With Love from Rose Bend by Naima Simone is a soulful, emotional with all the feels journey and I Absolutely Loved it and never wanted it to end.

I Highly Recommend this beautiful story to all readers.

Another fun and spicy addition to the Rose Bend series! I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Leo and Owen - their chemistry was obvious right from the start and this second chance romance was an absolute delight!

Lots of emotion in this book. It does add depth the characters and their story. Overall, I found it hard to balance the gravity of what was happening emotionally with the silliness of some of the plot points.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed the plot and the characters.

This was cute, it was my first Simone but I'm looking forward to picking up more of her books in the future.

I thought the relationship felt a little flat but the setting was adorable and I really enjoyed all the side characters.

This small town romance finds Leontyne “Leo” unexpectedly running into former professional football player Owen in her hometown, Rose Bend, about a year after the pair had a steamy one night stand. Owen is in Rose Bend hiding from the press after a horrific accident left him scarred and unable to play football. The pair are still deeply attracted to one another and small town life keeps them in each other’s paths. Their relationship leads to emotional healing for both Leo and Owen on their own terms.

This was the third book in the Rose Bend series and the only one I have read. From looking at other reviews it looks like this story gave satisfying updates on the lives from the couples in the first couple books. I liked both Owen and Leo. Both were prickly and had their own walls that needed to be broken down. I wasn’t sure what the steam level of the book would be given that this is a small town romance from Harlequin, but Naima brought the heat. A trigger warning for discussion of miscarriage should be noted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With Love from Rose Bend was a solid, middle-of-the-road romance read for me. It was a nice, small town romance between Owen and Leontyne. Owen is a retired professional football player who is hiding out in Rose Bend. He retired after a serious car accident left him with facial scarring, and he is afraid to be in the public eye again. Leo's family runs an inn in Rose Bend, and she is sent to recruit Owen to help with a town festival. When she sees Owen, she realizes he is the man with whom she shared one passionate night of anonymous, uncharacteristic-for-her, sex about a year ago! They shared a magical night unlike either of them had ever had, and yet there are (of course) obstacles that keep them from immediately jumping back in where they left off.

This book is rather like a Hallmark movie with open door sex scenes, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not my preferred romance style. It's very straight and heteronormative, although there is a same sex couple briefly mentioned (two women in a committed relationship.)

CW for past unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage from multiple characters. Planned pregnancy/miscarriage in another case. These were the most tender, emotional moments to me -- when the impact of those miscarriages was discussed.

I could tell that there were references to events that happened in previous books in the series, even though I have not read those. I do not think it negatively impacted my reading experience to have read this one first.

I received a free ARC of this book from the Bonkers Romance book club. It was delivered via NetGalley. Thank you to Bonkers Romance, NetGalley, and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Can love heal? Leo (short for Leontyne) and Owen both have baggage they are dealing with when they meet again in Rose Bend. They are both hiding from their personal pain and they are vulnerable and hesitant about relationships.

When Leo and Owen meet again they help each other deal with their issues as they slowly fall in love. I thought they were perfect for each other and I loved reading their story. I could feel the connection they shared and I enjoyed all of their encounters. I think Rose Bend is the perfect place for both of them to find their happily ever after. I enjoyed reading this heartfelt, small town, second chance story

This is the first Rose Bend book I’ve read, but I really enjoyed it! I’ve been craving books that feel like Gilmore Girls, and this did the trick with its small town New England charm, family drama, and pining romance. While I wasn’t overly invested in the actual plot of the book, I loved watching Leo and Owen’s relationship develop (while getting to know Rose Bend of course). Naima Simone is clearly an incredible writer, and I’ll definitely be picking up the first novel of this series.

An enjoyable book. Characters were fun, lots of romance. Cozy small town setting. I would recommend!

Many thanks to Bonkers Romance for my early copy of this! It was nice to be back in Rose Bend again though I should not have skipped the second book. I missed part of the progression of the couples but that's okay. This book was focused on Leo. I thought it was cute but I think a few of the plot points could have been fleshed out a little more. I was really interested in the storyline between Jenna and Leo but I don't feel like it really added much to the book. I get it, they were friends, now they aren't, Jenna does something for Leo, they talk, people notice, end of plot line. I wanted more of it. Hell I found that little bit almost more interesting than the actual friendships. I didn't hate the book by any means and I mostly enjoyed it but something about that whole plot bothered me.

I will look for more books by this author though and keep reading!

This book was what I wish Hallmark movies actually were! Loved the small town setting and that it was hot. Enjoyed it from start to finish and plan to go read the others in this series.

Oh, Leo and Owen! I loved these two and their friends (and some family) so much! I just wanted to wrap them up in big hugs and shield them from their pain. But, they found ways to be there for each other and themselves, and that’s even better! Another great book in the series!

Romance told with heart and humor. With Love From Rose Bend gets right to the heart of the matter. Simone keeps the emotions real with more than a little heartache and a fair share of angst. Leontyne and Owen are a work of art brought to life with a realism that with grab hold of your soul.

Small town seduction at it's very best! Naima Simone's signature sassy style always delights, but when she adds a close family dynamic and an emotional back story to the mix, she shines like no other. I'm loving Rose Bend and all of the depth each character and romance brings to this cozy town. Can't wait for more in the series!

Leontyne is loyal, tough and has a take no prisoners attitude but beneath the surface lies a past she has kept hidden and heartache that she never got over.

Owen is adjusting to his career coming to an early end, but he's not ready to embrace the new guy he sees day in and day out. Leo might be a blast from the past, but she's also the adorable nuisance he needs to get him out of his head.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a lively cast of characters living in a cozy town where everyone knows everything about you. Highly entertaining and emotional.

Leo and Owen are going to turn your heart to mush and have you swooning. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are complex, the chemistry sizzles and the emotions are lush. It is a sweet and steamy romance that feels angsty and poignant. A perfect combination of charming, realistic and heartfelt, make this a book and a series that simply doesn't disappoint.

I don’t know if this is the final book in this series but if it is, Naima Simone is ending on a very high note, capturing all the small town charm typically found in Hallmark movies and imbuing the series with her traditional brand of gut wrenching emotions and incredibly high heat and sexual tension.

Leo, who helps run her family’s inn, and Owen, retired professional football player turned reclusive hermit, actually met more than a year before the book begins. Sharing a scorcher of a one-night stand, Leo, running scared from her feelings, snuck out the morning after, unaware that the man she thought was a high school teacher was actually a well known football player.

Cut to present day and Owen, hiding out from his life in Rose Bend after a tragic car accident left him badly injured with a scarred face, comes face to face with the woman he’s been unable to forget for all these many months.

I loved everything about this setup and these two characters, both with incredibly painful baggage, initially hiding from themselves and eventually forcing each other to face some harsh and ultimately freeing truths.

Leo, carrying the heavy weight of a tragic secret for years, has stopped believing in love, at least for herself. She has trust issues and control issues and frankly, a fair amount of anxiety. I do wish that the book had mentioned the character (in fact both characters) seeking therapy because both Leo and Owen could have benefitted from that.

Owen retreated from public life and abruptly retired from professional football following his accident. Adding to his emotional trauma is the fact that he’s saddled with parents who have both equated his worth as a human with his talents on the field, especially his father. Toxic parental relationships don’t even begin to cover it.

Both of these characters clearly have a lot to work through, both with huge trust issues. Added to the fact that when Leo and Owen lay eyes on each other after that fateful one night hookup many months ago, Owen pretends to not know who Leo is, leaving her with hurt feelings and bruised pride.

All of this drama plays out against the backdrop of this quaint and charming New England town on the cusp of celebrating its annual spring Honeybee Festival (seriously, Hallmark needs to adapt these books and fast).

One of the things I really love about this book and really, this series as a whole is that the side characters are so well drawn and show up repeatedly and you really get a sense of who they are, even if they’re minor characters. Everyone from Leo’s vast family to Owen’s former teammate/best friend and his beauty queen wife to the various townspeople inhabiting Rose Bend feel like fully formed, multi-dimensional characters and you can’t help but want to spend more time getting to know them.

I also love the friendships and family bonds in this book, at least the family bonds on Leo’s side. There’s a beautiful scene where Leo finally unburdens herself to the women most important in her life and it’s such a tender and heartbreaking moment, full of tears and love and ultimately, the kind of healing that comes from laying your soul bare to those closest to you.

But ultimately, the true focus of the book is in the romance playing out between Leo and Owen, two lost and lonely people slowly coming to realize that they perfectly complete each other. For all its small town charms, the story packs quite the emotional punch with these two characters, pulling the reader into a story that’s all about healing and hope and learning to open your heart even when you’re scared.

I’m going to add some content notes but some of them also go hand in hand with Leo’s painful secret. Personally, there were enough hints given in the book that I pretty much called it before the secret was confirmed. I don’t think it really merits a spoiler warning and to be honest, the secret could be triggering for some readers and I think it’s important to give a heads up.

Content Notes: past miscarriage (off-page), severe injuries due to a car accident (off-page), anxiety, toxic parental relationships, physical and emotional trauma

Thank you to Bonkers Romance and NetGalley for providing an eArc of this book.

Leo and Owen both present versions of themselves to the world as armor. I found that defensive strategy quite relatable, and my heart hurt for each of them as they processed their respective pains. Watching them get past each other’s defenses and help each other heal was at times heart-wrenching. Very satisfying conclusion.

I adore that Naima Simone has created a world in which there exists both hot sex and a cozy small town setting. Thank you!! Just the vibe I've been searching for!

If you read my buddy-read review with Julie, then you already know that I LOVED this book. Seriously, it tore at my heart, and I—a reader who is basically angst-phobic—welcomed each and every moment of pain because it made the ending that much sweeter.

Naima Simone has a gift for making her books come to life. Through her lively descriptions of houses and people and places, Simone makes it impossible not to become wholly immersed in Leo and Owen’s story. Every move they made, every moment they shared, played like a movie inside my head and heart.
One for me, and me alone.

Simone guides her characters toward their well-earned HEA with a balance that allows laughter in the heavier moments and meaning to shine through even when there is banter abounding. Along the way, we get to enjoy one of Rose Bend’s signature festivals, a surprisingly touching and honest scene when you least expect it, and a series of cameos from beloved characters, making it a joy to read.

And speaking of joys, I was overjoyed to discover a Rose Bend novella in the back of WITH LOVE FROM ROSE BEND, and while it’s a quick read, it’s also a damn good one. From their less than auspicious beginning to their excellent grand gesture ending, I loved Korrie and Israel.

Naima Simone does it again! The Road to Rose Bend was the first Naima Simone book I read and it knocked my socks off. She continues the wonderful series with With Love from Rose Bend. Don't let the cover fool you, this book is just as steamy as the first! She does the small-town romance well, balancing the sometimes too cheesy love with plenty of steam. I also wasn't bothered by the pregnancy storyline, something that normally turns me off from books. This is another wonderful addition to my bookshelf from Naima Simone and I can't wait to see what she writes next.