I stayed home with a cold yesterday and it turns out that this book was perfect for a sniffly afternoon on the couch. It's been noted that there is no real conflict in the story, and that's true. However, the heroine has a nice story arc that takes her from being out of her mind with grief to a new beginning, a place of healing, and a different perspective. I felt that her journey was paced well, her working through her grief and personal growth felt organic. I liked that the relationship with the hero happened very gradually with him giving her the space she needed. Though I'm not quite sure how to feel about them having sex for the first time on the first anniversary of her husband's death, after coming out of a violent crying jag. It made me a little uncomfortable, because it felt like they were getting intimate for all the wrong reasons, but I have to say, thoses sex scenes were hot and well written!

A few more layers wouldn't have hurt either main character, but they were not boring despite their perfection. Something I could have done completely without was the side story of Jack and Charmaine. I think the intention was to show what a decent guy he was by having him break up with his lover as soon as he realized his attraction to Mel, but I really didn't need a descriptive sex scene between the two of them. I like my romance heroes having sex with the heroine and nobody else, thank you very much!

I most definitely could have done without the fat shaming in the first third or so of the book. Sometimes it's subtle, sometimes not so much (like when Charmaine is described as "still attractive, despite having gotten rounder around the hips" or when Jack mentions to Mel that most of the women in the community tend to be "robust" and she quips "All the more reason to get out of here.") Thankfully, that stops in the second half of the book, but it bothered me enough to detract from the reading pleasure.

I did love the description of the community, the landscape and the people who live there. I googled "A-frame cottages" because I had no idea what they looked like and after that Mel's cottage came vividly alive in my imagination every time she was there. I wanted to move in and watch the deer in the morning, I wanted to try Preacher's food, I wanted to watch soap operas with Joy and Connie. I also liked the medical stuff. It was very episodic and reminded me of a show I used to watch about a British country doctor.

In summary, this book was a bit fluffier than what I usually read, but it was cozy and made me happy and that was exactly what I needed yesterday.