⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Partly, yes. Two very different romances develop slowly, while exploring the effects heart-breaking hardships can have on relationships of any kind.

Former Army captain Greg Tebo loves his new life in Woodland Park. In the two years since he joined the WPFD, he’s gained a reputation as a fearless firefighter, and after being stationed all around the country and overseas, he can’t wait to settle down with a wife and kids. When a call comes in about a possible heart attack at the scene of a fire at the Garden Center, Greg assumes they’re going to be helping an elderly customer, not the beautiful, feisty proprietor in her late twenties.

Kristen Werner has been determined to pretend everything is fine. She refuses to leave the company she’s carefully nurtured and move home to her loving but meddling family in Houston. Since her devastating diagnosis caused her fiancé to dump her, she’s given up on love and thrown herself into cultivating her blooming business instead, even if the hard work further weakens her heart.

Greg is drawn to Kristen’s vibrant, independent spirit and hopes romance will flower. But she’s had enough trouble with her heart to last a lifetime, and can’t trust Greg not to break it—especially if he finds out she can never give him the houseful of children he longs for….

MY THOUGHTS

Like the previous book in this series, this one tackles plenty of hard issues in a thoughtful way, such as PTSD and learning to trust again after getting burned. Kristen’s issues were thoroughly explored throughout the book. In contrast, we didn’t learn much about Greg and his demons until much later on.

I feel as if the focus was more on Jen and Ryan’s budding relationship and Jen’s dreams of becoming a firefighter. They had more relationship development than Greg and Kristen. The two teens were super cute together and I loved the way they navigated all the challenges thrown their way.

This book’s title is spot on. Both Greg and Kristen desperately needed to move on from their ghosts. While I didn’t really connect with them as a couple, they did help each other with this moving forward process. I love this author’s writing and that kept my interest all the way to the end. The characters are real and flawed, but capable of making changes.

Moving Forward stands well on its own, though I can definitely recommend reading Coming Home as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: August 22, 2023
Sensuality Rating: Subtle
Series: Woodland Park Firefighters
Other books in the series: Coming Home