It Had to Be Love (It Had to be, #2)

by Tamra Baumann

Tara Carter isn’t looking for romance. She’s content seeing patients at her new practice by day, then going home and cuddling with her puppy at night. Her new life in the tiny town of Anderson Butte, Colorado—known by celebrities as the place to lie low—is the perfect respite for a woman with a whopper of a secret. There’s just one problem: the town’s sexy sheriff knows she’s hiding something.

Sheriff Ryan Anderson, weary of small-town drama, has sworn off dating locals and thinks a fresh start in a bigger city is in order. However, the more he gets to know Tara, the more his heart tells him that she could be the woman of his dreams. But he wants to get to the bottom of whatever she’s trying so hard to keep under wraps. Can he uncover her secret before it drives them apart forever?

• ISBN10: 1503945448
• ISBN13: 9781503945449
• Publish Date: 8 September 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Montlake Romance
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 286
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I was so excited to be back in Anderson Butte. This town is filled with so many colorful characters, there is never a dull moment. This It Had to Be book focuses on Ryan, the town sheriff and Tara, the town dentist. Ryan is struggle to move on from his past, so he can have the future he desires -- wife and family, while Tara is hiding from her past.

What I loved
Tara really grew on me. The more I learned about her and what she had been through and what she was willing to give up in order to protect the people she loved, the more I admired her. She had been through so much, I was able to forgive her reticence when it came to relationships.

Ryan has got to be the sweetest guy ever. He tried so hard to break out of his comfort zone to win Tara's heart. Some of the things he said had me swooning. And his physical description -- that had me drooling.

I adored getting to know Eric and grandma better in this book. Eric already won a piece of my heart in book 1 and he earned a little more real estate there in this book. Such a sweetie! and Ruth, aka Grandma, was just everything I hope to be when I am a more mature woman - a total firecracker. She never failed to bring a smile to my face.

The overall story was good too. The romance made me swoon, the drama kept my biting my nails and all the family/town interactions kept me grinning.

What I didn't love
Not much. The one thing I love, love, loved in book one, was when the Andersons interacted. I wish there had been more of that, but what there was, I liked.

Overall - I really enjoyed this book. It was swoony, cute, funny, and I cannot wait for the next one.

**I received this book from NetGalley