I came to Willow Creek to decide whether Nash Cordero’s struggling farm was worth saving.  I never expected him to make me question the life I’d built in Seattle.

Nash is stubborn, guarded, and determined to save the land his father left him, even if it means doing everything alone.

Unfortunately, I’m the consultant who could determine his future.

A devastating frost forces us to work side by side, and three professional days become muddy fields, late-night conversations, and a guest cottage I’m finding increasingly difficult to leave.

The closer we get, the more dangerous it becomes.  Nash is terrified I’ll choose Seattle and leave him behind.

I’m terrified getting close to him could cost me the career I’ve spent years building.  Then my boss discovers the truth and forces me to choose between the future I planned and the man I never saw coming.

I came to Willow Creek to decide whether Nash’s farm was worth the risk.  Now I have to decide if love is.

Titles in the Harvest Hearts series include:  Planting Roots ~ Wild Harvest ~

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

Publication Date:  October 1, 2026

Title:  Planting Roots
Series:  Harvest Hearts #1
Author:  Ava Donato
Published:  October 1, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Planting Roots begins the Harvest Hearts series with Riley, a risk assessment professional, and Nash, a man determined to save not only his family’s farm but, in a way, the interconnections it has with this small-town community.  His only hope of saving his land is this bank loan; securing it means the difference between keeping his legacy (and helping the town) or making a devastating decision to give up… which he has no intention of doing.  Neither expected this attraction between them to blossom to the point where they have to make hard choices, both professionally and personally.  Love has its own timetables, and no interest in bank loan officers who only see their own end goals instead of the people involved.

I really enjoyed Riley and Nash’s story.  Ava Donato is a new-to-me author, with a backlist of stories that I’ll definitely be exploring.  Nash is the type of book hero I adore.  He’s comfortable in his own skin, knows when he needs help, and always puts the woman he’s come to love first.  Riley is a slightly conflicted heroine, the kind that makes my heart sing. She’s devoted to building her career, but if she sides with Nash against her nasty boss, she risks losing everything she’s worked for professionally.  But if she follows her heart and finds joy in a different life, the future could open up in ways she never imagined.  Difficult choices, definite risks for each.

Planting Roots is well-written, emotional, and easily drew me into Riley and Nash’s situation.  I definitely want to know more about this community, so I’ll be watching for the next title in this series.  If that sounds like your kind of No Spice Contemporary Romance, then you’d love this one.

*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 on Amazon