When a heartbroken former ballerina meets a single dad starting over, love finds its rhythm again.

Grace Hart thought her future ended the night she lost the two things she loved most—her fiancé and her ballet career. Now she’s built a quiet, safe life running Romantically Yours, a cozy boutique in the small mountain town of Harbor Falls, North Carolina. Love isn’t on her agenda… until new renters move in next door.

Divorced attorney Rick Price is ready to trade long hours and courtroom stress for a fresh start with his spirited six-year-old daughter, Izzie. He’s not looking for romance—just a second chance at being the father Izzie deserves. But when Grace offers friendship and the warmth of community, his carefully controlled world starts to spin.

As Grace learns to let go of her painful past and Rick dares to open his heart again, both discover that sometimes love appears when you stop chasing it—and that family can be found in the most unexpected places.

Titles in the Falls Mountain series include:  Falling for Grace ~ The Christmas Nanny ~ The Heartbreaker ~ Star Crossed ~ Not This Christmas ~ Convince My Heart ~

This is a no-spice (light spice) romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved 🙂

Title:  Falling for Grace
Series:  Falls Mountain #1
Author:  Maddie James
Published:  Reissued with slight name changes
Publisher:
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Falling for Grace begins the Falls Mountain series.  Grace has found her special place after experiencing extreme disappointments.  Losing her career as a ballerina came second only to losing the man she’d considered the love of her life.  Yet, life happened, adjustments were made, and happiness is, in so many ways, a decision.  While Grace was content in her own version of happiness with her charming shop, close friends, and the quirky community that she loved… well, loving again wasn’t a risk she had been willing to take.  It looks like life is about to give her another chance to change her mind when Rick and his adorable daughter, Izzy, move in next door.

Of all the characters, I fell madly for little Izzy.  This precocious little girl steals every single scene she’s in, and always brought a smile when Izzy was just being… Izzy.  Rick has set aside many aspects of his high-stress life to live a simpler, more focused life with his daughter in this small town.  It surprised him in so many ways, just how easily he and Izzy were settling in and how the community seemed to be embracing the newcomers.  That his next door neighbor, Grace, was at the head of those who were more than welcoming… and that she sparked emotions he wasn’t always comfortable with would be the only drawback to this move to give his daughter more of his attention. 

Two people, each wary of love for different reasons, are about to realize that found family can be discovered anywhere, and that allowing those strong emotions to resurface isn’t the worst thing that could possibly happen to them.

I enjoyed Falling for Grace so much.  It’s a well-written, emotional story of two people who have been burned by life’s experiences and, despite everything life has sent their way, take a second chance on each other.  They fit so well together, and, of course, Izzy is at center stage in her adorableness.  If you love a well-written, engaging romance full of laughter and tears, hard truths and tender emotions, then you’d love Grace and Rick’s story.

Be aware that this title is a reissue.  I mention this in all of my reviews of reissued or previously published titles with no ill intent because, frankly, it’s very easy to click on a book by a favorite author at any retailer and end up purchasing a title that is already owned under a different name/cover. (They don’t always show up as “Owned” before the purchase.)

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (however, this link (the only one available) will take you to the audio version).  It’s Amazon, I don’t ask questions, I just follow their rules.)