REVIEW: Sunflower Lane by Jill Gregory

In Sunflower Lane (Lonesome Way #1) by Jill Gregory, neither Annabelle nor Wes ever wanted to return to Lonesome Way for any length of time. For Annabelle, a childhood and youth of issues drove her away searching for something better. For Wes, his father drove him away and Wes has never felt at home in a place filled with bad memories.

After her sister and brother in law’s deaths, Annabelle finds herself back in Lonesome Way as guardian for her young nieces and nephew. It’s a struggle to get by, but she does the best she can while grieving her sister and raising her children. Annabelle has no time or inclination for any kind of romantic relationship at this point in her life. She’s just put one bad one behind her. When Wes arrives in Lonesome Way following his grandmother’s accident, his intention was never to stay. Former DEA, he has plans of his own that do not include Lonesome Way. He plans to be there for as short of a time as possible. Before he knows it though, his grandmother has convinced him to stay until July 4th, and he’s renting the run down cottage on Annabelle’s property.

The attraction between Annabelle and Wes is immediate, but Annabelle’s not looking and Wes isn’t staying. Annabelle is finding more and more she likes having Wes around however, and Wes is finding he likes being around Annabelle and the children. When Wes’s past comes crashing into both of their presents, it takes that danger to make them both realize what they’re looking for might have been there all along. But will it be too late?

Jill has great writing style, and she brings all of the characters in Sunflower Lane to vibrant life. The chemistry between Annabelle and Wes was easy to feel, and I liked the way they handled it. The maturity of their characters and life experiences bring them to where they are today. They are open and realistic with each other, always knowing that Wes will be leaving again. Annabelle is a strong heroine who has suffered, and her issues make her easy to relate to because they are real issues. I really felt for her and what she was going through, and what the future held for her. Wes’s past weighs heavily on his shoulders, and he recognizes that being around Annabelle lightens the load and makes him feel again when he thought he couldn’t. I loved how Wes was with Annabelle’s nieces and nephew, this relationship really added lots of emotion and humor to the story. Growing up in Lonesome Way, Wes and Annabelle knew of each other in their youth but didn’t know each other well, making this romance fresh, exciting, and unexpected.

There are a lot of great secondary characters in Sunflower Lane, all of whom add a lot to the story in some way…from good to bad. Jill’s descriptive setting of Lonesome Way, Montana will take you there and the small town setting is always one I enjoy. Sunflower Lane is part of a series, but I definitely think it can be read as a stand alone.

Brimming with emotions, I’d recommend Sunflower Lane to any contemporary romance reader, especially if you enjoy small town romance.

Book Info:

Published November 4th 2014 by Berkley | (Lonesome Way #1)

A heartwarming new novel by New York Times bestselling author Jill Gregory about taking a chance on passion, trust, love—and finally healing the past…

For Annabelle Harper, summer in her hometown of Lonesome Way, Montana, means a chance to make a home for her orphaned young nieces and nephew. It’s also a chance to find a new direction for her life—one that doesn’t include romance. So when rugged Wes McPhee shows up back in town, she has every reason to keep him at a distance…

Even unhappy memories can’t keep Wes from returning to Lonesome Way to help his grandmother recover from an injury. And his fear of commitment isn’t enough to make him resist the tantalizing heat that he feels whenever he’s near Annabelle. But can a wandering man like Wes ever settle down? When an old enemy comes to Lonesome Way, and their dreams of love are threatened, Wes and Annabelle must fight for the future.