Claire Pressley needs a change. She’s tired of her demanding job as a venture capitalist and trying to make her parents happy. She buys a homestead in Eagle Cove, Oregon and is set to fulfill her dream of having a guesthouse. Ruby Jordan is the sweetheart of Eagle Cove. She works at the town library and cares for animals in her spare time. Her dream is to buy the Pruitt homestead and turn it into an animal sanctuary. The same homestead that Claire saunters into town and buys. Needless to say, in the beginning Ruby is not team Claire, and she certainly doesn’t feel any sparks, nope, not at all.
A new book from A.L. Brooks is always cause for celebration. With Chasing Dreams, she has once again given us a wonderfully written book with characters who are relatable and have sizzling chemistry. I like both of these women a lot. I love a small-town girl meets big city girl story where both women try to ignore the pull, but just can’t seem to avoid the inevitable. Chasing Dreams deviates from that trope, however, because even though Claire moves to Eagle Cove from New York, the big city mentality doesn’t come with her. She quickly adapts to the small-town life, surprising herself by how much she wants to be a part of this close-knit community. She’s tired of the city, the noise and the pretentious overachievers that have been a part of her life for so long.
The supporting characters are delightful. Katie is Ruby’s friend and runs the local bar and senses Claire may be the perfect woman for her relationship averse friend. Rudy’s grandfather, Ned is dealing with the limits his advanced age is bringing about but provides Ruby with love and support at every turn. And Wayne, Ruby’s brother, who takes a job renovating the homestead for Claire and helps Ruby navigate Ned’s health issues.
This is touted as a feel-good book and it certainly lives up to that. There isn’t a lot of angst, which is something I think we all deserve after the last few years. It’s a story of women who act their age, communicate and find the right person at the right time. A.L. Brooks is one of my favorite authors. She always writes characters whose happiness I become invested in and Claire and Ruby have now joined the list of wonderful couples she has created. We are all Chasing Dreams in some form or another and you will be happy you joined Claire and Ruby as they chase theirs.
An ARC was received from Ylva Publishing for an honest review.