What Matters Most by Courtney Walsh: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

Emma Woodson is hoping the cobblestone streets of Nantucket and the charm of her late husband’s family cottage will be the fresh start she and her young son, CJ, need. Securing a dream job at an art gallery is one more step along the path to a new life . . . and away from a piece of her history she hopes will never be revealed. Falling in love with the kind and handsome guy she hires to clean out the rental apartment above the garage wasn’t part of the plan.

Jameson Shaw came to Nantucket for one reason: deliver his letter to Emma and never return. But when he sees an opportunity to help her, he takes a chance, desperate to atone for his past. He never planned to keep his connection to her husband a secret or to fall in love with her. After all, he knows that their new relationship might not survive the discovery of who he really is.

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes small town romance and women's fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists. Her novel, Just Let Go, won the Carol Award in 2019 and Just One Kiss was a 2020 Christy Award Finalist.

A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.

Connect with Courtney online at her website (courtneywalshwrites.com) or on any of these social media platforms:

Facebook.com/courtneywalshwrites

Instagram.com/courtneywalsh

What Matters Most is the third Nantucket Love Story book, but can definitely be read just fine as a standalone. 

There are certain books that really live up to the idea that 'you can't judge a book by its cover', and this one was certainly one of those. Looking at the cover, one might expect that this was simply a light hearted summer romance. In reality it is so much more than that. This is one that will have you reaching for the tissues, while also keep you swooning at the romance too. 

I must admit, at times I was a little unsure about the romance between Emma and Jamie. First, it was definitely a quick one. Typically that doesn't bother me at all, but I think in this particular case because Emma was still so heavy in the grief for her husband, I questioned it a bit more. Likewise, they had a pretty major obstacle to overcome, and I wondered if it was truly possibly to overcome it quite the quickly... but then, that's the joy of a good romance--- they don't really have to be what we might expect, and truthfully no one ever knows how falling in love will happen. Though my head questioned a few things about the story, I found myself all in and completely invested in this story, and ultimately really enjoyed every last minute. 

If you enjoy a good romance, this is certainly one to check out.