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Hope Valley #3

The Best of Me

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It wasn’t hard for Nona Fanning to fall for Trick. He was strong, kind-hearted, loyal, and unbelievably handsome. He was the man of her dreams, and all it took was one night to give her a taste of the beauty he had to offer. But while she’d been opening her heart to him, he’d kept his under lock and key.

After Patrick “Trick” Wanderly’s wife left him, ripping away their picture-perfect life, he convinced himself that she’d taken the best pieces of him with her. He wasn’t ready to move on and give his heart to someone else. Then his whole world flipped upside down after spending one night with Nona.

It took awhile for him to see what he had standing right in front of him, but now Trick’s eyes are open, and he’s determined to fix what he broke. But when danger threatens to tear Nona’s world apart, it’s up to Trick to help hold those pieces together while fighting to protect the woman and the new life he’s come to cherish.
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About the author

Jessica Prince

72 books2,357 followers
Born and raised around Houston, Jessica is a self proclaimed caffeine addict, connoisseur of inexpensive wine, and the worst driver in the state of Texas. In addition to being all of these things, she’s first and foremost a wife and mom.
Growing up, she shared her mom and grandmother’s love of reading. But where they leaned toward murder mysteries, Jessica was obsessed with all things romance.
When she’s not nose deep in her next manuscript, you can usually find her with her kindle in hand.

To be in-the-know before anyone else, follow along on my website, or join my newsletter.

www.authorjessicaprince.com

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5 stars
1,545 (51%)
4 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
Profile Image for Somia.
2,064 reviews153 followers
February 18, 2020
Patrick (Trick) Wanderly has just come out of a bad marriage – his wife loved playing her games and kept him on tether hooks thinking she would come back to him – instead he received divorce papers. A cause for celebration from what information the author gives us of his now ex-wife, but alas at the end of book two and the start of this one he is in a funk mourning what he thought his marriage was. The ex-wife in this reminded me of one/or more of the exes in Kristen Ashley’s books, just can’t remember which book/series.

Due to his rose-tinted glasses still being rather firmly in place, when he and Nona Fanning spend the night together, he decides it was a mistake and in doing so hurts Nona and ensures her walls go up. There is a very short separation, but he finally pulls his head out of his ass and the idealised image he sees of his ex-wife finally evaporates, as he realises the gem that Nona is.

I loved the fact that both Trick’s and Nona’s kids were supportive and happy about the relationship developing between the two. Nona’s son in particular was a hoot.

Nona I really enjoyed as a main character she is no one’s doormat, and I hope we see more of her, Trick and the kids in the next book in the series. The chemistry and relationship development between Trick and Nona is overall depicted well, once Trick wakes up.

There is drama that manifests from both the ex-spouses, and Nona’s ex in particular you may want to kick by the end – talk about a douchebag of a dad. I didn’t totally buy the shift in , am I too cynical thinking it would be unlikely in real life? Either way it wasn’t an issue that nagged at me.

Potential Triggers:

Acquired via KU. This was one book in the series that I really enjoyed, so will be purchasing as soon as the price drops.
Profile Image for Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile.
1,777 reviews403 followers
May 10, 2019
3 * rounded up because finally a safe one from this author!

This was a pretty good example of what this author could deliver if she left out the manwhore and the spineless h's which she usually seems to love.

This series is very reminiscent of the Burg series by KA and the main reason I sometimes give this author another try is her similarities to KA's writing style from the chin lifting Alpha hero to the "honey" and "handsome" endearments. I read book 1, wasn't a fan, skipped book 2 and then tried this one.

So quickly.......

H/h are both divorced parents
She's had her eye on him for some time but he's devastated by the end of his marriage
They hook up one night and it ends badly
A short separation where he pulls his head out of his ass and realizes how awesome our h really is(no mention if he had sex with anyone else but honestly I highly doubt it)
Lots of similarities to KA
Now, there is no doubt from her pov that the h very much liked him but she didn't come across as a doormat. I liked her a lot which is surprising coming from this author, but Nona reminded me of Cher and even though it was obvious she liked Trick sis still made him work for it
Lots of sugary sweet moments with awesome kids, awesome friends, awesome co-workers everybody was awesome
Plot of drug runners which the h's ex was mixed up in
The sexy times were mild which is definitely a shocker
Her ex ends up in jail, his ex became her friend(I hate when that happens, all exes should conveniently disappear)
We get a nice amount of time with the kids
Couple of epilogues some months out but unfortunately no babies but then again they've got 4 kids between them


All in all I enjoyed this one well enough and I'd really like to try Gypsy's story which is next so I've got my fingers crossed that this author delivers another H that I can actually like.
Profile Image for Beeg Panda.
1,385 reviews462 followers
February 5, 2024
Nice ⭐️2.5 star small town Romance with a strong beautiful capable, non-doormat heroine.
The hero is a good guy, a non-manho for a change.
*Spoilers in comments*
He apparently messes up (I don’t see it as a problem when 2 adults have a ONS and the next morning 1 person isn’t ready for a commitment. It’s a ONE NIGHT thing, innit?
No promises were made but her heart is suddenly broken because he’s not ready to move on.
Just cos she’s had her eye on him while he was married and her own marriage was horrible, she’s all offended that he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings
Poor man had to grovel for who knows what
Weird
“I wasn’t gonna sneak out, sweetheart. I’d never do that, not to you.”
He took time to explain (when he could get a word in edgewise)his regret and the realisation that he wasn’t ready for more so soon after the love of his life divorced him.
A fact she knew and verbalised, so I don’t know what more she, and the townspeople, cos they had their collective knickers in a knot, were expecting from him after a ONS. In fact, even he was upset at himself, baffling me even more.
Just enough ow drama to entertain.

Side plot of drug related crime: dealing, OD-ing, violence…

Somewhat corny/nice, with fit-in-the-mould characters, but I welcomed the low drama.
No ugly bickering siblings; no ridiculous misunderstandings; the h doesn’t run off half cocked into danger out of sheer stupidity…
Just everyone loving everyone
Except the drug people and the ow, of course.

ETA SPOILER PERHAPS:
At the end the Ow and h end up being almost friends. Not quite but almost.

Early on already, H has NO love left for the ow. Doesn’t give her the time of day when she tries her stunts with him

Profile Image for Lu Bielefeld .
4,234 reviews529 followers
May 9, 2019
3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
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Review in Portuguese and English
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Muito similar ao livro da Kristen Ashley, Complicated.
A história tem uma Kristen Ashley vibe do início ao final.
Heroína com grandes amigas, grande cabelo, bom gosto em roupas, bonita, gosta de fazer doces, querida na comunidade, cabeleireira com próprio negócio, penoso divórcio e filhos adoráveis.
Herói recém divorciado e que ainda não entendeu bem o motivo do fim do casamento dele. Ele reluta em se envolver com nossa heroína e é um grande pai para os filhos dele. Os filhos dele também são adoráveis.
Herói macho alfa, protetor, grande pai e marido. Após ele se decidir pela heroína ele ficou totalmente envolvido e comprometido.
A ex esposa é obsessiva com o peso da filha a deixando com baixa estima. A ex esposa também controla a comida dos filhos, exatamente como no livro da Kristen. A filha do herói encontra uma amiga na heroína. A ex esposa tentou fazer drama, mas logo ficou em segundo plano.
O ex marido é um perdedor que acaba envolvido com criminosos colocando a família dela em perigo.
Os termos carinhosos como honey, darling and sweetheart desde o início.
Nada de novo na narrativa ou no enredo.
Uma história ok.

=======================
Very similar to the book by Kristen Ashley,Complicated.
The story has a Kristen Ashley vibe from start to finish.
Heroine with great friends, great hair, good taste in clothes, pretty, likes to bake, well liked in the community, hairdresser with own business, painful divorce and adorable children.
A newly divorced hero who has not yet fully understood why his marriage was over. He is reluctant to get involved with our heroine and is a great father to his children. His children are also lovely.
Alpha male hero, protector, great father and husband. After he decided on the heroine he became totally involved and committed.
The ex-wife is obsessive with the weight of the daughter leaving her with low self esteem. The ex-wife also controls the children's food, just like in Kristen's book. The hero's daughter finds a friend in the heroine. The ex-wife tried to make drama, but soon fell into the background.
The ex-husband is a loser who ends up involved with criminals putting her family in danger.
Affectionate terms like honey, darling and sweetheart from the beginning.
Nothing new in the narrative or the plot.
An ok story.
Profile Image for Tina.
1,799 reviews314 followers
October 17, 2020
So yeah... this book. If someone had told me Kristen Ashley had decided to write a new series under a pseudonym and this was it, I would have 100% agreed. The writing was so similar I had a hard time keeping my head in the story.

The characterizations, the dialogue (oh man the dialogue...) and the sentence cadence, the epilogue that does not end (LOL). Even the plot is very reminiscent of the very last KA book I ever read... Complicated.. about a beautician and a policeman in a small town getting together after he is blindsided by a divorce he did not want.

But all that aside...leaving all the KA stuff out... there were areas where I really liked the story and areas where I rolled my eyes hard.

Nona is a divorcee, owner of a beauty shop with two kids who lives in a small town. Her ex was an asshole who cheated on her and basically took her for granted and didn't treat her very well. But by God! She fought to save her marriage.

Trick is a divorce, police detective with two kids who also lives in the same town. His ex Emma is a Queen Bee soccer mom who apparently only ever wears yoga gear. Even though he loved her to death she was high maintenance, wore a lot of make up, and made her teenager daughter count calories to the point the girl was verging on the edge of an eating disorder. She divorced him summarily because... he didn't want her to sit on her ass all day?

Trick and Nona have been friends with Nona telling us that she has always been jealous of Emma and Trick's marriage because he has no problem showing PDAs and how proud he was to be married to his wife unlike her POS. And of course Trick is hot. At a friend's wedding Trick finally notices how hot Nona is and they hit the sheets. Afterward Trick is all conflicted because he is still not over his wife. Drama ensues.

But they slowly find their way back to each other because they are still hot for each other. Trick conveniently moves in across the street from Nona.

This could have been a fine contemporary romance to knock off in a day. But like I said I had a hard time staying in the story. The dialogue was full of sentences where people don't use articles. Trick always refers to Nona as 'beautiful' as in 'You got it, beautiful' and 'let's go to lunch, beautiful.' Likewise she refers to him as 'handsome' as in 'I'll come by after dinner, handsome' and 'here's your coffee handsome.' They both continually refer to their kids as 'my boy' or 'my girl' never 'my son' or 'my daughter.' So the writing and dialogue just felt affected and unnatural.

Also one trope I completely despise in small town romances is front and center in this one is that every. single. person. in this town is way too invested in this couple's romance where that is all they talk about and are actively promoting it because the ex's are just awful blah blah blah.

Also the kids were so evolved and affectionate. Look, I know my kids love me. But no way in hell my teenagers are gonna be telling anyone who would listen on the regular how 'awesome' and 'cool' I am. And I do mean on the regular. I got sick of those Stepford Kids.

And then we get the obligatory danger element and a kidnapping because of course.

I wish this had stayed a nice domestic drama of two people not in the first flush of youth finding love with some complications from the exes. The bones of a good story were there and there were even flashes where I found myself enjoying the writing in the places where it forgot to be so reminiscent of KA's style and flowed more naturally.

So not a winner for me at all.
Profile Image for Fiona Fog.
1,434 reviews78 followers
May 16, 2019
This is my new favourite from the Hope Valley series. I’ve read everything Jessica has released and it���s always exciting when she has a new book.

These couples have me invested in their lives, hell the whole town has me. The continuity of the stories have been spot on and once you start you don’t want it to end.

Nona has always admired Trick. Seeing him around town he’s certainly not hard on the eyes. Watching this man and seeing him interact with his family fills her with a longing, one where she has a man who looks at her the way he does with his family.

When Tricks marriage broke apart she felt his pain. She’s been there.

Trick struggled with the breakdown of his marriage. But he’s trying to move on. He’s got two fantastic kids he loves to death. Trying to move on though is not easy. The love he had for his ex is long gone and it's more of what it could have been.

Nona and Trick move in the same circles, have the same friends. It’s at one of their friends wedding that these two end up spending the night together. But when Trick tries to sneak out in the early hours of the morning he does more harm than he thought. Nona is pissed and hurt. And she’s not going to make it easy for him.

Trick realises the huge mistake he made and trying to get back with Nona is going to be a battle. But he’s persistent and he knows she’s the one for him.

Just when you think life’s good for these two and their kids shit hits the fan in the form of Nona’s no good ex-husband.

Jessica brings you into Hope Valley and all its inhabitants. You are really invested. So if you like you men loyal, sexy and know how to treat a woman then dive into Hope Valley you won’t regret it.

Profile Image for Emily.
5,356 reviews516 followers
January 1, 2023
Nona Fanning has watched Patrick "Trick" Wanderly from afar, he had the marriage that every woman dreams of doting on his wife and standing proud as a father of two. Nona resolved herself that she would never have a man like that and after failed marriage she truly believes she will never have that. That is until Trick's marriage dissolves and after some time has passed they share a moment, the problem is Trick doesn't realize that he was letting the woman who could become everything to him slip through his fingers. When Trick realizes he wants Nona by his side and wants to blend their families, the ex's become a problem. Can Trick and Nona lean on each other as they navigate shark infested waters that are swirling around them?

Not sure why I waited for this one but this is one of the best in the series. I loved Trick and Nona. Trick is a manly man who is all about family. He is one of my favorite characters so far in this author's book. I have always loved Nona from the very first book and she just continues to amaze me with her thoughtfulness of others and the way she is with her kids. High praise.
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,841 reviews1,441 followers
May 7, 2019
Oh my... I’m still trying to cool down from the amazing, sexy, swoony, hot AF chemistry between Trick and Nona!! Wowza!

I knew from the brief snippets of them in the other books in this fantastic Hope Valley series, that the romance between Trick and Nona would be epic and it truly was!

I loved how they both needed to get over the pain of their past relationships. That they both needed to truly realize that they were ready for more—ready to be loved and cherished like they deserved. And man oh man, did they love and cherish each other.

Now, of course it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Nona and Trick’s ex’s are pieces of work—more like pieces of trash in Nona’s—and both ex’s didn’t make it easy for Trick and Nona to move on. But with some serious matchmaking and nudges from their friends—and their fantastic kids—Trick and Nona finally realized just how perfectly imperfect they were together. And I loved every minute!

The Best of Me is my favorite book so far in this series, but I have a feeling Gypsy and Marco’s romance make supplant it! ~ Missy, 5 stars
Profile Image for Carrie.
3,305 reviews29 followers
April 28, 2019
This series just keeps getting better & better!! LOVE Trick & Nona & their blended family!!

Trick takes a little time to get his head outta his butt, of course. Once he does, tho, he is ALL IN and ALL ALPHA and it's a great sight to see! I love that they both are very protective of each other & their kids, all 4 of them. They blend their families together in a real and honest way.

I highly enjoy this author's writing style in this series. The pacing, cadence, characters, story lines - everything meshes perfectly together to keep the pages turning. This has become one of my favorite series, & is a definite re-read! Each book makes me look forward to the next story!! : )
Profile Image for Sabrina.
3,631 reviews2,295 followers
October 18, 2022
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

I enjoyed Trick and Nona and I thought they made a great couple but I can't say this was a favorite book of mine from Jessica Prince. The ex drama was a little much and frankly got very annoying the longer it went on. That's fully just my own issue but I've gotten very tired of the "bitchy ex-wife" and "dead-beat ex husband" thing that pops up in a lot of books about divorced parents. And here, especially with Trick's ex-wife, it felt forced just to add some drama into the book. And it didn't help that the ex miraculously had a change of heart for the epilogue even though it wasn't long before that she was acting like she wanted Trick back.
Profile Image for Peggy M.
748 reviews8 followers
June 21, 2022
2nd read: 2022
1st read : 2019

4,5 stars

‘The best of me’ is the third book in the ‘Hope Valley’ series. Just like the previous books in this series, I enjoyed this story very much. This series is becoming one of my favourite ones and I’m sure that I will reread them in the future.

This story is about Trick and Nona, both are divorced and both have two children. Another thing that they have in common is that they gave their previous partner their all but it didn’t save their marriage or made their ex-partners love them more. But where Nona has moved on and is ready to open her heart to a new love, Trick isn’t ready for that or so he thinks… Because the moment that he realises that he is ready for a new love, especially for Nona’s love, he has lost his chance with her. So now, he will have to fight to convince Nona that he wants her and her love.

We met Trick and Nona in the previous books so they weren’t ‘new’ characters to me but it was lovely to get to know them better. Because both characters were just great and I adored their children Blythe, Tristan, Hannah and Shaw. It was wonderful to see how the children interacted with each other and their parents. Personally, I found this story the sweetest of the series so far, because it wasn’t just about the love between Trick and Nona but also about their love for their children.

The story is told from both POV’s. One of the things that I really loved about Trick was his thoughtfulness to Nona, his gentlemanly ways and his very protective side towards his family. Nona was a strong woman when she needed to be, who worked very hard for her family but she also had a very warm and gentle heart. I loved that. ‘The best of me’ is a sweet, fun, emotional story. You don’t have to read the other two books to read this one.

I can’t wait to read the next story!!

(Just like in the previous books, there were again a few edit mistakes in it but only a few. I didn’t mind them.)
Profile Image for Kahea.
2,118 reviews118 followers
May 1, 2019
***5 ‘Baking’ Stars***

I swear, with each book in this series I fall further and further in love with the inhabitants of Hope Valley ~ well, most of them anyways. The small town feel, the unique and fascinating characters all make the romance between the MC’s a lot more fun and interesting, which in turn made it so easy to get lost in the story and not want to leave it when there were no more words to read.

I adored Trick and Nona. Trick is a really, really good man. He loves his family, friends and has that whole alpha protector thing down pat and oozes charisma like no one else, which makes him all kinds of lethal. He did have him moments though, and there were times where the need to reach out and Gibbs smack him was strong, but once the fog lifted the man was all kinds of determined and that made him absolutely lethal. Nona is a force. She’s sassy, feisty and has a huge and generous heart that doesn’t hold back, even when it may be prudent to protect it. But for all her strength, she does have her vulnerable moments and while this may sound horrible, I actually found the method she used to work through it highly enjoyable and proved that going big is the only way to go.

Nona and Trick’s journey to their HEA was a lot of fun. It really was, but man, that start...that even had me going “Oh, NO he didn’t” (with eyes wide and the shake of the head). Even I was like “How will he get his ass out of that one?” But he did, with a little help (ie meddling, a good kick in the ass and a few other things) from those nearest and dearest to him, as well as a good dose of sincere and blunt honesty and it was so easy to see how these two would be perfect for each other. The swoons were real as were the smexy times and the laughs. These two, along with their kids, were just a lot of fun and I loved how everything turned out for them (and cannot wait to get glimpse of them throughout the series).

The Best of Me was a great read from start to finish. The whole suspense aspect was very well done and really did add another layer to the story and help to make it a real page turner. As for the supporting cast of characters, I loved catching up with Linc, Eden, Hayes and Tempie and seeing how their relationships have evolved and I absolutely adored Tristan, Blythe, Hannah, Shawn and Diva ~ they were all awesome and so well written. And then there are Gypsy, Rory, Marco and Cord...the little bits and pieces we got of these four has me totally excited for their books because they promise to be all kinds of goodness!

~ Copy provided by Love Affair with Fiction & voluntarily reviewed ~
Profile Image for Alison.
1,110 reviews12 followers
July 15, 2019
I absolutely loving this Hope Valley series & it keeps getting better as we get to know everyone. Trick & Nona's story was a beautiful story of two divorce parents coming together to create something beautiful.
I love that Jessica Prince has a little bit of everything in her stories - angst, sweet, steaming hot with a side of suspense & drama.
Profile Image for Raine.
2,467 reviews51 followers
December 1, 2020
Coolest mom and coolest dad get together

I love me some hot cop named Trick. We met Nina and Trick in the first book and got to know them a little more in the second book and now this is their story.

Both are divorced and their ex-spouses are both not worthy of them. Coincidentally, the both have two kids, both with older girls and younger boys of similar ages. Yes, suspension of disbelief is needed to enjoy this story. I loved how the family started to blend together. Usually in books like these there is always the bratty child, but not in this book.

Next up is Gypsy and Marco. I can't wait!!!
Profile Image for Nancy Metsch.
1,369 reviews3 followers
April 29, 2019
Hope Valley has become my favorite series by Jessica
Each book just blows me away. There's alot of romance mixed with drama and then add intense drama and that right there is what makes Hope Valley a great place to visit.
This book is Trick and Nona's. Now let me just say that I think Nona is the best female character Jessica has written. She's all Sass with a heart of gold and nothing but lot of love for her kids. Tristen and Blyth.
Trick is all man. A detective in Hope Valley. Just knowing that would make me feel safe. They both have a crush on each other, but Trick has some lingering feels for his witch of an ass wife until Hayes tells him to get over it.....I loved that part.
The drama in this book was so different then other 2. I wont say why. But it will surprise you
Profile Image for Brianna at Renee Entress's Blog.
3,809 reviews116 followers
December 31, 2019
5 Stars!

Jessica Prince has once again slayed this entire freaking series with the all-new third book in Hope Valley and oh my gosh y'all! I promise you are sooooooo not going to be prepared or expecting Trick and Nona's journey in any way at all (this is really good!) but gosh was it worth every little moment.

Packed with heart, heat, passion, and a touch of danger... The Best of Me was a beautiful, emotional, intense, steamy, sweet, relatable, down to earth, unputdownable "second chance at love" romance I just couldn't get enough of. Jessica completely shattered every piece of my heart while giving their story (worth it!) then very slowly and very precisely pieced it back together.

Bitter from their divorces with more baggage than you can shake a stick at, Trick and Nona find themselves drawn to each other in an unexplainable way. After one night and one shared moment, everything between them changes. Trick is jaded from his past and Nona can't handle any more complications. They thought that the best of them had already been given but that was before they each other.

Jaded. Complicated. Burned. Fragile. Trick and Nona were an epic mess at times that I never wanted to change. Sure it wasn't easy for them and gosh they had some serious drama... but together they were totally electric, undeniable, magnetic, and completely unforgettable in all the ways.

I freaking loved this book and I loved these characters. This series gets better and better each book. And y'all I'm crazy excited for the next!

I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog
Profile Image for Elle Golden.
Author 4 books48 followers
May 6, 2019
The Best Series!

I can't find words to rightfully explain, but every time I think about this series, I feel blissful and my starts to warm.

This is one of the series I've ever read, and I can't even wait for the next books.

I don't know what kind of magic this author does, but evey time I read her books, I'm filled with hapinness and love.

I miss her books when I'm not reading, and I love them when I start one of her amazing stories.

And since page one, you can't help but love her characters, who are always so perfectly flawed and so relatable that you can almost touch them. Their stories are yours as well, and reading them gives you embraceful hope.

And that was exactly how I felt reading The Best Of Me.
I loved Nona since Out Of My League, and Trick had intrigued me since then as well.
But I honestly didn't think I would love them this much.

This is a story about a second chance at love, and how you have to learn how to let go of the past and the idealization you created over something that brought more sadness than joy.

Most of all, it's a story about fighting for that one thing (or that one person, in this case), that is able to bring always the best of you to the surface.
That one person that, no matter what, no matter how, no matter the ups and downs of life, even with all her/his flaws (and sometimes, specially because of them) can turn something on in you that will light your darkness and make you see life with a new color, and happy color, a blissful color, a loving color.

Nona was extraordinaire. She was shining, radiant, always so devoted to their kids and a person who helped others to shine as well. She was passionate and caring, and she always had good words of wisdom and selfsteem to say. She was so precious, I could only love her.

Trick was intense and so amazing. A loving father, loyal almost to a fault and always so respectful, that even that was kind of a problem to him, when his spiteful and hateful tried to play him.
He was protective and he had so much hotness and sweetness in him you couldn't even imagine.
And when he realizes what/who is right in front of him, and how different and better she is, and how incredibly Nona touches him, he can't let her go and he will do whatever it takes to make her his.
So they can each bring out the best of each other!

As usual, I loved the secondary characters. They were fundamental to the story, but they didn't stole the main characters's thunder.
And Trick and Nona's kids were so fantastic. Each one in his/her own ways, they brought life to the book and made everything even more tasteful!

I wanted to rush through the book to read their HEA, but I also wanted to drag it down to savor everything from them.

At the end, I was so fulfilled, and I still wanted more!
Profile Image for Raffaella.
1,439 reviews163 followers
February 9, 2024
Worst cover ever. I don’t know if it’s the wrong angle for the picture but the guy looks like he has tits. 😰 The book is not that bad, the characters are both divorced after their partners have dumped them, they both have two children and the heroine always liked the hero because he was kind, honest, committed to his vapid wife and a good father, and when they meet at the wedding of someone I don’t remember, they drink and end up having sex. He’s not good with the aftermath and regrets his actions. So the heroine is hurt and gives him the cold shoulder. Well, he had just divorced so I think it’s explained that he was a bit upset, whatever.
After some weeks the hero can’t stop thinking about her and decides he will make a move, after seeing how good she is with both children, cooking, baking and other home things. They talk, he explains, apologizes for his not polite behavior, and they start dating. His ex wife is not sorry she ever left him but the man really doesn’t want to take her back anymore. Which made me think that he wasn’t that in love with her, since they hadn’t been divorced for long. I think he was more interested in keeping his family together because of the children, but in the end he showed he didn’t care for his wife a lot. Maybe it was for the best that they divorced, and he realizes that the heroine is perfect for him, that he loves her and no matter what, he will marry her. The heroines ex husband turns out to be a criminal with also a bit of drama in the end, but all is well eventually. The heroine and the ex wife even becomes friends. Not my cupa, but the book was not bad.
Profile Image for Marlena Hicks.
157 reviews3 followers
May 6, 2019
Ok y'all... I don't dole out 5⭐ recommendations lightly, a book really has to move me emotionally to earn it from me. So, I'm going out on a limb here in stating that this might be the best written, most realistic single parent romance I've ever read! I really enjoyed the other books in this series (Side note: you don't have to read them before this one), but this one here knocks it out of the park! I knew I was gonna love Nona's story once we got it, but I didn't realize how much. This story... sigh, this story is perfect. I've never read kids/teenagers so perfectly intertwined into a romance story line before, being a single mom for over 12 years, I appreciated this SO MUCH, made it that much more relatable and realistic for me. It's funny, it's real, it's hard, it's honest and it blew me away. Well done Jessica Prince, well done 👏👏👏
P.S. Please tell me Gypsy's story is next! Never mind, either Gypsy or Rory will do, LOL 😁
Profile Image for Tracy  C.
539 reviews39 followers
May 12, 2019
I loved Nona and Trick and all their kids! Jessica Prince writes such great romance and I love that this series is slightly older couples. The only reason this isn't a 5 star from me is the excessive use of endearments. I love a well placed "baby" or "honey", but I felt like there was 3 or 4 on each page.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,459 reviews279 followers
April 29, 2019
I wanna move to Hope Valley!!! Full review to follow
Profile Image for Izzie d.
4,196 reviews320 followers
May 6, 2019
Sweet story.
Both divorced.
Ex drama on both sides.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
No cheating.
Breadcrumbs dropped for future books in series and updates of previous characters from previous books.
HEA.
Profile Image for BookSmackedMel.
916 reviews371 followers
May 7, 2019
I continue to gobble up absolutely everything that Jessica Prince writes. There's just something about her characters, her storyline that have me diving right in and not coming up for air until the end.

Nona, I absolutely adore her and I think I have since her first appearance in this series. She is just one of those characters that you can see yourself being friends with for life. I especially love her approach to motherhood and how she raises them. Her personality and her approach to life just had me wanting for her to find her HEA.

Enter Trick and these two have one steamy night together. But his own past has him making a mistake when it comes to Nona and it's left you wondering just how he's going to fix his F-up.

With a bit of drama on both sides of the fence and few heated moments, this story had me feeling like a cheerleader on the sidelines wanting these two to find their HEA together. It was heartwarming and endearing. Another great read from Jessica Prince.
Profile Image for Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog).
5,386 reviews202 followers
May 8, 2019


When Nona and Trick have the best night of her life, she can't help but think things are looking up. But Trick soon dashes that hope when soon after, he tells her "he's sorry" and it shouldn't have happened. Uh oh...



Once Trick takes his head out of his ass and realizes what he had thrown away, he makes it his mission to get Nona to give him a second chance. But, she's already been burned by him once, and she's not looking to get burned again. Will the two ever get on the same page? Will she realize just how well the two could fit into each other's lives? The love they could share?



I've been loving the Hope Valley series! And The Best of Me is the best one yet. Nona and Trick are such amazing characters, both individually and as a fabulous couple. I love how sweet they are together, and that chemistry of theirs is absolute fire! Now if Gypsy and Marco's story is coming up next, I'll be a happy camper!

ARC via Love Affair With Fiction for an honest review.

Full review posted here ---> Live Through Books Blog.

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Profile Image for April Symes.
5,013 reviews441 followers
May 6, 2019
The Best of Me by Jessica Prince is full of action, feels, romance, drama, passion and heat. Nona and Trick's romance took book 3 to awhole another level- it was so phenomenal!!! The chemistry and connection between the main leads in this story is off the charts intense and amazing. Trick and Nona's love story continues to just have me loving this book and it is now my favorite in the series. Nona and Trick's romance got off to a rocky start but soon it was all good and things went from sour to sweet n sexy super fast. I loved the kids in this book and the interaction between the main characters. I disliked the exs' so much. There is tons of twists and I loved the emotions, feels, romance and steam this story puts out. I can't wait for book 4 to come out.


My Rating: 4.8 stars ********
Profile Image for Jill S (Love Affair With Fiction).
646 reviews67 followers
May 6, 2019
Ahhhhh I have been dying to know more about Nona since this series started and Jessica did not let us down. I now want to be her friend even more! Plus Nona does some kickass baking whenever she is stressed - seriously, the best kinda friend to have!
Trick and Nona are both divorced parents (divorced from other people, not each other!) I loved watching their relationships with their children. How they made sure their needs were put first. Their lives were an integral part of this story. And when they bond with each other's kids - it will melt your heart!
The Best of Me has everything in it... laughs, feels, suspense, steam and above all else love. The different elements in this book combined with top notch storytelling makes this a don't miss book!
Profile Image for Lulu Dumonceaux.
518 reviews10 followers
May 6, 2019
What an incredible book! I think this might be my favorite in the series but they all have been so great! Nona and Trick start off hot and then Trick stumbles a little. The journey back is so heartwarming. I love how genuine and strong Nona is and tenacious and charming Trick becomes. Their kids are awesome and so important to the story. I absolutely love the girls and all the guys as they play major roles in both Nona and Trick's lives. Trouble is looming again in Hope Valley but Trick is keeping everyone safe especially since his new family seems to be a target. The HEA is by far the best. Can't wait for Gypsy and Marco!!!!
Profile Image for Jennifer D..
726 reviews14 followers
May 5, 2019
I swear I say this after each one in this series but this one is my favorite! I LOVE Trick and Nona! Their chemistry is off the charts and you can tell they care deeply about each other from the start. I love all the little things they do for each other. They are the sweetest! And their kids are awesome! I loved watching their families become one. I didn't want it to end!

A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
195 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2019
5 star

It was so good to visit Hope Valley again with all my favorite charachters. With each book i fall in love with this series all over again. Trick and Nona's story was so good. Oh to have a man like that call me beautiful. Swoon. I love that Nona had such a good heart, but also independent and a great mother bear! Both of them love their children something fierce. I enjoyed how their story blossomed. I couldn't put it down. Jessica Prince brought us a fresh, wonderful story and again with a little intrigue that got my adrenaline going. On a side note. I ADORE Sally and Ralph. Would love to see their love story too.
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