Just the Way You Are: a fun read for a lazy afternoon

Just the Way You Are by Ann Roth is the first book in the Dunlin Shores series. It is a story of finding love and a home in the most unlikely of places. The story opens with Cinnamon Brown still reeling from recent events. She left her job at a consulting firm after a bad breakup with the boss. She is heading to her friend’s bed and breakfast on the Oregon coast for a two-week rest and reorganization as she looks for a new job. There she meets Nick Mahoney, the handsome handyman. The two start off on the wrong foot as Cinnamon makes a wrong assumption and keeps her distance. Nick finds Cinnamon attractive but with a secret he doesn’t want to share, Nick also keeps his distance as he feels he isn’t good enough for the smart and talented Cinnamon. Eventually, the attraction becomes too much to hide or even bear, but something keeps both Cinnamon and Nick at arm’s length. As she visits around town and begins to fall in love with the people, the town and even Nick, Cinnamon must decide: does she wants a job in the big city or is the small Oregon town her new future? Will Nick tell Cinnamon his secret?

Just the Way You Are was a fast and easy read. A fun romance with all the charm of a small town and its common cast of eccentric characters. I didn’t care for Cinnamon as she kept making assumptions about Nick and even after being proved wrong, time and time again she makes herself the fool with her assumptions. I really liked Nick and his struggles which made him more sympathetic than Cinnamon and her troubles. I also liked the small town characters. If the opportunity comes to read the rest of the series, I think I will. The book was a fun read for a lazy afternoon. I recommend Just the Way You Are.

Just the Way You Are

is available in paperback and eBook