Sometimes Enemies Make the Best Friends

The True Love Bookshop

by Annie Rains.

When I started reading this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Widowed store owner Tess Lane harbored a grudge against River Harrison, which became crystal clear when he staggered into Lakeside Books. She insisted he leave—after all, he had tried (unsuccessfully) to stop her wedding to his best friend Jared Lane six years ago. How could he possibly find his way into her heart, I thought, when she wouldn’t even let him use the bookstore’s restroom?

Instead of retreating out the door, River collapsed, bleeding from a severe camping injury. Tess called the paramedics (because she really isn’t a bad person), he was taken to the hospital (the injury was life-threatening), she agreed (reluctantly) to care for his dog, then he gave her access to his house (with gratitude), and she snooped (who wouldn’t?).

That’s when Tess discovers something about Jared that prompts questions she can’t answer. She calls a truce with River and hires him to launch a private investigation into Jared’s last days, hoping for clarification. While the case progresses, her dislike for River reverses as he helps her navigate the newfound secrets kept by her late husband, and reveals the real motivation behind his interruption of her wedding day.

In spite of everything, is it possible that Tess found herself falling for River?

The True Love Bookshop, by Annie Rains, is the third book in her series set in Somerset Lake.

(Published in 2022 by Hachette Book Group.)