Book Review — Timid: A Lark Cove Novel by Devney Perry

“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For being a fighter.”
“I’m not.” She kissed my chest. “But I’ll always fight for you.”
“Why me?” I asked.
“Because you’re you.”

HOLY FREAKING SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!! YES YES YES!! This was one of my most HIGHLY ANTICIPATED books of this whole year and is now one of my TOP FAVORITES!! Oh my gosh, it was AMAZING!!

For those of you readers out there who (like me) absolutely love reading about functional couples who talk through their issues and fall crazy madly deeply in love with each other, then this is the book for you!! These characters, their emotions, their romance, their everything FELT SO REAL!! So genuine. So heart-felt. I seriously loved reading every word of this story! Plus, there was even a suspenseful twist towards the end that kept me glued to the page!! I could not put this book down, I loved every single word, and I recommend this book to EVERYONE!!

Honestly, the blurb gives the best intro to the book so I’m just going to share it here for you:

Willa Doon has always been shy. Her quiet demeanor was something she’s always embraced. That is, until Jackson Page moves to town. The one man she desperately wants to take notice struggles to remember her name.

Year after year, Willa stands by, watching as the bartender slash playboy drowns his demons in beer and sex. Then one night, he shows up at her door, suddenly aware that the girl he’s seen around Lark Cove is now a beautiful woman.

Except what he doesn’t remember is that this visit isn’t his first. They spent a night together once before. A night he’s forgotten, thanks to a bottle of tequila.

A night that crushed a timid girl’s heart, and set a broken man on the path to heal them both.

After reading the first standalone in this series (see below), I was sooooo looking forward to Willa and Jackson’s story! Theirs was the perfect story to write next but the good news is that it genuinely can standalone so if you want to read all the books, then you’re in for a big treat, but if you want to read this book alone, you won’t be confused.

Willa’s crush on Jackson had literally begun the moment she first spotted him nearly a decade ago but after years and years of unsuccessfully trying to get his attention, she’d given up hope — after all, he couldn’t even get her name right.

The setup of this story was intense!!! A longing crush. Years of unrequited love. A forgotten night. A broken heart. And now… perhaps… a chance at love.

Had he forgotten me completely in his inebriated state?
“You just went home and fell asleep?” I asked.
He glanced over. “Pretty much. Had some crazy dreams though.”
I narrowed my gaze, assessing his expression. He wasn’t lying. He wasn’t pretending. He wasn’t omitting pieces of his story.
He really had forgotten.
He’d forgotten the best night of my life. The best first kiss in the history of first kisses.
He’d forgotten me.

I think my favorite thing about Willa was that even though she was shy, sweet, and quiet by nature, she was also hella strong and no matter how hard she’d crushed on Jackson, she wasn’t going to just give into him easily the moment he gave her attention. After so many years of ignoring her, she really made him work to earn her heart and her trust, and that really made me respect her.

She shook her head. “I’m not much of a fighter and I rarely stand up for myself. But I’m standing up for you. I’ll fight for you.” Her hands slip up to my cheeks, pushing me back so she could look me in the eye. “I’m not letting you go. And I’ll never leave you behind.”

Jackson was a truly imperfect hero and I liked that because it made him feel very real. He definitely made mistakes and was a little clueless at times, but he was well intentioned to be sure and undeniably persistent in his pursuit of her. I think my favorite thing about him though was that he had no problem admitting his flaws and apologizing for them sincerely. So it was hard not to love him.

“Hey. Don’t cry. I’m the asshole here. I’m sorry.” His hands cupped my face like they had when he’d kissed me. A tear fell and he brushed it away with his thumb. “What can I do?”

My favorite thing about them as a couple was that they genuinely TALKED. This is such a rare and precious thing in books to find couples who talk through their issues instead of just flying off the handle in bouts of stupid. Gah! I loved them! Not to say that they were perfect, because they weren’t. But their flaws were understandable, their mistakes were forgivable, and they way they supported each other was admirable.

He took my face in his hands and gently kissed my forehead. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not staying mad at me even though I deserve it. For getting so worked up over my [*****] that you’d throw down…”
“I’ve never thrown down before but I think I could win.”
He chuckled. “I’d put my money on you.”

And when things did go badly, ohhhh my word, that hug scene was one of the BEST apologies I’ve ever read. It was so real and raw and believable.

Also, side note, but Willa’s parents were amazing! I love when a romance isn’t just about the main couple but includes the family around them and hers was such a wonderful, supportive, and heart-warming unit.

And when Jackson’s past (don’t worry, not an ex!) came crashing back into their lives, it really showed first hand the strength of the relationship that they’ve built.

GAH. I TOTALLY LOVED THEM!!!

“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“For being a fighter.”
“I’m not.” She kissed my chest. “But I’ll always fight for you.”
“Why me?” I asked.
“Because you’re you.”

And true to Devney Perry’s now-signature style, this book has a suspenseful understone that really ramps up towards the end and I loved the intensity and mystery it brought to this otherwise sweet and heart-warming romance. It was the perfect counterbalance that really rounded out the whole book perfectly.

This was one of the most genuine and believable romances I’ve read this year and it is definitely now one of my top favorite recommendations!!!

Rating: 4.5 – 5 STARS! Contemporary Adult Romance, can standalone.

________________________

Series of standalones.