Thinking 'Bout You by Claire Hastings Published by Claire Hastings on March 23, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Romance / Rock Stars, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 308
Format: eBook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback
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To the world, he's Dustin Wild, country star with a megawatt smile and a voice smooth as whiskey. To me, he'll always be Dustin Wilder, the small-town boy who stole my heart...then broke it.
It's been seven years since Dustin rolled out of our rural Georgia town, chasing his dream, promising he'd be back. Except that never happened. Instead, he topped the charts, trading in our future plans for a life that didn't involve me at all.
I thought I'd moved on. Until the town busybodies invite Dustin back to Hickory Hills to perform at the annual Rhythm and Brews Festival.
All I can do is swoon when he says my name or flashes me that smile. And by the way he's looking at me, my heart can't help but hope he feels the same.
I've got my eyes wide open this time, and I won't let him hurt me again.
That is, until ghosts from our past have something to say about our second chance.
While the “romance” in this book was in my opinion lacking, I did like the main characters and the secondary characters truly piqued my interest enough to push on through the series. ~ Sharon – Simply Love Books
Reviewers note: While I had issues with this book, the secondary characters made me want to read more so I continued this series. I also liked the characters in this book, but the situation between them to be honest ticked me off a lot, like a lot, a lot. So if you chose to read this one just know that I have now read the rest of the series and started on the companion series and I enjoyed them much more than this one. Again not because of the characters per se, but because of the character’s actions (yep, both of them).
I love small town series and I love a series that revolves around family and found family, so on the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Thinking ‘Bout You by Claire Hastings. I immediately got caught up in the town of Hickory Hills and the residents (although the old lady gossip mongers need to mind their own damn business).
Country music sensation Dustin Wild (Dusty Wilder) is headed back home to headline the Rhythm and Brews festival and he hopes to reclaim the girl (now woman) he left behind almost a decade ago. In high school Dustin and Kenzie were the “couple goals” couple and seemed to have it all figured out until one day a talent scout handed him a card and said to call him and with Kenzie’s blessing he did. He left home for Nashville promising to come back or have Kenzie join him but it never happened. Here is my issue with the story; he got so caught up in becoming a star, recording, touring, opening a bar with his name attached and he never had down time to make a damn phone call or get on a plane to see the woman he was supposedly so in love with. Hell, he flew his Mama out to see him; he couldn’t do the same for Kenzie? So nope, I don’t buy this part of the story and I also don’t buy the part where this “rock star” as all his friends call him lived a chaste life while becoming famous. Yeah, I just spoiled that for you so you don’t have to roll your eyes and call bullsh*t when you read it. He freaking LEFT HER, little contact, then no contact and so when he started appearing with models, actresses, and other musicians she just figured they were done. Who the F*CK does that to someone they supposedly love and supposedly still love when they return?
Meanwhile Kenzie got her degree and took over the town library. She intended to become a teacher but the town needed a librarian so she got her library science degree. Her beloved dad has been diagnosed with cancer and the town is using the proceeds from the festival to help pay for his medical bills which is why Dustin is coming home after all these years. Kenzie has two friends who are more like sisters and two men (twins) who along with Dustin completed their friend group and have stood by her and helped her through when Dustin ghosted her and while they are still friendly with Dustin, they are concerned about Kenzie. Kenzie is determined not to let Dustin’s return interfere with her life but unfortunately she doesn’t stick to that because the memories of their good times, and her traitorous body (ugh) want him today as much as they did back then. Add her scheming Dad and friends and she didn’t stand a chance.
Was this a love conquers all story? Maybe, but for me it was yet another book billed as a romance where the heroine was treated like absolute sh*t and she lets the guy get away with it because of their shared history. Dustin never really apologized or even really explained why he ghosted her and never came back until now. Thankfully Kenzie didn’t sit around and wait for Dustin (if she had this would have been 2 stars) and even had a semi-regular hook-up with a guy in town who was super chill when she and Dustin got back together and he deserves to find “the one” for that action alone.
While the “romance” in this book was in my opinion lacking, I did like the main characters and the secondary characters truly piqued my interest enough to push on through the series.