Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Who else loves return-to-hometown, first love romances? These stories strike something within me. It’s the deep connection that those lovers share, even as they let it fall apart, then fight the urge to repair it when they are faced with the opportunity.

The Town That Built Us by Jesse J. Thoma has Grace returning to the small town she left to handle the affairs of her deceased father. Her hopes of avoiding the ex who broke her heart are shattered when she learns that the house, she grew up in was left not just to herself, but to Bonnie, her first love.
The attraction the women share isn’t denied which leaves a nice, angst free romance about reconnecting with one’s true love. It has it’s ups and down, but ultimately, love will win out.

The Town that Built Us is an easy read, with some great side characters, and a ending which is sure to please.
Three stars from me.

I am a sucker for second chance, high school exes, romance stories. Something about the redemptive power of love really pulls me in. This story in no exception, but rather a great example of how a writer's effort can make such a story work for the reader. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

The main characters of this book are Grace and Bonnie. Grace left years ago for college and mourning a broken heart. Now she is back to settle the affairs after her father has passed. Bonnie is the reason that Grace left years ago and never stopped loving Grace. Although Grace does not know that. Grace also does not know that Bonnie spent a lot of time with Bonnie's father throughout his illness. The two women are shocked to find out that Grace's father has left the house to both of them. What Grace thought would be an easy clean out, has become very complicated.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I don’t want to rate it badly because it’s not a bad book, but I didn’t like it. It wasn’t boring or hard to finish. I wouldn’t say there was something in particular that annoyed me and didn’t let me enjoy the story. I guess it’s just not my kind of story.

The main characters are lovely, but a part of me wishes they had a different story. The whole group of characters was good. The book is sweet, but there wasn’t much of a story. It could work as a short story or novella. There just isn’t enough substance for a novel. In a way, I’m not really giving the book four stars, I’m giving it the characters. The town, the places, the idyllic world the book has.

The book might work for you if you need something safe. If you need a space for a couple of hours where nothing is going to trigger or threaten you. Although I love me a safe sweet book, I still want some plot there. I want some development, something to keep happening keeping me hooked. The story felt flat. We basically get two mains who are in love from the first chapter. And there’s no development. Don’t get me wrong, things happen, events are described, places visited, but emotionally what we have at the beginning is pretty much what we have in the end.

Why 4 stars you ask? The characters were very lovely fictional people, and they don’t deserve less. I don’t recommend it if you’re looking for an interesting story, but if you need a place to hide from reality and need something sweet to keep you safe, this book will do.

A small town second chance romance that is absolutely heartwarming.

I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Grace returns to her tiny hometown of Garrison to bury her father. She plans to take care of his affairs and fly back to her life in L.A. All the while hoping she’ll survive seeing the woman that broke her heart into a million pieces some 15 years ago. Bonnie is still the woman she measures all others to and no one can compare. What she didn’t expect is for her to be the woman she inherits her fathers house with. How will she survive this epic return to her painful history unscathed?

Bonnie has lost her only father figure when Lionel, Grace’s dad dies. They grew extremely close in the years that Grace left town. Bonnie’s heart is still black and blue after her relationship with Grace ended. But what on earth was Lionel upto leaving his house to them both?

Thoma takes you to the lovely town of Garrison and it’s extraordinary inhabitants. Through the eyes of Grace you get to learn about the painful history she had there and the updated version of the town and its people as they are now. Grace struggles to combine the two different experiences and let go of the past. All the while struggling with the new role Bonnie plays in her life. As a reader you get to see her protecting her heart in the best way she can and eventually breaking down the walls surrounding it and embracing a love of the ages.

Bonnie has made a life for herself in the place that was not so happy to have her back in the days. Being a lesbian in a tiny town was hard to say the least. She has a group of friends that are fiercely protective of each other. When Grace returns she can’t do anything but stand by as her heart starts beating again at full force for the woman she once hurt out of nobility. Feeble attempts to avoid letting her heart soar for Grace again fall flat. She eventually finds out it hasn’t stopped yearning for her in all those years of distance.

The people of Garrison are absolutely wonderful characters and bring so much charm to the story. Bonnie’s close friends are a rambunctious group but one where the love they have for each other is leaping off the page. The support they give her is epic and the way they envelop Grace back into the folds is heartwarming. As for Grace’s best friend Maddison, she is hilarious in her ways but a true rock for Grace to lean on.

The Town That Built Us is a lovely second chance story. One that will have you yelling at the characters to see what’s right in front of them. The story unfolds in exactly the right pace though. So just jump on for the ride!

The Town that Built Us by Jesse J. Thoma

Second chances at happily ever sometimes need a nudge from a loving recently deceased parent who just happens to leave a house to two people he believes should be together. Will Grace and Bonnie take advantage of the opportunity they are given or instead guard their hearts and let a life together pass them by?

What I liked:
* Lionel Cook: Grace’s father, loving, kind, wonderful father and husband, good friend to Bonnie, and a wise man with a plan that worked
* Grace Cook: Lionel’s daughter, college scholarship took her to the big city, works in marketing, never really got over her true love, Bonnie, back in town to settle her father’s estate
* Bonnie Whitlock: had a difficult childhood, good friends with Lionel, Grace’s high school love, made a decision at the end of high school that broke both Grace’s and her heart, hardware store owner, part-time handyman
* Mr. Burch: 94, bachelor, an interesting character who grew a lot in his lifetime
* The supporting characters and good friends of Bonnie: Carl – computer website designer; Stumpy/Carl: psychologist; Duck/Ray: married to Candace and father of Avery – friends for life who support and care for one another no matter what
* Maddison: Grace’s best friend, in marketing, wise, outgoing, caring, and there for Grace, loved her decision at the end of the book
* Tanya: in Grace’s pottery class, returned to Garrison to raise her family, wise and a potential good friend to Grace
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

What I didn’t like:
* Thinking about the time lost by Bonnie and Grace due to the decision made at the end of high school
* Thinking about small-people that treat and speak badly about people who are different from themselves

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Fifteen years ago, Grace moved from the tiny village of Garrison, in Rhode Island, to California, to study at Stanford, thanks to the villagers’ financial help. Her girlfriend Bonnie had just broken up with her and for years, Grace saw Garrison as a hostile place because of that, while she thrived at her marketing job in Los Angeles. In the meantime, Bonnie became very close to Grace’s father, who left his house, Grace’s childhood home, to both of them. Grace comes back to Garrison to find out that neither Bonnie nor she moved on.

The Town That Built Us is a nice second-chance romance. The chemistry between the MCs works well and the secondary characters are endearing. They bring both depth and comic relief, especially Grace’s best friend Madison and Bonnie’s posse of nicknamed guys.

There was a lot of potential in this story but the execution fell a bit short for me. It’s nothing big, a couple of inconsistencies added to writing that doesn’t feel smooth. I enjoyed reading but not as much as some of the author’s other novels (the Serenity Prayer books are my favourites).

I had high expectations for this book. I LOVE Thoma's Serenity, Courage, & Wisdom, series and when I saw that they was doing a second chance romance (one of my favorite tropes), I was over the moon!

This story follows Grace, a marketing expert living in LA who returns to her small (under 400 pop.) town of Garrison in Rhode Island to settle her fathers affairs after he passed away. It was not Grace's intent to spend anytime with her ex-girlfriend who shattered her heart in high school, the local hardware store owner and fixer, Bonnie. But Grace's father, Lionel, has different plans for her and Grace and Bonnie find themselves going down familiar roads.

I like both Grace and Bonnie. There relationship was believable and I was rooting for their successful navigation of their complicated relationship. What really grabbed me about this book was the secondary characters, especially Branch and his relationship with Bonnie. Without going into spoilers, it was really heartwarming to see Bonnie and Branch talk about the past and to acknowledge that can people change.

The only thing that keeps the rating lower is that I had a hard time keeping up with the passing of time. I don't know if it was a format thing, where breaks between scenes were missing or if I just didn't grasp that it was a different day. But scenes would change and it didn't have the fluidity that I am use to in Thoma's other works.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of second chance romances.

Recommend if you like small town, second chance romance. Grace returns to her hometown after her father passes away. She reconnects with her first love, Bonnie, who was there when Grace’s father died. This was a quick, enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

This was a classic second chance romance novel. I enjoyed the supporting characters the most. They sound like a fun bunch!
I enjoyed that there was so depth to the characters and it’s been a book that’s stuck with me for a few days after finishing.

Don't think I have read anything by Jesse J. Thoma, so was looking forward to trying a new author. The town that built us did not disappoint. This was s fun and quick read. Thanks Netgalley for allowing a sneak peek.

2 stars. Grace Cook left her hometown and never looked back. When her father died, she comes back home to settle her affairs while trying to avoid her ex, Grace Cook. When her dad leaves the house to both her and Bonnie, she has no choice but to spend time with her. They both are unsure what to do after not seeing each other for many years.

I thought this book was alright. The main thing I did not like was the drama with why they broke up when they were younger. I really thought this book dragged and that the main characters were fine. I do not really connect with small town books as much as I am not from a small town. I found this book kind of predictable and boring. I did not like how the characters wound up together and how there was very little tension or anything between them.

This is an enjoyable second chance romance where the two lead characters were lovers as youngsters but split up. Grace moves away and when her father dies she comes back to sort out his things assuming she will be his heir as she was his only family. But Grace doesn’t know that her ex, Bonnie, got really close to the dad when he was ill.

There are loads of twists and turns and angst and at times I wanted to knock heads together (in a friendly, helpful way of course) but what kept me reading was the ancillary characters.

There is a whole menagerie of different characters in and out of Grace and Bonnie’s lives and they try to stand back but sometimes can’t help themselves. There are sweet moments and funny moments, and overall a good read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

Really good story. I liked the main characters Grace and Bonnie. It was sad about Graces father, but it allowed these two to come to an understanding about their past relationship and also allowed them to work through some of the old hurt and misconceptions. This story was also hilarious in some spots as well. I loved the relationship between the friends of bonnie. They were really there for her and Grace and this actually made the story even better. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

This was definitely a like but not love type of book. It was good as far as second chance romances go, I just wanted a little more from it. While I really enjoyed the writing and some of the characters were very enjoyable, The relationship between Bonnie and Grace felt immature and I didn’t quite connect. I also felt myself wanting to know more and never losing that feeling despite the book ending, that could be either a good or a bad thing depending on the book, but this time it felt like not enough.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Bonnie Whitlock and Grace Cook were teenagers they were together, as in dating but times being what they were in a small town their relationship wouldn’t be accepted. So they kept their romance quiet except for the small group of good friends.
When Grace had the opportunity to go to university the whole town got together to raise the money needed. But before she left Bonnie decided to break up with her. Grace was devastated, as was Bonnie but time passed and both had managed to stay away from the other but now Grace had to go home to deal with her fathers death. Grace and Bonnie had no clue what he had done. It’s his way of getting the two women together.
What Ms Thoma has given us is a really nice romance, all the cast from the mains to the supporting cast are likable. A very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley, Jesse J. Thoma

I really like the cast in this story. They sounded like a great bunch of mates to hang out with. The romance wasn’t quite so entertaining and paled a bit in comparison to the friends banter. Indeed my favourite character was also one of the friends, Madison, who seemed like she would fit right in with everyone. I’d like to come back to this lot in a few years as I think Grace would have lightened up by then. She definitely wants to.

Just the sweetest

Following the death of her father, Grace returns to the small town she used to call home years ago. Bonnie was there the night Grace’s father died but she is the last person Grace wants to spend time with because she’d the only person she has ever loved. When she learns her father has left the house to her and Bonnie she left wondering what to do for the best, and whether there are any second chances for them.

Adored this heart-warming second chance romance so much. It was just the sweetest story about accepting and understanding, while learning from the past and taking chances. Grace and Bonnie were strained from that first meeting again but quickly they fell back into a more comfortable acceptance than I think either one of them expected. For a while things remained slightly awkward, especially when they were trying to be respectful of one another’s feelings about the situation they found themselves in. A lot of the decisions were on Grace as she had the life elsewhere and had been the one to leave, even though it had been Bonnie’s fault she had.

They both really endeared themselves to me, and like Grace’s dad I hoped they’d find their way with a little gentle encouragement. Bonnie had a great collection of friend’s around her who actually really helped her process everything with Grace and could be that support as she navigated potentially getting hurt again if she took the chance to embrace spending this time with Grace. They had really sweet moments when exploring what had transpired and whether they could put it aside to temporarily to try and work out if they could have something more.

I loved every moment of the story. It was a real feel good romance with a beautiful sentiment and a simple message to follow your heart and believe in happiness, even if you’ve been chasing it tirelessly for years without knowing you’d had it and lost it.

After high school graduation, Grace leaves her small hometown with a determination to complete her education with a university degree and a successful career. The death of her father brings Grace home after a fifteen year absence. She is back to the town where her high school girlfriend broke her heart into unrecoverable pieces.

I am a huge fan and have enjoyed all of Thoma’s novels. She is an extremely talented writer so it pains me to say that The Town that Built Us does not reach the high standards she has set with her previous works. The word which unfortunately dominates my consciousness is cliché. For me, this novel is riddled with them. So much so that I could not lose myself in the story. On another note, most of the characters are closely the same age, mid thirties, yet act like teenagers and not in an endearing way. This grew tiresome as the story progressed.

There is a range of notable side characters who decidedly brightened this story. Grace’s best friend Madison is a likeable whirlwind. Ninety year old Branch is a delightfully reformed homophobe who shows self growth can occur at any age. Ms Babs is the tender hearted yet wise B&B owner. When any of them are on the page the story is better for it.

Although there are bright spots along the way, this novel just wasn’t for me. I am positive others will find it to be in their sweet spot.

I received an advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.