No Place Like You (Oaks Sisters #2) by Jillian Meadows
Fable Oaks never planned to return to Fern River. But after a string of failures, here she is, living in her parents’ backyard, watching her beloved late grandfather’s A-frame crumble around her. She can't seem to find her direction, and to make matters worse, Theo Nikolaou, her ex-best friend, has also resurfaced, distracting dimples and charming grin in tow.
Theo knew it was only a matter of time before he came back. The demons of his past once drove him to leave, but Fern River always seemed meant to be. So, when Theo’s boss, Arthur, announces he is selling his veterinary practice, it feels like the perfect opportunity. He just needs to show Arthur he’s sticking around for good. And when Fable—Fable, with her smart mouth and sexy curls—quite literally falls into Theo's lap, an idea forms.
If they can convince the town that they're madly in love, it could solve all their problems. Theo can prove to Arthur he's settling down, and Fable can get some much-needed help fixing up the A-frame, a task she is determined to see through.
The only problem is, the more time they spend together, the blurrier the line gets between fake dating and falling hard.
She’s lost her way. He’s finding his path. Together, they might discover there's no place like home.
Review: A huge thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an ARC!
Fable Oaks never planned on returning home but after a series of failed attempts at finding the right fit for her, she comes back home and is living in her late grandfather's beloved A-frame that is crumbling around her. To make everything that much worse, her childhood best friend turned rival, Theo Nikolaou, has also moved back home and is working at the local vet clinic. To convince his boss that he's serious about staying in Fern River and taking over the veterinarian practice, Theo convinces Fable to pretend to be a fake relationship with him in exchange for help fixing up her A-frame. But as they keep spending time together, the lines between fake dating and real feelings continue to blur.
I so enjoyed reading the first of the standalone books in this series and was excited to get to see another Oaks sister's story in this book! I really, really loved both Fable and Theo. Fable is struggling to figure out her path in life, which felt really relatable. She feels lost and confused about her next steps and is also grieving her grandfather. Meanwhile, Theo is still working through issues arising from his abusive father and very much doesn't feel like he is capable or worthy of love or meaningful connections.
I typically do not personally enjoy books where they the characters agree to some sort of friends with benefits type setup, but it really worked here, specifically because of Theo's past. Theo does not trust himself to love someone well because of his abusive male role model in his father. I don't think he could have allowed himself to fall for Fable without this fictional story they both told themselves that it didn't mean anything at first. I also thought this past was handled really well in that his father is never named and details are not shared; the abuser is intentionally not given any space or attention on the page. I also love that Theo works hard to work through this trauma and goes to therapy to talk about what he's going through with his feelings for Fable. I also really enjoyed the bookstore plotline and how Fable is on track and pursuing her dream by the end of the book.
This felt a lot spicier than the first book or maybe its just that the scenes were a bit more vocal and drawn-out ha. There was also a scene early on when Theo walks in on Fable in a compromising situation and it gave me SUCH BAD secondhand embarrassment!! It all worked out in the end but it really threw me for a loop haha.
This was such a great second book in this series. I love the group chats among the Oaks family, how supportive and loving they are as a family, the grandfather love, the childhood dreams and friends turned something more in adulthood. And Theo is a vet?? And a volunteer firefighter?! What's not to love?
Stars: 4
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