An engrossing and entertaining read, featuring two interesting characters.
Well plotted and well written, it's poignant and sweet.
I liked the characters and enjoyed the plot.
There's some small inconsistencies but they didn't stopped me to liking the story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

As I read this romance I was filled with sadness on the passing of PJ Trebelhorn. I had read only a couple of her other romances and liked them enough and choose to read this one to read. RIP

This story was a bit tricky for me. Though in a perfect world this book would fit right in, but considering we don't like in this one, I found this book hard to believe. Sure some of this could happen, but not likely. I was glad that the mains Shelby and Iris got the awkwardness behind them rather quickly. Though I liked both mains, I would have preferred them as friends. Yeah I know that is not what the story is about, but I just don't know if I could really see this romance happening. Sure it took much creativity to think of this story line but I don't know if I can buy it. It was a admirable effort though.

3 stars.

This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

I thoroughly loved and enjoyed reading Moving Forward, PJ Trebelhorn has done a cracking job yet again.

I love the concept of this story and I certainly wasn't disappointed, I was kept interested from the first page to the last page..

The romance was a slow burn but gain butterflies in the stomach moments through out the book.

Would I recommend: Yes for that kept involved from first to last page

adorable animals on the cover is the steadfast way to get me to pick something!
ngl, the description did freak me out a little bit, and i went in into this challenging this book to win me over - and it did that quite well, overall! (the pets did help immensely)
the "cop falling for the sister of the murderer of wife" is a hard sell, even in lesbian romance, but i appreciated how P.J. chose to tell this story & the central issue being discussed (should we blame people for other's crimes when they weren't involved) was very well put and thought-provoking!
the romance did manage to win me over, the characters were loveable and the thriller b-plot interesting enough. i don't love the cop narrative, i think a private detective would be better in many ways, but i "suspended disbelief" on that particular point.
contrary to most, i don't think the pacing was weird but i'm also currently binge-watching the L word, so maybe i'm not the best judge right now...

my condolences to the family and friends of the author, who sadly passed away in June.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. thank you to netgalley and bold strokes publishing

The last person Shelby Ryan expects to run into is Iris Calhoun, the sister of the man who killed her wife four years and three thousand miles ago.

Shelby hasn’t seen Iris since the day Iris testified in court to put her brother behind bars. When Iris becomes an administrator at Hopewell, the local nursing home where Shelby volunteers, avoiding her becomes impossible. Seeing Iris causes her grief to resurface, and she relies on her father and friends to help her through. There’s no way she would consider falling for anyone related to a murderer.

Iris believed her brother deserved a life behind bars, even if her family considers her a traitor. But then he was killed by a fellow inmate only months later, and Iris has struggled to forgive herself.

Shelby and Iris know the best thing to do is stay away from each other, but neither of them is prepared for the instant attraction they feel. Can they put their horrific pasts behind them and move forward together?
Great writing, great characters and a great storyline. Time to clear your schedule for the afternoon, coffee pot on and phone turned off - you won’t want to put this one down.

Good read. I liked the story and the characters. The author keeps the pages turning and the reader interested.

3.5

How do you move forward when you're struggling with trauma? Trauma that took place when your wife was brutally murdered? How do you move forward if you testify against your own family in court, then have them turn their backs on you for doing so?
Shelby Ryan, ex-detective lived a comfortable life until her wide was murdered four years ago. Iris Calhoun is the sister of the serial murderer, the same serial murderer who killed Shelby Ryan's wife.
Shelby moves thousands of miles away shortly after the court hearing and hasn't set eyes on Iris since then, but they bump into one another one day when Iris starts a new job in the same town as Shelby, after leaving her hometown to escape a violent relative. Both ladies work under the same building, Iris as an administrator at Hopewell, which is the local nursing home, Shelby volunteers at the same home. Of course, there is an instant attraction between the pair, but they both need to figure out a way to put their pasts behind them and try 'moving forward together.

The storyline is a bit out there, 'probably wouldn't happen in the real world, but this isn't the real world and the story is engaging, entertaining, and apart from a scene of the murder, there is some loving in the book. All in all, it's a good 'Sunday' read... would have preferred it being a bit longer tho.

Not gonna lie, the cover of the big dog cuddling a kitten drew me to this book, then I read the synopsis and was intrigued. Shelby moved across the country to rebuild her life after her wife was murdered by Iris's brother, so she was not prepared for bumping into Iris again and feeling attraction. I was curious to see how this storyline would play out and whilst that kept me reading, unfortunately I just couldn't get past the horror of what Shelby witnessed (it was a particularly brutal murder) and imagining how she must feel, every time she saw Iris. I could see the author attempting to show that Iris was equally damaged but the way she expressed that to Shelby would have left me cold, if I'd been her. The dog and kitten are really cute and add useful antidotes to the drama, as a whole it just didn't quite work for me. It did keep me reading until the end though and I liked the supporting characters especially grandma and Holly.

With thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really made me think. What an interesting concept. I struggle with standard romance books about finding love after a spouse's death because I can't imagine a moment without my wife. Falling for the sister of the serial killer that murdered my wife is inconceivable! But this author shows the consideration taken by Shelby and it feels real. The pets add some sweet levity to the suspenseful storyline. All in all a good read. RIP PJ. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wasn't my favorite but overall a pleasant read. It was nice to have a different trope than I am used to reading

What a great read. This book was heart warming and heart wrenching all at the same time. The story development was effortless and smooth. The characters were likeable and so enjoyable to watch develope. This book is a bit heavy at times, but if you're willing to get passed that then you are in for a wonderful conclusion.

Genre: Fiction, LGBTQIA, romance, mystery
Publication Date: July 12, 2021
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all thank you so much to @netgalley and @boldstrokesbooks for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Second of all I want to provide my deepest condolences to the author’s family as I found out she passed away in June 😞.

This book was an interesting one for me. In a nutshell Shelby, a former cop, moves away from Philadelphia to a small town in Oregon after her wife got killed by a convicted serial killer and rapist. She moves in an attempt to move forward with her life. She decides to volunteer at an elderly center Hopewell, where she brings her St. Bernard, Luna, to bring the tenants some love and therapy.

As fate would have it, Iris, the sister of said murderer who confessed against him leading him to prison and subsequently getting killed in prison, has decided to also move from Philadelphia as her family has disowned her and her cousin Lyle continues to threaten her life. She starts a new job as director of the Hopewell senior center.

When Iris and Shelby meet at a Friendsgiving, there is an undeniable attraction between them but can you ever really be with someone if their brother murdered your wife? And what about the mysterious phone calls Iris keeps getting suspecting it is her cousin Lyle? And will Dixon, Iris’ cat get along with Luna, Shelby’s St. Bernard?

You’ll have to read the book and find out :)

This book gave me a lot of Jane the Virgin vibes with the constant plot twists, romance and simultaneous murder on the horizon type vibes which I really enjoyed.

A few things I didn’t like:
💫 The character development was very fast. I felt like I had to force an attachment to them if I wanted to really enjoy the story.
💫 Some parts in the middle were a bit of a slower burn. It just felt like the pacing was a bit awkward at times going from really fast to really slow.

Overall I enjoyed this book, though I can see the pacing being an issue for some readers.

Police officer Shelby Ryan was living the good life until the unthinkable happened. Her pregnant wife Nina was murdered by the very person Shelby and her partner were hunting for. She packed up her things, got herself a dog, Luna, which has turned out to be one of the best decisions she could have made. Even though Luna wasn’t trained she always knew when Shelby needed her for some comfort after another nightmare. She wasn’t interested in meeting other women despite the fact that her best friend Jane was determined to do just that.
Iris Calhoun moved to the Cascade Mountains in Oregon to get away from her family. They turned against her when she testified against her brother in his murder trial. Now she's hoping the distance will make it impossible for the family to find her. One cousin in particular has made threats against her so when job came up she took her chance to get away.
Now Jane has invited Iris to Thanksgiving since she was new to the community and just happen to be a lesbian. Little does she know that Iris and Shelby already know each other. Since the trial Iris turned on her brother was the same trial dealing with Nina’s death.
But here they are, face to face, getting to know each other and as it turns out Iris was right, someone, probably her cousin is out to get her. Ms Trebelhorn knows how to tell a good story. This one I had a hard time with mainly because I didn’t care for either MC. But this book had such a strong plot I still had to read it.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

This was a very thought provoking story. The author did a really good job of making it believable so,that you had sympathy and compassion for both characters instead of just one. I really liked the developing relationship between Shelby and Iris even though it was rocky in the beginning, but heated up by the end of the story.. These two were very well matched. I loved the supporting characters of the family and friends of Shelby. I especially loved the animal supporting characters of Luna the dog and Dixson the cat it was really cute how they interacted with the humans and each other. I can't say enough good things about this book without giving spoilers,but I can definitely say I would recommend this to all my friends and family, and I can't wait for what this author writes next.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

This was a truly touching story. I loved the characters and wonderful pets. Well done!

This was an amazing read and quite unique. The main characters were fully developed and amazing. Great writing style and grammar. Great dog, wish I could give him a hug and kiss A must read, I recommend, 4.5 stars



I received an ARC from the Publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Last month (June 2021) PJ Trebelhorn passed away. Moving Forward is her posthumous novel. My condolences go to her wife and family.

Shelby Ryan left her job as a police detective and moved to Oregon after her wife was murdered by a serial killer. She wasn't expecting to find there the killer's sister. Since her brother was killed in prison, Iris Calhoun is blamed for it by her family because she testified against her brother in his trial. She decided to start a new life 3,000 miles away from home, but she'll have to confront the ghosts from the past when she meets Shelby there...

Enemies to lovers romances are normally hard to pull off because the initial confrontation has to be strong enough (which is not a problem in this case) but, at the same time, allow
for a convincing process of reconciliation and falling in love. It's even more challenging when the plot presents this level of irreconcilable confrontation combining it with grief and a mystery, all in 58,000 words. I'm not sure that the author pulled everything off convincingly.

I felt that the conflict between the main characters was too strong to allow a romantic involvement. I found it hard to believe. As much as I have confidence in people to forgive others, I wasn't convinced by this situation. Maybe the confrontation was too extreme, or maybe there were too many things going on to allow the characters to move forward properly, in any case, I wasn't invested in this process completely, let alone for them to fall in love.

Having said that, I thought that the mystery subplot was done well and kept my interest in reading until the end. 3.5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Enemies to friends to lovers. Shelby's wife Nina is murdered by a serial killer. The killer is killed in prison but his sister Iris testified against him but is still tied to his crime. Iris moves to get away from the the stigma and her cousin Lyle who threatens to kill her. She moves to the same town as Shelby and that is where the story begins. The plot is good involving romance and danger. Shelby and Iris are not friendly at first but become friends. The characters tell a good story and there is lots of emotion both good and bad.

I found this a good read especially including a dog and cat who add to the story. I recommend this book to all romance and thriller readers.There was one thing missing see if you agree with me.

I loved the idea of the book, the story was unique; I mean, to fall in love with your wife’s killers sister? That’s deep. I’ve read the authors books before and I loved her writing style, it was always well written, no grammatical errors, and the characters were well developed.

I thought this was a good short read and I have very few complaints but... they're relevant complaints.

This story follows the story of Shelby and Iris. Shelby's wife was brutally murdered by Iris' brother four years ago. Now four years later, Shelby has relocated her life and moved on to the best of her ability until Iris shows up. Just like Shelby, Iris intends on leaving behind that life after receiving death threats from her cousin after testifying against her brother. Shelby is now faced with an attraction to Iris.

Now this is an amazing plot idea to me. However I will admit that the author's execution lacked some compulsion. With such a deep and almost depressing plot, I went into this story expecting certain emotions to be risen out of me. The book was just a bit too short and simplistic.

Nevertheless, the characters were all loveable, grammar was good and I did enjoy this read! Just wished for a bit more from it.

I do recommend!

Just heard the news of this author's unfortunate passing, may she rest in peace and I give my condolences to her wife ❤

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in return for a honest review!