As an Alaskan, first let me caution you not to follow Alice's lead on dealing with a moose encounter. Moose are not only big but have no problems taking on grizzly bears, so throwing tampons (!) at them is unlikely to detour a moose. While I've grown accustomed to having moose frequent my yard here in Alaska, I enjoy them through the window. People who've tried to pet the moose, yes, pet, or simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time have been maimed and even killed. Okay, end of my wildlife cautionary moment. On to the story....
I've got to admit, the title is what first drew me in. Then, toss in a rugged outdoorsy, tough lumberjack type and, well, moose, and I was all in. I liked the characters and enjoyed the sorta dueling points of view we get as we go along. It was fun seeing Henri be the one to fall first, gotta admit, especially given Alice's tendency to find herself in situations that aren't, uh, positive. Let's face it, Alice isn't a country kinda gal but is determined to make it in this small Maine town as its new principal despite her past and not initially fitting in. She has a great sense of humor, fortunately, and the back-and-forth banter between Henri and her comes across as natural and full of life. Both characters, unbeknownst to each other, are also facing difficult situations. Henri is struggling to save his late father's home/heritage, while Alice is struggling against being trapped by the expectations of others. She suffers from insecurities of never quite living up to those expectations with even her own mother chiding her frequently about her weight. I won't go into detail but it's obvious she's got a long way to go before being confident about any relationship. Henri's life in a seemingly male dominated world certainly did him no favors, either, when it comes to winning a non-rural woman.
Bottom line, while I'm tempted to ramble on about some favorite and both fun and revealing scenes, I'll simply say it's a good read with both laughs and thoughtful, timely issues that come into play.Small town life isn't all smiles and happy, perfect citizens and I give kudos to the author for fleshing out a real world community with all its good and bad. It seems likely this is to be a series, too, so all my questions weren't answered, so I'll definitely be looking for the (I hope) follow-up. Watching Henri and Alice find a common ground was fun to watch as was seeing them finding their way through their own barriers not just to romance but a full life. I'm trying not to give away too much more of the story but will say you're likely to enjoy the read if you're into small town romance (with bumps), out of their comfort level characters, and seeing them make a difference in each other and their community. And, oh, yeah, moose. Can't forget the moose. Grin. There's even a bit of a mystery woven into the story that makes me all the more anxious to get my hands on the next chapter in this story. Thanks #BerkleyPublishingGroup for this early introduction and peek into Alice and Henri's world. I think they're feel right at home in my own Alaska world so I felt quite comfortable with them while enjoying some of Alice's humorously absurd experiences.
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