How did I live without this one? Jess ALWAYS delivers for me and this one kept that streak intact. Gutsy, emotional and slow burning, it sucked me in for the long haul. What a ride! Let’s do it again, Ms. Hardy.

I adore this series. At first I enjoyed it because it featured older characters and that felt so good to read about couples closer to my age. I also enjoyed that Hardy writes about romances that tackle issues of addiction or health that you used to not see. In Wish You Were Here, we finally get to the bottom of what's going on with Davis and Kev. If you've been following the series, you know that these two are younger than the other featured characters in the series and that there was most definitely something going on between them and then ....something happened. And now? Well now they're going through it and trying to figure out if there's a snowball chance in hell that they can repair the damage done and somehow find a way forward.

I really enjoyed both perspectives in this novel. Seeing and feeling what Kev was grappling with made his side of things so much clearer and heartbreaking, and understanding his struggle made it so easy to root for him. The same goes for Davis. Her hurt and determination and love for had you hoping that there was a way to get them back together.

Every novel in this series is my favorite novel and I'm not really ready for it to end, so I'm hoping there are more characters who need to find love in this series.

I liked the content of this story - about an addict and someone who loves an addict. It hit close to home, so it was difficult, at times, for me to read. I sadly didn't realize this was the third book in a series until I started reading and I do think that without the context of the other characters, you get lost a bit. That said, if you're able to jump into books, this could be a standalone.

It follows Davis and Kev a few months after Kev's addiction leads to Davis' heartbreak. The two then partake on their own journeys of self-discovery, personal growth and healing. It's heavy and emotional.

What worked for me:
- the characters were raw and well developed and relatable
- I loved that it wasn't fluffy. This had grit and was emotional
- I loved the "found family" aspect and the group of support that both Davis and Kev have

What didn't work for me:
- I didn't fall in love with the main characters as much in this book as I have in other romance books. I'm a sucker for swoon, and while you get yearning and growth, it felt more like a personal journey than a romance book
- It felt drawn out. I don't mean that I didn't like the slow burn, I just sometimes wished it were faster paced

Wish You Were Here is now my top tier second chance romance. Yes, it surpassed The Ex Vows for me.

Wish You Were Here broke my heart and put it back together in the best way. I cried twice at the tender, heart wrenching moments between Davis and Kev.

Davis and Kev's second chance is about personal healing and trust. Davis thinks something very different happened at the end of their first time and Kev doesn't realize that Davis was there when he relapsed. These are two people who care so deeply about each other and I was so happy when they found a way to heal their past wounds.

Kev recovery and reintegration to life after rehab is a big part of the story. One of the subplots that I absolutely loved is his time in equine therapy. He spent part of his teen years living on a farm and loves horses. He ends up befriending a very scared horse on the ranch named River, who Davis jokes is his other girlfriend. The special bond Kev and River have by the end brought me to tears. As someone who grew up with horses myself, I know the healing power they have and I loved that Kev got to experience that.

“𝐈 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Jess K Hardy for the eARC of this amazing book.

I've loved each of the books I've read so far in the Bluebird Basin series. They are full of so much love and feet kicking and swooning but I knew going into this one it would be a bit of a different experience because of what happens to the MC's for this book at the end of book 2.

Kev had relapsed and Davis had found him with Madigan, the MMC from book 1 and leader of the Little Timber recovery home. It was SOUL ACHING to read through all that Kev had gone through, and then through his time in rehab, and then coming back to Little Timber and Davis just absolutely gutted me.

Davis has been trying to stitch back her life in Kev's absence. She's working herself to the bone, she's riding her mountain bike to get ready for a big race, and she's trying to figure out her future and what she wants when she's still in love with Kev. Seeing him again brings back so many emotions.

Did I mention I cried through the majority of this book? Oh man, it's SO emotional.

“𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐈’𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈’𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐰. "

“𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐈’𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮.” 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫. “𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟*𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭!”

These two incredible people find their way back to each other in the most heart breaking, tender, slow, delicate and aching ways. It's beautiful but it's not easy. There is a lot of will they or wont they. A lot of time spent soul searching on their own. It's a slow burn to end all slow burns, but it's so worth it.

“𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐬. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞.”

Absolutely stunning and beautiful and this review could be pages long but honestly I hope I've left you with enough to give this entire series a chance. It's so good and so special.

This was a great book about overcoming addiction, finding yourself along the way but also how to love someone recovering from that.
I found it a heavier read at times given the subject matter and if you’ve ever been in a similar position you will likely know what I mean. It felt like a much more original cowboy style romance too which is always great because there’s so many that the stories can all seem the same.
The characters were likeable, relatable and had a lot of depth. I’d definitely recommend.

I was so looking forward to Kevin’s book and it did not disappoint. Pretty sure I spent almost as much time crying and I did reading. 😭 But that’s because the story and message is so powerful, dealing with addiction recovery and forgiveness and healing from old hurts. Men supporting other men in healthy ways. It’s all very moving to read. The little detail I think I love is that Kev reads romance novels and his journey to reading them isn’t unlike my own. And he uses the knowledge he got from them very well I’d say.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Davis is practicing for a long bike riding event and trying to decide what to do with her life now that she is no longer in graduate school. She enjoys living with her mom and grandmother at Little Timber but she fears she might need something more. What has her concerned most right now is that Kev is getting out of rehab soon. Does she want to see him again? Does she hate him for what her did?

Davis has been soul searching since book 1 in this series. She spends a lot of time in this story being angry and frustrated. Her journey to peace is slow but once she gets there it’s very fulfilling. I thought the author did a good job expressing how Davis was feeling and why. Kev knows he messed up bad. His journey to self forgiveness starts before he leaves rehab and continues through most of the story. I like how the author gave him space to learn his lessons and discover a better way to live. There is a moment where he has an epiphany that made me smile. The author makes some interesting choices showing how Davis and Kev find their way back to each other. There are lots of side characters. Each one of them plays a critical role in helping the main characters reach their happy ever after.

What Davis' father did to the men at Little Timber is absolutely horrible. I feel invested in the success of the men after starting this series so I still can’t forgive him. This story is all about forgiveness so maybe I need more work to learn to forgive.

This story takes place at LIttle Timber. It is a second chance, addiction story full of self improvement and self discovery. You don’t have to read the series in order but I recommend it. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

5 🌟
Spice: open door, veryyy slow burn

I just knew this one was going to be emotional. I was so invested in Davis and Kev in books 1&2. The way these two worked on fixing things was so mature 👏 Kev opening up to her about his rehab and what caused the replase was such a vulnerable moment.
I was equally invested in Kevs relationship with River. His work to only gain her trust was so moving. Group time with the Little Timber guys never fails to leave me tearful. We love guys not afraid to show their emotions.

I am a HUGE fan of Jess Hardy and this series, but I have to cover this is a tough one to review. With all the backstory from previous books in the series, there was a lot of setup in the first third. Despite already knowing the characters and being glad to finally get their story, it took a long time for the story to really gel, and they didn't have much chemistry until about half way through. Still love it, and can't wait for more from the author. I hope she gets back to the older protagonists, too.

A few pages in and I knew this'll leave a permanent mark on my reading soul.
Wish You Were Here is a deeply emotional second chance romance that ticked all the boxes for me and then some. Be prepared for major emotions right off the start to the very last page: from angst, despair, heartbreak, to longing, pining, hope, love - soooo much love!

I didn't know I needed to read about grown-ass men going to therapy, supporting each other while openly embracing all their messy, vulnerable feelings, and also diving deep into romance novels and applying some of their learnings to real life.

Tropes:
- Second chance
- Found Family
- Cowboy
- Redemption/ healing
- Pining/ groveling
- Small town
- Forced proximity

Publication date: Out now

This was my very first by Jess K Hardy and I'll now dive into their other stories. Gosh, this was a spectacular read.

Please note:
- This book is part of a series but can definitely be read as a standalone.
- Content warning: substance abuse, child neglect, trauma, grief

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book ahead of the publication date.

This book was good, but after reading the other two in the series, this just didn’t have the same special quality the others did. Maybe it is because the author usually write romances for 40-year-old main characters, but I just didn’t feel attached to Davis and Kev. I liked them both as individuals, and I enjoyed their connection and them sharing their backstories, but the chemistry just wasn’t there for more. Additionally, the emotional scenes had good content, but there was this great build up to them, but the scene just didn’t feel emotional to me. It also just fizzled out and didn’t feel like the peak it should be. The conclusion is as sweet, but I still don’t really know what Davis is doing here her career or how they are possibly making a living. Major life details just felt skimmed over in favor of a HEA. Overall, the story is still good and I still like Davis and Kev, I just didn’t feel their connections as strongly as the other Bluebird Basin couples. 3.25⭐️, 2🌶

I've been looking forward to their book and it was so good. Obviously Kev messed up and he has a lot to prove to Davis before she will ever take him back. This is a good story and I loved the growth in it. Kev had to realize that he had to do things for himself or he was never going to get better. He found a purpose in life that wasn't just being there for Davis. He is so good with the horses and I love that for him.

I received an arc through netgalley.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I knew this instalment in the Bluebird Basin series would make me cry, that was a given. I was 100% correct, I cried multiple times throughout. It is an uplifting romance with some heavy topics, and if you're unsure after reading the blurb I would suggest looking up the trigger warnings. If you've read the other books in the series, you know what you're in for. Well, with the addition of horses.
I think Hardy did a really good job writing from both the perspective of Kev (recovering drug addict who just got back out of rehab after a relapse) and Davis (who loves Kev and witnessed the aftermath of said relapse). You get inside both of their heads, and you understand why they're both acting the way they are. It was great joining Kev on his recovery and self-enlightenment journey (don't worry it never feels preachy). We get to see a bit more of Ashley and much more of Madigan (he made me cry just as much as Kev). And there are some new guys in the Little Timber crew who we get to know better as well. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and really felt like we were just returning to the lives of these characters.

5 ⭐ 2 🌶️

Jess does it again. This story was absolutely incredible. I'm having trouble finding words to explain just how emotional Kev and Davis' relationship was. It was hard, beautiful, broken and wonderful and really just all the things. These two had me in a puddle time and time again and I loved it so much.

Kev. My sweet, sweet Kev. His past was so heartbreaking and his relapse made me so sad... But watching him come back from the brink of destruction and turn his life back around was the best. He and Davis had me close to tears by the end, especially in the epilogue.

I was really hoping we were getting Jen and Scott's story as we got to know Jen more and I was so excited to hear it's next. Jess has become a must read author for me and I can't wait for more.

Having read the other titles in this series, I was happy to return to Bluebird Basin for Davis and Kev's story, who had both feathered in the previous books (and had a really tough time in book two). The previous main characters all make appearances in this book, and you really have to have read these books in order to understand where Davis and Kev are coming from. This is a second chance romance, and I liked seeing how Kev and Davis worked to get to a point where they could again build up trust in each other,
Pick this series up if you love all the angst and trauma and seeing the characters go through very real struggles before they get to their HEA. And make sure to check the trigger warnings, as there are quite a few! 3.5 stars from me, rounded up to 4 on here.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

Soooo many emotions. This story will stay with me for a while. Big journey of heartbreak, but the love stayed throughout the book and I loved seeing that big teddy bear pirate Madigan get emotional. I did read his and Ashley’s book, so it was great to “hear” from them again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Readers like myself who found themselves vibing with the 40- and 50-something main characters of the first two Bluebird Basin novels (Come As You Are and Lips Like Sugar) get to return to Little Timber and Bluebird Basin to see the fallout from “the Big Event” at the end of Lips Like Sugar on the community, and our core couple in Wish You Were Here, Kev and Davis.

Delving into themes of abandonment, isolation, self-care, recovery, and second chances, Wish You Were Here is the story of how Kev and Davis learn to be themselves after Kev’s return to Little Timber from rehab. They’ve missed each other, but their struggles to figure out their own issues as well as communicate their hurts and issues to themselves, their friends, therapists, and, eventually, each other.

When Jess announced this book on Threads, slowly teasing the main couple, quotes, and the emotional world it’s continuing from the previous two installments of the series, I commented that Kev & Davis were gonna break me.

I was right; they absolutely did. But their efforts tot work on themselves AND find their way back to each other reminded me of Japanese kintsugi - a means of mending pottery using urushi lacquer that’s been blended with powdered gold or platinum. The cracks are then highlighted rather than disguised or otherwise hidden, allowing everyone to see the repair as something beautiful and restorative, rather than something destroyed and ugly.

Kev’s backstory is heart-rending, but his foray into Jen’s equine therapy program, and the work he puts into gaining the trust of a wild mustang mare, parallel his work to regain Davis’s trust while rebuilding his own sense of self.

Davis, on the other hand, is at her own crossroads. She’s struggling to forgive her father for his sabotage attempts in Come As You Are; her Masters advisor reaches out with a new research project and lab tech position; training for a 50-mile bike race; and she finds herself drawn to helping the guys from Little Timber’s latest cohort work on self-improvement, like earning their high school diplomas.

Both of these damaged 20-somethings learn the work of repentance and repair on their way back to each other.

Poignant, funny, and tearful, Wish You Were Here is an amazing installment in the Bluebird Basin series … oh, and don’t skip the epilogue or the bonus scene, both of which will make you giggle before your heart melts into a puddle of goo.

A really great love story with very important subject matter! Trigger: drug use

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’m sorry that my review for this is after the publication date. With life and everything I wasn’t able to finish it before the 22nd, but let me just say It was so good! Kev and Davis’ story was so beautifully told. This book was so emotional and beautiful and you could feel their love through the pages.