Can a rootless wanderer find a place to call home?

Synopsis

‘Community spirit’ is not a phrase in travel junkie TaranRossi’s vocabulary. As a former ‘third culture kid’ and now spicy street food connoisseur and social media influencer, he’snever really stayed in one place long enough to feel part of a community. And that’s just the way he likes it.
But a springtime stint house sitting for his grandmother on Rendezvous Lane in East Nashville could lead to a long overdue wake-up call. With the help of single mum Sandy Warner and her young son Chip, can Taran come to understand that sometimes it’s not about the place – it’s about the people?

My review

Sandy Warner is a single mum and being there for her son Chip is the only thing that matters. One of the perks of living on Rendezvous Lane in East Nashville, is that the whole community is there to offer a helping hand whenever needed.
When Taran Rossi is housesitting his grandmother Beth’s house, who is also coincidentally Sandy’s neighbour, the attraction is hard to resist. Sandy and Taran have a lot in common, being both ‘third culture kids’, but are also very different. Sandy enjoys the sense of feeling at home in a place, while Taran is more a travel junkie, not ready at all to settle down.
However, will Taran discover that settling down in one place doesn’t mean giving up his freedom?

I have read several books of this author, and I knew beforehand how much I would enjoy reading this one.
But I can honestly say, that this one, is my favourite!

Sandy and Taran both have had a kind of same upbringing. They never had a place to put their roots and also their parents wouldn’t ever get the award for Best Parenting. They are ‘third culture kids’, meaning that they were raised in a culture other than their parents’.
Yet they are in a different mind-set. Sandy is a single mother, so she wants only the best for her son Chip, and that means putting her dreams away and also provide Chip a place to call home. And she also enjoys staying at Rendezvous Lane, surrounded by curious yet always helpful neighbours.
Taran on the other hand enjoys travelling all around the world, discovering new places and is even a social media influencer, with his food blog. Settling down is the last thing on his mind.

I loved reading how Sandy and Taran are getting closer, despite how hard they try not to. But the heart cannot be dictated, so closer they’ll get!
But not only the relationship between Sandy and Taran was nice to read, the relationship that truly melted my poor heart was that between Taran and Chip…
Chip is just too cute for words and how Taran interacts with him, is just worthy of several swoons!

This book wasn’t only a love story, but also a story about seeing things from a different point of view. Taran is adamant on never settling down, and even a relationship comes with an expiration date. But only when he meets Sandy and Chip, he sees how different his life could be. It could be different, but without giving up his passions so somehow his life can stay the same too!

Both our main characters have matured so much during this story, but not in a way that seems impossible. There are small changes, without changing their own self. Sandy and Taran both have a past that has scarred them, but having found kindred spirits, is allowing them to move forward.

I found this a sweet, tender, heart – warming, hopeful story. The sense of community, family and belonging was beautiful to read. The characters were very easy to like and love.
The story was perfect and an escape to a wonderful place, making me want to be living near Sandy, Chip, Taran and all the other inhabitants!