EXCERPT: (Dakota) loved helping brides dress for the wedding of their dreams, which was why she opened this boutique. Witnessing the pure joy glowing on her customers' faces when they found the perfect gown felt almost magical. In fact, she eventually wanted to have a place where she could not only sell gowns but also host weddings. An all-inclusive wedding venue with a boutique and a large restored building - such as a barn or an old mill where couples could have their ceremony and reception - would be perfect. Perhaps one day she'd find a farm to purchase, but first she'd need the funds to open the place . . .
Until then, she'd continue to sell gowns and help brides plan their dream weddings and their happily ever afters. After all, she believed in fairy tales for the brides-to-be who shopped with her, although she didn't believe she would ever experience her own. She'd just have to live vicariously through her customers instead.

ABOUT 'WITH THIS RING': Dakota Jamison is living her dream running Fairytale Bridal Shop in her hometown of Flowering Grove, NC. But despite helping others find their Happily Ever Afters, getting married and settling down isn't on her radar. In fact, she decided she'd never get engaged again after Hudson Garrity broke her heart and left her to pursue a career in New York City. Besides, she doesn't have time for a relationship between running her shop and giving roller skating lessons at the local rink.

Hudson Garrity made his dream a reality when he started his own software company in the big city, but now that he's sold it, he's at a crossroads. He's finally made enough money to provide a comfortable life for his younger sister and the aunt who raised them after their parents died. Hoping that a return home will help return his focus, he's instead thrown into family chaos and roped into helping his sister plan her wedding . . . bringing him once more into contact with the one who got away.

As Hudson's sister's wedding date draws closer, he starts to remember how much he loved Flowering Grove and the smalltown life. And as he and Dakota start to wonder what could have been, they reevaluate what went wrong between them.

Will Dakota and Hudson find it in their hearts to forgive each other and forge a new life together?

MY THOUGHTS: With This Ring is my first book by Amy Clipston, but it won't be my last. She really makes you work for the HEA!

There is a lot of conflict in With This Ring, and I mean A LOT! Hudson is at the centre of it all, though maybe not all of it is his fault. He manages to alienate both his sister, her fiancé and his ex-fiancé! Nice going Hud. He had good intentions, but how he expressed them was an epic fail on his part.

Honestly, Hudson and Dakota are just as stubborn as one another and not prepared to explain themselves or their decisions. There is a lot of miscommunication and long held resentment between the two over their breakup years earlier. I'm not usually a fan of the miscommunication trope, but it works well here. I found myself getting equally angry at both Hud and Dakota as the story progressed.

If you are looking for a small town second-chance romance that includes plenty of fireworks, With This Ring is an ideal place to start. It is an entertaining read, and I challenge you NOT to get caught up in the characters' lives.

I was able to read & listen to With This Ring by Amy Clipston, narrated by Brittany Goodwin and enjoyed both formats.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#WithThisRing #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing “career” began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories.
Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and five spoiled rotten cats.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Zonderfan Fiction Audio for providing both an e-ARC and audio ARC of With This Ring, written by Amy Clipston and narrated by Brittany Goodwin for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

With This Ring is a sweet, clean second-chance romance about forgiveness, love, and discovering what truly matters in life. Set in the charming small town of Flowering Grove, NC, the story follows Dakota, a bridal shop owner facing tough times, and Hudson, the man who broke her heart years ago but is now back for his sister’s wedding. As they reconnect, old wounds resurface, but so do lingering feelings, forcing them to confront their past and explore the possibility of a future together. With relatable characters, heartfelt themes of family and forgiveness, and a touch of personal growth, this story is both emotional and uplifting. (TW: Loss of Parents, past).

ARC from Netgalley

DNF @ 39%. No rating.

Story: With This Ring brings us the story of Dakota and Hudson, a couple who broke up after Hudson decided to chase his dream of being successful to New York. I abandoned this book at 39%, which wasn't far enough to find out the specifics of the breakup, but it's clear Dakota broke up with Hudson. I don't know if the author was holding the details out as a twist, but I think it did the story a huge disservice. Dakota came off as so immature as the one who initiated the breakup. Hudson was immature, too, but it was like she wanted to punish him. But let me back up...

Hudson does become hugely successful in New York, and Dakota, having never left their hometown of Flowering Grove, is struggling to make ends meet. And this is where my issues with the book start. For one, she took a chance on a brand new business, and then bought a house against her father's advice. A fixer upper that she has zero money to fix up. And the author went hard to show us how terrible things are going for her. A disaster at her store has ruined her inventory, and her fixer upper is literally falling apart. We're talking cupboard doors falling off when she opens them. And hearing her inner thoughts just make it hard to sympathize with her knowing she knowingly made these irresponsible choices. On top of that, Hudson's sister is getting married, and Dakota was so steeped in old wounds that she was hoping Hudson wouldn't be able to make time to come home for the wedding. That doesn't make her a very good friend or very likable.

Also, this book felt very cliche. And I could go into why, but I think I've gone on enough, and I'm not looking to hate on this book; I just want to share what didn't work for me. Unfortunately, I don't recommend this one.

Narration: With This Ring was narrated by Brittany Goodwin. I thought her tone was a bit monotone at times, but she did OK switching between the male and female voices. While I didn't necessarily love the job she did, I wouldn't be turned away by her narration in the future. I'd give her another chance.

"I have been running from my grief for a long time."

The second chance romance With This Ring by heartfelt clean romance author Amy Clipston is a story of redemption, forgiveness and understanding.

Dakota and Hudson were childhood sweethearts who always knew they would marry. What they didn't know is that each had very different visions of what that marriage would entail for their individual dreams.

Dakota loves her family and her small town. Her dream is to open her own bridal boutique and design wedding gowns. Hudson can't wait to leave this town and find financial success to care for his aunt and younger sister. The engagement is over.

Normally I get annoyed at the miscommunication trope, but this was more a case of being young and having goals and not realizing their inner fears.

Seven years after their breakup, Hudson, now a rich man, heads home to prevent his baby sister from marrying someone he feels isn't good enough for her. Dakota's bridal store is near bankruptcy and the last person she wants to walk into her store to get a wedding tuxedo is Hudson.

Reading and listening to this romance was a revelation of how time and life experience is sometimes the only answer to conflict. Voice actress Brittany Goodwin was exceptional as Hudson, a man deep in grief over his parents' death, and believing money is the way to protect his family. Dakota is dealing with grief over losing Hudson and now her store. Her inability to ask or accept help has kept her almost frozen in time.

With This Ring is a love story about navigating personal growth, talking honestly, and opening hurt hearts in order to heal and love again.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the author and publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#AUDIOBOOKREVIEW

WITH THIS RING by AMY CLIPSTON is my first book by this author, and it certainly won't be my last. This audiobook was enjoyable to listen to, and the narrator did a good job.

Dakota owns a bridal shop in Flowering Grove. She and Hudson used to date, but they parted ways when he moved to New York. He now owns his own successful business there and is back in town for his sister's wedding.

I enjoyed the sweet story and how much both characters valued their families. I felt a sense of relief when Hudson and Dakota finally decided to be less stubborn and accept help from their loved ones. The supporting characters were also well-developed.

This was a truly enjoyable read. The skating rink provided a fun setting and served as a wonderful gathering place for the entire community of Flowering Grove.

Thank you #netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Title: With This Ring
Author: Amy Clipston
Narrated by: Brittany Goodwin
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Length: Approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes
Source: Audiobook Review Copy from NetGalley, physical book copy from Thomas Nelson as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank you!

Do you like to wear rings? Do you have a favorite ring or one that is the most meaningful?

Dakota and Huson broke off their engagement seven years before when Hudson left their small town for New York City with dreams of making it big in business. Dakota stayed behind and pursued her dream of starting a bridal boutique. Hudson has returned to town after selling his company as his sister is engaged and planning her wedding. Will Dakota and Hudson reconnect? Will they be able to work through their problems from the past?

My thoughts on this novel:
• As February nears, I was in a mood to read a romance novel. This had one of my favorite tropes – second chance romance.

• This novel was a lot of fun. My favorite part was that there was roller-skating rink that one of Dakota’s friends had bought, restored, and runs. Dakota teaches skating lessons there on the weekend. There are fun activities, and it is the core of the social scene in town.

• The fictional setting was Flowering Grove, North Carolina. I loved the name of this town!

• There is just something I love about bridal boutiques. I enjoy reading about them and Dakota’s struggles as she tries to keep her business afloat. She needs to learn how to ask for help, but Hudson needs to learn to stop controlling everyone.

• Hudson drove me insane when he would just throw money at everything and boss everyone around. He was so rude to his sister and her fiancé.

• Hudson’s pursuit of money alienated both his family and Dakota. He reminded me of Ebenezer Scrooge at times. I like that by the end of the novel, the reader understands why he behaved the way he did.

• I liked that Hudson and Dakota both had redemptive arcs, and both had to learn how to be their best selves and the best to those they love in their lives.

• This is a clean romance.

• I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was great, and it was a fun book. There were some odd pauses in the audiobook, but that may be because it was a review copy.

Overall, With this Ring by Amy Clipston is a sweet, clean second chance romance with a redemptive arc. If this novel doesn’t make you want to roller-skate, I don’t know what will.

I absolutely HATED Hudson. I kept rolling my eyes at each jerky thing he did/said. It's not every book that causes me to hate & love a character. I listened to the audiobook & loved it. I stayed up too late to finish the story & regret nothing. I did need a couple cups of coffee the following morning, but again, it was worth it. We all wonder "what could've been" when it comes to past relationships & it was no different for Hudson & Dakota. I requested this audiobook without reading the description. I follow Amy Clipston on social media & had seen several posts informing fans of its arrival. I knew I wanted to read it from the first post. Amy Clipston is a fantastic writer, & her character development knows no bounds. She's not afraid to take risks & create jerky characters for us all to hate, and then to eventually love by the end of the book.

With This Ring by Amy Clipston is a heartfelt and charming romance that drew me in from the very first page. With its blend of beloved tropes, including second chance romance, grumpy sunshine dynamics, and small-town charm, it delivered everything I look for in a sweet, feel-good love story.

I especially enjoyed the female main character’s role as a bridal shop owner, which was a fun and unique touch that added depth to her character. Her positivity and determination made her easy to root for. The male lead, while grumpy and guarded, had an endearing side that gradually unfolded, making his growth and connection with the heroine all the more satisfying.

The emotional journey of forgiveness and rediscovered love was beautifully written, with plenty of warmth, humor, and chemistry between the leads. This clean romance is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys wholesome love stories with genuine heart and well-loved romantic tropes. Highly recommended!

I love the cover of this book and the premise sounded interesting, but ultimately this book fell short for me. I really struggled to connect to/care for the characters. The book relies heavily on the miscommunication trope (which honestly, had I known this I probably wouldn't have chosen this book).
The storyline, although promising, didn't progress much. There was a lot of repetition and telling (instead of showing), and most of the story was moved forward through internal monologuing.

The narrator did a good job of narrating both the male and female characters and giving them distinct voices. Her pacing was good and she sounded age appropriate for the characters.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it! I liked certain parts but overall found it lacking in depth for me. This is a no spice book but that doesn’t matter to me because that’s not a necessity for me in romance books but I found there to be an overall lack in the storyline where for most of it, i found there wasn’t substance. It was pretty basic.

Towards the end their was hints of vulnerability and I really enjoyed that but like I said overall this book just missed the mark for me to be anything but a light read that wasn’t very impactful to me.

I might read more by this author in the future if I ever come across her books.

Thanks NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio, and Amy Clipston for giving me an advanced listener’s copy of this book!

With This Ring is a sweet romance about second chances. Dakota and Hudson once shared a wonderful love which ended in a broken engagement. When Hudson returns to town for his sister’s wedding he meets her dress designer, Dakota. Sparks sizzle as they are constantly thrown together in cute circumstances. I really enjoyed reading this book! I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in trade for my honest opinion. My thoughts are my own.
YouTube Handle: KeenCat

This was a fun feel good read. It was just what I needed. Great story line and good characters that even made me laugh sometimes. I love when the guy is just as obsessed with the girl as she his him.

I had the honor of reviewing this audiobook through Netgalley. I am so happy i am i did because this is such a sweet romance. I loved all the characters and honestly would been so happy to read more about their little world. mmc frustrated me at times but i love the character growth. I also really enjoyed the narrator and will be keeping an eye out for her work in the future.

Oh this book was boring. Both protagonists were just pig headed domineering and just plain annoying. The only redeeming thing is that they mature a tad bit over the 7 years of their separation and get their careers going. Narration was good.

I have read several books by Amy Clipston. I originally selected titles from a couple of her Amish series, but I have really been enjoying her more recent contemporary works. I enjoyed this book being set in North Carolina and wish Flowering Grove was a real town.
I enjoyed the emotional tug-o-war between Hudson and Dakota. Parker was a real sap and “try-hard”. I wanted to smack him several times throughout the story. Dakota had a ton of personal issues that she was going through and if her and Hud had just been open and honest with each other, there wouldn’t have been so much emotional drama with everyone.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I truly enjoyed the narrator.

Hudson always dreamed of going to new york and starting his own software company. When he's able to get the opportunity to do that, his broken engagement to high school sweetheart Dakota solidifies his decision to leave and never return to his hometown of Flowering Grove. Dakota stays behind and opens up a bridal boutique. Hudson returns home after 7 years to be with his aunt and sister after finding out the news of his sister's engagement.

The family and friendships throughout this book was so heartwarming. This book made you feel warm and fuzzy, and had you rooting for this couple to get back together.

The flow of the audiobook was good, I felt like there were longer pauses in between than normal, but it was more so due to the fact that there was a new paragraph starting and it was from a different perspective. The narrator did a great job with the different voices. It felt like the voices for the woman were similar and had me disconnecting a bit. Whenever speaking with her best friend, it felt as if the friend was disinterested and bored. All other characters throughout the book felt as if they had an interest in everything else taking part.

**Review of *With This Ring* by Amy Clipston (4⭐️)**

*With This Ring* is a sweet, second-chance romance set in a charming small town. The story follows the heroine, who stayed behind to build a successful bridal boutique after her breakup with the hero, who left to pursue his career in New York. Years later, he returns for his sister’s wedding, and the unresolved feelings between him and the heroine quickly resurface.

The chemistry between the two is palpable, and the small-town setting adds a lovely backdrop to their reunion. Clipston does an excellent job of blending the past and present, allowing readers to see how the characters have grown and changed. The hero's return forces both of them to confront their past mistakes and decisions, and the story unfolds with a good balance of tension, growth, and romance.

While the plot is predictable at times, the heartfelt journey of rediscovery between the characters keeps things engaging. The pacing is steady, and the writing is warm and easy to fall into. The supporting characters, including the heroine's family and the hero's sister, add depth to the story, making it even more enjoyable.

Overall, *With This Ring* is a lovely and heartwarming read for fans of second-chance romance in a small-town setting. It’s a great choice for those looking for a feel-good, low-drama romance with relatable characters and a satisfying conclusion.

This book was very enjoyable. The narrator did a great job. It is third person POV and single narration. Both of which usually are things I avoid but this one was very good.
This is a sweet second chance romance.
Dakota and Hudson reconnect after years of being apart. Hudson left their small hometown for bigger and better things to help support his aunt and sister. Dakota has dreams of owning her own bridal shop.
The narrator did a great job giving each character their own voice. I definitely recommend giving it a listen.

Yes, it's a bit cheesy.
Yes, it's a bit predictable.
Yes, it's a bit too sweet.
And yes, I still totally enjoyed it!

Dakota is a young woman who is living her best life. She's opened up a wedding dress venue and fulfilled her dream of owning her own place AND being a seamstress! But, as things are starting to crumble around her, she wonders if she's made the right choices.

Hudson is a young man who left his small town roots to travel to NYC and fulfill his dreams. There he started a tech business and made a lot of money, so he's able to support his aunt (who raised him and his sister after their parents died, tragically) and his little sister, who is growing up fast. In fact, he's decided to travel home BECAUSE his little sister announced she's getting married. He needs to vet the guy and set them both straight!

And so the saga begins...
Small town. No secrets. Everyone knows everyone. Big brother trying to control little sister. Money CANNOT buy you love. Shattered dreams.
But then there's also: Friends. Family. Ice skating. Pizza. And so much more.

If you're looking for a sweet, goo-ey type of story, this one is for you. It dragged on a little bit, especially with all the angst-y stuff, but in the end had me laughing and crying too!

3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 4!

#WithThisRing by #AmyClipston and narrated by #BrittanyGoodwin.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasNelsonAndZondervanFictionAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which just released on 1/14/25, so look 👀for it now!

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Book Review

If you’re looking for a heartfelt and dramatic love story, this book is for you! It tells the story of Hudson, a man who left his hometown and high school love, Dakota, to chase his dreams in New York. But when Hudson learns his younger sister is rushing into marriage, he comes back to stop the wedding. That’s when he runs into Dakota, who now owns a bridal boutique.

The story has a lot of emotions and surprises. You see how Hudson and Dakota struggle with their past, especially because there was a big misunderstanding about why they broke off their own engagement years ago. The book does a great job showing how their feelings for each other never went away and how they work to figure things out.

It’s a story about family, love, and forgiveness, and it’s easy to relate to the characters. You’ll want to keep reading to find out if Hudson and Dakota can fix the mistakes of the past and find happiness again. Perfect for readers who enjoy second chances and small-town stories!
Thank you to good reads for this advanced audio copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily