Doing It Over - Book Review

By Catherine Bybee

Synopsis

Voted Most Likely to Succeed, Melanie Bartlett ended up anything but. The down-on-her-luck single mom wants a complete do-over—is that too much to ask? With her family long gone from River Bend, strong, independent Mel is as surprised as anyone to end up in the quaint small town she once called home. But with her friends, Jo and Zoe, by her side, and a comfortable room at Miss Gina’s quirky bed-and-breakfast, she just might have turned the corner on a new life.

Wyatt Gibson never liked the big city. River Bend suits the ruggedly handsome builder just fine. Wyatt knows he’s home, even if that means being charmed by the appearance of Melanie and her spunky, adorable daughter. Is Wyatt’s calm devotion—even amid a coming storm—enough to convince Mel she may have found a home to call her own, a family that never leaves, and a true love to last a lifetime?

Review

Mel left River Bend for college and is now back for her ten year reunion. She wants a better life for her and her young daughter, Hope, so if she can find a job and a place to stay, she plans on making her stay permanent. Surrounded by old friends and a woman who’s more a mother to her than her own, she feels at home for the first time in years. Stranded on the outskirts of town, she meets Wyatt, the local handyman who’s been living in town for five years and who’s very well known and respected in the community. But just as she’s about to open herself up to the possibility of dating again, her ex-boyfriend and Hope’s deadbeat father, Nathan, comes to town causing Mel nothing but trouble.

The attraction between Wyatt and Mel was fun and flirty and how he treated Hope was really sweet. Mel is a wonderful mother and Hope is absolutely adorable. Wyatt is a protector and the way he helped Mel in her times of need were totally swoon worthy. What I really liked in this story is that Mel didn’t let her pride get in the way when Wyatt helped her. She needed help. He got her help. She said thank you. I can’t tell you how refreshing that was.

Wyatt: “A man takes care of his family, provides for them. If he doesn’t, he leaves another open to take that role over.”

DOING IT OVER starts out as a nice romantic read, but when Hope disappears, the mystery surrounding that, and Nathan’s antics, really overshadows the rest of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the mystery and it certainly added an element to the story I wasn’t expecting, but I felt it took a lot away from the romance. DOING IT OVER is the first book in the Most Likely To series that will revolve around three best friends (Mel, Jo and Zoe) as they find love in their hometown of River Bend. The story is told mostly in Mel & Wyatt’s POV, but it also includes the POVs of Jo, Zoe and the villains. It was well written and you can’t help but fall in love with the people of River Bend and their sense of community. While it’s part of a series, this is a stand-alone as Wyatt and Mel got their HEA and Nathan got what he deserved.