The Road to Rose Bend

March 1, 2021
A pregnant woman plans to make a new life for herself by returning to her hometown in the Berkshires. Sydney Collins has a complicated relationship with Rose Bend, Massachusetts. When she was young, her sister died of cancer, and her parents' grief left Sydney feeling like an outcast in her own family. Her innocent teenage rebellions branded her the town troublemaker, and she left home at 18 vowing never to return. Now 26, she's newly divorced and 18 weeks pregnant. Her ex-husband is the father and is pressing to reconcile, but Sydney knows she could never return to her suffocating marriage. She goes home, instinctively knowing it's the best place to raise her child and hoping to mend fences with her emotionally distant parents. Cole Dennison has lived in Rose Bend his entire life and is the newly elected mayor. Cole's younger sister and Sydney are best friends, and he's disturbed by the unexpected and unwelcome attraction he feels for Sydney. Two years earlier, Cole's wife and son died during childbirth, and he can't move past his overwhelming grief. His attraction to Sydney fills him with a complicated tangle of emotions: shame and guilt for desiring Sydney coupled with a powerful urge to protect and care for her and the unborn baby. Every time Sydney gets closer to Cole, he pulls away again, unable to let go of the past. The characters are full of angst and longing, but packing this much emotional turmoil and agony into a romance requires a commensurate amount of progress and healing. The ratio feels out of balance here, and although Simone addresses the emotional needs of all her characters, it's hard to believe years of disappointment and anguish are so easily resolved. Designed to be melodramatic and full of angst but veers into overwrought.

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March 29, 2021
Simone (the WAGS series) delivers a grounded yet emotionally charged small-town romance in which a pregnant divorcée finds love with a widowed mayor. Grant writer Sydney Collins returns to her childhood hometown of Rose Bend, Mass., after her divorce, determined to give her unborn child the best possible life. Upon her arrival, Sydney bumps into her childhood best friend’s brother, newly elected mayor Cole Dennison, and attraction immediately sparks between them. But Cole is still reeling from the death of his wife and son two years earlier and is determined to fight his feelings—a task that proves difficult when Sydney rents a home on the Dennison family’s property. Close proximity and shared grief over the death of loved ones—Sydney lost her sister years before—solidifies their friendship. And when black sheep Sydney receives a less-than-warm welcome from the town at large, Cole’s kind nature leads him to step in as her savior. Small-town charm, a colorful cast, and a hero to root for give this romance its legs as it moves toward a hard-earned happily ever after. Cole and Sydney’s slow-burning romance is well worth the wait. Agent: Rachel Brooks, Bookends.