughter so much, and the fact that she might lose Sophie was heartbreaking. Jane is also very altruistic, and would do anything for her family. Including not telling her mother or sisters about what was happening in her life until it was absolutely necessary. So her family didn’t focus on her problems, and instead continued to concentrate on her sister’s wedding plans.

The chemistry between Jane and Henry was strong, and spilled over onto the pages in a lightly-detailed sex scene. Clearly, Henry had feelings for Jane in the past, and they come rushing back soon after seeing her again. Yet, it was hard for him to act on them. Not only because she’s his best friend’s ex-wife, but because he wasn’t planning on staying in Briar Creek any longer than he had to. In a way, he was altruistic as well by not wanting to start something with Jane and get her hopes up that he’d stay.

Overall, I really liked this story, and I couldn’t wait to see how it ended because no couple deserved a second chance at love more than this pair. I would recommend Hope Springs on Main Street by Olivia Miles, if you enjoy small town, or second chance romances.
 

Book Info:

Publication: October 27th, 2015 | Forever | Briar Creek #3

Sometimes love is where you least expect it…

What do you do when your cheating husband proposes to the “other woman”? For Jane Madison, it means you keep calm, carry on, and sneak candy bars and wine for dinner. Jane’s grateful for her adorable little girl, yet she yearns for the love that was missing from her marriage. Only one man ever really “got” Jane—and she’s stunned when he returns to Briar Creek. But a single mom can’t date her ex’s best friend… can she?

Jane’s still kind, beautiful—and far too good for the buddy Henry Birch tried to stop her from marrying years ago. Laying eyes on her now is like a much-needed ray of sunshine. Back in town to sell his family’s old house, Henry wants to close a bad chapter in his life and move on. But time with Jane and her sweet daughter has him flirting with the idea of happily ever after—if he can convince her to take a second chance on love…