Good book that is part of the Gallant Lake Stories series. There are characters and references to earlier stories, but this book can be read as a standalone.

Olivia and Tony have both come to Gallant Lake in search of healing. After a horrific car accident that killed her best friend and left her with physical and emotional scars, Olivia spends most of her time with her rescue animals. As the book opens, she's dealing with a home gutted by an incompetent contractor she has since fired. A friend recommends that she hire newcomer and temporary resident Tony to repair the damage and finish the remodel.

Tony is part of a big, noisy Italian family that has a business building skyscrapers in New York City. A few months earlier, Tony witnessed an accident on a job site that killed his best friend. The memories sent him spiraling to a dark place. After taking a leave of absence to deal with the aftereffects, Tony is still reluctant to go home. He stumbles onto Gallant Lake and stops to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. A new acquaintance offers him the opportunity to use his construction skills while deciding what to do.

The first meeting between Olivia and Tony didn't go well. His brash New York ways put off Olivia and made her reluctant to hire him. I liked how Tony realized his mistake and scaled back his bluntness. Olivia didn't appreciate being treated like an idiot and was equally blunt in her responses. Fortunately, each realized they needed the other, and they were able to work out a deal.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Oliva and Tony develop. The antagonism between them was evident as Tony began his work. In building skyscrapers, he was accustomed to being given the plans and left to do his job. Olivia is far more involved having been burned by the previous contractor. Her constant check-ins and questions get on his nerves, and his surliness gets on hers. But underneath the antagonism simmers an attraction neither wants to admit. When they finally give in to it, both are certain they can keep it casual, knowing there is an end date. However, opening up and sharing their pain also leaves the door open for other feelings.

I loved seeing the changes in Tony and Olivia. Olivia begins letting other people get closer. Tony realizes that his heart is no longer in his previous work. But an unexpected visit from two cousins raises doubts in his mind. I ached for Olivia as she understood his battle and knew she had to let him go. Tony broke my heart with his doubts and fears. I hurt for both as they worked through their fears, and I followed their journey to healing with hope for their future together. I loved the ending, from the work party at Olvia's house to her visit to Tony's family, with the sunrise scene being my favorite part.

Tony's city-boy reactions to life in the country are pretty amusing. The horses freak him out, he's wary of Olivia's dog, Ginger, and he initially thought the little gray kitten was a rat. I liked how the kittens, especially the gray one, slipped past Tony's guard, and he soon interacted with all the animals. The scene in the barn with Misty was terrific.

I throughly enjoyed this well written romance. Good plot and character development . I definitely recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

This is a Romance, and this is the 8th book in the Gallant Lake Stories series. I have read one other book for this series before picking up this book. I do think you can read this book as a standalone without any problems. I really loved the characters in this book, and I loved getting to know the main characters in this story. The backstories of the main characters of this book were so touching, and I loved seeing them overcome so much. I felt their romance was very fast moving, but there were so many cute and fun times in this book. I have to say there were some steamy times in this book. This was a fun and touching read. I really love the animals in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Special Edition) or author (Jo McNally) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is scheduled to be released on May 23-2023.