Ariana’s life is a mess. Her family nags her, she’s the fat friend of her friend group, her boss set her up, and she was fired. The cherry on top, her long-term boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. She needs to let loose completely.
“This town has a way of leading the right people here at the right time.” (Drew, 2021)
Overview
Ariana arrives in Garoureve physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. After eating at the local bar and some flirting with the owner, she ends up spending a fantastic night in his bachelor pad. It was the best moment of her life; she didn’t want to leave in the morning.
Returning to her life in Chicago, she realizes she deserves better, and there wasn’t anything keeping her there. So she packed up her car and headed out in the opposite direction from Garoureve. But the town had a way of showing up when needed. She decides to stay while she plans her next steps. Her romance with Cole, the bar owner, grows. But she starts noticing the pieces don’t all match up, everyone has secrets, and she needs to know what she’s getting into.
Positives
Plus-size female lead, need I say more? Drew has an excellent grasp on the inner conflict of those of us who struggle with weight. She put a cherry on top to portray endometriosis. The story is set in a beautiful, complex world. The characters are well-developed for the most part. Even the town itself is like its own character. I’ve lost track of how many times I reread this book.
Negatives
I loved the romance; after all, I’ve reread it multiple times. The downfall is that Cole’s secrets were excessive, and Ariana was too clueless. In her defense, we’ve all been in or even experienced those relationships where you can ignore all the warnings because you don’t want to break what you have. In his defense, he has been so isolated that he hasn’t been able to learn more social skills.
Recommendations
One night in Garoureve, the protagonist dives into the challenges of finding the truth and learning to trust others. It also covers the concepts of a sense of belonging and alienation. There won’t be a whole lot of “shifting”, so if you are an all-or-nothing shifter romance, you may want to skip. I would classify it as a supernatural romance. I give this five stars.
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