How first impressions can be wrong…

Synopsis

Sometimes the one thing you’re looking for is right in front of you…

Stephen is on a very personal mission to find his father as per the wishes in their mother’s will. But he has no idea where to start, not that he’s going to tell anyone that… When Noelle, native New Yorker, daughter of a detective and desperate for a distraction from the novel she’s been struggling to write, offers to help, it feels like the perfect solution.

Except the last time she spoke to Stephen he thought they’d be seeing the New Year in together and instead she stood him up and sold him out! Stephen’s big enough and been around the block enough times to understand that all is fair in love and war, isn’t he? But when Stephen accepts her offer and they begin their search across the city, it soon becomes clear that the weather isn’t the only thing that’s heating up.

A heartwarming summer romance perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Sarah Morgan and Holly Martin.

My review

Stephen moved temporarily from the U.K. to New York. Apparently only for his work, but he has also a personal mission. He wants to find his father who just left him and his mother so many years ago. Now that his mother passed away and left Stephen’s father some money, Stephen wants to find his father and understand why his mother left the money.

In New York, he meets Noelle. They have some history, but not a good one… last time they saw each other, he was under the impression they would spend the night together but she stood him up without any further explanation.

Noelle is a writer of detective stories but is having a writer’s block at the moment. She is struggling with how her latest should evolve and is nearly desperate.
She decides to help Stephen with his search and hopes to find some inspiration for her novel. Having some history, they settle some rules to keep it all “professional”. But can they both manager to keep it that way, as they get to know each other better and the attraction keeps on growing…

Sometimes all a girl needs, is a 100% feel – good romance. And this is the perfect example!

Noelle and Stephen are not complete strangers to each other, but not exactly friends either. So when they meet again in New York, you can say that the meeting was all but amicable.
But the further the story evolves, the more we understand each character. We get to learn why Stephen and Noelle just didn’t get along. But also the reasons why Stephen did what he did in the past.
Without giving any spoilers, there is just more to it than initially thought!

The length Stephen goes to find his father, to respect his mother’s wishes, shows what a caring man he really is. But also we get to know him as a scared and scarred man, being abandoned by his father. He will do everything to become everything except like his father, meaning he will keep as far away as possible for love.

Noelle is just wonderful. Despite her initial dislike, she realizes how important finding his father is for Stephen. And she does whatever she can to help him, even asking her father for help…

When they are together, the chemistry just sparks all around, and I was nearly yelling at them “JUST KISS EACH OTHER!!!”.
So sometimes I got frustrated because they were so stubborn, but there were also the sweetest moments, like in the Ferris wheel.
And let’s give also a moment for Noelle’s family… they are a big bunch, and maybe sometimes relying too much on Noelle. And also always knowing better and underestimating the work writing a book takes. But at the right times, they are all there for each other, helping out like a real family should!

I loved reading this book, imaging walking next to Noelle and Stephen in New York, and getting to know 2 wonderful people, and having been reminded that there is always more than meets the eye and we should not stick to our first impressions!