New River Gorge(ous) by Olivia Hope McCarthy: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

Dr. Beckett Whistler was left at the altar four years ago.

Now, he doesn’t dolove.

Brooke Bastion is convinced she’s met every eligible young man in Michigan—and none of them were the right fit. So when her grandma June needs help after ankle surgery, Brooke jumps at the chance for a change of scenery. Settling into her new life in West Virginia, Brooke quickly learns that June has plans for Brooke and the attractive, but grumpy, doctor who lives next door.

Beckett doesn’t quite know how to handle his neighbors—the local busybody with a not-so-subtle interest in his love life, and her granddaughter, a woman with a take-charge personality and pink hair.

After a little meddling from June and a late night emergency room visit, sparks fly between grumpy Beckett and sunny Brooke. The only problem? Beckett’s vindictive ex-fiancée has decided she wants him back, and she doesn’t care who is caught in the crossfire.

Only one thing’s for certain- love is a choice, and they’ll both have to fight for it.

New River Gorge(ous) is a kisses only romantic comedy set in New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia. It has Christian themes, and is the first of the National Parks Romcom Series by Olivia Hope McCarthy.

The Author

Olivia Hope McCarthy writes contemporary romantic comedies for adults with Christian faith themes, no explicit scenes, and no swearing. Her overactive imagination used to cause her chronic anxiety, but then she decided to use the gift of imagination for good. Now she spends her free time dreaming up love stories with humor, heart, and faith.

As someone who likes to stop and smell the roses, take pictures of interesting bugs, and look for beauty in nature, you'll find that each of Olivia's stories is heavily inspired by places you can actually visit, like Marquette, Michigan, and New River Gorge, National Park.

Book Review

If I had to sum up why I enjoyed this book so much with just one word, that word would simply be... Meemaw. I'm always a sucker for a good meddling grandparent and Meemaw has meddling down to an art... along with all her other crazy antics too. (But she also offers some wise advice throughout too.) Truly, it was impossible not to love her character. Even my 11-year-old was cracking up when I shared those Meemaw moments, leaving her asking for updates while I read! More Meemaw, please!  As much as I loved her, I did love Brooke and Beck nearly as much as well. Beck seems like a bit of a grump at first, but as we get to know him, we see there is more to him than that gruffer exterior. Theirs was quick romance, but it worked so well for them, and I loved seeing their growth throughout the story. I also very much appreciated the trichotillomania representation in Brooke's character. This is something that my son struggles with (and myself to a much lesser degree), but not something that I have ever seen represented in a book prior to this one! This was such a sweet romance. It was the first book that I'd read from the author, but it has me looking forward to reading more. 

New River Gorge(ous) is a closed-door romance with kisses only, no language and faith themes. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4frCRlm