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I Wish I Knew Then (Harbour Village Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Jessica Peterson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,504 ratings
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My grandmother has a saying: what’s done in the dark always comes to light, especially in small towns with big secrets. And I was hiding the biggest secret of them all.

Every summer I spent growing up at my grandparents’ coastal estate was the same. Same cousins. Same chaos. Same long golf cart rides along the beach.

But everything changed the summer I turned eighteen, when my grandparents’ new housekeeper moved in with her son, Riley. With his big personality and head-turning looks, he was the local heartthrob.

We fell in love instantly. Riley was my first everything. First love. First time.

And my first heartbreak when he dumped me at the end of the summer.

Ten years later, I’m back on the island for my best friend’s wedding as her maid of honor. Who’s the first person I literally stumble into?

Riley Dixon. Even worse? He’s the groom’s best man, and a self-made billionaire to boot.

Being forced to spend an entire week together for wedding festivities quickly leads to more: hot hate sex, late nights of sneaking out, and unexpected revelations. The boy I knew a decade ago is gone, and the hate becomes…something else entirely. And I begin to wonder if Riley is hiding some secrets of his own.

I WISH I KNEW THEN is a small town, standalone romance. It is the first book in the Harbour Village Series. Coming October 5 to Kindle Unlimited!
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Harbour Village
  2. Print length
    346 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    October 5, 2023
  6. File size
    4361 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Talk about swoon! Riley Dixon is why I read romance. He is the most perfect book boyfriend." - Read Me Romance

"I connected to Lu and Riley immediately, and felt their bond so much. Yes, the chemistry between them is super spicy, but they are so much more than that!" - JenJenBookFan

"If you like small town romances than I have no doubt you will love what you find between the pages here, these two have quite the entertaining and heartfelt story to tell you! Highly recommend!" -RedsRomanceReviews

"A delightful second chance romance with richly developed characters and a charming setting." - AEW

"If you love a dirty talking hero, who is willing to do anything to get the girl he's always loved back, you NEED to read this!" - Lifewithx_Olechski

"If I could I would give this book more than 5 stars. This story hooked me from the very start and it was hard to put down." - palegaretta

"The pent-up longing and sexual tension between these two after being separated for ten years is HOT and explosive when they give in to temptation." - Amazon reviewer

"This gave me all the spicy The Notebook feels. I immediately fell in love with Riley & Lou's story! And the spice? OMGGGG! Absolutely top tier!" - Amazon reviewer

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C4439765
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Peterson Paperbacks, LLC (October 5, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 5, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4361 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 346 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,504 ratings

About the author

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Jessica Peterson

Jessica Peterson

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Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When she’s not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the south’s best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughters Gracie and Madeline, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.

A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,504 global ratings
“𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐."
5 Stars
“𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐."
ATTN: Allie + Noah stans — “I Wish I Knew Then” is your next obsession! ✨“𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏.”In the small coastal town of Harbour Village, secrets (and a lotta spice) are simmering beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered. A decade ago, Luci’s world was rocked by Riley, her housekeeper’s son, who became her first love and her first heartbreak. Fast forward and they’re thrown back together, both changed by time and circumstance for their best friend’s wedding. Riley, now a self-made billionaire and the groom’s best man, and Lu, the maid of honor, find themselves forced to spend the week together. The wedding week quickly turns into sneaking out, long overdue conversations....and, well, re-visiting *right* where they left off. ⛴️“I Wish I Knew Then” has forbidden “The Notebook” vibes, with a second chance romance, forced proximity, and off-the-charts chemistry. It’s a slow burn and book one of three of @jessicapauthor Harbour Village Series. This is a five star read for me and Bald Head Island is officially a new entry on my “Must Visit” list!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Top reviews from the United States

Angela
5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
An Absolutely sweet second chance steamy romance! This is a first time author for me and I liked her style!
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Brittany - Caffeine_and_Spice
4.0 out of 5 stars LOVE!
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
I Wish I Knew Then - Jessica Peterson
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏.

I'm a hoe for a good second chance romance and did this one deliver! Not only was the spice spicing, but the banter and the story was right up there! Right person, Wrong time along with the second chance. Sign me up!

“𝑨𝒊𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏’ 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔.”

Lu and Riley met at 18 and fell in love. Riley broke Lu's heart as well as his own by breaking up with her. They were from different worlds. Fast forward to the present and Riley built a life for himself to prove to Lu he could fit in. Last minute circumstance bring them back together to the small island town where it all started and they quickly realize the fire ever went out 🔥

“𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒚.”

🏖️Second Chance
🏖️Small Town
🏖️Forced Proximity
🏖️Boy Obsessed
2 people found this helpful
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EvieReadsEverything
5.0 out of 5 stars “𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐."
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
ATTN: Allie + Noah stans — “I Wish I Knew Then” is your next obsession! ✨

“𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏.”

In the small coastal town of Harbour Village, secrets (and a lotta spice) are simmering beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered. A decade ago, Luci’s world was rocked by Riley, her housekeeper’s son, who became her first love and her first heartbreak. Fast forward and they’re thrown back together, both changed by time and circumstance for their best friend’s wedding. Riley, now a self-made billionaire and the groom’s best man, and Lu, the maid of honor, find themselves forced to spend the week together. The wedding week quickly turns into sneaking out, long overdue conversations....and, well, re-visiting *right* where they left off. ⛴️

“I Wish I Knew Then” has forbidden “The Notebook” vibes, with a second chance romance, forced proximity, and off-the-charts chemistry. It’s a slow burn and book one of three of @jessicapauthor Harbour Village Series. This is a five star read for me and Bald Head Island is officially a new entry on my “Must Visit” list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Customer image
EvieReadsEverything
5.0 out of 5 stars “𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐."
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
ATTN: Allie + Noah stans — “I Wish I Knew Then” is your next obsession! ✨

“𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒖 𝑾𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏.”

In the small coastal town of Harbour Village, secrets (and a lotta spice) are simmering beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered. A decade ago, Luci’s world was rocked by Riley, her housekeeper’s son, who became her first love and her first heartbreak. Fast forward and they’re thrown back together, both changed by time and circumstance for their best friend’s wedding. Riley, now a self-made billionaire and the groom’s best man, and Lu, the maid of honor, find themselves forced to spend the week together. The wedding week quickly turns into sneaking out, long overdue conversations....and, well, re-visiting *right* where they left off. ⛴️

“I Wish I Knew Then” has forbidden “The Notebook” vibes, with a second chance romance, forced proximity, and off-the-charts chemistry. It’s a slow burn and book one of three of @jessicapauthor Harbour Village Series. This is a five star read for me and Bald Head Island is officially a new entry on my “Must Visit” list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Katie P
3.0 out of 5 stars Slower than slow burn
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
I really wanted to love this book because the reviews were so good but I ended up skimming and flat out skipping most of it after I was 30% through. It just creeeeeeped along, boringly slow, and the fact that Riley didn't just come clean when they started to hang out wasn't realistic. It got irritating and I ended up just skipping to the 2nd to last chapter to get the ending. If you like a really, REALLY sloooooow burn, this is for you. If not, I'd pass.
5 people found this helpful
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mkb_reads_
5.0 out of 5 stars Lu is me, I am Lu.
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
You meet Lu and Riley when they're 18 and having a secret relationship because they come from two different worlds. Riley breaks up withe her and she moves on with her life, and even gets engaged. When that falls apart she goes back to the island that holds so many memories. Ten years later when she reconnects with her summer love- Riley she realizes that she's lost herself along the way. Riley is supportive in every sense of the word. All he's done, all he's built is for her. He's a self-made billionaire, and he's ready to win her back. And that man will stop at nothing to prove she can trust him and has never stopped loving her.

I've never connected more with a character than Louise "Lu". She's insecure about her dream to write a cookbook, she's told herself that it's silly. Her mom's expectation have made her do things and not do things she once would've been unafraid to go for. She thought her mom wouldn't understand so she hid her dreams. She thought it'd embarrass or disappoint her mom. She let the world determine who she was. But Lu realizes she's done with second-guessing herself she found freedom.

This second chance romance had all the feels, and boy did I feel them!
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Boymama2011
4.0 out of 5 stars Such a good read
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved this second chance romance. This was my first novel by Jessica Peterson and it will not be my last. I absolutely adored Lu and Riley and their instant connection, and picking up on where they left off despite Lu attempting to hate and not fall for Riley again after the hurt she faced ten years ago.
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Lex Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this!
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
Such a wonderful read! The romance is real between Riley and Lu. They're absolutely perfect for each other. Can't wait to start getting into the other books in this series.
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julie booklover
4.0 out of 5 stars Small Town, Second Chances
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
A great start to a new series, if you like swoon worthy men, small town, second chance romances. The local is Bald Head, a small island town off the coast of North Carolina.

As with all small towns, there are no secrets, well maybe some secrets. It is not known how many knew of Riley and Lu’s love as teenagers, but we are all present as Riley tries to right his wrongs. The two are Best Man, and Maid of Honor for a friends wedding, as the two navigate their time together, learn of their lives the last ten years, and dreams.

I am looking forward to enjoying more books in this series.
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Top reviews from other countries

Jennifer Millar
5.0 out of 5 stars Take a chance on this second chance romance
Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
I Wish I Knew Then
By Jessica Peterson

It’s the first book in a new series. A small town romance set on an island off the coast of North Carolina. I googled it. It’s a real place that I now want to visit.

‘I Wish I Knew Then’ brings us the love story of Riley and Lou. It’s a second chance romance, a little bit enemies to lovers (on her side more than his), and a little bit of Romeo and Juliet.

Lou is the daughter of a wealthy family who summers on the island. Riley is the housekeeper’s son. They spent a wonderful summer together. But when summer ends, Riley breaks Lou’s heart with a little pressure from her family.
Ten years later, Lou has given up on her dreams, but she has done well for herself in the family business. She had a man her family approved of. She had the ‘perfect life’. Riley spent the last ten years working hard and building up his net worth to make himself ‘worthy’ of Lou. But believing she was happy, he stayed away.
But fate or the universe has other plans for them. A wedding of mutual friends brings them back together on the island. The best man and maid of honor really can’t avoid each other. And that’s where things get steamy. Very steamy !!!

I love Riley. He is a sweet guy who will do anything for the people he loves and he loves Lou. He was ready to support her dreams even when she wasn’t in his life. Riley lets her go when all he wants to do is hold her tight. He knew when to step back and let Lou figure out who she is and what she wants. It’s all about the journey and the ‘detours’ that make them who they are today and let them find their way back to each other.

Such a fun and spicy read. Love the world the Jessica created for us. The amazing cast of characters we are introduced to. The wedding couple, Goldie and Coup, a romance writer, a crazy aunt, Abel and I can’t wait for Maren and Tuck’s story which I think is up next.
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Claire
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh my goodness! Riley is the perfect guy!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
Loved this book! My first from Jessica but certainly not my last! Beautiful love story with minimal angst, great friendships, true love and amazing partners to help achieve all their dreams. Easy read that I couldn't put down. The sweet southern charm didn't hurt either 😘 Enjoy!
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Jackee
5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful love!
Reviewed in Australia on November 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
Riley and Lu are the life of this story and oh what a beautiful story.
The teenage love then 10 years apart and now discovering that love again is just the best story.
Jessica has done it again,her books are always engaging.
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Caroline
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute start to a series!
Reviewed in Canada on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Adored this second chance book! The perfect amount of spice and plot to round out this wonderful love story.

Loved how this couple tackled big conversations with maturity, and Riley, well he is a book boyfriend in a league of his own. He is the epitome of a dream man.

Such a fun and great story! Highly recommend!

Narration: Austin Stone and Charlotte North really brought it home with their southern accents. A++
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Karen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Second Chance Romance that gives you all the feels
Reviewed in Canada on October 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
I Wish I Knew Then
(Harbour Village #1)
By Jessica Peterson

Riley, welcome to my book boyfriend list!

Young love, your first kiss, your “first”, your everything…that was what Riley Dixon and Lu (Louise) Wade had that summer ten years ago. It was beautiful, it was something dreams were made of and at the end two hearts and two souls were left hurting and their feelings spiraling.

Louise has sworn she will never return to Bald Head Island because there was always the chance she’s run into Riley Dixon. Riley however wants to have one last talk with Louise, explain what happened and why that text was sent. Is there a chance his wish will come true? On the day Louise steps off the ferry and into Riley’s arms just might be the day kismet, the stars and cupid join up to allow them to clear the years of hurt, sadness and grief, and maybe just maybe she will hear his words, see what is in his eyes and finally realize everything he has done, he did for her.

I Wish I Knew Then, started out angsty. What happened wasn’t cut and dry, it was mean and nasty and I knew that eighteen year old Riley could never hurt Lu. I don’t think he could hurt anyone, that’s just what I saw in Riley. Lu had a pile of hurt to sort through. I broken engagement, a lot of self doubt and now he’s back in her life

What they had ten years ago has been simmering for about that long. His touch feels like a zing of electricity, his words bring back those memories of hot, steamy nights and his eyes, his smile, his words….oh his dirty dirty words! Thump Thump Thump!

I Wish I Knew Then has all my stars! Author Jessica Peterson gives us a second chance love story that hits you in the heart (or maybe that was cupid’s arrow). Riley and Lu have made their way to one of my top reads for 2023.
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