This is a solid read. Gave me Virgin River vibes. Cozy town, mild to medium spice level. Overall enjoyable.

🧚🏻Thanks so much to NetGalley, Hesse Creek Media, and author Andrea Thome for originally providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is just not for me. I’m so sorry. I gave it two stars maybe 21/2

I never read the first in the Hesse Creek Series, but Seeds of Intention can be read as a stand alone...although now I need to go back and read it because I found Andrea Thome's style fun to read! Willow Armstrong takes a job at a beautiful resort in Tennessee, fleeing a bad breakup and returning to her hometown to spend time with her sick father. Garrett Oliver, after a bad breakup of his own, meets Willow at the resort where he works, meets Willow in the most awkward of ways. From there, their relationship is rocky, in spite of the attraction they both find themselves fighting. Willow is Garrett's boss...neither of them are in a good position to start a romance, but the question is, will that stop them? A wonderful story from a gifted writer!

☆ Somewhat unrelated but still related to the book. I grew up watching Andrea on WKYC in Cleveland and was a big fan of her husband who played for the Cleveland Indians. That kind of drew me into putting the book on my to be read list.

☆ Just like I mentioned elsewhere, Walland and Seeds of Intention, aren't my normal kind of read. It's a romance novel with the right amount of sap and drama. It had the perfect balance of both which is hard to find in romance novels because they can be downright cheesy and overly sappy.

☆ I struggled to put the book down. I could have easily finished it in one day but paced myself a little (who am I kidding, I didn't really) and spread it out over the course of a few days. Seriously, I'd open up my kindle app with the intention of just reading one chapter and would just keep reading.

☆ I'm surprising myself by saying this but I loved this book a little more than Walland. While I loved the story of India and Wyatt through the trials and tribulations of falling in love. I just loved Willow and Garrett. Their story and their love was truly special and made me aww on multiple occasions as I read. I think what made me love the book and characters this time around more than last (if that's even possible) is there was a lot more detail and backstory to the characters. That right there was one of my complaints with Walland.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ out of 5

Seeds of Intention is the second installment in the Hesse Creek series and even better than book one, Walland. 

Garrett Oliver has just settled into his job as heir apparent to one of the most renowned master gardeners in the country. Willow Armstrong is coming home to Knoxville to care for her ailing father. As Garrett and Willow are thrown together by work, an undeniable magnetism grows between them.

Garret intrigued me from the first introduction of his character in Walland. It was nice to get to know him better in this book. Meeting Willow for the first time was great! She’s awesome! Their chemistry is hot, believable and sappy grin inducing.

Oh my God. Willow leaned back against her closed door, trying to collect her thoughts, but they kept defying her and racing straight back to his insanely muscled torso. She could get laundry squeaky clean on that washboard.
Oh, how I giggled over the washboard image :)

Willow was marathon worthy. She wasn't just a sprint.

Heart melting! Awww! See what I mean about the sappy grins?! The slow build up of Garrett and Willow’s relationship is what made them believable and likeable.

Haven’t read Walland? Have no fear because you can absolutely read this one without a problem, but I highly recommend going back to read it. Seeds of Intention catches readers up with characters from the first book and you’ll absolutely want to go back and see how their stories started. What’s next for Garrett, Willow and the rest of Walland gang? I was surprised by a move made in this book and I’m left wondering where that will lead the series? Who will be the next to find love? There is a third book in the works and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

“I'm a simple man, Willow. A farmer. I plant things, and they grow. I planted the seeds with you almost a year ago now. The seeds of intention. I intend to be with you forever, Willow.”

I'm sorry, this book was just not for me. I tried and tried to like it but found myself losing track of the story as it jumped between characters/couples..

I went into reading this story without knowing that it's part of a series, which is a good thing because this book easily stands alone and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sometimes when I read a story that's part of a series without knowing it, it tends to feel like I'm missing something, but not with this book. Each of the supporting characters are well written so that as a reader you grow to really like them. With that being said, now that I know this is part of a series, I want to read Walland which tells the story of India and Wyatt because they seemed to be a great couple in Seeds of Intention.

As for Willow and Garrett, they're well rounded characters as well and the author does a great job developing their personalities so that as a reader you grow to care for them. Lately I've been reading too many stories where one or more of the main characters are absolutely irritating, so being able to read a book where all of the characters are very much likeable was a breath of fresh air.

The pacing of the story was great too, especially the developing romance between Willow and Garrett. It didn't feel rushed, which is another thing I've run into with recent stories that I've read. The initial attraction between the two was instant, but I enjoyed how it slowly heated up to a boil until neither of them could hold back their attraction anymore and NOT make a move. That kind of romantic pacing is the best kind in my opinion.

Andrea Thome has taken a beautiful backdrop and woven a tale of new beginnings, new bonds and new love amidst the pain of loss, deceit and some unfounded insecurities.

Willow joins the Walland staff after personal events require her to move to Tennessee. Beautiful, intelligent and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, she still seems to be a perfect fit for this close-knit group.

Garrett has earned his dream job, working with the soil. The only thing missing is his girlfriend halfway across the country, but there is something that catches his male eye about Willow, although perhaps their first meeting actually gave her more of an eyeful! Maybe that would have been the end of their story if Garrett hadn’t found himself suddenly single and life seemed to put these two on a collision course for romance, if they dare to take a chance.

Meanwhile, the small group of friends who make up the heart of Walland and its beautiful resort have their own excitement to share, not that it stops them from playing matchmaker for Willow and Garrett! Just when things are looking like smooth sailing for this tentative pair, from out of nowhere, Willow is blindsided with news that threatens to sink her newfound peace of mind and happiness…

Sweet romance lovers, this one is for YOU! Andrea Thome’s SEEDS OF INTENTION has just enough spice to create passion, just enough turmoil to add depth and reality and just enough true friendship to go around and leave you smiling! A wonderful quick escape that flows sweet, like melted chocolate, not to mention, the smiles you will get are a bonus!

A Brief Note: I am not a fan of coming into a series after it has begun and when a review was requested, I did contact Andrea Thome to verify that SEEDS OF INTENTION could be read as a standalone romance. Thanks to the brilliant back story recap, I had an idea of what I missed in the first book, but I must say, from that recap, I think to miss book one would be a terrible loss for sweet romance lovers!

I received an ARC edition from Hess Creek Media.

Series: Hesse Creek - Book 2
Publisher: Hesse Creek Media; 1 edition (August 14, 2017)
Publication Date: August 14, 2017
Genre: Romance
Print Length: 239 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

This is another book from NetGalley which I downloaded since it was available to read immediately. Unfortunately it did not seem to be the right fit for me at this time. I did not have the time to connect with the lead protagonists before their romance began and there was not much emotional investment from my end in order to make me enjoy the book.

The story is the second in a series ( The first of which I have not read) which showcases the happy life of the couple established in the previous book and the introduction of the next couple in line for their happy ending. The writing was good , it was just that the story did not reach me. There have been many times where I have rated a low rated book highly but this seems to be a rare occasion where I am not giving the same rating as many others. This could of course mean this was but an off day and hopefully others enjoy it more than I did.

A Tennessee setting of a luxurious get away venue focusing on the story of Garrett and Willow creates an easy to read, flowing novel. There are almost but not quite too many events happening throughout the story. Fortunately, the events unfold over time but feel closer together. All so work, ultimately, for the building of Garrett and Willow's relationship but each interjection slows the process.
Garrett is the new caretaker/farmer for the venue's heirloom vegetable ranch. His love of the land comes from being raised on his uncle's farm in Washington and from his university degrees. He is ready to propose to Lindsay but she abruptly ends the relationship. His heart is broken, still, he cannot phantom how he could be so drawn to Willow so soon.
Willow has come to the venue to take over management while caring for her ailing father. She is smitten by Garrett but knows a boss/employee relationship is not what she wants to undertake, especially when she is new on the job.
Fate has its way with the two of them and fighting it becomes harder and harder.