I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.
Jana Stanfield
Title: Love Me Not
Author: Lisa McLuckie
Publisher: The Betty Press LLC
ASIN: B088C1TWH9
Lisa Mcluckie is a contemporary romance author. Her debut novel Love Song (Instrumental) earned two honors from the Independent Book Publishers Association in 2015: the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award for Romance Fiction and the Bill Fisher Silver Award for Best First Book (Fiction).
Love Me Not is the third book in The Hidden Springs Series. The series follows the lives of various Hidden Spring Residents, beginning with Callie James (Love Song, Instrumental) and then Tessa James (Love Story, Confidential). Love Me Not is about Kat Rodriguez. Ten years ago, something happened that changed Kat’s life forever. It drove her away from Hidden Springs and its residents. Over the years, Kat has learned to face her demons and use her experience to help children. Things change when she meets Rob Murray, her childhood best friend. He wonders what drove Kat away, and why did she never get in touch with him. We also read about Hannah, a teenager who might be in trouble. Kat’s life takes an unexpected turn when she helps out on a community project. The book follows Kat’s relationship with Rob and her journey to finally facing her past.
I found the author’s writing style to be appeasing and calming. She has explored sensitive subjects such as sexual, physical abuse, and teenage pregnancy. I appreciated the author’s intention to raise awareness of violence on women. While the book is a contemporary romance, the author has shared important social messages through it; and this adds immense substance to the story. The book has a feel-good quality to it; however, it treats the topic of abuse with equal respect and intensity.
All the characters are relatable and have a meaningful impact on the plotline. I have read multiple books, which include supporting characters that have zero impact on the plot and just clutter the story. McLuckie has made her every character count. She also introduces Mel, who is the protagonist for the next book. I like the way the author has given the reader a teaser of her next novel.
It is a small-town romance and easy to read. I would recommend it to readers of contemporary romance. I would give it 4/5 stars.
I received a free copy of the book from Reedsy Discovery and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The link to my review on Reedsy Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/love-me-not-lisa-mcluckie