Melissa Brayden is good for your heart!!
The storytelling was brilliant, amazing dialogue, and incredible writing style! This is a very solid book as expected from the author :)
What I liked most about this specific book is the characters! Parker was just sexy, kick ass and obviously brilliant at what she does. But then she really didn’t do Hannah well and normally I should’ve been very pissed off at her, but the brilliance of the author made me “feel her”.. I could understand why she did what she did, and I was rooting for forgiveness all along!! Now Hannah, god bless her she’s a gem :) I just wish we had more Hannah in the world :)
This was such a romantic book! Just pure romance and love and good feelings! It had the right amount of angst, very hot sex scenes and a fair amount of wine :) What more would you want?
I totally recommend this book and I suggest you read it on the couch, with a Pinot Noir and cuddled up on a lazy Sunday!
P.S: it’s been a while since I laughed at one specific scene that I won’t forget for a while! (Pop star sex scene in the cabin. And no I’m not spoiling this ladies, it won’t affect the story here at all don’t worry).
My rating is a 4.25..
“I received an ARC for an honest review.”

Melissa Brayden has created another interesting storyline with characters to match. Her dialogue, as usual, was witty and emotional, and always engaging.
This story was told from Hannah’s perspective, the owner of a small town bookstore that was struggling to survive… until the famous romance novelist Parker Bristow agreed to do a book signing at her store and provided that much needed spark for the bookstore…and its owner. The women soon found themselves enjoying a night of fun and pleasure with no attachments involved. They departed as friends and kept in touch as each dated other women, but that spark was not the same. When Parker invited Hannah and her girlfriend to join her and her rock star girlfriend to a weekend getaway, jealously became the uninvited guest and the friendship was severed. However, Hannah and Parker reconnected again, but another disastrous fallout occurred. The women seemed like the perfect fit, but Parker’s troubling past constantly placed her relationship in a self destructive mode, wrecking havoc on Hannah’s emotional well being.

I loved how Melissa Brayden created this famous romance character who wrote about love and happily ever after but couldn’t find that in her own life. I found Parker’s character much more interesting and intriguing than Hannah’s and actually wished this story was written in third person to fully understand Parker’s mindset and her questionable actions. I also enjoyed the storyline involving Bo, Hannah’s lawyer sister, and its end result. Besides the serious issues taking place, there were humorous distractions provided by a variety of secondary characters.

Melissa Brayden is a great storyteller who never seems to disappoint her audience. Back to September was another memorable read. Highly recommended!

I have to say this is one of the best books I've read this year. A compelling story that hits you right in the heart not once, not twice, but multiple times. The depth of emotions, the friendships, the love...and not just the main characters but the side characters too - I hope that we get to hear some of their stories in the future.

Love Between the Shelves
Hannah is a book store owner who prefers to spend her free time in her apartment with her cats Bacon and Tomato. She has no need for romance in spite of what her friends and family say. What she does need is a way to bring more customers into her shop. One of her employees stresses the need to put romance novels in the window and while she’s at it, she should go ahead and see if she can get in on a book tour. Hanna thinks romances are a waste of space but they do sell so she does as suggested. Enter the lovely Parker whose romance novels are among the top of the top. She seems to be a total opposite of Hannah but sometimes looks can be deceiving and maybe romance isn’t so over rated after all.

I liked how these women related to each other, the heat was there but it took a long time for the trust to come. While they were both strong, they had insecurities that felt real and easy to understand. Their communication skills could have used some work especially when things got tough but it was all part of the process. I felt badly for Hannah who seemed to be more invested in Parker than the other way around but when she finally came around I cried in relief. This book was sweet and special. The story is a fast read and its one that is easy to lose yourself to, perfect for a lazy afternoon!

It’s difficult to find new ground in the romance genre, but Back to September definitely breaks that stigma. What begins as a sappy insta-love suddenly skids and forces both women to face adversity where words and actions collide and then shatter under pressure. As heartbreak and distrust tidal wave in the aftermath, secondary characters manage to toss out a life buoy where words like perspective and even forgiveness are contemplated in the calm after the storm. Place this carefully crafted story of emotional growth in the backdrop of a charming book story in Providence, RI and you’ve got a store that will be difficult to put down because you can’t not know what will happen to Hannah and Parker.

One thing is certain: you cannot go wrong with Brayden. You are sure to get funny dialogues, quirky banter, likeable supporting characters, lovely MCs and heart-warming romance with great sex; all packaged in a well flowing and well-paced book.

Hannah Shephard own a bookstore, A Likely Story, in Providence. She leads a quiet life – two cats, two employees, one sister, one struggling business – and is mostly happy with her life, except for the struggling nosiness part. She’s something of a book snob relegating romance to being a little lower on the hierarchy, but her employee, Luna convinces her to give a shoutout to the PR team of a mega-successful romance writer, Parker Bristow, inviting the author for a book signing in their little store. Surprisingly, Hannah’s invite is accepted and Parker is in her shop – charming, down-to-earth and hot. Over the course of the evening, sharing messy burgers, Hannah and Parker connect. Not long after, Parker invites Hannah to Mystic to spend a weekend with her. Their mutual enjoyment of each other’s company, connect and chemistry lead them to an amazing night together – no promises, no strings attached. The next thing Hannah reads about parker is that she is seeing a very successful pop star. Hannah moves on, dating an accountant – but once again Parker and Hannah connect over text and calls. Parker suggests that the two couples spend a weekend together and bond. That weekend doesn’t go all that well and their relationship changes again. However, Parker is not particularly known for long relationships and comes with a lot of her own issues.

Written in first person from Hannah’s point of view, this is a completely engaging romance. Hannah is quite adorable. The conflict and subsequent break-up is justifiable though not entirely forgivable. Their slow path back together and HEA is entirely believable. The thing about Brayden’s MCs is that when they finally get together, you know the two will be happy together. They will support each other and grow together. You believe that their honeymoon will last forever. And really, that is what a romance should be about.

I devoured this book in one night. It was so funny and sweet and sexy and dreamy!

Hannah's little bookstore is in trouble. If she doesn't get an uptake in business or an infusion of cash soon, she's afraid the store will go under. While she's not a fan of romance, she has to admit it sells well, so she takes a chance on inviting a bestselling romance author Parker to do a signing at her store. She doesn't expect her to say yes, and doesn't expect to be spending an evening eating burgers with the dazzling Parker. The two women strike up an unlikely friendship, but while their heads might protest something more, their hearts are longing.

Melissa Brayden is the queen of dialogue and banter - but this book was the best yet. It had so many laugh out loud moments and so many clever little moments. The chemistry between Parker and Hannah is off the charts, and the way those two just seemed to exist perfectly together was so natural and sweet. The secondary characters were so quirky and fun and loveable. Also I have to say I loved the little bonus romance we got. This whole book had such a feel good story, even with all the angst and heartbreak and drama trying to keep our leading ladies apart. A lot happens in this story and a lot of time passes, but it never feels rushed. Also, this is a first person POV story, which threw me off for 2.3 seconds but then I was sucked into the brilliant story.

I can't wait to own this in paperback to read and love again and again!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.