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They say you can always go home again, but for August Percy, that didn’t apply even when she had to live there until her eighteenth birthday.

After saying goodbye to a toxic childhood, she never planned to look in the rearview. Until the death of the woman who caused all her trauma forces her back to Hope Crest.

With a mountain of debt and an uncertain future, August at least has a soft place to land when her former employer and surrogate big brother offers her a house that isn’t chock full of nightmares from the past. What she never bargained for, though? The boy-turned-man she’s always crushed hard on from afar accidentally becoming her roommate.

Evan Ashton is the prodigal son who finally came home … even if he didn’t necessarily want to. As the new head chef of his family’s fourth-generation restaurant, he’s trying to build his own legacy in a line full of stubborn men. So when he ends up under the same roof as the closed-off woman the rest of his siblings seem to know so well, Evan attempts to shut down any curiosity since he can’t afford more complications in his life.

Except conversations over late night snacks, having her unexpectedly working in his kitchen, and inevitably bumping into her at every family celebration they’re both invited to only seems to bring him closer to August … until all of that tension bubbles over.

Then danger begins to close in, and it’s not even a thought of putting himself between her and the threat. But secrets beyond either of their control, and opportunities far from Hope Crest, begin to cause cracks.

And when both of them question whether their intense connection can last for longer than right now, it may just be their final undoing.

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This might be my favourite book in the series. August and Evan have different lives growing up. August was able to get away from her mom and go to collage to start anew. She is needing to go back to town so that she can deal with her mom’s things, so going back was a little hard for her. Evan is the baby of the family and head chef of the family restaurant. He wants to add some changes to the restaurant, but his dad doesn’t want anything to change. August is looking for a place to stay and a former mentor Warren offers his wife Alana’s home for her to settle in and relax in, Alana is Evan’s sister so when he needs a place to go, he head’s to his sisters also to get away and relax. August and Evan are the cherry on top couple for me. They are extremely supportive, comforting and loving to one another. These two are one of my top couples, I’m going to miss them and this wonderful Ashton Family.

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