Always and Forever: A best friend's older brother, steamy small town romance

Julia Jarrett

Jun 2021 · Dogwood Cove Book 1 · Julia Jarrett

About this ebook

I left Dogwood Cove as a child eighteen years ago when Ethan Monroe was nothing more than my best friend’s older brother. 

Now I’m back and he’s so much more.

Gone is the boy I played hide and seek with, and in his place is the seriously hot, plaid-wearing, scruff-bearing, mayor of the small town we grew up in.

I’ve got trust issues that can’t be fixed easily and I didn’t come back here looking for love, but Ethan is determined to prove that coming home could be the start of the life I’ve always dreamed of.

Could he be the man to put my damaged heart back together for good? 

Always and Forever is perfect for fans of steamy small town romance, found family friend groups, cinnamon roll heroes, plenty of swoon, light hearted banter, quirky small town vibes, low angst and high heat love stories with a guaranteed HEA. It is a standalone, and the first full length novel in the Dogwood Cove series.    

This series is for fans of Melanie Harlow, Adriana Locke, Claire Kingsley, Lucy Score, Laura Pavlov, Tia Louise, Jami Albright, Kandi Steiner and more.

Ratings and reviews

I was so excited when I discovered Julia Jarrett started a new series, and when I got an ARC, I was ecstatic. Because let's be honest, Julia Jarrett always delivers! Always And Forever is the first book in the Dogwood Cove series. I adored Summer and Ethan, they are childhood friends, but they both discover other feelings than friendship when summer comes back after years. From their first contact, I was able to feel their connection and needed them together. Ethan is a fantastic hero, hot, swoony with a touch of alpha. Summer was so strong. I loved how she followed her heart. Like all Julia Jarrett novels, Forever And After brought up all the feels. Julia Jarrett always manages to let me feel everything that the characters feel, a feeling I'm addicted to. This is a small-town romance, so there were quite a few side characters that have gotten introduced. I'm already curious who will be the next couple in the series. I can't wait. From the first page, I was addicted to Always And Forever. I finished the book in less than If you love a small-town, friends to lovers, best friend brother romance that will give you all the feels but mainly will make you smile, this is a must-read for you. I received an ARC from the author and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I received an ARC of this book and this review is my own honest opinion. First up let me tell you how excited I was to read and find out that this book is set on Vancouver Island! Literally my favourite place on earth. It was so good to be emerged in the island where. COVID has stopped me travelling there, This book is one sweet, steamy romance. When Summer has to go back to her childhood home she discovers more than she bargained for. Slotting right back in to her place with her old friends from 20 years ago was so lovely. They made the sadness of her unexpected return bearable. Then there’s Ethan, the gorgeous handsome man and older brother of her best friend! I loved how he wanted to romance Summer first, but then the sex was hottttttt! This book was not only a lovely light read but it did have the added angst too. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend.

This is the 1st in a new series and is Ethan and Summer’s story. Summer left down many years before, but she has returned to their small town to sort out her estranged fathers will, and to try and figure out what to do with the rundown beachfront resort that she has inherited. Ethan is Summer’s best friends’ older brother, who is now the major, and he offers to help Summer fix up the place. There is an instant connection between these two, and I loved how their relationship evolved from friends to more. This is a beautifully written story which is sweet, emotional, and a perfect small town romance story. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

About the author

Julia Jarrett is a busy mother of two boys, a happy wife to her real-life book boyfriend and the owner of a rescue dog from Guatemala and another one from Taiwan. She lives on the West Coast of Canada and when she isn’t writing contemporary romance novels full of relatable heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, she loves to run, practice yoga, drink wine and read.