Southern Solstice by Sarah Sadler also starts as a breakup, but that is where the resemblance ends, aside from a driven main character.
When Larken Devereaux is abruptly dumped by her fiancé shortly before their wedding, her very blue-blooded Southern mama Bunny and family friend Priss swoop into Seattle and move her back to Charleston, South Carolina to start over (or, to pick up where she left off). However, Larken, who has taken to her hoodie shirts and yoga pants in misery (much to her mama’s horror and disgust), feels smothered by Bunny’s dilettante lifestyle and longs to finally figure out some purpose to her life. Meanwhile, childhood sweetheart Jackson drops back into the picture, hoping to pick up where they left off years before, and she finds herself searching for the mysterious Dr. Miles who patched her up when she dropped a knife on her designer shoe clad toe.
Oh, yes she did.
Along with Larken’s search for a job and a purpose there is a mystery or two that is revealed that I never saw coming. Sadler has created a book full of characters so charming that you just want to pull up a chair and pour a glass of sweet tea and chat. While I couldn’t quite relate to Larken’s newly refreshed closet of designer clothes or lifestyle, I found myself longing for a shiny red Vespa and (or a jar of Priss’s legendary moonshine.)
Southern Solstice is a book laden with strong, sassy Southern women, their individual ideas of love, some interesting plot twists and a wonderful romance. I can’t wait to see what Sadler will bring to us next!

This story centers on poor little rich girl, Larkin who returns to the family fold when her fiance calls off the wedding. Set in the Lowcountry with Mama running the family, Larkin learns to stand up for herself. Author Sarah Sadler gives an amazing picture of the many lifestyles in this area from rich to poor. I'm glad to see Larkin grow as a woman.

Although I hate to admit it, I am a sucker for a poor little, rich girl story set in the south. I also hate to admit that I think that I should have been a southern belle, but alas, since I am from the north, that just isn't possible. Larken is a the poor little southern belle whose life is in a shambles. Her fiancee unexpectedly breaks off their engagement so she runs back to her incredibly well-to-do family in Charleston (not surprisingly that family is one of the richest in the city) As far as her mother is concerned Larken's desire to have a career is a joke and she should just marry well and start having babies.

Enter Larken's old flame, Jackson (rich and very handsome) and the also rich and also handsome plastic surgeon with a heart of gold. Southern Solstice is a witty, sassy and charming story with GREAT characters. The ending really threw me for a loop and for this I give this title 5 stars.

Plot Story:
The plot-line of this book is really impressive considering it's a contemporary-romance story. I enjoyed reading this book and would felt myself pulled into the story from the beginning till the end.
I had a great time reading it and this book will make an excellent summer read. I'd recommend to anyone who loves the genre. I'm not a huge fan of romance novels but this book really stood out. The simplicity of the plot is commendable and so is the rich writing and characterisation.

Characters:
I absolutely loved the characterisation in this book. I was able to feel a strong connection with the lead character- Larken Devereaux. I also loved the male leads - Jackson and Miles.
To be honest, I loved all the other characters as well and felt like I'd known them forever. Each and every character had substance and spoke for itself making the reader feel so comfortable reading the book that you'd want to loose yourself in it.

Romance:
It's a romance fiction... so figures. The sizzling chemistry between Larken and Jackson is to die for. But when Miles comes into the picture, everything gets upside down and that's when the the subtle bond between Larken and Miles starts to shine through. It's amazing how the author not only successfully pulled off a love triangle but also ended it on a brilliant note.
To my surprise, I found myself enjoying the little moments of lovey-dovey stuff without actually cringing away from it. And that's how, at least for me, a romance book should be.

Writing:
The writing is rich, as I already said, with a few new and heavy words sprinkled here and there. I enjoy this type of writing and I'm looking forward to read more books by the author. The book is written in third-person omniscient narration and the imagery created by the author is brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed narration. That said, yes, there were times, especially in the second half of the book, when I skimmed over a few lines here and there. But maybe that's because I was so curious to find out how it all comes together in the end.

Beginning:
I thoroughly enjoyed the book from the beginning. The emotional turbulence at the very beginning of the book pulled me right in and instantly connected me with the female lead - Larken. After that as I read further the story got more and more interesting with each and every page. I love books with powerful beginnings as they draw me inside from the start and this book did just that.

Ending:
The book ended on a brilliant note and the ending itself was quite surprising. Generally, in romance novels the ending is pretty predictable but in this book but in this case it came as a pleasant surprise and it beautifully pulled out Larken from the web of a love triangle.

Cover Art:
I absolutely adore the cover art. I think it's pretty classy and goes well with the theme of the book (esp. with Bunny's quote - Jewels anyone crown.)

Blurb:
The blurb seems perfect to me. I accepted the book based on the blurb itself.

You can also read this review at:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1352441572 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R12MVTZKLR8EX4

Loved this!!!! surprised by how much I enjoyed it, honestly.