I feel like I have heard and seen this book everywhere I go, and finally I just decided to pick it up for myself. This story intrigued me when I heard that it had, small town, and reverse age gap (Alexis was thirty-seven & Daniel was twenty-eight). Something about this book had caught my eye, and even within the first few pages, I was hooked! Told through Dual point of views, I got to see both what Alexis and Daniel were going through, and truly dive into their mind’s eye. 

Alexis had a lot of responsibility and expectations from her family, after all when being a Montgomery it came with the territory. Alexis was a great doctor, did what she could to help her patients, and left the lavish affairs and donor schmoozing to her parents and twin brother. Except with her twin brother leaving the hospital where they work at, Alexis felt a heavy weight come over her as she felt like she needed to take on more for the sake of her family’s name. Throughout this story, part of Alexis’s story was about finding her happiness and taking control of her life. Another instance such as, dealing with her horrible, manipulative ex Neil, Alexis put her foot down and ensured Neil knew that they weren’t getting back together, especially not after all the pain he put her through. Even in the beginning, I loved seeing Alexis put Neil in his place and stand her ground, talk about girl boss energy. 

Daniel on the other hand was a carpenter who lived in a small town, and was a all around great man. From the moment that Alexis met Daniel, Daniel was kind, helpful, sweet, and as Alexis put it, looked like Scott Eastwood from, “The Longest Ride”. I loved Daniel right away, with his romantic gestures of planning a picnic while watching a movie at the drive-in, and just being so nice and thoughtful, I was swooning and wanting this fictional man all for myself. I also loved how Daniel was so smitten with Alexis, he didn’t care that she was older than him, and despite Alexis saying she wasn’t emotional available or looking for a relationship, Daniel couldn’t help falling for her. Plus with Daniel’s kindness and way of ensuring everyone had what they needed, he wasn’t just a helpful person because it was expected of it, he did it out of the kindness of his heart. 

This book was an unexpected surprise for me in the sense that, I wasn’t expecting to love this book so much. Any time I hear a story involving a small town, it’s an immediate yes for me. So partly with the small town mentioned, I was interested to see what this book was all about. Alexis and Daniel also got my eye with their individual lives, and stellar chemistry together. Throughout the story, Alexis and Daniel each had their own things to overcome, but whenever they got together, spoke over the phone, it was so sweet and lighthearted. Alexis definitely seemed apprehensive to letting things get more serious with Daniel, but let’s be real, she couldn’t get enough of him, and realized just how at ease she was with him. I could also tell that Daniel was so infatuated with Alexis, it was so darn precious the way he would leap across the room when he saw her name flash across his phone, the man was obsessed for sure. 

For the longest time, Alexis grew up with the expectations of her family, but while spending time with Daniel and others in his town, she felt more at peace with them. I really love seeing when people living in a small town are so close and helpful towards one another, and I felt like for Alexis, she really got to see just how much of a community there was in Wakan. Daniel wasn’t the only helpful person around, even the other townspeople like Liz (Daniel’s cousin), Doug, Brian, Popeye, and others helped in their own way. In a way, Alexis meeting Daniel wasn’t only a good thing for her in terms of romance, but also seeing that there were people with goodness in them, they didn’t expect anything back in return, they just helped because that’s who they were. 

Part of the story highlighted just how different Alexis and Daniel’s worlds were, one was of a demanding career and legacy from family and the other was trying to upkeep a beloved business while still helping around town. Throughout the story, I got a better understanding of the story title, and just how different upbringings Daniel and Alexis had. While Alexis grew up in a very affluent family, and upbringing, being around Daniel showed her that having money, and status didn’t equate to happiness, there was more to life than materialistic things or appearances. I think in some ways, despite the different backgrounds and lives Daniel and Alexis loved separately, when they were together not only did they share sparks, but they wanted more time together, to truly be part of each other’s worlds. 

This was such a beautiful, romantic, heartfelt, and amazing story! My only regret being, why didn’t I read this book sooner?! Alexis and Daniel were so perfect for each other with their electric chemistry, passion, swoon worthy romance, and of course the humor and lighthearted energy between them. I really loved the message and lessons illustrated throughout the story, and while I can’t exactly relate to Alexis’s struggles, I felt like I could empathize with her. Alexis was such a strong woman, and seeing her come to the realizations of what she wanted in her life, and taking control of it was inspiring. Daniel was the sweetest man ever, so thoughtful, kind hearted, and the best man ever! Alexis and Daniel met unexpectedly, but like the saying goes, “the town gets what it needs”, and in this instance, there was a cosmic force that brought Alexis and Daniel together. The ending was so romantic, and of course the epilogue was so endearing and heartwarming. I cannot get over how amazing this story was. Now I’m on a mission to read the rest of Abby’s books because, it’s safe to say I’m officially obsessed!