Natalie Maynard who was widowed way too young is heading to Chestnut Ridge, to a small hunting cabin, the only thing she has left. Natalie is still reeling from being taken advantage of by a con artist that left her with nothing. The only hope she has is Detective Randy Fellowes who is determined to help her and solve her case.

When Natalie arrives in Chestnut Ridge she is welcomed whole heartedly by the town who remembers her husband fondly. She is soon embracing her new life and new friends. Trying to find her purpose she soon finds a volunteer job helping seniors and has no clue how that will impact her future. A new life, new hope and maybe even a new romance are in store for Natalie.

I loved the start to Nancy Naigle's new series based in Chestnut Ridge. The main characters quickly embrace your heart and the supporting characters in the town are so lovely you will want to pack your bags and find your own cabin in the woods. This is a clean beautiful story of renewal, hope and love. My sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy which I voluntarily read and reviewed. A solid five star read friends!

AND THEN THERE WAS YOU - Nancy Naigle

#1 in the Chestnut Ridge romance series

FAST-MOVING - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Reeling after falling prey to a con artist who helped himself to most of her belongings, Natalie Maynard works closely with the detective assigned to her case, only the few leads have led nowhere fast. Detective Randy Fellowes can’t promise Natalie restitution, but he’s determined to find the culprit and find justice. Natalie soon seeks refuge in the one thing she still owns ― an old fishing cabin in the mountains of Chestnut Ridge. She quickly falls in love with the town and the eccentric people who are teaching her so much about the area and its history.

Writing - 4 stars - Naigle started the book off with a bang, and she kept me involved right from the first page. As it continued, there was a lot of warmth involved, with helpful people and friendly relationships.

Characters - 3.5 stars - After being broadsided by a major con, Natalie has to regroup and decide what to do in her life. But she's strong and independent (almost to a fault), and she finds hope again and she finds a new direction. Randy Fellowes is a conscientious detective who is devoted to following through on this case. His motives become more personal than business, though, since he has developed "a thing" for Natalie. But he's honorable and nice, and she finds herself pleased to have him as a friend and support to lean on. The townsfolk of Chestnut Ridge are very friendly. I found them a little too good to be true, so I was worried about their intentions, but my fears proved to be mostly unfounded.

Title - 3 stars - The title confuses me a bit. My first thought was of a negative connotation, meaning that after wonderful husband Jeremy, Natalie comes across the bad guy Miles, getting herself into a problem. But, upon further reflection, I suppose it's more likely that she feels that after a bad situation with Miles, she finds Randy and Chestnut Ridge, warm people and places to bring her back to a positive outlook.

Cover - 3 stars - The cover shows a peaceful and rural scene which fits right into the theme of the book. However, the picture is quite different from the scene described since there's a lot of talk about trees and dense woods and a stream/river, while the cover photo shows a wide open space on what seems to be a lake.

Overall - 4 stars - Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I became interested right from the first page and felt compelled to keep turning the pages to see what would happen. It definitely had an overall warmth and friendliness that permeated the book, with a message of kindness. This is a good beginning to what promises to be a very pleasant and enjoyable series.

What a refreshing story this is. Nancy Naigle writes of a woman's power to overcome struggles that have been thrust upon her through no fault of her own and her strength to move past them. With the help of some wonderful people the main character in this book, Natalie, is able to see her way past deception and grief and turn her life into something meaningful. The characters in this book are beyond likable and the town of Chestnut Ridge where Natalie ends up settling is so welcoming. This is an engaging and moving story that will hold your interest from start to finish.

And Then There Was You by Nancy Naigle is the first book in a new series set in Chestnut Ridge. Natalie is a young widow who has been conned by a new boyfriend. Swindled out of her life savings, her home, and everything she owns she retreats to her husband Jeremy’s hunting cabin deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Chestnut Ridge.

Natalie is embraced by the community, everyone immediately welcoming her as Jeremy’s widow. So many people seem to know who she is, and clearly loved her husband. She gains her confidence, gets a job, she meets more people . Meanwhile, Detective Randy Fellows is still investigating her case, determined to bring this man to justice. Is his interest in Natalie something more than professional, and how can he possibly expect to gain her trust after all she’s been through?

I was immediately drawn to the book by its location. I’m a desert dweller now, but I was born and raised in Virginia, raised my own family there. The mountains are beautiful, and hold a deep sense of beauty and peace. I loved how the author used location as its own character so beautifully. I love the inclusion of the fairy stones. My grandmother gave me mine when I was very young. There were a couple of plot holes, what seemed like inconsistencies, but since this was the first book in the series so those may be worked out or explained in later books.

This is a fantastic pick for you if:

⛰️ You love small town romance.
⛰️ You wish every Hallmark movie was also a book.
⛰️ You love a FMC who finds love and confidence.
⛰️ You enjoy wholesome, clean love stories, with a dash of faith.
⛰️ You love an outdoor, mountain setting.
⛰️ You love getting in on the first book of a new series.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press @stmartinspress Nancy Naigle @nancynaigle and Netgalley @netgalley for the advanced copy.

What an absolutely great story! Natalie comes home from her vacation (boyfriend) had left early for work) only to find that all her possessions are gone and said boyfriend took everything. As she tries to put her life back together, she's constantly in contact with the Detective Randy Fellowes who is determined to find the man that took everything from her. She is only left with items that the con-artist didn't know about and Natalie remembers the cabin her husband left to her in Chestnut Ridge. Everything starts to change for Natalie and Randy once she moves there and I loved how the story built up to reveal some things that I never saw coming, well started to suspect but didn't fully see coming. Quick read, I didn't want to put it down once I started it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

I found this story to be interesting as I learned about Natalie, her trip to Cancun, and what she found when she returned home.  It really made me feel sorry for her but I admired her strength and ability to start over, although she did have trust issues.I liked that Natalie had such good, kind-hearted friends who were there for her like family since she did not have any family.  Her parents were gone and her husband, Jeremy died two years ago.   The people in Chestnut Ridge, where Jeremy had a hunting cabin, became her family and it is where Natlie slowly found her strength and what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She also had her best friend, Sheila, and Randy, the detective assigned to her case.I liked how one event triggered meeting people as if it was destiny or perhaps the fairy stones mentioned in the book.  "Family is more than the people that we are related to."  This book makes me want to visit the fictitious town that became Natalie's new home.  I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

I read "And Then There Was You" by Nancy Naigle on NetGalley. The main character, Natalie, fell for a con-artist who ended up taking almost everything. Natalie had lost her husband shortly before and ends up going to live in his fishing cabin. The town and it's citizens become close to Natalie along with the detective working on her case.
This book is a feel good book and everything works out the way you would hope!

Heartwarming and delightful! Nancy Naigle writes with heart and smalltown goodness wrapped around every scene and I adored every minute of Chestnut Ridge! The main story is drama-filled and heart-wrenching, but the supporting cast in the town she moves to has a humorous underscore that lightens the mood and brings an added delight to the storyline. I'm looking forward to a return visit soon ... we now have so many friends to revisit!

Natalie is an easy character to sympathize with and quickly stole my heart. I wanted her to appreciate Randy more than she seemed to at first, but her being gunshy was to be expected after what she had been through.

Randy was a real sweetheart and I loved how determined he was to find resolution for her.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys smalltown women's fiction with hints of sweet romance along with a dramatic backstory and a cast of heartwarming characters to sink your teeth into along the way.

I voluntarily agreed to read and honestly review this book.
I LOVE Nancy Naigle books. They are the perfect read when you want something sweet and cozy. Plus, there is always a lesson or bit of advice that you come away with at the end of each story.

Naigle has created a really sweet story about starting over after losing everything and the friends you make along the way. In Natalie Maynard's case, she finds an entirely new family after being "Swindell"ed out of her life savings, her home, and all of her possessions.

I really enjoyed reading this story, even though it was slow at times. It's a great feel-good read for when you need a reminder that not everyone is awful. I fell in love with the characters and storytelling throughout this novel. This is a fantastic small-town romance!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Nancy Naigle for an e-ARC of this novel. I will post my review on Instagram by the publication date (@ellie.reads.a.lot)

What an utterly delightful start to this new series and I can’t wait for the next book! Natalie Maynard’s husband, Jeremy, died in an accident and she has finally begun to move on with her life. She had hopes for the new man in her life, but returning home from her vacation, he is gone and so is everything in their home. Even the home is not theirs, but a rental. As Detective Randy Fellowes questions her, he believes that there may be other victims as he begins to search for the man. Randy offers her comfort and support and slowly realizes that he is beginning to care for her. Since she and Jeremy were only children with no living relatives, she decides to move to the cabin that he owned in Chestnut Ridge. As she begins to find her new life, making friends with those who remember Jeremy, she begins to feel safe, but everything may not be as it seems. How will she deal with this new development? When Randy finally has some resolution for her case, he hopes that her future will include him. Loved it! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This is a sweet, small-town romance with plenty of interesting characters, love, community, and a surprising twist. Natalie Maynard is still recovering from the death of her husband when she meets and falls for Marc. Their relationship is like a whirlwind that comes to a screeching halt when she returns from their vacation to discover that he is actually a con artist and has stolen her possessions. And even though the detective assigned to her case doesn't give up, after months with no results it is finally time for her to pick up the pieces and start living again.

When Natalie remembers her husband's cottage, she decides to move to Chestnut Ridge. And not only does she find welcoming residents who knew her husband, but she decides on a new career. I loved how she was open to developing new connections with people even though she had been hurt and eventually even let in romance and love. All of this helped her to rediscover herself and a new love, plus to be able to handle the surprise coming her way.

I thought this was a good story. Actually all her books that I’ve read have been good! It’s a fast moving story that had me hooked from page one. I liked the characters and how they changed as the story unfolded. Definitely recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is apparently the first in a series about the small town of Chestnut Ridge in Virginia.

Given the blurb, I expected that there would be more focus on the investigation, especially because the beginning scene is very dramatic and well done: Natalie comes back from vacation to find her house empty; like, nail-holes-in-the-walls-patched-and painted kind of empty.

Her shock is very well done, as is the progression to hysteria as the cops show up, neighbors share what they know, and so on.

Sadly, things started going downhill from there.

In the first few chapters, the writing is good; when the author focuses on some details, it’s because Natalie is thinking about them in ways that fill in her characterization (her dress on the flight back, the flower beds at the front of the house, the paint color at the police station). Unfortunately, by the time Natalie has gotten to the little town near the cabin, a lot of the description is just clutter.

Our detective is introduced fairly early on, when he’s called to the hospital to interview Natalie a few hours after she found her house literally scrubbed clean; as soon as the details of the con are clear, he starts trying to push her into making a public statement about how she was conned “for the sake of potential future victims”.

I repeat: she’s still in an emergency room bed when he tries moral blackmail on her, the same kind of pressure used on sexual assault victims. “Those other women/girls wouldn’t have been raped if she had only had spoken up” is trotted out almost as often as, “she’s only accusing him to get attention”, so you’ll understand I wasn’t particularly impressed by out intended romantic hero.

Fast forward a few months; Natalie has been living with Sheila, her closest friend; beyond figuring out how much of her personal wealth survived her encounter with Mr Swindell (yes, that’s the name the swindler used), and going to the police station to ask for updates, of which there are none, she’s basically been stuck.

After one such interlude with the detective, wherein he once again pushes her to go public, this time adding that maybe doing so will bring other victims to contact the cops with information that may, eventually, lead to finding the villain; Natalie has a bit of a revelation and remembers that her husband left her a hunting cabin, up the mountains of Fuller County.

Impulsively, she decides to pack what few clothes she owns, and drive her late husband’s vintage Mustang up the mountain, as a way to jumpstart her life.

It’s not what I would do, but if you are lucky enough to still have property and money enough after such a swindle that you can afford to go months without working, it’s not totally farfetched either.

By this point I had grown increasingly uncomfortable with a few aspects of the writing.

First is Natalie’s preoccupation with calories. Fatphobia is prevalent in society, so it’s not unexpected in fiction, but it’s important to clock it regardless.

Then there’s Randy, the detective-cum-romantic hero.

I mentioned above that he pretty much starts his acquaintance with Natalie by trying to guilt her into making a public statement ‘for the greater good’. Not long after, he comes on to her, emphasizing how he’s “a good guy”. He explains that if they see each other, he’ll have to ask her case to be transferred to someone else, but that Randy will keep pressure on whoever gets it to keep working on it.

She declines to go out with him, but asks him to keep her updated on any developments.

When Natalie calls to tell Randy she’s moving to the cabin, his first action is to find out not just where it is, but to go all the way to the property plat and services, and so on, and to calculate how soon he can start making suggestions to, essentially, make the place ‘safer’ (i.e., how she probably needs a gun and so on).

Which, okay, someone worried for her safety might do these things, but at this point their ‘relationship’ consists of her going to the police station to ask if they found her stolen property, and one cup of coffee in the parking lot behind the station.

Then, we have this, from his point of view: “If there was one thing he found comfort in, it was routine. Every morning started with push-ups, sit-ups, and prayers, all before even a sip of coffee” and how he always ends his day with “an intense weight workout”.

I live in a world where cops coming on to victims is a red flag; cops who are obsessed with their physique and prayer? Oh yes, red flag.

Then there is the, for lack of a better word, preachiness.

It starts subtly, with a few sayings, the dead husband ‘talking’ to Natalie to remind her of the cabin, that kind of thing; but by the time she starts meeting the people in the little town, the author does’t just have people save grace before eating, we get the actual prayer with every meal, and a secondary character talk about how God guides her and so on.

And again, it could be this one character who is a little overboard, except we also have the cop who prays every morning; we have Natalie think that “she knew she had to forgive Swindell to put it behind her”; and a story about how “the faeries wept when they heard of the crucifixion of Jesus”, and my tolerance for religious stuff was pretty much spent by the time I hit 27%.

I took a peek at the ending, to see whether I wanted to keep going, and while there’s apparently some mystery with a big revelation, thanks to the good offices of detective hero, there’s also “I didn’t do it, it’s God working through me” from that same secondary character (who clearly plays a pivotal role and likely has significant page space), and that was that; this is absolutely not for me.

In all fairness, however, it was very refreshing to have a widowed heroine who loved her husband very much, and who had a very happy marriage, even if it’s weird that at one quarter into the novel no one has yet even mentioned how he died ‘so young’ (forties? fifties? not clear to me).

At any rate, And Then There Was You is a DNF

First off, I adore the cover of this book. It's so inviting. It makes you want to sit down and curl up with a great book. I recommend sitting down with this one. And Then There Was You is a fun, sweet read with wonderful characters and a great storyline. I adored the town of Chestnut Ridge and all of the townsfolk that lived there. Actually I enjoyed this book so much, once I started reading I didn't want to stop until I was finished. This book gave me all the feels, and would definitely make a perfect Hallmark movie.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

And Then There was You by Nancy Naigle, book one in the Chestnut Ridge series, is a delightful, emotional story of loss, compassion, rebuilding, as well as learning how to forgive and love once again along with a small town populated with an array of memorable characters. Randy and Natalie are perfect for each other and as they get to know one another, their love grows stronger.

A recently widowed woman, Natalie Maynard, finds herself in a new relationship that she feels has potential; enough so, that they purchase a house together. Then, in the blink of an eye her world comes crashing down around her; she has been heartbreakingly scammed by a professional conman who takes everything she has and leaves her broke and alone. Natalie could not get over how she had been so naive and trusting of a man she thought would be her lifetime partner. The detective assigned to Natalie's case, Randy Fellowes is determined to track down the con artist and also to keep him from moving on to the next woman. He is also attracted to Natalie, but isn't sure that now is the time for a relationship with her. Randy gets a few leads, and uses these as an excuse to keep in contact with Natalie. The more he is around her the more difficult it is not to tell her how he feels about her. Meanwhile, Natalie is starting to get used to the handsome detective, enjoying his company more and more.

Natalie needs to start over and remembers that her husband left her a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, so she moves up there to regroup. Arriving in the small mountain town of Chestnut Ridge, she discovers a community that opens their hearts and arms to her, as she is the widow of their special hometown son; including a reclusive older man needing some extra help. She doesn't have any family and soon finds that family can be anyone who cares for you and opens themselves up to you. It was nice to see Natalie begin to heal and take a chance at life again. There are surprises in store as the book wraps up and ends with a great ending.

Ms. Naigle captured the sense of community and the small-town feel in this story of hope, compassion, rebuilding, and forgiveness. This is a faith based, sweet and emotional story with an amazing cast of characters who will hopefully will have future stories written about them. I highly recommend And Then There Was You to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

3.5 stars rounded up!

i liked this one and it’s story of family and new beginnings but i was surprised at where the story went.

the book follows natalie, a widow who must start anew when she’s caught in a con. detective randy fellowes is commited to figuring this out for natalie and a possible future with natalie depsite not even looking for love. when natalie decides to move to chestnut ridge for new beginnings, she finds exactly what she’s looking for.

natalie was a cute character to follow and randy was a good lead man but i was expecting more romance between the two. i was a little disappointed on that front. there seemed like so much plot and details that the book’s pacing moved slower than i like and the ending felt rushed and anticlimactic.

the synopsis read like randy would be grumpier and more against a relationship but i didn’t find that the case at all. i was generally misled but could’ve been more into the book had randy had a bigger and more assertive role. i was disappointed when the book focused so much more on natalie’s life and her past finally making sense but it was predictable and i felt like i read too many things that could’ve easily been edited out.

the book was generally very sweet (and clean) but it wouldn’t inspire a reread from me.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc in return for am honest review.

And Then There Was You was a wonderful and inspirational novel that I found myself devouring as soon as I began reading.

Natalie Maynard returned home from vacation to find that she had lost everything to man whom she trusted, but who she learned was a professional con man. Now needing to start over for the second time after having lost her husband in a car accident a few years prior, she remembers that she still has the old hunting cabin her husband used to steal away to up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and decides to go there to reset.

As Natalie settles in her new hometown, she realizes that her late husband was beloved in the small town and she is welcomed with open arms. She has also connected with the detective on her case and there is definitely a mutual attraction, but the question is whether she can trust again after what she's just been through. As Natalie continues to navigate her new life, she realizes that while she may not have blood family remaining, family can be anyone you choose and this helps her to open herself up to both love and beginning to heal again.

I really enjoyed this book and the way the story unfolded. While it was heartbreaking at times, it was also heartwarming and it showed how having a strong group of people to support you goes such a long way in life.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I am so glad that I recently discovered Nancy Naigle's books. Her writing quickly draws me into the story and makes me feel like a part of the community she has created. As a fan of true crime, I especially enjoyed this book because of the romance/financial con that the main character had suffered. I look forward to catching up on Nancy's previous books and will be on the watch for any future ones. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy to read and review.

Until recently, I’d only read Nancy Naigle’s Christmas-themed books. I honestly love reading them more than watching cheesy Hallmark-type Christmas movies. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this story, but I shouldn’t have been worried. This is a clean contemporary sweet romance with elements of faith and family, so if you’re looking for something a bit spicier, this may not be the one for you.

Ms. Naigle’s writing, as always, had me thoroughly engaged from the outset. The plot was a bit predictable, but the characters were so well-developed I felt like they were friends—even the secondary characters. Then there was the emotion. With major themes of loss, grief, found family, and forgiveness, this book was full of the crazy ups and downs those bring about, as one would expect. Add to all of this an adorably awkward detective (when it comes to his personal interactions with Natalie), and it hits all the feels.

NICUnurse’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑ (4.5)