Once Upon a Cabin by Patience Griffin is the story of two sisters, Tori and McKenna St. James, who have 
been raised by their wealthy uncle. When his girlfriend helps him see that they girls need to learn to fend for themselves, he orders the sister to two separate towns in Alaska, living and working in places they never would have chosen for themselves, being cut off from their unlimited cash supply. They have to spend a year at their locations, or they’ll be cut out of their uncle’s will.
Tori is sent to Sweet Home, to live and work on a homestead, which would have been better suited for McKenna, who loves the outdoors. Her uncle hired Jesse Montana, a wilderness guide, to help her learn how to work the land. McKenna is sent to Anchorage to work in a bank, something that would have been better suited for Tori. Her uncle hired Luke McAvoy, who happens to be friends with Jesse and works at the bank, to show her the ropes.
The women aren’t impressed with the men assigned to them, nor are the men impressed with them. But as time passes the women begin to realize that maybe their situations aren’t so bad, and neither are Jesse and Luke. The guys learn that there’s more to the women than being spoiled rich kids. But when their time in Alaska is up, will the sisters give their uncle the biggest surprise of all?
I had mixed feelings about this one. For one, their uncle knows Tori is allergic to just about everything. Why would he put her out in a homestead where she has no electricity and has to use fire to cook and heat things, when she’s allergic to smoke? And why would he leave her out there with no phone access to call for help when she needed it? Honestly, that alone made me not like the man, and if I was Tori, I wouldn’t have forgiven him for putting her life at risk. Granted when Jesse points this out to him, he tries to make things better, but that should have been something he considered before throwing her out there.
Secondly, I found the romances to be lackluster. It felt like most of the book was about the sisters acclimating to their new situations, with very little building up of the relationships. As a result, I found it hard to believe that they genuinely cared about one another. Friendship I could buy, but it was hard to buy into the fact that they all fell in love.
I did like watching the sisters, especially Tori, step of out their comfort zones and learn to be more independent. Tori had it rougher than McKenna, which lead her to have more character growth out of the sisters. I also liked how the community of Sweet Home rallied around Tori to help her out when needed.
Once Upon a Cabin is story about resilience, learning to stand on your own two feet, and finding love and unexpected friendships. It wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I know there are other readers out there who will enjoy it.
Book Info:
Publication: November 30, 2021 | Berkley | Sweet Home, Alaska #2
Tori and McKenna St. James have been living comfortably on their trust funds in Dallas. But their uncle Monty, keeper of the purse strings, decides to push them out of their comfort zones by requiring them to spend one year in Alaska or lose their inheritance. Initially the sisters are stunned, but they aren’t willing to back down from the challenge.
Tori is sent to a primitive homestead outside the tiny town of Sweet Home. She had been prepared to forego fashion magazines and lattes, but not electricity and running water! Will her rugged wilderness guide, Jesse Montana, teach her to survive, or send her fleeing back to civilization? Meanwhile, outdoorsy McKenna is stuck within the concrete walls of an Anchorage bank. Her sexy boss Luke McAvoy is tasked with teaching her the business but what he’s really doing is tempting her. Not that she’s the type to fall for a stuffed suit like him.
Tori and McKenna find much needed solace with Sweet Home’s Sisterhood of the Quilt. Will this crafty group of women be up to the challenge of teaching two outsiders how to sew—and perhaps how to love?
