Louise Wade and Riley Dixon secretly fell in love the summer before her freshman year of college. She was visiting her grandparents at their summer home on North Carolina's Bald Head Island, where his mother worked as their housekeeper. Lu had visions of forever with Riley, but instead he broke her heart when he texted her to end their relationship shortly after she left for school. Ten years later, Lu is working through another heartbreak after being dumped by her cheating fiance as well as facing the prospect of returning to Bald Head for the first time in ten years. She's the maid of honor in her best friend's "shotgun wedding," and the best man has called in a favor to find the happy couple a last-minute venue on the island. What Lu doesn't realize until she arrives is that the best man is none other than Riley, who is now a self-made billionaire. After the initial fireworks, Lu decides to play it cool to prove that she's moved on. But when Riley finds out that she's single, he hatches a plan to win her back.
They may have been apart for a decade, but Riley and Lu's chemistry was still very much alive when they met up again upon her return to the island. In fact, their chemistry was so white hot that I thought my Kindle might spontaneously combust during some of the steamy scenes! Beyond that, they were both likeable protagonists and seemed well matched despite their vastly different backgrounds. Even though she grew up in a wealthy family, Lu was very down to earth, and they both had a strong work ethic. It was easy to see why they were so drawn to each other.
I highly recommend "I Wish I Knew Then" for all steamy contemporary romance fans and look forward to the next book in the series.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "I Wish I Knew Then"
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 Harbor Village Series.
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