Dakota runs a successful business and is a strong single mom. She has had a thing for her brother’s best friend nearly as long as she can remember, but he only thinks of her like a sister so she doesn’t have hope anything will happen there.

Ryder has his secrets. His metal shop isn’t all on the up-and-up, and he doesn’t want his poor choices to taint the ones he loves. He has kept his distance from Dakota for years, despite always feeling that she gets him better than anyone else.

I loved watching these two pine for each other, especially as the walls between them broke down and they realized there might be something beyond friendship. The circumstances for their forced proximity meant that they quickly found a rhythm inside Ryder’s home and I loved it as they played house together, even if it was in secret from those around them. Ryder’s devotion to Dakota’s son was so sweet and made me fall even harder for him.

As the plot played out, I found myself making guesses that sometimes were confirmed, and sometimes turned out differently than I expected, but either way I was pulled into the story and couldn't put it down.

This book was filled with Jackson’s usual lyrical prose, and I loved the way the small town setting fed into the pieces of the plot. This had great elements of brother’s best friend, single parent, and forced proximity among other tropes. I am enjoying the town of Time River, the friends, and interconnected families that live and work together to create a well established community.