Somebody to Love
Sharon Sala
February 23, 2021



Picking up Sharon Sala’s newest novel, we find ourselves returning to Blessings, Georgia. It’s a journey I can count on being heartwarming and loving. In Someone to Love we find Hunt Knox on his Harley long after the sun had gone down. He was nearly there, to the place he called home, although he had not been there for years. Exhausted, he wanted to check into the Bed and Breakfast to rest for the night and face his demons in the morning but he had given his word to his mother, Marjorie. In his last letter he promised he would arrive in time to say goodbye, let her know he would handle her last wishes. Losing his mother was more than difficult but realizing he would enter the room where his siblings sat. They hadn’t spoken since he left when he was eighteen. Discovering that all of his savings for college had been taken by one of them was burdensome. None of them would explain why, his father told him it was for the best and he would find another road to travel. Majorie was not home. She had taken his sister, Birdie to school. Neither had any idea that he would not be entering his freshman year. Instead, he rode off on his motorcycle to Savannah to join the Army.
When he enters his mother’s room he sees a young nurse standing next to the bed. She was talking quietly to Marjorie, catering to her needs. He could not believe the nurse was none other than Ava Ridley. She was 13 when he left. She had spent years in their home while Marjorie cared for her daily along with him and his brothers and sisters.
This magical tale continues to relate the story of Hunt’s family past as well as his present. The family dealing with their mother’s passing, hidden secrets and the joy of a couple reconnecting after the many years. Finding that Ava had never given up on her love she had felt for him.
Someone To Love by Sharon Sala will be published on February 23, 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca. My appreciation goes out to Sourcebooks for choosing me to read and review the ARC for Someone To Love in coordination with NetGalley. Each book in the Blessings, Georgia series leaves us with comfort and a smile. This latest is #11 - one that many readers are looking forward to reading. Be certain to take this journey again. Enjoy!

I have been provided with a review copy of Somebody to Love from NetGalley for an impartial review. This is the eleventh book in the Blessings, Georgia series and I just loved getting to reenter this amazing world. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala. A story of coming home,
family issues, trying to move on and possible love.
Part of the Blessings, Georgia series. I haven't read the earlier books in
the series but I was still able to enjoy this book. Look forward to reading
other books in this series.

Once again, we are in Blessings, GA. This time we see Hunt Knox return to town just in time to say goodbye to his dying mother. He returns after a long absence, with secrets surrounding why he left. He meets and instantly connects with nurse Ava Ridley, who worshipped him as a child. As they get to know each other as adults and fall in love, the mystery why Hunt left unfolds. This is one of my all time favorite series, and is consistently good. I loved the story and the introduction of new characters which I’m hoping get their own stories down the line. This is an absolute recommend from me!

I really tried to like this book, but it just irritated me. I have read previous books by Sharon Sala and enjoyed them - but haven't read the Blessings series, so maybe that had something to do with it. Maybe they build in characters. The general gist of this book was told from Hunter Knox's viewpoint. When he was 18 a terrible wrong happened to him by his family and he left town - ended up in the service and flying Apache helicopters in Iraq and a few other missions. He's shot down and sent back to the States to recover. There he finds a new job flying oil workers in Texas - where he gets a letter from his mother asking him to come back home and take care of her estate because she's dying. He gets there just in time to assure her he'll take care of everything. Ava happens to be the nurse on duty - and had a super huge crush on him growing up. Finally it comes out what the "horrible wrong" done to him by his family is they stole $8000 he had saved for college to send his pregnant sister to FL to get her out of disgrace. He and Ava fall in love and it's another predictable HEA moment.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in return for my review.

I always enjoy Sharon Sala’s stories about the small town of Blessings, Georgia. It’s a small community where people really care about each other and always come together to help someone when things go badly. There’s an essential sweetness about this town and this novel is no exception.

My one complaint is about the romance at the heart of this novel when Hunt Knox comes home after a long absence when his mother is dying. He left his family when someone stole his savings for college and none of his younger siblings would tell who had done that. Now he’s back and his mother’s nurse, Ava Ridley, completely falls for the adult Hunt whom she had idolised as a young girl. She tells him over and over how much she loved him back then and how she still loves him. He decides that he loves her right back. And this all happens over just a few days. Yeah, they both seem like really good people who belong together, but I would have preferred more foundation for their feelings for each other than just her assertions that she loved him 15 years ago and now still does.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Another wonderful story in Blessings, GA. Every town has it’s secrets and In Blessings Hunter knows there is one but not the whole of it. Fifteen years ago Hunt had worked and saved every dollar he earn for college. The day he was planning to take the hard earned $8000 he saved, he finds it stolen, taken by one of his 3 siblings! No one will talk, his dad is of no help. His mom and baby sister weren’t home. So he walks out and never looks back and now he returns. His mom is dying and he made her a promise,. He could care less about his family, they betrayed him, but he always kept in touch with his mom and would honor her dying wish.
The nurse at his mom’s bedside, smiled at Hunt. He didn’t recognize her, but Ava has been in love with Hunt since she was a small child. Marjorie, Hunt mom used to babysit her and Ava had a crush on him, one he never knew. She was heartbroken when Hunter left, no one talked about it. And now he is back, all grown up and even more handsome.
There is the secret to discover and a love to blossom, some twists and turns. A few side stories and the town’s folks coming together for a good cause.
I figured a part of the secret right away, but there is a twist I wasn’t expecting. A book I couldn’t put down.

This book is…interesting, I guess is a way to put it. The story itself is quite busy and hops around to multiple viewpoints of different people within the family and around the town, which is fine. It keeps things interesting if the author can keep it together, which she more or less did. I could keep up with everyone involved despite not reading the previous books to figure out who all these people are on a more personal level. The busy plot is fine too, for the most part. I felt like this book was a little rough around the edges and perhaps hastily written is some places, but overall it’s okay. What truly threw me off genuinely liking this book comes down to the writing style.

I have to confess the writing style wasn’t for me. I feel like the comprehension level was down around a junior high level, which is fine. But the author has this thing where she tells you something and then whacks you over the head with that info repeatedly like you’re the naughty kid in class who refuses to pay attention, which is often a trait found in kid’s books. We, the adult reader, general are capable of understanding what was said the first time.

Also, there are some inconsistencies in the writing. For example, the author shifts to Ava point of view and has her call Hunter to see how he’s doing. They are talking on the phone but 'Hunter smiled. “I’m fine-“.' Maybe this is part of the writing style that didn’t pop up until 22% of the way through the book. It really bugs me and I didn’t notice it in previous phone calls between the siblings. How does she know he smiled when they are on the phone in different houses and it’s from her point of view? It’s like there was a shift in writing. It could have been '“I’m fine-", a smile evident in his voice.' But it wasn’t and suddenly you are getting everyone’s point of view in a tiny space of writing which is supposed to be from one person's point of view. It happens again on a great level the day of the funeral. From there on out, I noticed it several more times.

How do I explain the next part of the writing that bothers me? It’s like the author has to tell you every thing that’s happening. Everything. It’s not smoothly done either. Paraphrasing here but this is a rough example of something that happened in the book and how the writing felt to me. ‘Ava decided to eat popcorn as a snack. She put the popcorn bag into the microwave to pop the popcorn.’ It’s just…not smooth and it’s telling you what she told you step by step. I mean, I was paraphrasing and that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s still an example of how the writing is in this book. You can see why I believe the comprehension level and writing style is geared towards a younger audience than the content is meant for.

Another tiny issue I had was the romance. It started off well enough, but I feel like after Hunter warned Ava away he immediately kind of went “well I told her and she’s still into me so I guess I’ll just go with the flow and kinda lead her on,” which is 100% not what is supposed to be happening, I’m sure, but just an interpretation of what I was reading that came across my brain. I’m sure the author just meant to fast forward the romance since it only really started 20% of the way through the book, but somehow still felt like it started abruptly. The romance itself, well I feel as though this is one of the rushed bits where romantic conversations were hastily plunked in certain places. The result is kind of a sappy feel and the nagging idea that the author is trying to show you the most perfect romance imaginable for these two love birds. If you don’t like sappy, maybe this book isn’t for you. I don't mind some sap, but thought I should mention this for others.

Moving on…

All the negative aside,. the sole thing I really liked was Hunter. There is a good man. Hunter is just trying to do right by his mother, not stir up the hornets’ nest that is his family and their ‘betrayal’, and get back to his life elsewhere. The romance was just kind of icing on the cake, that he could find someone to love while all of this was going on. Ava was fine, I guess. I don’t have any complaints about her really . The other characters served their purpose too. So it really just comes down to the writing style and the hastily put together feeling of the book that bothered me. It is just so disappointing because I think with some tweaks to the writing style, it would be a good read.

Conclusion

The writing style is just not my cup of tea. I find the comprehension level too low to make up for the hammering the nail till it’s dead style of written delivery for this book. I liked the premise, the storyline, and the main character Hunter, but even those things combined could not save this book from the dislike I had for the writing style.
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Wow! Hard to put this one down. Hunter comes back to Blessings, GA to see his dying mother at the hospital. He tells her he will keep his promise to her and will do as she requested in a letter. His siblings, two sisters and two brothers, are torn. All but the youngest sister have held a dark secret and have been estranged from him for 15 years. When Ava, the nurse working with his mother, helps him with friendship, the sparks fly and love blossoms. Really enjoyed this one and highly recommend this book and author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I first discovered the Blessing Georgia series when I was assigned to read The Way Back to You (book 9) in my book club. I fell in love with the town and the characters that populate it. I quickly read the other books in this series in less than two weeks!

Somebody to Love is just as wonderful as the other ten books in this series. I really enjoyed that this series (and this book in particular) does not present this fictional world as a simple happily ever after story. The characters of Ava and Hunt are written as real people in a all too real of situation of family estrangement. The interaction of the family members as they are reunited and confront the past is very well written by the author. This book also contained several well rounded stories (some happy and some sad) of other events that were also occurring in the same time.

I would recommend this book if you likes books set in a small towns with characters dealing with complex problems that eventually get their happily ever after.

Sharon Sala creates strong characters that face adversity but never lose their heart, passion or generosity. She brings it all-mystery, drama, romance as well as a tug at your heartstrings. The scenes and relationships she creates are always original. Hunt Knox left Blessings, GA after being betrayed by his family. Now the war hero is back to fulfill a promise to his dying mother. Ava Ridley has loved him since she was 13 years old and she wants a forever life with him. She lets him know from day one that he is her world. Then her world stops. People say they can't put a book down. In this case, I felt like I couldn't read fast enough - I had to see how it all ended and I was not disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I love how easy it was between Hunt and Ava. She's loved him forever. I was a little heart broken for Hunt and his family. Happy ending is worth it though.

My late mother introduced me to Sharon Sala years ago. She became one of my favorite authors. I got away from reading her books but I was surprised that I didn’t really like this book. Lots of characters and side stories that didn’t really seem to connect. Maybe if I had read earlier Blessings books I might have Iiked it better. It was way too long. I did like the dynamics of the Knox siblings but that’s about it. I will pick up another book by her but not soon.

I love Sharon sala and the Blessings series. I love the characters of Blessings and the feelgood nature of the town.
This book though was not one of my favourites. Generally the books can be read as standalones but this one had so many previous characters that you need to have read the other books in the series. For me the book just didn't gel as much as previous books. I did like the fact there is no expletives or graphic sex.
I would say its a nice easy read but not one of the authors best.
I received an arc from Netgalley and the review is my own personal view.

I received this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

This book had a lot of potentials Maybe it was because I didn't read the other Blessings stories to know who all these characters were, but I had a hard time keeping up with the different points of view as they kept shifting. I felt the writing was choppy and didn't flow as well as I would have hoped and just the dread and doom that came within the first chapter.. I just had a hard time with it. Overall, as I said, there is a ton of potential here, so I would love for anyone who is interesting in this book to give it a chance.

It might be a story I circle back to somewhere down the line when I have a chance, but for this season of my life, this book wasn't for me.

Somebody to Love by Sharon Sala is the 11th book in her wonderful Blessings, Georgia series. As I have said in previous reviews of this series, I always enjoy coming back to Blessings, Georgia and the fabulous townsfolk we get to spend time with. Once again, Sharon Sala gives us another wonderful feel-good romance and a great couple

Hunt Knox, our hero, returns home 15 years after he left Blessings and his family. Hunt had planned to go to college, working part time jobs to save $8000, which was stolen from him, with his father/siblings not revealing who stole the money. He joined the army and currently works as a chopper pilot for an oil company in Houston. When he receives a request from his dying mom to return home, he accepts her deathbed wish for him to fix up the old house, after which he can take $8000 up front, and he and the rest of the siblings can split the rest of the profits. Hunt tries not to deal with his 4 siblings (except the youngest, Birdie, who was too young at the time of the robbery), as they still will not reveal the truths.

Ava Ridley, was very young when Hunt left, and though he was much older, she crushed on him even then. Ava is an ER nurse, and is well liked a by everyone. She befriends Hunt and in a short time they both start falling for each other; with Hunt realizing that Ava is the women for him, but will she leave Blessings and move to Houston when he returns.

Slowly despite his determination to do the renovation, he slowly begins to accept his family again; and in time the truth will be revealed; which puts a different aspect to what happened. Learning the truths will bring Hunt and his family together. The chemistry between Hunt and Ava was wonderful, as they made a great couple. Along the way, there are a number of events that happens causing drama and heartbreak, that puts both Hunt and Ava right in the middle, and with other members of Blessings, and it is always fun to see how the town bonds together to help.

What follows is wonderful heartwarming & emotional story, with a great couple, wonderful characters that we keep meeting in all our visits to Blessings. I love returning to Blessings, which is a wonderful community who takes care of their own. We should all be blessed with living in Blessings.

Sharon Sala writes another delightful story in this wonderful small town, and great couples that we care about with each and every book. Blessings, Georgia always gives the vibe of a perfect place you would love to live in. If you enjoy a pure romance, wonderful characters, great couples, and a small-town atmosphere, then you should be reading this series. Somebody to Love was a wonderful read, written so very well by Sharon Sala.

You are back in Blessings the small town where people seem to help each other and know what is going on. As a family is sitting around their mother’s bed in a hospital knowing she is just barely hanging to life they hear the clanking of boots walking down the hall, stopping at the door when he walks in the siblings are all very surprised to see their older brother Hunt Knox walking to the bedside of his mother telling her he is there and he will follow through with her wishes. After making the promise the mother passes. His brother’s and sister’s stare at him as he leaves wondering what is going on, the nurse goes up to talk to him because Ava Ridley was a little girl that his mother would look after, she always wondered what happened to him where did he go?
Not recognizing her he gets reacquainted with her and he then speaks only to Bride the youngest of his siblings. He tells her about the $8,000 missing that he was going to use for college and how the three other siblings and the father knew what happened but said nothing so he left and joined the Army. He knows she and their mother had nothing to do with it for they were not home.
A wonderful story that shows how guilt has eaten away the life of the brother’s and sister that have been keeping the secret for so long. You see how Ava helps Hunt find love which he was not looking for even when he tells her he is not staying when he is finished with the house. What she tells him is very good. You also get a sub-story that is sad but in this day and age so true for so many people. Overall, I find this to be a wonderful story and one I was not expecting since I had just lost my own mother a few days before reading this book. The characters were all good and very much worth the read.

Prodigal son Hunt comes home for his mother’s funeral and reconnects with Ava, an ER nurse at the hospital and the little girl his mom babysat as a girl. Ava has never gotten over her crush on Hunt and he begins to see her as a sexy adult he might like to have a relationship with. But Hunt left Blessings amid explosive and hurtful secrets. He wants nothing to do with the town of the rest of his family. Can Hunt and Ava overcome these roadblocks to find a way together?
This is another wonderful Blessings, Georgia novel by beloved author Sharon Sala. The characters are appealing and multidimensional. The secondary characters add flavor or depth. What might be a boilerplate plot flows nicely with enough twists and turns to keep it fresh. And the sexy parts are not at all graphic, but loving.
I would give this a solid 4 and would recommend it to my patrons.

It was great getting to revisit Blessings, Georgia. In this book we get to meet the dysfunctional Knox family. My heart ached for Hunter Knox. Things are looking up for him when he returns to Blessings and reconnects with Ava Ridley. Past betrayal’s are revealed, there are tragedies and miracles. This romantic suspense story kept me up late into the evening reading. I enjoyed this book immensely. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

*4.5 Bless Her Heart Stars*

Have I mentioned I love Blessings, Georgia? Each visit is a warm hug of a read and Ava and Hunt’s romance was that and more…

Hunt came back to his hometown to say goodbye to his Mom and fulfill her last wishes. Estranged from the rest of his family, the secret they held from him meant he was now alone. Until he ran into his childhood friend Ava, who had been keeping a secret of her own…

This wasn’t instant love but instead a friends to lovers romance that included a heap of family drama and a lot of small town flair. There was laughter and caring between the two that struck all the right notes as they both weathered some serious storms. If anyone tries to tell me small town life is quiet and boring I know they are lying because Blessings is anything but…

This author has a straightforward writing style that is the perfect way to convey these straight-up honest and earnest stories. There is humour and sweetness galore with real-life challenges and hiccups keeping the characters and their stories must reads.

This was the perfect start to a new reading year and I can’t wait for more! I hope Birdie’s story is next!