Kennedy Hale and Aubree Baxter have been best friends since childhood. But their personalities are complete opposites. Bree is impulsive and a bit of a free spirit. Moving from city to city, she hasn’t settled since leaving Abbott Springs and moves where the next adventure leads her. Kennedy stayed nearby, attending a small, private business college rather than attending a larger school with a better recognized football team, where his passion lies. He is a planner, needing to think out even small decisions before he can act on them. 

Their families couldn’t have been more different either. While her father was never there and her mother continually choosing other people over her daughter, Kennedy’s father had his whole life plotted out. 

This was a fast, sweet story. I love friends to lovers stories, and this one had a perfect amount of miscommunications and missed opportunities while still keeping the best friend feelings. Each has to jump out of their comfort zones in order to persue anything beyond friendship, but they also aren’t quite sure how to do it in such a way as to not lose the friendship if the other isn’t interested in more. 

As one of an anthology of short stories, the other characters are introduced and referenced without being fleshed out completely. The small town setting fits well with this type of collection, and I am curious to see the other stories in the anthology, particularly All I Need by Casey Quinn.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Kennedy Hale's life is planned out and he usually does what he is supposed to do. He is the popular jock, town golden boy and destined to follow in his father's footsteps in town politics and business. His best friend, Aubree Baxter is free-spirited, impulsive and unpredictable, she changes plans often but also a bit lost.

One incident put a strain on their easy going friendship. But now at Winterfest in their hometown of Abbott Springs, they have a chance to reconnect and deal with the fall out. 

I really liked them together. I could tell they had such a bond, but their fear and confusion was chipping away at it causing hurt and miscommunication. But they were struggling not only with what they wanted with each other,but also what their next step was in their own lives. She often put her faith in the wrong people and took chances, while he made safe choices. But despite their issues getting on the same page regarding their romantic relationship, they know each other so well that they each can see the other's flaws and strengths that could change their future path and are really the only ones that can encourage the other to branch out. It is a journey of self discovery for them both in various ways.

This a sweet novella about friendship, love, your true home, and finding your own way. It was originally part of the All I Ever Wanted anthology and there are three other three companion novellas about their friends Maya, Sami, and Everly  around the town of Abbott Springs. But this story works fine as a stand alone, while making you more interested in the others..