Though a relatively simple, this was a sweet enough romance set with a small town background.

Laurel was by far my favourite character. She's feisty, and I appreciated how she was setting up her own business and taking a leap of faith. I also related a lot to her as she found it challenging to say no to people and I know how hard it can be not to put others first.

A subplot revolved around a minor character, George, which I found to be an intriguing way of both building up the main plot and their romance. He was homeless but Aiden had always showed him some kindness, which intrigued Laurel, leading to some development that was probably the most unique aspect of this book.

My main issue with this book was probably how Aiden seemed to lack a dating history and a personality. While it's made quite clear that he had one kind of serious relationship, it wasn't really clear if after that he was a total player or if he was very solitary.

I'm not enamoured with this book--though there was nothing bad about it, it was fairly predictable and had nothing outstanding.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I am a sucker for a good romance with tension, misunderstandings and plenty of heat! Aiden and Laurel have known each other since they were little children and as teenagers were hot for each other but boys being boys.... let's just say that Laurel has been harboring a grudge against Aiden for a long time! Laurel has recently moved back to her hometown of Darling, VT. and has just crossed paths with Aiden. Oh boy the heat and tension between them jumped off the pages. Did I say that Aiden is dreamy ? Well he is beyond hot and dreamy and Laurel is having a hard time staying mad! As far as the town of Darling, VT goes? It is definitely a place that I would love to visit, Vermont being one of my favorite places to vacation and Darling sounds quaint and pretty. There is more to the story of course than all the heat between these two, Aiden has a good heart as does Laurel and they help out a homeless man and become his champion. I thought that was a great part to this story, I won't give too much away but the author manages to convey the wonderful moral that you never can judge a book by it's cover, you never know who that homeless person really is and you may be surprised.

We meet Aiden's boisterous and fun loving siblings and parents, I am hoping that the next books feature more of them :) We also meet Laurel's friend Willow, whom I already love because of her health food cafe and her love of yoga!

This book has me wanting more of these characters.This review was originally posted on A WordPress Site ( )

ARC Review: Somebody Like You (Darling, VT) Donna Alward

Can a mythical legend make an illusion into reality? Somebody Like You is a nod to nostalgia. Ms. Alward takes readers through the many phases of love. From puppy love, to teenage romance to heartbreak. She delivers a reunion story that worms it's way into the heart. From childhood Aiden and Laurel have heard the legend of love everlasting and happily ever after. The poster for the perfect couple, these lovebirds were far from ideal. Youth and life tore them apart. Can maturity and a legendary town bring them back together? A feel good read that blends the fantasy of fairy tales with the hope for the future. ( )

Laurel Stone has come home to small town Darling, VT, after a failed marriage that still haunts her due to her ex's determination to "remain friends." No one gets a chance to forget that Laurel's husband left her for another man.

Leaving accounting behind her, she has bought the town's defunct garden center and reopened it as the Ladybug Garden Center. She's enjoying it more than she ever did accounting, at least until the morning she comes in and finds it vandalized and the cash register "float" stolen.

And then the cop who comes in response to her call is Aiden Gallegher. She and Aiden have a history, on Laurel would prefer not to revisit. Too bad Aiden is still so attractive!

The summer plays out with Aiden and Laurel walking over the eggshells of their past and their mutual attraction, while Laurel, in her determination to be nice, kind, and civilized, agrees to ex-husband Dan's invitation to attend his wedding to Ryan, the guy he left her for. Oh, and could she supply the flowers for their wedding, and plants for their back yard--the house Dan and Laurel bought together--also?

Meanwhile, the entire town is being plagued by a wave of vandalism and minor break-ins, culminating in an assault on someone Aiden and Laurel both care about.

This is a gently paced sweet romance, with good and decent characters all around. Very pleasant reading. It's not about the plot, but the plot is pretty interesting, too.

Recommended. ( )

Very good second chance story. When they were five years old, Laurel and Aiden were photographed kissing on the legendary Kissing Bridge. When they were in high school, their brief romance ended when Aiden made a stupid mistake, hurting and humiliating Laurel, which led to some humiliation for Aiden. The town uses the photograph to promote its tourism, and someone has come up with the idea to recreate the photo. Aiden is willing, but Laurel is much harder to convince. Laurel returned to Darling after her divorce, determined to move on. She is happy and busy, reconnecting with friends and getting her new garden center up and running. The last thing she wants to do is get involved with Aiden, who she has still not forgiven.

I enjoyed the development of Laurel and Aiden's relationship. It starts out a bit rough, as their first encounter is when police officer Aiden responds to a report of vandalism at Laurel's business. Aiden is professional but friendly, ready to move past their teenage idiocy. Laurel realizes that she is still holding on to the past when Aiden makes a point of apologizing. Aiden is drawn to the grown-up Laurel's beauty, both inside and out, and wants to spend more time with her. Laurel is drawn to Aiden also, but her divorce has made her very wary of getting involved with someone else. I really loved seeing them get to know each other. Laurel is kindhearted and sweet, which sometimes works against her when others take advantage. She struggles with the effect her divorce has had on her dreams for the future and her confidence in herself. This creates a conflict in her relationship with Aiden, as she tries to deny her growing feelings for him to protect her heart. Aiden is patient, sweet and charming as he works his way past Laurel's walls. The dates he came up with showed just how much he understood her. There is also a vulnerability to him, as we see him have trouble expressing his feelings and suffer from the occasional "foot-in-mouth" moment. I loved how they slowly opened up to each other, sharing their hurts as well as the good times. I ached for Aiden when he shared his feelings for Laurel, and her fears made her push him away. It took working together to help a friend to close that divide. Laurel also had to face the fears that were holding her back. Aiden's big moment at the end was romantic and awesome.

I loved the small town setting and the characters that live there. The secondary characters were unique and well developed. I loved Aiden's relationship with his family members, with their teasing and nosiness and obvious love for each other. I loved the little bits that showed Aiden purposely doing some things to irritate his brother Rory. I also loved how the family quickly pulled Laurel into their circle. Laurel's friend Willow was a blast with her new agey style and direct attitude. She was always there for Laurel, even when Laurel didn't realize it. I loved her parts in helping Aiden. My favorite character was the homeless man, George. I loved how we first witness Aiden's kindness and sensitivity in the way that he treats George, and how that attitude rubs off on Laurel. I loved watching the changes in George as he benefits from their actions. Like Laurel and Aiden, I wanted to know more about who he was and what brought him to Darling. I loved George's interactions with them, especially the conversations that he and Lauren had. I felt Lauren's fear for him when he was missing and her determination to find him. ( )