Read Between the Pines by Mary Walden

She traded the skyscrapers of New York for the small-town charm of Maple Ridge, but running her aunt’s bookstore is just the beginning.

Abby thought escaping her fast-paced city life would be easy, but between a grumpy, brooding handyman (who just might be the most ruggedly handsome man she’s ever met), a tight-knit community eager to play matchmaker, and exes that just won’t get the hint, nothing is as simple as it seems.

For fans of small-town charm, grumpy x sunshine, cinnamon roll heroes, and inheriting a new life, this heartwarming romance full of cozy fall vibes is a must-read.

My Review

This is the perfect story to listen to while you work or do chores. It is a heartwarming, small-town town and endearing with the basis around a bookstore. The light romance and mature characters make this an enjoyable story. I love this bookstore and would love to visit it. The townsfolk are larger than life and so caring. The AI Audible was worth listening to and not boring at all.

Abby is a corporate woman working her life away at a New York City building, hoping to get the next promotion to Senior Creative Director. She is sassy, midlife, and good at what she does. However, life gets turned upside down when the one guy at work, Mr. Charisma, gets what she deserves. Also, she has a history with Mr. Charisma that went from work to a relationship to hate. So she quits.

Ethan is the small town handyman. He is grumpy, but Rich doesn’t have to work, but does anyway, as it gives him something to do. He has connections to everyone in Maple Ridge and loves this small town. He is mourning the passing of Maggie, the small-town book shop owner.

The story sets up nicely for our big city MC to come to the small town in upstate New York and inherit the bookstore. So far, I have loved Kayla and her amazing quotes for book lovers. I am listening to this story in Audio but also reading it as well.

“I am. Hardcovers are for my keepers.” – Kayla

“Books by my favorite authors are keepers. Those hardcovers go on my bookshelf so I can read them again and again.” – Kayla

“And I still buy the ebook, because the thought of being somewhere and not having anything to read gives me serious anxiety.” – Kayla

I appreciate Ethan’s realistic pov and, of course, the townspeople’s conversation. However, the bookshop isn’t as perfect as Abby had hoped, but it is cloaked in nostalgia. It needs a lot of work to open. The interactions are realistic and interesting. Let the bookshop renovation process begin.

Also, the whole town is full of readers is so wonderful. I love the quaint, nostalgic atmosphere of this story, the characters are endearing, and the whole village, in this case, town gets involved. This book’s audio has me smiling and chuckling as I listen to it. It has the perfect amount of autumn vibes and, of course, popular book references to keep me entertained.

Ethan cares in his own grumpy way, but he is such a cinnamon roll. I love Molly and the fact that her friend is also in the story. Ethan has a history of exes as well, and it comes into the story, but he also has a self-confidence issue.

I like how cozy this story is, but also the fact that the characters keep moving forward. There is introspection, but mostly in the categories of what they are struggling with on the outside and in, and how to then move forward. The bookshop reopening is heartwarming, as well as the town characters gossip.

The only issue I have is why the past people keep coming up in the current storyline. Yes, it makes it more dramatic, but really, can we move on? Ugh, her ex is the perfect character to love to hate.

Abby is a strong female, loves standing up for herself and her choices against a manipulating jerk. Her tangents are meaningful and encouraging. Omg, I adore Matilda( the cat), her menacing behavior is amazing.

Ethan’s communication is honest but shy, Abby, on the other hadn’t is more flamboyant about her wishes and desires. But the tension and angst are really good.

The autumn activities will have you wishing it were already time to go pick pumpkins. The ending of this book is clean and sweet with a little touch of romance and a whole lot of cozy conversation. This story is a clean romance, just kissing.

If you want to read Read Between the Pines by Mary Walden, you can find this book on Amazon. It is also available on Audiobook on Amazon. As an Amazon Assocaite, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you liked this book, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Small town, Autumn, and Midlife.