If You’ll Have Me by Esther Hatch, New Release Book Review

Book Summary:

A lady desperately seeking freedom. A prosperous younger man. An unexpected connection.

“I loved everything about If You’ll Have Me—the warmth, the charm, the Austen-esque romance and circumstance. It was a joy to read.” —Amy Harmon, New York Times best-selling author 

Anna Atwood returns to Breckenridge, where she spent one blissful summer as a young woman. This time, though, she comes to the quaint town as a penniless spinster with a single hope: to build a life free from the constraints her father’s death put on her and free from the persistent suitor Mr. Green, whose plans for marriage are Anna’s worst nightmare. When she runs into David Tate, the boy she knew from that memorable summer, she finds he has grown into a confident and striking man. As they rekindle their friendship, David offers her warmth and protection in the moment she needs it most—when Mr. Green appears in town and threatens to destroy Anna’s carefully laid plans. 

David Tate remembers Anna as the spirited woman who once brought light into his dark childhood. Now a man of means, he has a promising future, if he can withstand the powerful Lord Murphy—a man whose menacing hold on the town he owns is surpassed only by his relentless hold on David’s life. When David meets Anna again, he realizes he has a chance to save her from Mr. Green’s schemes, even if it means putting himself in danger of Lord Murphy’s wrath and revealing his own deepest secrets. 

In a moment of desperation, David and Anna agree to a proposal of convenience to provide the safety they both need. But as their attraction ignites, the looming dangers from Lord Murphy and Mr. Green threaten to destroy their budding happiness.

My Review:

Achingly beautiful, intensely emotional, I could not put this book down. I was instantly intrigued from the very first page and I fell right into Anna’s world and I never wanted to come back out. I was right alongside her and she tried to find a safe place for herself and her mother. I was crying as her heart was breaking. I was crying! I don’t cry during books! Hatch brings the reader directly into the mind and heart of Anna as she navigates her life and her relationship with David. This romance story is one for the ages and I believe it will win awards. If you want a story with depth and all of the feelings, this is that book. Hatch takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride that you won’t want to end. I need another book, I could read an entire series about these characters. Please write more. I am having a book hangover in the best way possible. Five stars for If You’ll Have Me by Esther Hatch!