Publication Date: January 16, 2024
A charming opposites-attract romance, Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance.
Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.
When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear to him she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip? He’s got other things on his mind though—a crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred—so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. Even so, neither Beckett nor Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.
But you know what they say about opposites.
Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan is a sweet contemporary romance that had a lot of good feels once I got into the story. It was a little tricky initially since Presley’s boyfriend Emmett left a lot to be desired. Everything centered on him and how she didn’t see he really had no feelings for Presley left a sour taste in my mouth. Emmett’s actions and words were disheartening. The more I heard him speak, the more I was glad Presley broke up with Emmett and ran with her surprise plans for them, even if it took her out of her comfort zone and she was doing it solo.
Once Presley finally got to her destination, there were vivid descriptions of the lodge, cabins, and their surroundings. There are nature and outdoor activities along with lots of social media hashtags, postings, and pictures, and Presley helps put them on the map! The small town of Smile was a hoot with its gossip, activities, and some of the businesses and their owners. I loved Beckett’s family and how they worked together to make a success out of the rundown lodge his brother Grayson got in his divorce settlement. Gray, Beck, Jill, and Ollie are all that Presley wants in a family, and she takes to them immediately. She and Beck have chemistry the moment their paths cross, and it gets better from there. They feel like they have an expiration date as they don’t live geographically close to each other and also come from two different worlds.
There are so many ancillary stories told within the main arc that get woven together nicely. Jill’s young daughter Ollie is always in the thick of things and is a miniature adult—the things that come out of her mouth, at times, are downright hilarious! I loved the vibes between Beck and his family and even with some of the guests at the lodge. There are a lot of layers to the characters as well as the story. There is a good flow, along with laughter and tears. There are some twists and turns, and I loved the ending, along with the closure and the happily-ever-after. I would definitely love to meet up with these characters again!
Love, Naturally is a small town contemporary romance with sweet undertones. Vivid descriptions and interpersonal relationships had me turning the pages to see what they would all be up to next!
SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. She’s had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.
