This book is everything I want in a romance novel. It hits all my boxes: different family dynamics, hilarious siblings, supportive friends, a broody alpha, a sweet/smart/sassy heroine, an office romance, life lessons, and most of all, hope. Maura is a mature college senior, who begins working at an internship, and the CEO happens to be from her small town, Willow Springs. He also happens to hate her family more than anything else in the world. While their chemistry is instant, Maura is respectful, professional, if not a little sassy, and that sucks Crew right in. Crew loves his family fiercely, and most of his actions are a direct result of this love. His family has suffered a great loss, yet they are able to come together often to support, encourage, and laugh with each other. It’s really beautiful. When Crew goes home, he takes off his CEO suit and puts on his cowboy boots. He’s grumpy but simultaneously lovely. The girl who literally lived next door to his family for his whole life, Maura is literally the girl next door but has a completely different experience with family. She’s a southern girl, raised by a southern father who just wants her to get married and live a life of luxury, but that is the furthest thing from Maura’s dream. She wants a job and a career; she worked really hard in school and found a career she’s passionate about. She’s a lovely person who makes others feel seen, heard, and loved: her brothers, her mom, her four best friends, the homeless man outside her office building, her colleagues, even Crew. She sees who Crew is beyond the walls he’s built to protect himself. And with persistence, humility, and vulnerability, Maura opens Crew’s world beyond the barriers he’s built to keep others out. Things I truly loved about this book: The love of family and the surprising responses to being real, vulnerable, humans with feelings. Crew’s grandfather responds to a few scenarios like a grandpa who cares about his grandson, Crew, instead of from the perspective of a disappointed former CEO. Maura’s mom surprises us with her response to an incredibly sad situation with care and concern for Maura. Maura’s such a loving and selfless character. She reminds me that we can all choose to do the right thing even when it’s the hard thing. She’s compassionate. She wants to tell the truth always. She makes sure everybody else is okay. We all need to be a little bit more like Maura. Crew’s ability to admit when he’s wrong and change his behavior so he stops hurting the people he loves. FRIENDS CAN BE FAMILY. Maura has four best girlfriends and they care for each other like family. They FaceTime and Zoom. They welcome in boyfriends. They have the hard conversations. Everybody’s family challenges them, helps them grow, and shapes who they are. Sometimes, that’s through being positive and trying to heal after a death. Sometimes, that’s through watching someone make the wrong choices over and over again. Don’t judge someone based on who their family are. They’ve likely learned from their experiences. Rating: 5 Stars Note: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.