Book Review
Where We Belong by Shann McPherson
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: February 21, 2020
Format: Kindle - 1120 KB / 384 pages
Nook - 2 MB / 384 pages
ISBN: 978-0008381967
ASIN: B07W62WZKC
BNID: 978-0008381967
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from HarperCollins Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event.
Book Description:
An emotional, compelling page-turner from your next romance obsession, Shann McPherson, about the power of friendship and finding love where you least expect it.
When Alice ‘Murph’ Murphy’s beloved mother died, she promised to keep the family bakery in Graceville, Georgia afloat—even if it meant letting her high-school sweetheart, Nash Harris, go. For years, Murph has been biding her time, waiting for Nash to come back for her.
So when he strolls into Piece O’ Cake, Murph’s heart skips a beat—until he hands her an invitation to his wedding… There are painful secrets in both their pasts that only the two of them share, and Murph can’t bear the thought of Nash belonging to someone else.
There’s only one thing Murph can think of to do: fake a relationship with local bar owner and old friend Harley Shaw to remind Nash of what he’s losing, and win him back for good.
Nash is Murph’s best friend, a vivid reminder of her childhood and all the things she’s lost—but the more time Murph and Harley spend together, the more the lines between real and pretend begin to blur. Can Murph choose between the one who got away and the one who never left—and heal her aching heart?
Book Excerpt:
My Book Review:
Set in Graceville, Georgia, the reader is easily drawn into this entertaining story as they follow three best friends as they navigate the trials and tribulations of life and love.
Alice "Murph" Murphy, Nash Harris, and Harley Shaw have been best friends since the age of nine. They've been through thick and thin, but for Murph, Nash has been her everything: first crush, first kiss, first love. As childhood sweethearts, Murph thought that their love would last forever, but life got in the way, and changed everything in their relationship. They went to NYU together, but when Murph got the call that her mom had Stage 4 Breast Cancer, she came home to Graceville to take care of her dying mom, and to run their bakery, Piece O' Cake. When her mom died within six months, Murph took over running the bakery, while her relationship with Nash came to an end because of the long distance between them.
Five years later, Murph's bakery is doing well, and she still holds out hope that she and Nash will find their way back to each other when he finishes medical school. When Nash unexpectedly shows up at the bakery, Murph thought that he came home to her, but alas, he's come to give her an invitation to his wedding, and if that wasn't bad enough, he wants her to make the wedding cake! Shocked and completely heartbroken, Murph is determined to win back his heart at any cost. So with a week to put her plan in motion, Murph fabricates a story that she and Harley are a couple just to make Nash jealous, and engages in an all-out plan that is filled with enough crazy antics that brings out her inner-psycho! So what's a girl to do when she finds herself in a twisted love triangle? Should she give up on her lost love, move forward with her life, and maybe get a chance to realize that true love has been under her nose the whole time?
Where We Belong easily keeps the reader engaged as they follow Murph's story. Told in the first person narrative by Murph, the reader follows along as Murph struggles to accept that Nash has moved on, and slowly comes to realize that the true love of her life has been in her corner the whole time. There was a great mixture of emotion, drama, angst, humor, and crazy antics mixed in this story. The author does a great job of describing the history of the childhood friendships between Murph, Nash, and Harley, especially with the flashbacks to their childhood memories throughout the story. You can't help but feel compassion for Murph as she faces the changes in her relationships with Nash and Harley, finds unexpected love, and discovers herself along the way.
Where We Belong is a heartfelt story that has enough emotional depth, drama, romance, comedy, and witty banter, that makes it a delightfully entertaining debut romantic tale that romance fans will certainly enjoy!
RATING: 5 STARS
About The Author
With big dreams of being a published author since she was an eleven-year-old girl writing Beverly Hills 90210 fan fiction before fan fiction was even a thing, Shann McPherson has been writing angsty, contemporary romances for most of her thirty-something years. Living in sunny Queensland, Australia, when she’s not writing Shann enjoys making memories with her husband and cheeky toddler son, drinking wine, and singing completely off-key to One Direction’s entire discography.
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