Hill Country Secret by Kit Hawthorne – Review

Kit Hawthorne offers readers a soothing treat with her novel Hill Country Secret. There is nothing better than leaving your world to travel into a world full of falling in love. Whose heart doesn’t grow every time they read one of these cozy romances? I know mine does.

• Title: Hill Country Secret
• Author: Kit Hawthorne
• Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming on September 1, 2020
• Genre: Cozy Romance
• Pages: 368
• Format: e-Book
• Rating: 4/5

Many thanks to Emma from Damppebbles Blog Tours, Kit Hawthorne, and Harlequin Heartwarming for gifting me a free digital copy of Hill Country Secret in exchange for an honest review.

Available Now:

Harlequin Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

Synopsis of Hill Country Secret

Just a detour…
Or the home she needs?

Lauren Longwood’s freewheeling existence has hit a bump—in more ways than one. Pregnant by her ex, she retreats to Texas and meets charismatic Alex Reyes, as tied to the land as Lauren is to the road. Once, all he wanted was to save his ancestral ranch. Now he wants to offer Lauren the steadfast love that’s eluded her, if she’ll trust him enough to stay.

Quoted from Harlequin Heartwarming

My Review

Lauren and Alex have what most people would call a tumultuous relationship. Both are wary of falling for the other, even though the attraction is immediate. They are complete opposites, or so they think. Though, when it comes down to it, they are more similar than either of them realizes in the beginning.

I feel an attraction to Alex. He has a sentimentality that is rarely shown by men now. But, Alex is the manliest man I have ever read because he is unafraid to show his emotions. He works two jobs and lives in a crappy studio apartment in the hopes that one day his dreams will come true. I am jealous that Lauren has a chance to keep this man, but she throws it all away because of her selfishness.

My jealousy is just one way that this book makes me feel like I am a part of this story. I can picture myself as a character in this novel. The foil to Lauren because she doesn’t deserve a man like Alex. 

I will be honest and say that I didn’t care much for Lauren through the first three-quarters of the book. She spends all her time second-guessing Alex and his actions. She is busy filling her own needs and playing with the feelings of others. The last quarter was better because she shows her emotions. This Lauren is someone I can like.

As with any cozy romance, many troubles befall Alex and Lauren. But these are problems that must happen for the reader to get the ending that they need. I don’t always like them, but they are essential in moving the plot forward.

I am happy to award Hill Country Secret 4 out of 5 stars. I appreciate the work that Kit has put into creating a wonderful world that I would love to be a part of. I encourage anyone who loves a clean, cozy romance to read this novel. I look forward to more from this Texas clan.

About the Author

Kit Hawthorne makes her home in south central Texas on her husband’s ancestral farm, where seven generations of his family have lived, worked, and loved. When not writing, she can be found reading, drawing, sewing, quilting, reupholstering furniture, playing Irish pennywhistle, refinishing old wood, cooking huge amounts of food for the pressure canner, or wrangling various dogs, cats, goats, and people.

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