Love in Deed by L.B. Dunbar

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Title: Love in Deed
Author: L.B. Dunbar
Series: Green Valley Library #6
Published by: Smartypants Romance
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Format: eARC
Pages: 374
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Source: Smartypants Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 New Release Challenge, Lenoreo's COYER Quarantine Edition
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:

Blurb:

Sometimes it takes an outsider to force us to see who we are. The real struggle is accepting what we learn.

For Beverly Townsen, nothing could be closer to the truth. Virtually a shut-in, Beverly has pulled back from Green Valley’s community, preferring the isolation of her farmhouse and her daily routine of viewing home improvement television shows. When the opportunity arises for her own home improvement and a personal re-assessment, she’s not so excited about the reality of real life versus DIY programs.

Jedd Flemming understands physical pain and personal loss, but it’s never stopped him from bucking forward in life. A former military man and rodeo star, his life as a nomad comes to an end with false accusations and a family matter back in the Valley. It’s been a long journey to find his way home and once there, there’s nothing he wants more than to reclaim what he’s lost…and maybe the elusive female reclusive who holds a sliver of his past.

With an unprecedented proposition, Beverly finds a stranger living in her barn, raising horses on borrowed pastures, and plowing his way into her vacant heart. Old hurts linger, but sometimes love in deed is louder than words.

My Review:

I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — This was a tricky book where there was a LOT to it, a lot of depth in parts, but there was enough disconnect from what I want personally (as a reader), that it may just not have been the best fit for me…if that makes any sense.

I had a hard time with both MCs in this one.  They both willingly behaved very badly at times, and while we got to see them both grow, I wish I saw more remorse for their previous selves or something.  Beverly was absolutely HORRIFIC in her treatment of others, most shockingly of her own daughter Hannah.  And I guess I just wanted to see a reconnection between them — a coming to understand where they both went wrong and a desire to do better.  It just sort of happened in the background, and I think their relationship deserves more than that.

Similarly, I never quite got who Jedd was, what his initial aim was, and he clung to the deal stuff too long.  When he wasn’t clinging to that, I actually really loved him as a hero.  He was sweet, thoughtful, encouraging.  But he could also be explosively jealous over the stupidest things, and that’s just not attractive to me.

They both had that terrible attribute actually — so little trust, so much suspicion.  It’s not that I don’t get it.  Both of their lives are so complicated, and there is so much that contributed to their idiosyncrasies.  But that makes it really hard to connect with them at times.  It left me reserved with them.  I loved how they grew, but I questioned it at times…  I think I needed to be knocked over the head with their epiphanies, instead of how it works in the real world.  I wanted fictional growth where it’s all spelled out…  😛

I didn’t always get what connected them in the first place.  I mean, I appreciated that Jedd called out Bee on her behavior, but what attracted him to her?  I could see it more the other way around, what attracted Bee to Jedd.  But once they were connected, I loved all the sweet moments between them.  I enjoyed the romance and the steam in general.  Sometimes the relationship felt like it was moving super fast, and other times I felt like it had pulled way back.  It was hard to keep track of.

I enjoyed all the little stories of Bee growing — from the soap making, to the gardening, to even interacting with the horses.  And I enjoyed her strange relationship with Boone.

There were quite a few secondary characters in the periphery of this one.  I’m not sure what to think of Scotia, since her book is next.  Ms. Dunbar really likes to give some very badly behaving characters their happily ever afters…which I think is great, but might not be for me personally.  I struggle with the imperfections in attitude.

All that to say that I enjoyed the book…but I read it with a part of myself reserved, and I probably didn’t invest as fully as I should.