And Then There Was You by Nance Naigle is the first book in her new Chestnut Ridge novel. We meet Natalie Maynard, our heroine, who is on her way home from a vacation with her boyfriend, who due to business, left a few days earlier. To her shock, when she opens the door to her place, everything is gone; including her finances in the bank. When the police come, the detective in charge, gives her the bad news, that she has been scammed by professional conman, with losing everything.

Detective Randy Fellowes, our hero, explains what happen, and that he will do his best to find the culprit and help her receive justice; so far nothing has been found. Natalie has to stay at her friend’s house, and decides to see refuge at a cabin her deceased husband owned, a fishing cabin in the mountains of Chestnut Ridge. Upon arriving in Chestnut Ridge, she meets Orene, a sweet older lady, who offers Natalie a room for a couple of days, in order for her to fix up her new home. Orene learns that Natalie’s husband, who is deceased, was Jeremy, who was always part of Chestnut Ridge, and in a short time, everyone goes out of their way to welcome Natalie.

The community has been wonderful and kind to Natalie, and she begins to love Chestnut Ridge, and the beautiful nature surrounding her cabin and town. Natalie also does online card designs to make money, as well as using her nurse skills, to help those in need, for appointments, errands, etc. She meets Paul Grandstaff, an elderly man, who she would take to doctors, groceries; but he never wanted her to know exactly where he lived, since he was very private.

Randy would constantly call Natalie about anything new; and she in turn, would travel to meet him over lunch and discuss any news. In a short time, Natalie and Randy enjoy their visits, and soon they begin to have feelings; loved how Randy and Natalie were perfect for each other.

Randy gets a lead on the conman, who has also done another scam, and things are looking better for Natalie redeeming some of her finances. Paul Grandstaff, with help from Randy, will reveal a secret he has hidden for many years, and led to a wonderful ending.

And Then There Was You was a wonderful, delightful, sweet small-town romance. Nancy Naigle has written a fabulous story that was at times was heartbreaking, grief, hope and also filled with friendship and love. I loved all the fantastic secondary characters, who all opened their hearts for Natalie. I wholly suggest you read this book, as it was a great read.

Another great read by Nancy Naigle! This is the first book in the Chestnut Ridge series and I can't wait to read the rest in the series. I loved all the characters and the setting. Wouldn't Chestnut Springs be a great place to live? Everyone kind and caring about each other. Having the mysteries in the story, wants you to keep reading to find out what happens. Loved the relationship between Randy and Natalie..What a guy Randy is. Thank You to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.

📚Book Review 📚
Then There Was You
by Nancy Naigle
Pub Date 6/27/23

Natalie Maynard, a widow, finds love with Marc Swindell. It’s a whirlwind romance. She comes back from an ideal vacation with Marc, two days after him because he had to leave due to emergency work issues, to find her home empty, nothing left and Marc is not answering her text or phone calls.

Detective Randy Fellowes is determined to keep this case active. He finds himself thinking of Natalie beyond the just the case.

Natalie begins to get her life back little by little. Then she remembers her husband has a hunting/fishing cabin in the woods. She decides to live there making friends in the little town of Chestnut Ridge.

Natalie remembers a small detail that Marc told her and Randy finally gets a lead on Marc Swindell, or whatever name he’s now using.

Will Natalie learn to trust herself enough to let Randy into her heart? You will have to read to find out.

A clean novel about love, family, trust, and new beginnings.

Thank you @netgalley @nancynaigle @stmartinspress for an electronic book ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review.


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When I need an uplifting, heartwarming story, I know I can always depend on getting that and more from a Nancy Naigle novel. This book definitely lifted my spirits.

Natalie Maynard is riding on cloud nine and is truly happy for the first time since her husband's tragic death. She has met a wonderful man who is treating her like a queen. However, it turns out that he is a slick and professional con man.

Detective Randy Fellowes wants to help Natalie. As he works with her on her case, he feels more than just dutybound to help her. This is a new feeling for him, and he does not quite know how to handle it. Natalie is financially destitute, but she remembers that she has a mountain cabin that belonged to her deceased husband. It is just a simple fishing cabin in the middle of nowhere. It is located in a lovely town in the Blue Ridge Mountains known as Chestnut Ridge. She needs a change of scenery, but as she makes her way to Chesnut Ridge, she does not know she will find more than a change of scenery in Chestnut Ridge.

This story is teeming with rich characters who truly love their neighbors. It was beautifully written with a wonderful inspirational message of hope for the future, second chances and healing. The characters were lifelike and their personalities literally jumped off of the page. They were the kind of people I felt I could sit down and have a cup of coffee.

You will finish this book content and feeling blessed that you have read it. Please do not miss this gift of a story. Your life will be better having read it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nancy Naigle is one of my go to authors. She never disappoints. And Then There Was You really pulled on my emotions as a woman. Trusting in someone and being betrayed is heartbreaking. Then finding another to love and trust who will return those emotions is scary and exciting. This book is a wonderful ride of all the feels.

Squeaky clean and heart warming. Young widow Natalie Maynard comes home from vacation to learn that her new boyfriend is a professional con-artist and has taken almost everything she owns. She reports it to the police and Detective Randy Fellowes wants to see justice done. She takes some time recovering and staying with a best friend when she recalls that her husband has a hunting/fishing cabin a couple of hours away. She wonders if she could live there as she starts over.

The small town of Chestnut Ridge welcomes her. She is a nurse and she provides some companion care but more so find other talents to help support her. In the mean time Detective Randy continues to stay in touch.

This is more women’s fiction as Natalie is the focus while she settles into small town life. She has to learn to trust again after being bamboozled. For me to call something a romance that has to be the focus for more than half the book and in this case it isn’t. Randy is a great guy but this is her story.

I’m new to the author but can see she has had books adapted for Hallmark which fits the writing. This is the first in a new series and while I enjoyed the story I wanted more of a romance. The two MCs spend very little time together until the later part of the book. Thank you to Set Martin’s Press for offering me an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review. (3.5 Stars)

And Then There Was You is a sweet story about a women, Natalie, rebuilding her life after trusting the wrong person and losing everything. She moves to a small town in the mountains and more secrets are revealed. Natalie and Randy are a good couple and I liked the natural progression in their relationship. A good lesson from this story is that family can be complicated and sometimes family is not just who we are related to.

I enjoyed reading this lovely novel. The author really makes you invested in the characters. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I have always loved Nancy Naigle's Books! This story is about a woman who is still grieving the loss of her first husband when she ends up being swindled out of everything by the second man she feels something for. She is now determined to become an independent woman who does not need a man to be happy. She moves to a small town where her dead husband had a small hunting lodge far in the woods.
The detective working on the case of of man who swindled her has been a huge help and she considers him a friend. However, he wants more, but she refuses to accept that ever again.
This love story is timeless and, the end===the end===WOW!!! Get the kleenex ready!!

Slow Burn Hallmarkie Southern Romance. This is another of those books that almost seems destined for the small screen on the Hallmark Channel or one of its newer competitors. But here, the romance is *very* slow burn, taking nearly all of this books 350 or so pages to finally get the couple together - and even then, they barely kiss, much less anything else. So this is definetly more for the "sweet" and/ or "clean" crowd than the crowd that wants damn near erotica level sex in the first chapter. (You know what I mean, and you know who you are.) Cursing is next to non-existent here, and may even be completely non-existent - I certainly don't remember any. Prayers, church attendance, mentions of God and Jesus... those are far more plentiful - and just as accurate to the Southern small mountain town setting as the broken families, abuse, and alcoholism that are also discussed, but which take place long before this book and are only discussed - not shown "on screen".

Indeed, the bulk of the tale is a woman being conned... and then trying to re-establish her life after very nearly everything other than her breath is taken from her. Here, the book truly shines as the reader feels quite viscerally everything our lead is going through, as well as just how much the investigator assigned to her case wants to solve it for her. Naigle uses this structure to first get our lead to the point of being willing to move - and then to show the small town that will serve as the basis for the rest of this series (more on that momentarily) as an outsider would see it, for all its wonders and faults.

Really the only thing quite obviously missing here is an obvious second book, as this is listed as "number one" in a new series. As the series name is the same as the town name, clearly the town itself will be central to this series, and thus its establishment here is quite solid indeed. There's just no real obvious "oh, this is who we're tracking in the next book" set up. Or maybe I just missed it?

Overall a solid tale of its type, one that some will absolutely adore and others will find... the nearest window to throw it out of. Still, for what it is, truly a good tale, well told. Very much recommended.

I am a big fan of Nancy Naigle and her well-crafted, charming characters finding new beginnings in lovely small communities.

This book involves Natalie, a naive 30ish (?) widowed woman, who loses everything to a con artist. She meets a hunky detective victim. She also moves to the Blue Ridge Mountains to rebuild her life.
(in the cabin she forgot her deceased husband left to her). She putters along, painting note cards, driving seniors, mostly happy to be inert. It takes a whole town to moves Natalie along the narrative to resolution.

I was hoping for a major twist where Natalie turns out to be a con artist in her own right and takes over the inn that isn't an inn. She was able to integrate herself into a small rural community overnight and got a job by just showing a driver's license. Just like the con artist did to her! It would have been a genius twist. Anyway....

Unfortunately there were just so many inconsistencies with the timeline distracting me. I think initially this was a summer book but along the way morphed into autumn. Several times Natalie imagines what the fall colors would look like. Even though it is late October. She wants to buy an air conditioner because it's hot up in the mountains. Despite Chestnut Ridge having pumpkins and fall decorations up. She even buys some mums! Also, Randy mentions the stream in spring but he didn't know Natalie then.

Also, Natalie specifically mentions how the 66 Mustang doesn't have power locks or windows, but she then she locks the doors with a key fob?

I did like the side story of fairy stones and spent some time reading more about this unique Blue Ridge phenomenon.

*I received an advance copy of this book from St. Martins Press and Netgalley and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

I really enjoyed this book. I love to see someone come through a tragedy or loss that turns their life upside down and sends them on a new trajectory, and somehow they become stronger than they were before and are able to still find so much good in life. New friends, new family, new love, new life. Natalie is just a great character who is very likable and I loved her journey. So many other wonderful characters and a good solid storyline made this a nice easygoing read. I look forward to more in this new series.

The title is perfect for this story. The book is a feel good, uplifting story. The story starts with a devastating event for Natalie and ends in such a positive way. I loved how Randy and Natalie connected. I enjoyed every minute of my stay in Chestnut Ridge. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

And Then There Was You is such a beautiful read. I loved this one so much. Your heart goes out to Natalie throughout this entire read. I love her strength as she pulls herself together and moves on. Chestnut Ridge is such a close town that you will fall in love with this entire town and the band of characters in it. Natalie is the perfect fit for this town as she discovers more about her late husband. You will love Randy and his protective ways. He doesn't stop even when the case seems like a dead-end. I love how he goes out of his way to help Natalie recover what was taken from her. I love the sweet friendship that grows between Randy and Natalie. You feel this slow burn between them until Natalie is ready for more. I loved this one so much and cannot wait for more from Chestnut Ridge to come.

When widowed Natalie discovers she was the victim of a scammer, she feels as if all is lost. However, the loss of her lifestyle forces her to turn to other resources in her life. Natalie goes on a journey of discovery about her departed husband's life, and finds not only a home but also a family and many friends that she never knew about. Along the way, Natalie also discovers new love after her loss, and finds that life holds many surprises.

This book is not only a romantic story, but also contains a warning about being preyed upon by scammers who target single and widowed women. The story is a clean one, without violence, descriptive intimacy, or strong language. It is full of likeable people. I would liken this story to a good summer time or beach read. It is listed as first in a series.

I received this novel from NetGalley and from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Fun but every thing was described to much in depth. Easy reading though and relaxing. Just not enough conversations with characters.

Then There Was You is a heartwarming small town romance, perfect everyone who loves sweet Hallmark movies.

Sometimes love is worth the risk!

“A broken heart can possibly be one of the most powerful things in your life. A kickstart, if you will…if you let it.”

A new-to-me author, Nancy Naigle has impressed me with her ability to keep me interested in romance stories! I’ll be honest with you - I’m NOT a romance reader. It was the cover that pulled me in. I could imagine myself there and wanted to find out if this author could write a romance that would sustain my interest.

She can and she did!

I absolutely loved this first installment of the Chestnut Ridge series. Yes, you read that correctly…’absolutely loved.’ The setting and characters were AMAZING and I found myself wanting to be part of the giving kindness in the Chestnut Springs community. I was swept away by the love against all odds story and my inner sleuth was curious about the mystery.

There’s something within us all that wants to see restitution and second chance love for those who’ve been devastated and jaded. Naigle gives us this in her sweet, inspiring, small-town romance. She’s incorporated just enough suspense to balance the sweetness. I loved the eccentric characters in Chestnut Springs, smiled at the amusement over the conman’s name and the truth behind the white ladies’ hat on the door, and was eager for a ride in the sixty-six Fastback and justice to be served

“Family can be strangely difficult.”

Let Naigle sweep you away to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Fulton County where you’ll be captivated by her story exploring a broken family, grief, loneliness, hope, and a second-chance romance.

I’m eagerly looking forward to book two.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Natalie finds herself the victim of a crime which leads her to meet Detective Randy Fellows. Natalie then begins a journey of self discovery and finds herself living in the small town of Chestnut Ridge. If you are looking for a sweet story, look no further. To me, the romance seems like a subplot rather than the main focus of the book. This book is slowwwww. I think half of it could have been cut out. Overall, I don’t think it was the book for me.

This was a great read! It was quick and I devoured it.

Natalie is conned by a con man she was dating out of all of her money and belongings. The only thing she jas left is a little cottage in a little small town.

This new town and the detective who's helping her with her case help her find herself again after everything that has happened to her.

There were some twists and turns that kept this story very engaging and entertaining.