– Owen –
Harper Calloway is the one who got away.
Gorgeous. Vivacious. Witty. Everything my introverted self could never be. And though that single night five years ago is all I had with her, there’s no forgetting the girl who steals your heart.
So when the woman in question shows up on my doorstep demanding an annulment for a drunken Vegas wedding I don’t fully remember, it seems like a sign. A second chance to make good on that connection I’ve never felt with anyone else.
Except she doesn’t have any interest in reconnecting, even as things between us heat up the longer she stays in town. What will it take to convince her I want forever?
– Harper –
Owen Taylor is not who I expected.
Protective. Thoughtful. Humble. And the sexy lumberjack vibe he’s got going on? Who knew I was such a sucker for that?
I didn’t come to Crescent Pass to start anything up. My life is in Chicago, not the forests of the Pacific Northwest. But the longer I stay here waiting for an annulment, the harder it is to resist this rugged mountain man who shows me for the first time what it’s like to be understood. Cherished. Worshipped.
We both knew from the beginning this couldn’t last. So why has he gone and stolen my heart?
| Title: | A Forest Between Us |
| Author: | Allie Winters |
| Series: | Crescent Pass (Book 1) |
| Pages: | 287 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Second Chance Romance One Night Stand Small Town Romance Close Proximity |
| Point of View: | First Person, Present Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
| Location: | Crescent Pass, Oregon, US |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 16th November, 2022 |
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Sweet, sexy and delicious
I am a big fan of Allie Winters so I was delighted to hear that she was starting a new small-town series set in Crescent Pass in Oregon, focussing on the Taylor siblings. But fear not, each book will be a standalone and, like this one, has its own HEA. First up is baby brother, Owen, and his surprise wife, Harper.
We first meet Harper, a marketing strategist who lives her best life in the city with her friends, when she realises that not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. On paper, she’s not necessarily a heroine that I could identify with, but from the first, I loved her. She was relatable, fun, kind, quirky, self-deprecating and honest – if perhaps a little stubborn and closed-off with regards to Owen and any future they may have. She’s definitely not the ditzy city girl who doesn’t do the country, wearing high heels on a hike type of thing – thank goodness.
Owen is something of a lumberjack, cinnamon roll hero that despite his sweet nature, is still gruff and delicious and all sorts of mountain-man fantasy come to life. I loved that on top of this, he’s a card-carrying introvert but feels an immediate connection with Harper and, for the most part, isn’t afraid to tell her. There’s just something wonderful about him and his deep, unshakable feelings for Harper. The way he wants to worship her. I wonder if Crescent Pass to mail-order husbands?
“… [he’s] gruff and delicious and all sorts of mountain-man fantasy come to life.”
There is something of a slow-burn between our couple as they get to know each other again. But that slow burn features some tasty pops of heat that prepare us for the big moment. And even then, the big moment only comes after some appetisers that will make your eyes roll back in your head with the sheer deliciousness of the couple. This pair have chemistry, both in a sexual way, as well as on a deeper, more personal level. Utter perfection.
I’m always on the edge of my seat when we get a true ‘opposites’ couple. When there’s something that isn’t an easy compromise that will let them be together. In this story, Harper is a city girl from Chicago while Owen is an introvert from a small town in Oregon. Just that, ratcheted up the tension for me as I worried over whether they’d make it work. I mean, of course they will, but I love an author that can make me feel that pull even when I know what the outcome will be.
Allie Winters has kicked off the Crescent Pass series with a fantastic book that I couldn’t put down. It had everything I love in a romance – a wonderful couple, palpable chemistry and a richly built story in a vivid setting. Add to all of that Ms Winters’ ability to draw me in and make me part of this story and you’ve got, for me, one of my top reads for 2022. Easily 5 stars and I cannot wait for Kristen and Grayson’s stories in the future.
* I received this book in exchange for my honest review *
Allie lives in sunny Florida with her husband, daughter, and two cats. A librarian by day, she spends her nights writing happily ever afters. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and all things Disney.
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Crescent Pass Series:
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Review: A Mountain Divides Us by Allie Winters - Jo Reads Romance
24 March 2023 at 10:18 pm[…] it’s the second book in the Crescent Pass series – and Owen and Harper from the first book (A Forest Between Us) do appear, it completely stands alone and has its own […]