Falling for Leigh by Jennifer Snow

Falling for Leigh by Jennifer SnowFalling for Leigh is a lovely story about two people old enough to have complications in their lives from past relationships and thwarted hopes. Neither comes from a traditional upbringing and both want a family, but their plans are very different.

Leigh intends to adopt after she’s proved incapable of carrying a child to term, the heartbreak of that discovery having broken up her marriage to her childhood sweetheart. Logan had an unexpected child with a girlfriend and has been her primary parent, but all of a sudden he’s facing losing custody of his daughter because his now ex-girlfriend wants to move across the country.

Neither path is straightforward. The steps required for each plan may make any new relationship impossible, especially with Leigh firmly tied to her home town and Logan ready to hop a plane to California if that’s what it takes to stay in his daughter’s life.

It’s an odd story because, while they fall in love on the page, there is not much denial of their state either to themselves or to each other. They face the fact that outside forces mean their attraction, no matter how strong, is impossible and attempt to maintain their distances to minimize the inevitable heartbreak. They have no delusions, no willingness to pretend the outside world doesn’t exist, but at the same time, they hold out hope for the rare chance that they might possibly work. This offers a poignant tension because I wasn’t able to root for them with a clean conscience since other lives hung in the balance.

Another important aspect is the leading man’s profession. Logan is a writer who comes to the small town for distraction-free writing. It doesn’t quite work out that way as the title takes a literal turn in the very beginning. I am a writer myself, so I’m nervous about portrayals as they often don’t ring true. Logan seemed a bit stereotypical at first but when we learn what is driving him and see him interact with the world, the obvious answers no longer match. He turns out less of a stereotype than a writer desperate to complete his book for all sorts of very solid reasons.

Falling for Leigh offers many poignant moments, some chuckles, and a rich story with interesting characters (some only on the page for a moment but that’s all they need). I enjoyed this one a lot, especially once I connected with Logan and let my doubts about his profession fade away.

This was my first Harlequin Heartwarming story (a sweet rather than sensual romance) and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more titles in the imprint.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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2 Responses to Falling for Leigh by Jennifer Snow

  1. Thanks so much for the lovely review Margaret!

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