“A romcom set in BOSTON in the 80s?? Yes please!” NYT bestselling author Erin Nicholas
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Series: Boston Classics #4
Published by Home Cooked Books on December 1, 2021
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 290
Source: the author
Format: E-galley
Goodreads
My Rating:

Blurb:
The bigger the secret, the harder it is to hide.
Single mom Isabella York was a celebrity before she had her first kiss, her first date, or her first sip of alcohol. Playing the bad girl—both on and off the set—allowed her to make up for lost time. Back home in Boston, with her “checkered past” behind her, all she wants is to raise her little girl far away from the spotlight, because revealing her secrets could mean losing everything, or gaining more than she ever hoped.
For her, and her daughter.
It’s not that Henry Smith hates kids—they don’t like him. Meanwhile, he’s stuck producing children’s TV, so he’ll try to tone down the grumpiness that’s dogged him since his life imploded seven years ago. After all, not everyone gets a second chance to chase his dream. If he plays his cards right at this new gig, he can move on to making television that will change the world, not just entertain a bunch of brats.
Maybe he can charm the woman he never thought he’d see again into a do-over while he’s at it.
In this sexy, heartwarming, not-quite-historical romance—the latest Boston Classics standalone romcom—a sunshine/grumpy pair has to face the past to before they can find a future… together.
Grab Your Copy Here!

My Review:
I’ve enjoyed all of this series, but I think this one might be my favorite! I say that, but really, all of them were good! We’ve gotten glimpses of Isabella in other stories, so it was fun to get to actually read her story and see her get her HEA. And it was really so perfect that her HEA came from a guy who you wouldn’t expect would be perfect with kids. Because he wasn’t. He knew, and he definitely gave several examples as the story got going. However when it came time to meet and spend time with Isabella’s daughter, it mostly seems to work out just fine. His and Isabella’s connection is really hot though, and you can totally feel the attraction between them.
The big reveal is given away pretty quickly in the story, at least for the readers. And then when later on there is one for Henry, the way he reacts is perfect in my opinion, very realistic. Not just drama for drama’s sake in a story. As we get closer to the end, there is an explanation of what love and being married should be, and it is what I want. Working for it. The little things. Compromise. As I said, I think this book was just a perfect realistic story in so many ways, at least wrapped around all the wildly out there aspects of the plot.
The time period, late 80s, really speaks to me as well. Even though I was just graduating from high school and getting ready to go off to college during this time period, a lot of the environmental and situational aspects of this story still brought back fond memories. The teen show Boom! I used to love shows on Nickelodeon and the Mickey Mouse Club, and all those types of things. I remember when smaller bookstores seemed to be pushed out by the bigger stores like Barnes and Noble. This story didn’t bring as much music to mind as others in the series did, well, except for hearing Axl Rose’s voice singing “Sweet Child of Mine” every time I even though of the title of the book.
A great story, and like I said, one of my favorites of the series if not the best for me!
You can read my reviews of the other books in the series here:

About the Author:

The first three books in Karen Grey’s 1980’s era Boston Classics romance series released in 2020: What I’m Looking For, Forget About Me and Like It’s 1999. You Spin Me released in 2021, to be followed by novel #4 in the series later this year.
The audiobook of What I’m Looking For won an AudioFile Magazine Earphones award and was a finalist in the Independent Audiobook Awards, 2020. She’s also had essays published in Salt Magazine and the Nevertheless We Persistedcollections (one an Audies Finalist and the other a SOVAs finalist), and a short story in the collection Vintage Love Stories.
Her first romance novel was a winner of the NJ Romance Writers’ Put Your Heart in a Book contest and Hearts Through History’s Romance Through the Ages contest in the Modern History category.
To learn more about Karen Grey, visit here!
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