My honest review. This book automatically loses 1 star simply because it’s written in 3rd person. Reading in 3rd person is not my favorite. It was a sweet love storm with amazing character development. I enjoyed reading about Dakota’s and Hudson’s self growth. However, it was an EXTREME slow burn. I mean last chapter slow burn.

This is the first novel by Amy Clipston that I have read, and she will be added to my list of favorite charming Christian fiction writers. If you love charming, standalone romantic fiction that is void of profanity and steamy scenes, you'll love Amy and you'll love this book.

The plot revolves around Dakota and Hudson - old high school sweethearts who unsuspectingly encounter each other when Hudson comes back to town to visit his sister. I loved the irony of the fact that Hudson's mission was to break up his sister's wedding, disproving of her relationship, and his ex, Dakota, was running a bridal shop with the mission to help create the fairytale wedding for Hudson's sister. The book kept my attention throughout, it was a quick read, and I'm happy to have read a sweet, lighthearted novel.

I do want to add, not a critique, but I normally really dislike character-perspective switches, I find it difficult to connect with characters when authors flip-flop (I'm looking at you, Stephanie Meyer, who was the first author that I encountered that did it so poorly...I still haven't found anyone that ever cared about Jacob's perspective...) Anyways.....Amy, on the other hand, did a fantastic job with it. Truly. I didn't feel disconnected from the story or characters. Amy formulated everything well, withholding just enough information to make the perspective switches make sense and keep the reader excited to get to the next chapter.

If you love clean, romantic fiction that reminds you of a good hallmark-style romance movie, that is appropriate to gift to a friend or daughter, this is a wonderful choice. I've added another Clipston novel, A View From Coral Cove, to my to-read list.

With This Ring
by Amy Clipston
Pub Date: January 14, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Bestselling author Amy Clipston transports readers back to the picturesque town of Flowering Grove, North Carolina, in this heartwarming contemporary romance.
Dakota Jamison spends her days making brides’ dreams come true. But when will the time finally come for her own storybook ending?
Amy Clipston has been hitting it out of the park with these sweet and clean contemporary romances! I loved Finding You and this one is set in the same quaint little town in South Carolina.
I LOVED the element of the roller skating rink being a part of the story. And allll the wedding dresses. I snickered at the section with the client wanting "butter yellow".

While this is part of the Christian fiction genre, it doesn't have any major spiritual revelations or scripture or chats with God like you can expect in others of this genre. This one DOES celebrate hope in second chances. The power of humility and forgiveness. And the beauty of family.

With This Ring by Amy Clipston is a lovely romance about second chances. The lead characters deal with struggles and growth, it's beautifully written. I really enjoyed the topics and found it relatable.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of With This Ring by Amy Clipston

With This Ring: A Sweet Contemporary Romance by Amy Clipston
medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0

This was a sweet story with flawed main characters that drove me nuts at times. It’s amazing that this story ever wrapped up considering how stubborn they were.

Meet Dakota and Hudson. Ex-fiancés who meet again in the small town they grew up in only its years later.

Both were heartbroken over the other person breaking the engagement. It only takes a few chapters to realize they never talked that through and both had a very different picture of the breakup.

Hudson comes back to town to help break up his sisters engagement . She’s too young and has made a lot of bad decisions in life. He doesn’t want her to make a life changing decision.

Dakota owns a wedding dress shop . Unfortunately she is broke and the shop is not going as imagined .
Her niece helps her in the shop each week . She has grand ideas but Dakota has her own ideas.

I really enjoyed this book. Dakota and Hudson are a lot alike : pig headed and not willing to look at others side of the story or listen. They both still think of each other and coming back together is a beautiful story.

It takes a lot of moving pieces (friends /family) for both to realize that maybe they need to look at things differently . Maybe they are ready for love now?


"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amy Clipston’s With This Ring is a heartwarming tale of second chances and rekindled love, set against the backdrop of a charming small town. Dakota Jamison, a bridal shop owner in the picturesque Flowering Grove, has spent years mending the broken pieces of her heart after a painful split from her high school sweetheart, Hudson Garrity. Just as she’s coming to terms with her past and focusing on her business, Hudson returns to town, determined to prevent his sister’s wedding and unexpectedly colliding with Dakota’s well-guarded emotions.

The novel beautifully explores the complexities of unresolved feelings and personal growth. As Hudson and Dakota navigate their renewed interactions, they confront the misconceptions and misunderstandings that led to their original breakup. The story delves into the themes of forgiveness and the transformative power of love, offering readers a tender portrayal of how past wounds can be healed through second chances. The supportive community and vivid setting of Flowering Grove add depth to the narrative, making it not just a romance, but a celebration of life’s unexpected turns.

Clipston’s writing shines in its portrayal of relatable characters and emotional growth. While Hudson’s initial portrayal as a protective but overbearing figure might frustrate some readers, his journey towards understanding and vulnerability adds a compelling layer to the romance. Dakota’s resilience and the vibrant cast of secondary characters round out a story that is both sweet and satisfying, perfect for fans of feel-good, clean romances.

This was a sweet story! I really liked Aunt Trudy and how she was able to be a family for the kids. I found Hudson to be a little too much at times. I also enjoyed how Dakota's family was there for her.



Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I loved this clean sweet cute romance. I enjoyed the characters in this story and look forward to reading more of her books. Thanks for the advanced copy from the publisher and NetGalley

With This Ring was a sweet story that explored themes of love, families and second chances.

Hudson has returned the Flowering Grove in order to help protect his sister Layla from making a big mistake. His return also means bumping into his ex-fiancee Dakota who owns a struggling bridal store on the town.

The main characters Dakota and Hudson were very relatable and the story was well written around their struggles and the realisations they come to regarding themselves and the love between them as the story progresses. The additional characters all really add to the richness of the story as well.

Overall a lovely, clean romance focused on love, forgiveness and second chances.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a sweet, clean, second chance contemporary romance with well-developed characters and realistic situations. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I liked the setting of the story being in a bridal boutique and all that goes along with brides/weddings. I also enjoyed all the throwback mentions to the 80’s in the side story. There were many things that struck a chord with me, causing me to remember my days of roller-skating and all the things. It was a fun story. There were times, however, when I found myself frustrated with Dakota & Hudson and their choices and wanted them to stop with the misunderstandings.

For those interested, there was only a small amount of faith content. I did like the interactions Dakota had with her friends and family; how supportive they were to her throughout several trying situations. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Amy Clipston. This was my first encounter with her and her writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary e-arc copy of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A sweet, clean read. Hudson was a one dimensional character and I feel like there could have been much more development for him.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a cute book! I really enjoyed the character development between Dakota and Hudson. They were high school sweethearts who found their way back to each other after several years!

Their friends and family were really supportive. I enjoyed the small time vibes!

These 2 were incredibly stubborn and at times frustrating, but overall this was a cute book.

This was such a sweet second chance romance. Hudson and Dakota were high school sweethearts who had been engaged, but who had ended things when he went off to the big city to chase his dreams. The two find themselves unexpectedly neighbors when he returns to town to help plan his sister's wedding (or talk her out of it, as the case may be). I have to admit, I'm not sure if I've ever seen a couple of characters who were more stubborn than these two! Dakota has made it his mission to use his success to financially care for his loved ones--- even when they absolutely don't want that kind of help. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of his character in the beginning, because- as other characters were sure to point out- it really did just seem like it was all about money. As the story goes on, we get to see a bit more about WHY he is this way and that definitely helped me soften up towards him by the end. Dakota's life seemed to be falling apart in many ways and her fierce independence kept her from asking for help when she needed it. Like I said... both were stubborn in their ways. We did get to see them work out their issues and find their way back to each other when they did, but it was definitely a slow lesson learned. I loved the pining in the wait and the wonderful side characters we got to meet throughout the story as well. If you enjoy a good second chance romance with two imperfect characters, this is certainly one to check out.

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I didn’t realize this was a christian romance when I picked it up. And luckily it doesn’t include religious script or praise. Because if it did I would DNF this book right away. This book is more of a clean romance that built on ideals such as marriage, family and second chances. I however won’t be reading anymore by this author if are they are also this genre. That is not a genre I read. The beautiful cover is what made me pick up this book. As well as the description, it’s give almost a 27 Dresses vibe. The owners of a bridal shop helps brides find the right dress but lives with a broken engagement of her own. When the man from that engagement comes back into town for his sister’s wedding they’re thrown back together and must deal with the feelings of what they once had.

I always enjoy Amy Clipston, but haven't read any for awhile, so I was excited to see this offered! Like most of the books published by Thomas Nelson, it was a sweet romantic read and no need to worry about spice (because there really isn't any), but the gentleness of the story doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. I found this to be a great escape read. I love second chance stories!

With This Ring takes place in Flowering Grove which is the same small town in North Carolina that is the setting for at least a couple of her previous books. This is a stand-alone book so not necessary to read previous books although previous characters are mentioned but not really any spoilers. This book has to be my favorite of hers so far maybe because I enjoy reading the second-chance troupe. Dakota is struggling to make her bridal gown business a success. Having her shop being flooded and the insurance refusing to pay doesn't help. She rarely dates. She has not had a serious relationship since she broke up with the love of her life seven years earlier. Her ex-fiance Hudson returns to the town to convince his baby sister not to get married. Hudson gained a successful career in New York City after leaving Flowering Grove. I thought Alex was a jerk most of the story but there was still that chemistry between him and Dakota. So many times in the story I thought they would never get together because there were so many obstacles but at the very ending and I mean the last few pages we get the ending we were hoping for.

I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for her to write another Flowering Grove book. I'm not a fan of Amish fiction but I am considering reading one of her Amish novel since I like her writing style.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions express here are my own.

With This Ring by Amy Clipston is a well written second chance romance. I throughly enjoyed the plot and the character dynamics. I definitely recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance book. This is my unbiased review.

Oh my gosh, get ready to fell all the feels with this sweet story. I am just so taken back by how well this story melted me! It was wonderful.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
*With This Ring* by Amy Clipston is a heartfelt story about the complexities of love and second chances. When Hudson returns home with the intention of stopping his sister's wedding, he unexpectedly runs into his ex-fiancée, stirring up unresolved emotions and reminding him of the love he never let go of. Clipston’s narrative deeply resonates, capturing the tension between past regrets and the hope for a renewed future, making it a poignant and personal read for anyone who believes in the power of love to heal and restore.