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book notes
title: Love Notes (Harmony Lake)author: Lisa Henry
series: Harmony Lake
published: 6.26.2025
publisher: self-published
Source: client
genre(s): lgbtqia+, romance
pages: 165
format: manuscript
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
| series rating: the blurb
Two hearts, one Can a quiet woodworker and a struggling author carve out a love story together?
Ryan Devlin loves his life in Caldwell Crossing. His career as a woodworker is fulfilling, and his close-knit group of friends are like brothers to him. Ryan is quiet and introverted and not interested in making changes to his life and his routines—not when he still struggles with memories of childhood bullying and feelings of inadequacy. But when his sister needs to relocate a short-stay guest because of a plumbing emergency at her rental house and asks to use Ryan’s cabin, how can he say no?
Adam Nelson comes to Caldwell Crossing to finish writing the latest book in his cozy murder mystery series—after the last one was trashed in a viral review. He needs peace and quiet and to be left undisturbed. So why can’t he stay away from the handsome woodworker whose workshop is next door to the gorgeous lakeside cabin he’s staying in?
As Ryan and Adam connect and their friendship shifts into something more, can they decide whether to trust their growing feelings and put their faith into the fate that brought them together?
Love Notes contains an introverted, dyslexic woodworker, a writer pretending to his agent that everything is under control, found family, best friends, and a cat with no name.
a few notes
trigger warning: ❗some graphic violence❗
POV: 1st person; dual
setting: Caldwell Crossing
keywords/phrases: trust, family, friends
tropes: happy ending, forced proximity
spice: 2/5🔥🔥
language: 0/5
mood reading: in the mood for cozy romance with a beautiful setting and interesting characters.
bonus points: great friends, the sweet subplot of mentorship, good representation of dyslexia and dyscalculia
my review
Note: Love Notes is a standalone within the multi-author Harmony Lake series.
This was a such a sweet story, without being saccharine, a touch of steam to offset the sweet. The main characters are both wonderful, individually and together. And the setting is the quintessential small town, full of interesting people and cozy vibes.
I loved the way they each showed their feelings for one another. For Ryan, it was in the creation of beautiful little carvings… the perfect little flower or a quirky alien. For Adam, it was in little love notes. The love notes become a central focus for the story, with Ryan having both dyslexia and dyscalculia. I do wish that aspect of the story had been explored a little more, as I feel like it informed Ryan’s character more than what was expressed. But I still loved the representation of it.
It’s a perfect read for when you want something not too long, something that will give you all the good feels.
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