TIMID (Lark Cove #2) by DEVNEY PERRY

‘Year after year of watching, it was sufficient to say that I’d become an expert on all things Jackson Page.’

Timid is the second book in the Lark Cove series and we couldn’t wait to get back especially as this is Jackson and Willa’s story. We love Devney Perry for so many reasons. Not only does she write addictive stories with lovable characters. She also manages to combine a certain innocence with heat and drama, and just the right amount of angst. We always feel like we’re right there in the moment of the story where the scenery and vivid imagery takes hold. Her characters have such depth and as the story moves along and each layer is shed we truly get to know them.

“You missed your chance,” I whispered. “I have to let you go.”

We remember Jackson fondly from book one in this series where we learnt of snippets of his childhood. He’s a gorgeous mountain man with endless loyalty and a protective instinct. However, he’s also a bit of an arse and a womanizer. Jackson had to work hard to win the love he wholeheartedly deserves but once he lost his ‘blinkers’ he made sure he didn’t let it slip away and we loved him for it.

‘One day, Willa would realize I wasn’t anything special and I couldn’t give her what she needed.’

Willa is a tremendous character. She’s got an endearing innocence, an abundance of love to give, and an inner calm and strength to be reckoned with. She’s a hopeless romantic who refuses to settle for less. When the love she’s craved for a decade is finally reciprocated and it comes with real emotional turmoil and obstacles thrown in she has to truly fight for her heart.

‘She’d done it again. She said things that made my heart beat too hard. She said things that made me unable to speak.’

The romance in Timid is absolutely wonderful, it doesn’t come easy and has to be worked for by both Jackson and Willa. It did lose its way for us for a while after a strong beginning, however, it grabbed us again with a powerful twist we never saw coming, and an end that was just perfect. What we really loved about this story is the strength of the female character in Willa and the vulnerability in Jackson. Devney Perry is a brilliant storyteller and we cannot wait to move onto the next book in this series, Tragic.

“It’s easy to love someone when times are good. Real love is about holding on to one another when times aren’t.”