This is a delightful follow up in the Morgan Grove series. It is a stand alone novel as the story is about a character from the first novel. It isn’t necessary to read the first book to get the impression of the little supportive town of Morgan Grove.

Love Stars Here, Morgan’s Grove Book 1
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3308484300

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and LibraryThing ER in exchange for an unbiased review.

Although this is book 2, it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. The main character Chaynie Mayfield was introduced in book 1 and this story revolves around her. She works as a librarian technician at the local library. She has been living with her mother Abby since her father died 2 years ago. Her mother is an art teacher at the high school who is helping to illustrate Chaynie’s children’s book. Her real dream is to use her education and passion to be a head librarian. She respects Mary who has been head librarian for years so she has sent resumes in hopes of a change.

Mary announces that the library will be receiving a donation to perform the badly needed renovations on the old building. Chaynie barely recognized her old classmate Greg Peterson when he arrived for the renovation meeting. They become reacquainted and eventually combine their talents to improve the library’s reading alcove for children. It soon becomes a group effort with her mother, best friend, Hannah, a high school teacher and his dad Buck Peterson, a carpenter. When the town comes together anything is possible. Maybe even some romance?
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*A Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this. This is my honest and unbiased review*

Hello Fellow Readers,

I am so glad to be back in Morgan's Grove, I absolutely loved Borum's first book Love Starts Here so when I saw there was a second book in the series I was so excited. Like the last book this was so much more than a romance, this is a book about family, friendships, and finding oneself. In Meet you Under the Stars we meet Chaynie an assistant librarian, who dreams of becoming a head librarian at a university. However, when she finally gets the chance to chase her ambitions, she starts second guessing whether she wants to take that chance.

I adored Chaynie, she was so great and I never once felt that her actions were out of character or unrealistic. I also really loved Greg (almost as much as I adore Rick), he was such a strong and patient man that I completely understand why Chaynie fell for him. I do love that the romance was a slow burn, and not an instant love situation, it really helped set up the mood and made the ending that much better.

I not only loved Greg and Chaynie, but Chaynie's mother and Savannah. I appreciated how Borum gave them small side stories so they were not just there to influence Chaynie's descisions but they felt like real fleshed out characters. Okay, so I love pretty much everyone they included in the Morgan's Grove books, it makes me want to hop on a plane and go live a small town life.

Overall, a slow burn romance that will make you feel good. ( )

Meet You Under the Stars is a cozy and sweet romance set in the small town of Morgan's Cove. This is the second Morgan's Cove novel but it isn't necessary to read the first to enjoy this one. Chaynie is the town librarian and she's been tasked with planning and executing the Valentine's Day event for the library. She's less than thrilled with this job as her ex broke up with her on Valentine's Day. Luckily architect Greg Peterson is in charge of renovating the library and offers to help her plan the event. The two grow closer and eventually their friendship grows into more. I enjoyed the story and the romance in this book, it was a bit slow for me but all in all a satisfying read. This honest review is in exchange for a free copy of the book from the publisher through the early reviewers program. ( )

I struggled to get into the story at first. I read a little bit, then set it aside. I came back every now and then and read a chapter or two. I was interested in what was going to happen, but I was never drawn in. I didn't connect with the character. I think I struggled with finding that connection because she seemed too perfect. She always had the right response. Even what few flaws were shown, seemed to be glanced over. I liked the characters, they were easy to like, but they were hard to get emotionally involved in. Again, they were too perfect.

The setting was was great. I loved the town and really want to see more of it. I like all of the focus on the Library. Libraries always seem like such magical places; the author really captured that in this story.

This book was a realistic snapshot of someone's life. The struggles and the adventures all were written in a way that felt real to me. I easily can picture this story happening in real life. I think this realism is what made it hard for me to get into. I'm so used to reading books that have love at first sight, but this one was different. The characters had to get to know each other, even though they knew each other as kids. Their romance didn't even happen until closer to the end of the book. That's real. We had to wait and see what was going to happen. Yes, we could guess that they were going to end up together, but we got to see that develop over time. Far too many books give an unrealistic expectation of love, and this one did the opposite. It showed true love, a love that comes unexpectedly, at times we think are the worst. But, in hindsight, it was the best time, we just didn't realize it.

I don't know when the shift happened from me not caring about the characters to suddenly rooting for them and celebrating when they received small victories. All I know is that by the end of the book I was somehow emotionally involved and in love with the story. I smiled to find out everything worked out the way it should, and I couldn't wait to read more in the series.

I won a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review. I was not forced to give a positive review, all the opinions above are my own. ( )

This was a very slow burn romance, and I mean v-e-r-y s-l-o-w burn. So slow, in fact, that you barely recognize it's a romance and not just a couple of good friends hanging out in the library together. I realize that a lot of times, that's the way it works in life: best friends realize they want to become more than that to one another. But I don't read romance novels because I want to read about real life. I read them because I want some escapist fantasy about a beautiful girl meeting a handsome boy, where they fall madly in love, have to face some insurmountable obstacle between one another, figure out how to solve it, and then live happily ever after.

There was none of that in this novel. There was a beautiful girl and a handsome boy, yes. But they didn't fall madly in love with each other. They were just kind of...there. And then they became friends. That's it. Two friends, pretty much. Hanging out at the place where they both happened to be working. And there were obstacles, yes, but nothing that was insurmountable. It was just life, is all. So I guess what I'm saying is, I found this book sort of sweet, but mostly slow and b-o-r-i-n-g. The rest is all details.

If you like that kind of story line - I know lots of people do - then this might be exactly what you're looking for. Apparently there is a whole string of novels all set in the fictional town where this one takes place, and so maybe you are wanting to make sure you catch the whole series. In that case, by all means, read this book. It's definitely not bad - no glaring errors, no swears, no racy bodice-clutching sex scenes - nothing objectionable in any way.

I guess I just couldn't relate with any of the characters, or the town, or what any of them were going through. Even the main character's name - Chaynie - was difficult for me to relate to. I didn't even know how to pronounce it in my head as I read - Chaynie like chain, or like shane? It sounded too cute and too precious for a grown woman, and I have to confess, it immediately put me off liking the character, as shallow as that may be.

This story is just not what I, personally, look for when I'm reading novels. I mean, I know it's not going to be fine literature, but there was nothing in it that made me think, each time I had to put it down for whatever reason, "Man, I can't wait until I can get back to that book!" So it only gets 2.5 stars from me, rounded up to 3, for being "meh" in every way.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me a free copy to read in exchange for nothing but this, my honest review. ( )