Title: Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas
Honey Creek Series Book Three
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 322 pages
Book Rating: C
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
The delightful and touching new novel from the bestselling author of dozens of treasured romances. Return to the picturesque Texas town of Honey Creek—a place where friendship and warm welcomes can be relied on, and love always finds a way…
Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He’ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he’ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse.
His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She’s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she’s talked him into collaborating on a research project—studying the mating habits of college students. Virginia knows her desire to work with Benjamin is motivated by more than the potential prize money . . . and hopes he might not be quite as indifferent as he seems to be.
Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin’s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it. And there’s another distraction on the horizon—a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache.
Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating,” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors . . . the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules . . .
Review:
Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas is a sweet romance with a hint of mystery.
Professor Benjamin Monroe is in his early forties and has never been married. He teaches at the college during the week and on weekends, he helps his dad on the family farm. Benjamin’s office is right next door to Professor Virginia “Jenny” Clark and he tries to avoid her as much as possible. Which is why he is so surprised when she asks him to assist her on a research project. Benjamin is a little uptight and serious whereas Jenny is a little bit quirky and impulsive. After they start working together, why is Benjamin suddenly having sexy thoughts about his curvy research partner?
Army veteran Ketch Kincaid is older than the rest of the students so he is focuses on his classes while also working construction. After receiving a “Dear Ketch” letter from his fiancée, Ketch throws caution to the wind and gets drunk to forget his heartbreak. Thankfully for him, bar waitress Tuesday Raine is there to help him get safely home after the bar closes. They find themselves unexpectedly drawn to each other but will Tuesday be open to a future with Ketch?
Town librarian Amelia Remington and bad boy Harrison “Hank” Norton meet in spectacular fashion during an accident. When Amelia needs care during her recovery, Hank offers to help her until she is back on her feet. Hank is a preacher’s son who left town years ago and he has cleaned up his act during the intervening years. But after someone begin planting pipe bombs around town, the truth about his career comes out when he collaborates with local law enforcement. In his downtime, he and Amelia grow closer but is there any chance of a relationship working out between them since they live in different towns?
Dinner on Primrose Hill is a homespun romance with eclectic but likable characters. The romances are lovely with the future of each of the couples uncertain. The slight mystery aspect feels a bit like an afterthought since it takes place late in the story. The story is engaging but a little repetitive. Since there are three separate story arcs, the relationships are a little underdeveloped and take place during a short span of time. This third installment in Jodi Thomas’ Honey Creek is heartwarming with appealing characters and can be read as a standalone.
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