This one tugs on alllll the heartstrings. It’s raw, it’s heartbreaking, it’s beautiful. I’m a sucker for a grumpy MMC, so Parker was right up my alley! I loved watching him open up to Lyla. I loved watching Lyla also open up and find her way back to art and find herself. They’re both guarded against love (they’ve got their reasons), and I loved watching their relationship develop. They had a bit of a rocky start, but they can’t avoid spending time together, and the walls between them started to crumble. The mental health rep felt well done, and I definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings with this one. It hurt, and I def cried, but it was so good. Between the town of Emerald Falls and the found family, this one had me wanting to pack up and move to small town Canada. I absolutely loved this one. Such an amazing debut!

[ARC from author in exchange for an honest review]