I saw the author of this book promoting ARCs on Bluesky, and the cover is just so adorable, I couldn't help but click on the link to read the blurb.
And then somehow, I found myself signing up for an ARC. And I promptly forgot about it until it showed up in my inbox, and then I got excited all over again!
I read the first half of this book a little at a time, and then the second half all in one go – once I got into it, it was impossible to stop! So, without further waffling, here is the book and my review!
Can the most awkward ‘Meet Cute’ lead to something real?
When Selah Moreno‘s father unexpectedly dies, she abandons her dream job as an airline pilot to helm her family’s struggling hot air balloon business. While piloting is in Selah’s blood, the pressure of being everyone’s rock leaves little room to breathe. It’s no wonder she gets caught up in the daydream of flirting with a handsome potential client…until she finds out he’s booking a proposal flight.
Smith Rock park ranger Dex Westerly wants to take his relationship to the next level, but nothing goes right. His proposal is rejected and a rogue wind tips the basket upon landing, sending the pretty and curvaceous balloon pilot into his lap where she makes an ill-timed joke, increasing his humiliation.
Months later, Dex and Selah bump into each other and bond over business struggles. Dex proposes a marketing partnership to promote her balloon tours while raising funds for the park’s new wildlife rescue program. Sparks fly between them, and when a promotional social media post goes viral, they’re pushed into a pretend whirlwind romance that starts to feel too close to love.
My Review!
After losing her father, Selah is not prepared to step into his shoes and take on the role of ‘Captain’. She has always been second in command, not solely in charge, without him to help and protect her. But his hot air balloon business was his pride and joy, and she can’t just let the competition take over and the business fold in on itself.
Dex is certain that what he wants from life is to get married, to join his life with his girlfriend, and he could think of no more romantic way of proposing than in a hot air balloon. Unfortunately, things don’t go entirely to plan. Not only does she say ‘no’ when asked the question, but when the balloon comes in to land, the basket tips, throwing the pretty pilot on top of him.
Selah and Dex are not an unlikely pair. She works as a hot air balloon pilot, and he is a park ranger. Both jobs involve spending a lot of time outdoors, and having a passion for the area they both live in. That doesn’t necessarily mean that either of them are in the right place for a relationship though. Selah hasn’t had time to properly grieve her father, and Dex has just found himself forcibly ejected from his own relationship. There is an attraction, but they are both wary about acknowledging it, for fear of losing a growing friendship.
Selah and Dex are both characters you absolutely cannot help but love. Selah is a little hard around the edges, but when you get to know her, you discover the emotions that hide beneath her tough exterior. Dex, on the other hand, comes across as very open, although there is certainly a front that he hides behind. They both have their own struggles, but together they seem to find a comfortable sense of companionship. Although this book isn’t overly long, it does feel like there is enough time to get to know both characters, and there is a lot of backstory carefully woven in for both of them, explaining the reasons for the ways they both think. They are both very rounded characters, and both incredibly loveable!
A shared project is what truly brings Selah and Dex together. Dex had previously rescued and rehabilitated a crow, whom he affectionately named Harper. He had asked the park he worked at whether they might be able to set up an animal rehabilitation centre, but without the funds or interest available, his dream of providing such an important service seems unreachable. But Selah also needs publicity – her father may have been passionate, but he was not the best with money, leaving his business struggling and the family at risk. To get anywhere with the debts he left behind, Selah needs to get business rolling in and word of the company spreading about. A joint project slowly grows between them, something that would both raise awareness of Harper, and the importance of looking after wildlife, while also giving Selah an opportunity to get her balloon in front of as many people as possible. Harper truly is a driving point of this story, and she is such a character in herself! Although she is a crow without a voice, she makes her thoughts and feelings very clear, and she is quite amusing to read about. She adds an uplifting tone to the story, and she plays her role very well.
This is a story of romance, but also of loss; grieving and acceptance, and learning to live after losing someone so very important to you. There is certainly an important message of how family and friends together are stronger than one person by themselves, and although Selah doesn’t necessarily get along with all of her family, all of the time, they are a very important part of her life. The difficult subjects have been handled carefully, and although grief is a key emotion of this story, it is accompanied by hope. This book is, in it’s entirety, uplifting, despite it’s darker themes, and it is certainly a book that you don’t want to put down. The characters capture you, and it’s almost impossible to put the book down and leave them alone!
I really did truly enjoy reading this book. It is slightly on the shorter side, but the story is unhindered by it’s length, other than the fact that I wanted to spend longer with the characters! This is definitely the book to go for if you’re after a slow-burn, friends to lovers, romance, with fully fleshed out characters you will fall in love with.
And done!
This review took me absolutely ages to get around to writing. I think it was actually over a month. Somehow, though, I remembered every single aspect of this story – it's either an amazing testament to my memory (unlikely), or just goes to show that some books really do stick with you!
Anyway, that's all for now...
Bye!
