I really enjoyed this story. I felt I could relate to the main protagonist, especially in regards to his social anxiety, and how a great teacher can change your life. A reminder to everyone how small we are in this vast universe.

The Stars Don’t Lie
Boo Walker

This is not the first book I have read by Boo Walker and it won’t be my last. I love his style of writing. He draws the reader in from the very beginning and keeps you reading till the end. You won’t want to put it down until you have turned to the very last page.
What if you made a major mistake in your life, or at least you thought it was, would you want to return to where it happened or move on and never look back? This is what is facing Dr. Carver Livingston. He made what he thought was a tragic decision twenty years ago and now he must return to his hometown. He tries to get in town and out before seeing anyone from his past. No such luck.
Boo Walker brings his characters to life. They are people you feel you know and would like to be friends with. His writing flows. He keeps you thinking about how you would react if you were the main character.
Pick up a copy of The Stars Don’t Lie by Boo Walker to find out what happens to Carver. You will be glad you did.
05.24.2023

Charming, hopeful, and emotional. Delightfully flawed characters every reader can relate to. I read in two days. Really enjoyed this story.

This is the story of a man who has moved away from home, buried himself in his work and built a different life from what he previously imagined for a reason. We find out this reason slowly over time as the story progresses.

Carver left his home after he felt that his actions caused irrevocable issues in his family’s life and brought everyone’s sights on them. It is only when he finds out that his parents are splitting up that he finally decides to make his way home. Initially, Carver plans to stay quietly, figure out his parents’ issues, and leave. Nothing goes according to plan the minute he enters the town limits.

The book is about Carver finally coming to terms with the events of his childhood and growing up. The final romance angle felt a little extra since our leading man does a little soul-searching about past romances in a very realistic fashion.

There are a lot of parts to the past, some of which we find out upfront, others a more experienced reader can guess and finally, parts which we will be told off as the story progresses.

The writing is very straightforward and also manages to be emotional at the same time.

I would recommend this book to readers of the genre and would also like to try more of the author’s works in the future.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Dr. Livingston, a vet with a self built and established practice became well know for his new veterinarian patent to repair a dogs cruciate ligament. We follow his story where there is some big secret hanging over his head keeping him from visiting his home town for the past 20 years.

The Stars don't lie is a cute easy reading romance book with an enjoyable story and happy ending. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The story is about Carver Livingston, a veterinarian in North Carolina. On his birthday, he learns that his parents are getting divorced. This prompts him to confront a shameful event from 20 years ago that has kept him from returning to his hometown in Vermont. The book explores themes of self-forgiveness, self-acceptance, and realizing one's worth. With warm and relatable characters, it's a touching story that resonates with the heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read The Stars Don't Lie.

The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

The Stars Don’t Lie
Boo Walker
2023
4.5 Stars


Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Press for my copy of The Stars Don’t Lie by Boo Walker. I have not received any rewards or compensation for this review and therefore all views and opinions are of my own, the reviewer.

Trigger Warning: Suicide. Main character attempted suicide.

In summary: A second chance romance in a small town.

This is my first book by Boo Walker.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
Carver Livingstone lives in self exile from Teterbury his home town. He couldn’t stay after a messy break up with his first true love, his high school sweetheart Shannon. When Carver’s mother asks him to come home to support her while his father is about to drive around the US in his Shasta caravan. Carver leaves his thriving business a couple of states over to return home. At first Carver is adamant he is going to be the talk of the town being back home and refuses to talk to anyone, hiding out so he doesn’t have to run in to people he knows. From there it is revealed that Carver had attempted suicide as a teenager due to the breakdown of his relationship from his first love. Carver is convinced he is still in love with Shannon despite twenty years passing and his return.
Threaded through the story is another main character Mrs.Cartwright (Eloise) a high school teacher who took Carver under her wing alongside her husband Tom while dealing with life after his attempted suicide. There is no doubt the respect Carver has for his high school teacher and takes it upon himself to do acts of kindness for her to show his appreciation.
There is a romance arc between Carver and Ava which I felt was well written. I liked the way the author gave Carver a sense of humility rather being the alpha hero and lay his feelings on the line the way he does.
Overall, I loved how the book was written, and I felt satisfied with the ending.

The Stars Don't Lie was a different kind of read for me. I feel like there is so much wisdom in the characters and love having a high school teacher as one of the important characters. Carver was not a favorite character, but his personality does so much for the book. I will continue to read books by Walker.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Boo Walker for the opportunity to read this ARC. This review is my opinion.

This book really spoke to my mind and soul with some important reminders. Always look to the stars. A inspiring and page turning read.

This book spoke to my soul and reminded me of the important things in life. With pitch perfect pace and a well delineated cast of characters, it is a book to savor.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC in return of my honest review.

This was my first time reading a book my Boo Walker.

Based around a male veterinarian who, struggling to make sense of his past, returns home.

The reading was often slow for me however I really enjoyed the character development and this made up for the slower pace.
Recommended for those who enjoy a slower, well developed book to enjoy.

"Wasn't that how life was, figuring it out in the clumsiest of ways?"

It's a book about second chances, family, love, and wisdom that centers around Carter Livingston, who convinced himself that he's overcome what he considered as mistake from the past by being a successful veterinarian away from his hometown. But a phone call about reunion and his parents divorcing forced himself to go back to his town, revisit his old teacher who seems to changed so much, and try to reconcile his parents. Will he able to reconciled himself with his past and fix all what went wrong while he was away?

I love this book a lot! It has so much love, wisdom, and reflection that seems personal stories yet hold universal messages for everyone in every stages of their lives.

Dr. Carver Livingston is a wealthy, successful 38yr old veterinary doctor struggling to get over an old flame. Although the premise was quite promising, I honestly struggled to get through this book and connect with the good Dr. The plot didn’t work for me in terms of the MC’s development. I struggled to understand why he was hung up on the past and I guess I was expecting a bigger reveal about his past mistakes in order to understand his present turmoil.

I did however enjoy Dr. Carver’s visit home and the relationship that he had with his high school teacher, Mrs. Cartwright, and how he helped her. She is the kind of teacher that I believe everyone deserves to have and her character warmed my heart. I wasn’t a fan of the romance bit of this story and this really did dampen my overall experience with this read. I hope to enjoy the next book by the author as I have heard nothing but good things.

Despite being an unusual pick for me, The Stars Don't Lie had me hooked in immediately - and I'm so happy I had the opportunity to read this.
Walker is an excellent writer, who's beautiful story was captivating and engaging. The pacing is well done, and didn't feel dragging at any point.
While I wasn't the biggest fan of our main character, I absolutely loved the range of characters in general and felt they all brought something to the story.

I recommend it.

This whole book felt like a cliché…which is kind of funny when you juxtapose it with Mrs. Cartwright’s disdain of clichés. But this book was certainly not funny. Or even entertaining. It read like a bad Hallmark movie:

Rich, white veterinarian, who never got over his high school girlfriend, still thinks the world revolves around him 20 years later. After an unexpected trip home, a rude awakening instantaneously provides him with all the answers he’s been looking for, and he becomes the town hero. Oh, and he gets the girl.

Just ew.

I feel like I’m not normally this critical of a story. Maybe a character will rub me the wrong way, or the author’s writing style won’t suit me. But everything about this book felt juvenile and underdeveloped. The 38-year-old MMC constantly acted like an 18-year-old. The bravado and self-centeredness got old really fast. And then WHAM! In one short chapter, he had a revelation that turns everything around in his favor. I mean, I love a happy ending, but this was just not satisfying.

A lot of the relationships didn’t make sense, and I had a hard time with the emotions in this book. It was like everyone was stuck in adolescence the whole time.

I won’t be a broken record. This one just isn’t worth the read. It wasn’t the worst. I think Boo Walker writes a well-paced story. This one just fell pretty flat.

For the past twenty years, Carver Livingston has been racing through life, distracting himself, and while he’s done extremely well for himself, he hasn’t really been living. Afraid to face his painful memories of a hurtful past, Carter has not been back to his home town in that twenty years, and has been running ever since. All of that is about to change when the two women who have given him the most in his life desperately need his help. Completely insecure about seeing anyone from his past, Carter plans a secretive quick trip into town, but soon realizes a quick trip just isn’t going to work. Meeting up again with a lost love that broke more than his heart has Carter running in circles. Is it finally his turn? As his twenty year class reunion nears, will Carter finally be able to come to grips with his own past, while helping two very special women in their own darkest days? This was a heartwarming story of love, loss, forgiveness, and overcoming. Filled with a cast of delightful characters this book will surely warm the cockles of your heart. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I was honestly expecting a lot more from this book. It was underwhelming. The positive aspects include the many complex and strong women in this book. They were all different, which I liked immensely. I didn't like a lot of aspects, though. The writing felt a bit flat. There was too much telling and not enough showing. I don't know if that was meant as a reflection on the character and not the author. I don't think that's how male main characters usually think. Trigger warnings should be included. I also felt that the main character understood self-love too quickly. As someone who has been going through the process of working through the issues, I know it takes so much more effort and time. It takes a lot of trial and error. It rang a bit unrealistic to me. I couldn't connect to it. The book wasn't atmospheric, which is a key component to my enjoyment. There weren't many reveals or twists, which was also disconcerting. It just wasn't for me.

A first by this author for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

A well written story that kept me turning the pages. It got a little bit slow in parts but not enough to make it less interesting. It's a going back home again book. This time it's a guy though. Usually I read this type and it's a woman going back.

The setting is nice and the flow very good. It descriptions are gorgeous and make you feel as if you are there.

Things that happen in your past may effect someone's future. In this one Carver Livingston, a Veterinarian is called home to save his parents marriage. What could possibly go wrong. Or maybe right. Going back home has many ups and downs.

This is a four star book for me. Well done Boo Walker.

This book didn't work for me. The plot points kept expanding and the main character was lackluster at best. I wanted to love this book as I was a fan of the author's previous books, but this one was difficult to finish.