Skye Copeland is on paid leave from her broadcasting job after accidentally drawing a pecker on the traffic map.

Let that sink in. Like it’s her fault the traffic pattern that day created a perfect schlong?

Skye isn’t laughing. She needs this job. And that’s the only reason she’s agreed to chase down a story in her least favorite place—that hell on earth known as Vermont.

A quick trip. In and out. Much like - never mind. Skye can sneak into the town that once tried to break her, get the story and get back into the good graces of her producer. Easy peasy.

Except things go sideways even as she sets foot over the county line. Her step-sister is on the run from a violent drug dealer. And the cop on the case is none other than Benito Rossi, the man who broke her teenage heart.

His dark brown eyes still tear her apart. And even as she steels herself to finally tell him off after twelve years, the old fireworks are still there.

Things are about to go boom.

FIREWORKS by Sarina Bowen 💥 was an engaging “sort of” second chance romance about Skye Copeland and Benito Rossi.

I first want to pause and say though I love this The True North series, this book is 100% able to be read standalone. Benito is very much a background character in a prior book and this book is the first time we meet Syke.

Ok back to FIREWORKS  the reason I said this is “sort of” a second chance romance is that Syke and Benito were friends is high school. Not lovers but best friends who relied on each other through some tough situations. Though you can feel the connection these young adults are it isn’t relationship per se and so it isn’t quite second chance love; more like second chance in general.

The how and why Syke finds herself back in small town Vermont was both funny and played right into the developing storyline.

Speaking of the storyline this book has some elements of crime and mystery woven into it so I really don’t want to say much other than it kept me glued to my kindle and on the edge of my seat (often the seat of my Peloton yes, I wrote and read as I squeezed in extra reading time) as it played out.

The WOW moment, the reason it unraveled all those years ago left a pit in my stomach and then a smile in a face.

Sometimes life doesn’t play out the way to plan but in the end the way it plays out if the way it was meant to be.

The happy Syke and Benito build as adults is truly perfect for them; the life they lead while apart lead them to the who they are now. Two adults ready and able to offer and accept love and ready to make their life work in a way that made being together and supporting each other possible.

Thank you, Ms Bowen for the wonderful story!