Design: 4.6

The design of this book sets the tone for all of the Greene Family book series, and it is beautiful and so perfect for the stories and location that it is set in. The cover art, font choices and combinations make the story seem very approachable and comforting. The warm colors in the cover image (as well as in the following books) and the style of imagery is extremely warming and inviting – and the fonts help enhance that. This approachability and setting the scene (from a design perspective) is carried throughout the text of the book itself. And I particularly loved the little clip art at the start of each chapter, as well as the font used for Marla and Hank’s names at the start of their chapters. All around, this is a fantastic book design – one that I myself would have been extremely proud to have designed.

Review: 4 hearts

I think I’m falling in love – with the Greene family, with Hank and Marla in particular, and with Sunrise Bay, Alaska. And it didn’t take me long. This prequel to the Piper Rayne’s Greene Family series really helps set the tone, the story, the characters, the town, and the details thereof. View this as a great sexy little tease for what is to come.

The backstory of Hank and Marla and then their reunion, as well as the character building of their children, whilst describing the town and dynamics of Sunrise Bay is just so endearing. You might actually find yourself daydreaming and planning your next vacation to Alaska while you’re flipping through the pages! This short book is the perfect little story, helping to set you up for what you’re in for in the Greene Family series. And I for one couldn’t be more excited to dive into this series. I mean, I love me a good series to just totally get wrapped up- and all-consumed in. So consider me all in from go!

Hank and Marla are such likable characters, and you root for them from the start. They feel very real and are so considerate and down to earth, despite some of the shit cards they’ve been dealt in life. What I love in particular is how they haven’t harped on said shit cards, but try to approach the situations they’re faced with from a positive perspective, or the best they can at least. Sure, some days that’s easier than other days (especially with five kids for Hank and four kids for Marla), but regardless, they do the best that they can – with what they’ve been given. That said, they try to be so pragmatic and considerate, based on their small town and the rumor mills – and their combined nine kids’ feelings – but love conquers all. It has to.

And the rekindling of their romance is so sweet. You just sit back and go “yessss!” and “awww” because it is a beautiful (and of course sexy) thing to be a spectator of. You find yourself rooting for their every move and step towards their happily ever after. They so deserve it.

Hank is described as the whole package, the guy that any girl would be thrilled to have. He’s kind, considerate, the strong and quiet type, a family man, incredibly loyal, very handy, and oh-so-sexy! While Marla is the best friend that every girl would be honored to have, and you really – like really – want to be her friend because she’s the best combination of sincere, loyal, beautiful and sassy. Marla and Hank are so sweet, and even sweeter together. This is totally a second-chance-at-love book combined with an “almost” high school sweetheart book. The setting in this small Alaskan town is so endearing and I just loved every moment of it! The writing, much like all of Piper Rayne’s writing, is incredible, sweet, thrilling, sexy, and funny. This is a book that I’ll most definitely recommend reading ahead of reading the Greene Family series (but not necessary), because the context it puts the books in the series is so nice – and to follow Marla and Hank’s story in the following books makes you just swoon. Awwwww.

Excerpt from Amazon

Two aching hearts. A meddling small town. A second chance. It’s not a new story. Wife finds out husband’s been cheating on her and she packs up her four kids and heads back to her hometown, Sunrise Bay, Alaska.Yeah, not a fresh start, but thousands of miles away from my ex will do just fine. I’m prepared for the cold weather, the early snowfalls, and dark days and nights. What I’m not prepared for is coming face to face with my ex’s cousin and for the same feelings from twenty years ago to ignite like the flame never went out. It doesn’t take long before people are whispering about the widowed Hank Greene and me. But we both have children to think of this time around. Then again, Hank knows what it’s like to be a single parent and sometimes those damn dimples of his make it hard to remember why we can’t be together. NOTE: This is a prequel to The Greene Family series and does not have to be read in order to enjoy the series.