And that is something Livia has never really had. People tend to take from her and fail her when she needs them. And her last boyfriend left her in such a state that she has been in hiding out at the Giltmaker Brewery and afraid for her life. But she is smart, tenacious, sweet, caring, and a people pleaser. But she is terrified and overwhelmed and not sure what to do. 

Nash has his own family dynamic issues and is only supposed to be back in Vermont to help intermittently. But he is finding some things that make him want to stay. But Livia has the potential to go running. And his place in his family's legacy has never panned out in the past. And there is drama, danger, and threats against them. They have amazing chemistry and are both strong-willed. I loved seeing him fall first and hard while she tries to fight it because of her fear.

This is a sexy, small-town, romantic suspense story about trust, safety, and home. I loved being back in Vermont and spending some time with old friends like Leila, Matteo, and Benito Rossi. I hope we see more coming with some of the side characters especially his brother, Mitch and friend, Poppy. 

I loved this whole story. It had me hooked and staying up far too late, unable to put it down. (It’s a good thing I didn’t have to work the next day, though that made it even harder to stop!)

Livia is hiding but growing weary of constantly looking over her shoulder and keeping limited contact with her family. Her under the table cash job fits her needs, and she is building up a little nest egg for if she has to run, but the longer she stays at the brewery the more she wishes she could stay and be a real part of the community.

Nash is utter perfection. He is a perfect gentleman with a heart of gold. He was everything Livia needed and more. I couldn’t help but swoon each time he proved himself to be a steady, reliable, protective person in her life. She had so few people she could rely on and didn’t trust very many people, so he had to tread softly when they met a second time. She called the cops on him the first time she saw him at the brewery, and I was hooked from there. He is also struggling with his father, as they don’t see eye to eye on running the family brewery, hence the reason he left to work elsewhere. But when his father needs help, he drops everything to return and keep things floating until his dad can pick it up again.

The suspense was perfect throughout the story as it is clear early on that Livia is hiding from someone. Between the suspense and their fantastic chemistry, the build up was perfect for the romance and the danger. We know who the threat is, but knowing he is out there looking for Livia adds a tension that gave her reason for her distrust and reticence to be as outgoing as she might have otherwise been. I loved the addition of a favorite character in the pursuit of Livia’s safety.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version and loved the way the narrators approached these characters. Listening made it even harder to put it down when I needed to step away because these characters came to life.