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Writer's pictureJulie Mackin

Summer of Love

In which our heroine finds sharing her favorite romances is not a bad idea


More Than A Feeling by Lauren Morrill

Stars: 4

Spicy: R


Perfect if you like:


Enemies to Lovers

Brother’s best friend

Small town romance

Hockey players

Librarians in love


I loved Lauren Morrill’s Sister of the Bride. It was a heart-melting friends-to-lovers story that felt like a love letter to 1) old-school romances, 2) sisters and 3) Boston. All things I myself love. More Than A Feeling gave me the same joy as I read it. It had all the elements of a great romance novel: sexual tension, sweet moments, and well-executed tropes that felt perfect for the characters.*


Grace McBride is a librarian in the small town of Cardinal Springs, the youngest of five kids and the only girl. She stayed home instead of going off to college and ended up working at the town library, but what she really wants to do is open a bookstore. Decker Brooks is a professional hockey player but also her brother’s best friend. And he has been sent by the team to spend the summer in Cardinal Springs to stay out of the spotlight and the paparazzi’s lenses. Grace can’t stand Decker and his devil-may-care attitude, even as she comes to realize it covers a soft heart, but they can’t deny the sexual tension that has sprung up between them. It’s only a matter of time before they give in. 


Look, am I automatically going to like a book where the heroine is a librarian who wants to open a bookstore? Of course I am. Am I going to melt for a hero who has a bit of an unsure little boy still hiding him? Again, yes. I am always here for vulnerable heroes and the saucy heroines who come to show them how much they are worth. But when it is executed in a way that brings tears to your eyes and leaves you with the warm fuzzies but has the spicy? That isn’t guaranteed and I think it is hard to pull off successfully but More Than a Feeling did it all for me.


Now — give me the rest of the Cardinal Springs’ crew's books. I can’t wait! Also, I need to go back and read more Tessa Bailey.


*Spoiler: Archer’s comment that they could have just called him to pick them up after the Bronco broke down was so on point. Of course they could have, but didn’t they secretly want to be sharing one bed? I loved this moment.


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