Can’t Stop Believing (Harmony #6) by Jodi Thomas
Romance Contemporary
June 4, 2013
Berkley

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “One heartbeat past forever, that’s how long I’ll love you.”

Welcome back.  Once again Ms. Thomas takes us back into Harmony, TX and submerges us in the lives and loves of this fictional town. In Can’t Stop Believing, we see the true meaning of forgiveness, second chances, and love.

Cord McDowell lost six years of his life when he went to prison at age eighteen for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, ten years later, he’s being asked to give up his freedom again. His last name for a piece of prime land.

Nevada Britain, Harmony’s premier wild child, needs Cord McDowell to marry her and offers up a 300 acres of land to sweeten the deal. She refuses to explain all the reasons why she needs him but Cord knows he’s getting the better end of the deal. He only has one condition. She has to sleep next to him every night while they are married.

As Cord and Nevada settle into their lives and pseudo marriage, Cord soon learns that Nevada’s reasons for wanting to marry him involve more than just saving her ranch. Someone wants Nevada to suffer for her choices in life. And if it takes her death to make her pay…so be it.

Ronnie never forgot Marty or the gifts he gave her, even after he disappeared from her life two years ago. When a mysterious man shows up and offers her a chance to see Marty again,  Ronnie begins the adventure of a lifetime. One that proves how wondrous and heartbreaking true love can be.

Jodi Thomas’s Harmony series remains one of my favorite romantic contemporary series to date. I adore the continuously evolving small town atmosphere and the eclectic characters who live there. Brimming with gossip, news of family, and well wishes; you find yourself waiting with anticipation for the next batch to arrive. A smoothly written romantic contemporary that goes beneath the facade of a small town and examines and reveals the love, laughter, pain, and heartbreak that resides within.

Mystery, suspense, and surprises build a solid storyline in this installment, creating an intriguing read that fills you with strong emotions as you watch those you have come to love fight through the pitfalls of life. Two main storylines build slowly and allow the players involved to deal with and heal past issues that have frozen them in a certain point of life. Ms. Thomas continues to create multi dimensional characters, expanding and evolving their lives and the world they live in. Not one of them is perfect though each one is a vibrant personality that takes command and dominates the scenes they are in. Ms. Thomas has such a wonderful gift for creating memorable and witty characters. She writes with such intimacy that we are instantly drawn back into their lives as if we never left. These are folks you can find anywhere. They are your friends and loved ones. I like we aren’t promised a happily ever after. The story always leaves off with the promise of more to come and that works because no one’s journey is ever truly over.

Strongly character driven; it’s the steady and humorous dialogue keeps you entertained and laughing throughout the book. We see old and new faces; each one an important part of the storyline. Martha Q is back and noisy as ever as her bed and breakfast is soon overrun with sleuthing widows, a vegetarian slob, and a mysterious man who peaks more than Martha’s curiosity. Beau’s found himself some “trouble” but as we soon learn, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Tyler and Kate have some fabulous news to share as bits and pieces of all the town residents make their way into the story, which rounds it out beautifully and left me satisfied though sad as one storyline concludes in a rather shocking way.

This series continues to delight me and I recommend it to everyone who wants a small town contemporary series with realistic characters, charming romances, strong friendships, and interesting lives that will have you waiting anxiously each new visit. Even though this could be read as a stand alone, I recommend reading the first in the series, Welcome To Harmony. This is a continuation and is written as such.

Rating: B+

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