Let Me Be The One is a sweet second chance romance. Callie has recently inherited her uncle’s Kentucky farm. After a failed engagement, she decides to head to the farm to reevaluate her life. She meets her neighbor, Tanner, who she doesn’t recognize. For Tanner, Callie is the girl that got away. She is his high school crush, and the girl he’s dreamed about for years.

This book is full of small town romance, family drama, a jilted ex-fiancee and a host of farm animals. This book will appeal to so many readers who love the cozy setting of a small town and a tight knit community.

Lori Foster follows her usual recipe for intense romance. Callie has returned home after a disastrous career blunder to take over the home she’s inherited. Her next-door neighbor, Tanner, was Callie‘s high school crush, and the man who broke her heart. Now that she’s home, Tanner can’t get Callie out of his mind, and romantic fireworks, ensue

Lori Foster returns with another cozy small-town romance that blends humor, heart, and just enough emotional grit to keep you hooked. Let Me Be the One pairs two characters from vastly different worlds and asks the classic question: can you really come home again—and make it work the second time?

Callie McCallahan is a woman at a crossroads. After a failed business and a broken engagement in the city, she’s inherited her late Uncle Reggie’s farm in Hoker, Kentucky. With zero farm skills but a strong social media background, she’s determined to turn this inheritance into a fresh start. It’s equal parts brave and reckless, and that tension drives much of the early narrative.

Tanner Patrick, on the other hand, never left Hoker. He’s a hardworking tree farmer who remembers Callie as the untouchable rich girl from high school. What he didn’t expect was to find her back in town, living next door—and looking lost but determined, wearing designer boots to feed goats.

This is very much a slow-burn, opposites-attract story, but what sets it apart is the emotional depth of Tanner. He’s not just a broody small-town guy. He’s a man shaped by hardship, trauma, and quiet resilience. Raised by a kind woman named Addie, and later becoming a guardian figure to a teen named Kam, Tanner’s life is rich in found family—even if he doesn’t see it that way.

Callie, while not overly complex, is written with empathy. Her transition from pampered to practical feels believable, if a little fast in places. She’s endearing when she fails and admirable when she tries again. Her relationship with her cousin Glory is one of the strongest emotional beats in the book—warm, funny, and supportive without being overly sweet.

As their paths cross more frequently—sometimes by accident, sometimes not—the romantic tension builds naturally. Their chemistry is subtle but satisfying. There’s no dramatic “will they/won’t they”—it’s more like watching two people slowly realize they’re on the same page, even if it takes a while to say it out loud.

Foster knows how to write a setting that feels lived-in. Hoker, Kentucky, may be fictional, but it reads like a real town, full of gossip, grit, and community. The best parts of the book are found in Tanner’s relationships—with Kam, with Nell and Liam (two teens he mentors), and eventually, with Callie. These interactions add depth and heart to the story. There are genuinely funny moments (Callie being terrified of chickens is a recurring win), but they’re never cartoonish.

That said, the story does repeat itself at times. Scenes where Callie answers the door, Tanner tries not to care, or side characters drop hints start to feel familiar. The middle sags slightly because of this. Some characters, like Dirk and Lang, could have used more nuance. Their turnaround happens quickly and conveniently, especially given the tension their presence creates.

One detail that didn’t quite land is how Callie, despite growing up in the same small town, never knew anything about Tanner’s past. It’s a small hole in the logic, especially since her parents are still part of the local social circle, and the town is portrayed as one where everyone knows everyone. It doesn’t break the story, but it does poke at its realism.

Still, Let Me Be the One doesn’t need to reinvent the genre. What it offers is comfort: a story about starting over, healing, and finding love in unexpected places. It’s sincere, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, and filled with the kind of characters you want to root for. Foster’s fans will absolutely enjoy it, and newcomers looking for a gentle but emotionally rewarding romance will find themselves right at home.