Summer of No Attachments

 

The Summer of No Attachments- Lori Foster

HQN Books

Release Date: June 22, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Symopsis: After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind…and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.

And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.

_____________________________________________________________

Corbin is a laid back guy who's just discovered he's a dad- to a 10 year old boy. Corbin and Justin move to  the small town of Sunset and meet Ivey, a veterinarian with a huge heart for both animals and people. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, Ivey is planning on having a summer of no attachments- just casual, laid back fun. The biggest attachment she'll have is to a new dog, Daisy, and her pups that have come into the clinic. That plan goes out the window as soon as Ivey and Corbin meet. The two click perfectly. It isn't just a case of explosive chemistry- it is better than that. They click. They discover that together they are the better versions of themselves, that supporting one another makes them an incredible unit. Neither planned to find forever, both are worried about what too much change could do to Justin, but how do you ignore it when the perfect partner falls into your life?

It might sound sappy, but I loved Lori Foster's book because of how easily and nicely the people fit together. This wasn't a story of instant lust, chemistry and danger. It was a story of family and friends who are family, of support and discovering who you are and who you can be.  Ivey didn't have to change anything about herself to fit into Corbin's life, they worked simply by being themselves. I loved how the character of Hope, Ivey's friend, was written- someone who's lived through trauma and is slowly becoming comfortable with herself and others again. Ivey supports her with friendship instead of pity and never suggests Hope can't or shouldn't do something because of her fears. The two women simply give it to each other straight and support whatever decisions are made. Hope gets to come out of her shell and still face some of her past, and we get to see her grow and move on as she does. Hope may be a 'secondary' character but she (and her relationship with Corbin's brother Lang) never feels secondary, and gets plenty of page time and development.

An overall lovely new book, this looks at family and friends, the bad as well as the good, and how we are all more able to face the bad when we have a solid core of good in our corner. And never have to change who we are to get it. A book of humor and fun, heart and heat, a perfect summer romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review