When Walking Away Isn’t an Option
Broody danger, fierce love, and a heroine who refuses to be left behind made this story impossible for me to put down and even harder to forget.

Always Believed in You is a romantic suspense story that balances danger, tenderness, and buried secrets in a small town where nothing stays hidden for long. Toby arrives in Laketown carrying a past that refuses to loosen its grip, while Tate is stronger and more determined than anyone expects, especially when the man she loves tries to disappear to protect her. Their connection feels inevitable yet constantly threatened by violence, family secrets, and the history embedded in the Pink Hotel itself. I really enjoyed how the story let their relationship unfold under pressure instead of rushing it, and how emotional moments were allowed to breathe alongside the suspense. It kept me turning pages because I wanted to see whether love could survive when walking away feels safer than staying.

He runs from danger. She runs straight into it.

I knew I was done for the second Toby and Tate collided on the page. This book grabbed me fast and never let go. He is all shadows and guilt, she is fire and stubborn hope, and together they are explosive in the best way. I loved how Tate refuses to be protected like she is fragile and how Toby struggles with believing he deserves anything good at all. The danger feels real, the feelings hit hard, and the town itself feels like it is watching everything unfold. If you love romance with tension, secrets, found family energy, and a couple worth rooting for, this one is absolutely worth your time. 💖🔥

Toby & Tate's story is fast paced, full of surprises (good & bad), twists & turns, on the edge of your seat moments & plenty of steam! They find their happily ever after eventually.

I enjoy adventure/suspense as well as romance & this one hit both genres well!! Recommend the book.

The book is Book 3 in the Pink Hotel series, but also considered an interconnected standalone. I have not read the other books in the series & did not have a hard time reading this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author & publisher for the ARC read. All opinions are my own. Review also shared on sites such as bookbub & goodreads.

Great book!! If you mafia books then this book is for you. Loved the characters. I actually felt like i knew them. I could not put this book down. Loved the twists that were in the book. I could not put it down

Loved reading the exciting and engaging story. When Tate goes to meet her father, she finds out he is in charge of the mafia, and she meets Toby, who ends up owning part of the Pink Hotel with her friends. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written full of mystery and intrigue, and another must read riveting romance story by the amazing author, Summer. Hunter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this great conclusion to the series, a Mafia romantic suspense set in a charming small town, featuring an traumatized antihero and a cheeky, feisty heroine who find their happy ending against all odds. The plot is very well written, fast-paced and full of emotion, funny moments, secrets, lies, betrayal, mystery, action, danger, unexpected twists and turns, steamy love scenes, a charming small-town atmosphere and a whole host of quirky supporting characters that you immediately fall in love with. Toby and Tate are very likable. He is a loner with a troubled past that still haunts him, struggling with PTSD and a life he doesn't want. Tate is a strong and confident heroine, sometimes a little too curious and brash, who believes she is incapable of falling in love. Their instant attraction and sizzling chemistry were palpable from the start.

Former soldier and co-owner of the Pink Hotel, Toby Russo, alias Toby Moretti, is still struggling with the traumatic events of his youth, the loss of his great love and the consequences of his service in the Marines. He has come to Laketown to take over the shares of his partners on behalf of a mafia boss he works for, who protects him from his own mafia family. There he meets the Don‘s daughter Tate, whom he happened to meet in New York.
Tate Moon grew up with her fierce mother in Laketown, without knowing her father. When she tracked him down, she was horrified to discover that he was a dangerous mafia don and broke off all contact with him. Now, when she sees Toby again, she is suspicious, even though she feels drawn to the dangerous-looking, melancholic recluse. The two embark on a passionate affair, and Tate is confident that she can keep her feelings in check. However, the closer they become, the more difficult it is for her, and Toby also struggles with his conflicting emotions, as he must betray the woman he has fallen in love with while simultaneously protecting her from his enemies…

If you like gripping romantic suspense novels, Mafia romances, antiheroes who aren't so bad after all, cheeky heroines, small-town charm with lovable residents, action, danger, heart, humor and spice, you're sure to enjoy this book!

I received a free ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.