REVIEW: The Honeymoon Cottage by Lori Foster

In The Honeymoon Cottage (Cemetery, Indiana #1) by Lori Foster, Wedding planner Yardley Belanger absolutely adores her job. Especially when she gets to meet lovely clients like Sheena Long, whom she clicks with right away. Someone else Yardley connects with immediately is Sheena’s older brother Travis. With a body that’ll make a woman drool, a laid back personality, and a great sense of humor, he’s basically Yardley’s dream man. But working for Travis’s sister puts a stop to any ideas of romance–temporarily. Because once Sheena’s wedding is complete, Yardley plans to put her almost non-existent seduction skills to use and see if the heat between her and Travis is as intense as it seems.

‘Suddenly they were nose to nose, lips oh so close…and praise be, he made a low, rough sound and took her mouth. Yes, this was the type of kiss she’d been thinking about nonstop. Urgent, a little hungry.’

Travis would do anything for his little sister Sheena. For years it’s been just the two of them against the world, so it’s a bit tough for him to picture her married and starting a family of her own. So taking care of her wedding is the least he can do. Then Travis meets Yardley. And suddenly he begins thinking of his own future for a change. As he gets to know her better, along with Yardley’s best friend Mimi, her husband Kevin and the rest of the offbeat people in Cemetery–including getting used to a mannequin named Kathleen showing up in the most comical of places–Travis knows this is a game changer. Yardley is everything he could dream up for himself, and then some.

‘Yardley deserved someone special, someone who would prove to her just how amazing she was. He wanted that person to be him.’

A lighthearted, sexy and sweet romance with ALL the feels, The Honeymoon Cottage was a charming introduction to Lori Foster’s new Cemetery, Indiana series. And oh what a quirky, awesome time it promises to be!

‘Only Yardley could make him both combustible with lust and happy enough to laugh. There couldn’t be another woman like her anywhere on the planet. In his heart, he knew there was no other woman for him.’

Lori Foster’s work never ceases to amaze me. Through each genre–contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and romantic suspense–her writing voice is clear, and I love that she always tells her stories from the heart. And The Honeymoon Cottage certainly proved to be a heartfelt romance, along with a story of a community pulling together to help one of its own.

We actually followed two couples: Yardley & Travis and Mimi & Kevin, told from their four POVs, as they traversed different obstacles in their lives. Yardley and Travis were the main focus. There was a fast spark of attraction between them. But being the terrific big brother he was, Travis didn’t want to take attention away from Sheena’s big day so it was understandable why he’d want to take things slow with Yardley. It made this more of a slow burn romance, which Foster excels at, and it meant the tension between Yardley and Travis was off the charts hot.

What really wowed me, though, was how kind and thoughtful both Yardley and Travis were with each other. (And everyone in their lives, actually) Yardley was a sweetheart and a nurturer through and through. And that showed in her loving attention to Travis, the gentle way she walked an overwhelmed Sheena through the wedding planning, her devotion to a pup that gets rescued, and how she helped her best friend Mimi communicate more openly with her wonderful husband Kevin.

QOTD: Have you read any of Lori Foster’s work? If so, do you prefer her fun & sexy romances, heartfelt women’s fiction, or her edgier romantic suspense?

Book Info:

Publication: Published May 24th 2022 | HQN Books | Cemetery, Indiana #1

From New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster comes a heartwarming, romantic story for fans of Jill Shalvis, Lori Wilde and Sarah Morgan. In The Honeymoon Cottage, locals of a quirky small town help their favorite wedding planner find her own happily-ever-after.

She was fine arranging other people’s weddings… But life had other plans.

When it comes to creating the perfect happily-ever-after, Yardley Belanger is a bona fide miracle worker. From bridal bouquets to matching cowboy boots, the quirky wedding planner’s country-chic affairs have caused quite a stir in the small town of Cemetery. But when it comes to her own love life? She’s clueless.

Completely clueless.

Perhaps it’s for the best. The thirty-one-year-old has poured her heart and soul into her business and doesn’t have time for anything—or anyone—else. And that’s something not even the gorgeous older brother of her newest client can change…right?

All Travis Long wanted was to give his little sister, Sheena, the wedding of her dreams. Ever since the tragic death of their parents, he’s done everything he can to make her feel loved and give her everything she needs. Still…a country wedding? In a place called Cemetery? But Yardley seems to know exactly what to do and how to do it—and Travis finds himself falling for her a little more each day.

Soon Yardley and Travis find themselves being nudged together by well-meaning locals who want to see the town’s favorite wedding planner get her own happy ending.