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My Review:Title: Hideaway
Author: Rachel Lacey
Series: Vino and Veritas #8
Published by: Heart Eyes Press
Release Date: April 5, 2021
Format: eARC
Pages: 236
Genres: Romance, LGBT, Contemporary
Source: Heart Eyes Press
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2021 COYER Spring, Lenoreo's 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:
Blurb:One woman’s hiding place is another woman’s home.
After becoming an inadvertent viral sensation—and losing her job and her girlfriend as a result— Phoebe Shaw retreats to Vermont. Renovating her late grandmother’s cabin into a vacation rental seems like the perfect way to lie low for a while. But the last person she expects to encounter on the property is the woman whose kiss was her teenage sexual awakening . . . and whom she’s never quite forgotten.
Taylor Donovan has been hiking on the trails behind the Shaw family’s cabin her whole life. As children, Taylor and Phoebe were best friends before sharing a secret summer romance when they were sixteen, which left Taylor brokenhearted when Phoebe fled at the end of the summer. Now the property has become Taylor’s home away from home, and she wants nothing more than to convince the Shaws to sell it to her. But Phoebe’s return puts a crimp in those plans--and brings back old feelings she thought she’d overcome.
Of all the things Phoebe regrets, leaving Taylor is at the top of the list, but Taylor is determined to protect her heart. Yet the pull between them is stronger than ever. This time around, will love stay hidden . . . or finally see the light of day?
I received a free copy through Heart Eyes Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
3.5 stars — This was a sweet story with a good solid connection between the heroines, but I think I got too frustrated with Taylor’s reticence and I lost my enthusiasm for their love story.
Phoebe had these sweet and bright qualities, and I could see how Taylor was attracted to them. I really appreciated that while Phoebe made the past mistake, she truly tried to do everything she could to do things the right way this time around with Taylor. She was pretty upfront, she didn’t make promises she couldn’t keep, but she put herself out there.
On the other hand, Taylor had been burned badly, and the wall around her heart was almost insurmountable. I understood her initial hesitance in getting involved and attached. But at a certain point I just lost all patience with her, and felt like Phoebe was getting the raw deal.
Don’t get me wrong, the resolution was fantastic…I think I just needed a bit more of that a bit earlier or something.
On the other hand — and I know this is going to be the weirdest sounding thing to say — Ms. Lacey writes good dog. I just…I felt all of the emotions for them, from the hilarious highs of Minnie’s exuberance, to worrying about Violet’s sadness, to just enjoying the contentment. I’m an animal lover, what can I say? The puppies were adorable, and I loved the way they opened Phoebe up to new experiences.
So yeah. I was truly happy for these ladies to find one another again…I just might have needed to read it in a different frame of mind.
Yeah, Taylor was frustrating. The best thing about this story really were the dogs…
Waiting too long when the other person is giving there all will put me off a romance, too.