Another winner from Kerry Winfrey! Although I missed the walks through the streets of Columbus a little, the small Midwestern town vibe is just as appealing - to me, at least. Lots of good stuff here on the way to a HEA, but this is my favorite quote, which pretty much sums up a theme in the story: "Isn't it weird that, ultimately, we're all kinda crushing it, and yet we all feel like we're not good enough?"
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Predictable but cute second shot at love while finding your "true self" - a little trite but the town becomes a character and the supporting characters are quirky and amusing. Quick, fun read. My guess is this is an earlier book of Winfrey's that was published after she achieved some success It's not as good as the titles set in Columbus. .

Just Another Love Song is a second chance romance between Sandy, the one who stayed behind modifying her dream and Hank, the one who left to chase his dream.

Kerry Winfrey excels at crackling dialogue. In her books she creates enviable supportive friendships for all her main characters. In Just Another Love Song, Sandy is surrounded by amazing friends, an encouraging family, and those quirky small town archetypes one expects from rom-coms.

When Hank returns to town, Sandy questions who she would be if she wasn’t still in Baileyville, Ohio. The town becomes a character. It defines and shapes. It initially throws Sandy and Hank together, it pulls them apart and ultimately brings them back together.

For anyone who has ever asked what if. For anyone who has ever compared themselves to others and felt they didn’t measure up. For anyone who thinks their life is not evolving on the right timetable. Just Another Love Song makes you think about the pressure placed on teenagers to have their life mapped out and decided when they graduate. Dreams should change, alter, and adapt over time.

There is a good scene about comparing yourself to others when your life is floundering. You may think these people have it all together, but the reality is actually the opposite. A character states, “Social media is a highlight reel not real life”. We should always strive to remember that.

In Just Another Love Song, Sandy learns when you build something on your own your time is never wasted. And then when you find someone to share what you have built, it can be all the sweeter.

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

Kerry
I want to preface this review with the fact that I LOVE Kerry Winfrey’s other books…. Like 5 ⭐️ and recommend them to everyone I know.

This book did not hit me the same way, but I can’t say that it won’t for others. The small town vibe was hard to relate to and the school spirit where everyone wears their university clothes like a badge of honor is just not something I matched with. This could be because I’m Canadian (in a big city) and that’s not a big part of our university years.

Sandy and Hank were not lovable characters for me and I didn’t feel the spark that I usually get from Winfrey’s books. Even their names felt uninspiring and dull. They lacked a chemistry that I love in a romance in order to believe that they have been pining over each other for a long time.

As with other of Winfrey’s books, the story is well written and thought out… for myself, it just lacked a bit of familiarity and passion.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4617707019

Sandy Macintosh has a great life- she owns a thriving nursery/landscaping business, lives three doors down from her best friend, and is very involved in her Stars Hollow-esque hometown. When her high school sweetheart, country singer Hank Tillman comes back after 15 years, she's determined to avoid him (of course we know how that will go). Her heart was broken back then- can it survive his return? I have to say that Kerry Winfrey has become one of my favorite authors. This book is fun- the characters are quirky and she even throws in a reference to Rock of Love, a reality show that was my guilty pleasure and I didn't think anyone else remembered. This book is a perfect second chance romance and I can't wait to see what comes next!

*Thank you so much to Netgalley for granting me access to this title*

I want to preface this with I have never liked the second chance romance trope. Whenever I read a book where this is featured it is always just okay and I very rarely feel that spark I so love while reading. However, Kerry Winfrey is one of my favorite romance authors and I was dying to get my hands on this book, literally stalking Netgalley until I saw it pop up, but even Kerry Winfrey couldn't make me love this trope. In fact, this was the least enjoyable second chance romance that I have ever read.

Let's start with Sandy. I hate to say this, but she was just so pathetic. She fell in love with Hank in high school, broke up with him, and 15 years later was still in love with him. She stayed in her small town that she only wanted to get out of, went on one date with basically each man that lived there, and inherited a business, and the whole time her friends and family tiptoed around the subject of Hank and knew she was unhappy with her life. For 15 years! It is great that she came to love her business, but she also stopped painting regularly which was always her passion because of a man, that she broke up with! My major problem with Sandy and this whole book is that she was pining away for this guy for so long and in the end it actually pays off. To me, that is a completely ridiculous message to send to a woman still in love with a man after a breakup.

Let's go to Hank next. He moved on - got married to a brat and had an awesome kid. This is one thing I don't mind about second chance romances: the character lives their life then realizes it isn't what they want and then they go back to their previous love to try to make it work. I didn't mind Hank's side of the story so much.

Despite my dislike for the premise and main character, Kerry Winfrey is still a master of her craft. I love her dialogue and how she portrays friendship and I really loved her small town. I read this was based on her own small town experiences and as someone who has never lived in one, it was really enjoyable and I could picture myself going to the fair.

So if you like second chance romances, small town vibes, and even country singers then I recommend picking this one up when it releases in August, but I unfortunately, will not be purchasing a copy for my shelves.

A cozy small town second-chance romance that captured my heart! Winfrey just gets better and better.