For two wounded hearts, love is a risk in an emotional novel about family, past regrets, and future hopes by Jillian Liota and #1 New York Times bestselling author Meredith Wild.
After nine years in LA, aspiring singer Murphy Hawthorne leaves behind her broken dreams to return to her family’s vineyard. But as she helps open the property’s new restaurant, she faces a family still bitter about the fact she ever left, and old wounds quickly resurface. The only refreshing note is the handsome head chef, Wesley Hart.
Hired to draw more tourists to the Hawthorne vineyard, Wes is a culinary master with a reputation he wishes he could forget. Struggling with regrets and complex family dynamics of his own, he’s trying to start over, too. The biggest mistake he could make right now is to act on his attraction to his boss’s younger sister. If only he could get her out of his head…
Despite all the reasons to keep their distance, Murphy and Wes can’t deny the connection that keeps drawing them together. In each other, they find refuge and a sense of belonging neither could have imagined. But to forge a new future together, they must answer one important Can they face the past—and forgive it?
MY REVIEW
For Murphy Hawthorne, the last place she wants to be is her childhood home, but when her life is in shambles, she’s left with no other choice. Returning home isn’t for the faint of heart as Murphy has to face old wounds and her bitter family that she left behind. The only bright spot in her situation is the charming and handsome, Wes Hart.
Bitter Truth is the perfect small-town romance that will captivate you immediately and leave you begging for more.
Murphy and Wes were a force to be reckoned with. Their chemistry is instant and consuming, but when Wes discovers who Murphy is, his world gets turned upside down. Wes doesn’t mix business with pleasure and the fact that Murphy is his boss’s younger sister, well, that definitely puts a wrench in things. Off-limits never looked so good and yet, despite the high stakes, Wes and Murphy are powerless when it comes to the pull between them.
What I liked about Wes and Murphy was how similar they were. They both got the wrong impression of each other when they first met and the more time they spent together, the more they realized they had in common. They both had their hearts wounded by people they were supposed to be able to trust and were desperate to have the second chance they both deserved. I really enjoyed watching these two grow as characters and navigate their way through everything life had to throw at them.
Bitter Truth is everything you would expect from a small-town, second-chance romance. This story delivers with real characters, family issues, forgiveness, and romance. I enjoyed everything about this story and can not wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
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