Review: “Juniper Hill” by Devney Perry

Series: The Edens #2

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: January 11th, 2022

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CW/TW: blackmail and kidnapping

Memphis Ward arrives in Quincy, Montana, on the fifth worst day of her life. She needs a shower. She needs a snack. She needs some sanity. Because moving across the country with her newborn baby is by far the craziest thing she’s ever done.

But maybe it takes a little crazy to build a good life. If putting the past behind her requires a thousand miles and a new town, she’ll do it if it means a better future for her son. Even if it requires setting aside the glamour of her former life. Even if it requires working as a housekeeper at The Eloise Inn and living in an apartment above a garage.

It’s there, on the fifth worst day of her life, that she meets the handsomest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Knox Eden is a beautiful, sinful dream, a chef and her temporary landlord. With his sharp, stubbled jaw and tattooed arms, he’s raw and rugged and everything she’s never had—and never will. Because after the first worst day of her life, Memphis learned a good life requires giving up on her dreams too. And a man like Knox Eden will only ever be a dream.

 

When it comes to Devney Perry’s books, you’re guaranteed a bunch of things—fantastic characters, well-paced suspense and a romance that will have your heart soaring. And with the second book in The Edens series, she brought all of that together in one story. Ever since Christmas in Quincy, I’ve been falling in love with the Eden family and their little town of Quincy, Montana. In the first book, we met and fell in love with Griffin and Winslow and this time around, prepare to fall in love with Knox and Memphis.

Memphis Ward is not your typical runaway. Technically, she’s not a ‘runaway’, she’s just escaping the life she grew up in back in the big city. Memphis and her baby are not only looking for a roof over their heads, but they’re looking for somewhere to land. If you read Indigo Ridge, then you met Memphis in the epilogue as Winslow helps her find her way to Juniper Hill. That’s the home where she’ll be staying while helping out with The Eloise, the inn in town. I loved Memphis. I liked that she ran away from home for a very understandable reason and that while she’s not prone to accepting help, she slowly opens herself up to the chance to start over. I liked how strong she was, but also how cautious she was about everything else in her life. Memphis’ growth throughout the book was fantastic. She went from being a timid, apologetic woman with a newborn baby to being a fierce mama bear and a hard worker who completely changes her own life.

And then there’s Knox Eden. Gah. He’s my kind of guy—tattooed, gruff and broody, plus he’s a chef and he’s such a caring and generous man. I don’t think there’s a single member of the Eden family I wouldn’t like, but I definitely like Knox the most so far and Griffin was such a favourite already. I love that Knox came home to be with his family and that he gives them so much of his time and attention, I love how deeply Knox loves the people closest to him. And for someone so gruff and broody, I admired how kind he was to help Memphis out. Yes, having her live on his property is a bit of a point of frustration, but Knox steps up and it’s so damn swoony! He wins you over in so many ways.

Their relationship is a delicious slow burn. Knox has stuff from his past that makes him gunshy when it comes to women and babies, but with Memphis he can’t seem to help himself. Every time he steps in to help her, he finds himself drawn to her more. I liked that Memphis didn’t give into Knox right away either, that it took them both a long time to come around to their feelings and accept that they could both have what they wanted. While there’s some misunderstandings and miscommunications, I appreciated the mature way in which they talked about it and overcame their issues. It wasn’t a case of keeping secrets and making a mess of it, the conflict was entirely based on suspense and my god, what a stressful twist!

Devney Perry does a really good job with the surprise twists and while I predicted what was going to happen, I have to admit that the additional pieces to the puzzle totally caught me off guard and I was in awe of how she was able to craft this, while keeping the romance central and giving the Eden family the right amount of attention. And now, with the way this one ended, I am so ready for book 3 and to see what other shenanigans the Eden family is going to get upto!

Thanks to Devney Perry & Valentine PR for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.