Daphne Shipley is the no-nonsense, feisty, prickly, intelligent twin. She has been through some recent events that have derailed her school plans and sent her home to the family farm and she has become a transfer student at the nearby college.

Rickie Ralls is a military brat and her twin brother's roommate who is working the Shipley Farm over the summer. He is flirty, snarky, charming, entertaining, and determined to win Daphne over. But Daphne seems to be holding a grudge. 

There is a lot more to Rickie's story that Daphne does not know. And even more that he is not aware of.

Tentative friends. Undeniable attraction. Two lost souls in need of care and understanding. And secrets ready to come out from their past and bite back. 

This one is flirty, feisty, and fun, but also has some serious emotional situations and mystery running through it that gradually unravels. It brings back some of our beloved Shipleys. I always fall right back into this series when I open a book.  Their lives both got derailed by events but eventually, it led them on a path together that was just where they needed to be.

Rickie was such a complex character. He comes off as fun and outgoing, but is harboring anger, deep hurts,  and issues that made him feel unworthy. He broke my heart at times. He had deep-rooted self-worth issues, fears, and phobias and he does not know exactly why. He was constantly seeking answers to try to understand his past so he could move on. And Daphne had some major trust issues and had walls to break down. She was trying to rebuild her own life as well. So these two really needed someone to understand, accept, and fight for them and with them so they could hope to embrace brighter new futures. So this one brings both the fun and the feels. 

Daphne is the Shipley twin who has a bright future ahead of her with grand plans including the prestigious Harkness U. But when her plans change suddenly, she finds herself back home the summer before her senior year making plans to transfer schools. No one knows what caused her change of heart, but she has some things to figure out before the Fall term begins.

Ricky Ralls knows a thing or two about having plans change, but he can’t remember what happened to cause his plans to change. He is living with the Shipleys for the summer, working on the farm to pass the time. He is strongly attracted to his best friend’s sister, but can’t seem to get her to pay him much attention.

As the summer progresses and they spend more time together, they form a fragile friendship that Ricky continues to hope will turn into something else. But Daphne’s secrets can’t stay secret forever, and Ricky’s past is just as secretive (even to him).

I loved watching the friendship build between these two. Though Ricky doesn’t have a memory of it, they met before he came to Shipley farm and once Daphne realizes he doesn’t remember, it paves the way for her taking down some of her walls. I couldn’t help but love the way he pursued her, letting her dictate the pace but not letting her hide completely.

I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of this book. The narrators knocked the telling of the story out of the park and made these two come alive. I was listening in every spare moment I could in order to find out what was happening with Daphne and Ricky’s story.

Their secrets played a big role in their circumstances and choices over the summer and I couldn’t help but want to know everything about what had happened to each of them. Daphne is guarded about her secrets, and Ricky doesn’t remember his, but the journey they take to put their pasts behind them was an adventure to read.

This was a fun return to the Shipley family. I loved getting to know Daphne, and learning everything that was going on with her that had been hinted about prior. I always love these Vermonty stories and this was no exception!