August 10, 2020
Dineen (Relatively Happy) kicks off her Creek Water romance series with this delightfully zany rom-com that sees Emmie Frothingham, new mother to an adorable baby girl, returning to small town Creek Water, Mo., and the welcoming arms of her quirky extended family. Emmie’s nervous about how the conservative town will perceive her and her baby, Faye, born of a one-night stand, so her well-meaning but misguided family cook up a lie about Emmie having lost her fiancé, Faye’s father, to friendly fire in the Middle East. Emmie, the former head buyer for an exclusive kitchenware boutique in Manhattan, plans to lend her talents to her uncles’ newest business venture, but immediately butts heads with their contractor, Zach Grant. No longer the gangly teen whose invitation to the spring dance Emmie turned down in high school, Zach is now gorgeous, successful, and seems to despise Emmie. It soon becomes clear that their animosity hides mutual attraction, but complicating their dynamic is Zach’s belief that Emmie is still deep in mourning for her fictitious fiancé. An impressive arsenal of quippy one-liners and a host of meddling family members add plenty of laugh-out-loud hilarity and emotional authenticity to this sweet romance. Rom-com lovers should take note.