Title:  Saving Jake
Series:  Blessings, Georgia #3
Author:  Sharon Sala
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  October 4, 2016
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

There is always hope…
After eight years in the Marines, Jacob Lorde returns to Blessings, Georgia, with no plans other than to hole up in his empty house and heal what’s left of his soul. But with a charming next door neighbor and a town full of friendly people, keeping to himself is easier said than done.

As long as you can come home…
Laurel Payne understands far too well what Jake is going through, after witnessing her late husband experience similar problems. She’s in no hurry to jump into another relationship with a complicated guy, but their attraction is undeniable-and perhaps exactly what both of them need.

Titles in this series include:  Color me Bad – The Curl Up & Dye – I’ll Stand By You – Saving Jake

Welcome back to Blessings, Georgia where life is a little bit slower, the folks friendly (for the most part), where everyone not only knows your name but also your business – and all the joys of small town living .  It’s here that Jake has returned to his home town after the reality of service has left him recovering from his physical wounds, but the memories and the guilt live on.  He wants nothing more than peace and solitude, he’s about to get what he really needs – a second chance at life.

Laurel knows full well what war can do to a person, and she’s never going there again.  She and her young daughter, Bonnie, have survived the death of her husband by his own hand after returning from service.  The guilt, the anger, the sadness are still far too real to do more than try her best to avoid her neighbor.  But in a small town that’s not so easy to do, and maybe in time she won’t want to anymore.

Jake and Laurel’s relationship goes from cautious neighbors, to light friendship to something more that they need to decide to follow through on or not.  Their romance is the slow building king, the not in a hurry, let’s be sure kind.  They each have issues and histories that aren’t that far in the past just yet.  Of course, there are small town noisiness and gossip, former in-laws who place blame where none belongs and a mysterious stranger up to no good.  Through it all Laurel and Jake are getting closer, feeling more secure in each other and learning to trust once more.

I enjoy every single visit to Blessings, Georgia.  This town is full of interesting characters, people we knew and some we might know more of in the future.  Saving Jake is an emotional story of forgiving ourselves and moving on with life.  Of second chances and a future that is full of possibilities.  If you are ready for the slower pace of small town USA, a couple who will capture your attention and a wee girl who will steal your heart then this is a story that you’ll want to pick up.  I would definitely recommend this story and the entire series.  Simply put, you’ll feel good when you turn the last page – and isn’t that the fun of escaping into a book?

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this novel. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this story.*

Available in paperback and for the Kindle