A Small Town Memory

by Melinda Curtis

Jess shows up in Harmony Valley looking for her past. Specifically her husband or boyfriend. She is pregnant and had been in a car accident and lost her memory—retrograde amnesia. Seeing a newspaper clipping of the staff at the winery in Harmony Valley stirs her memory when she sees a familiar looking man. She meets him and discovers that he is not the baby’s father, Greg, but is his twin, Duffy.

Jess spent her childhood in a variety of homeless situations before her mother abandoned her to foster care, a loveless situation that left Jess longing for family and averse to anything that smacked of charity.

Harmony Valley could use a good bakery and coffee shop and Jess is a talented baker. Quitting her job and relocating to a new town when she is seven months pregnant, however, is a huge step to even consider.

I don’t want to include the many complications to the story that would be spoilers. Author Melinda Curtis does a great job of creating the scenarios and characters in A Small Town Memory. Duffy has good reasons for not wanting to have anything to do with Jess as do his parents. The elderly residents of Harmony Valley range from a curmudgeon with a shotgun to some sweet, nosy women who don’t mind encouraging romance while trying to save their town.

There are valuable lessons about giving and receiving kindness, forgiveness, and strength of character. Trust and family are also  prominent themes. The protagonists, Jess and Duffy, are likable characters with hurts in their pasts. Goldie is a cute, spunky little dog that Duffy fosters. She teaches him that there are positives to responsibilities. The ever present silent character is “Baby,” as Jess refers to her unborn little one, saying things like “Baby doesn’t like spicy food.” The author describes the little one’s movements: “Baby bounced eagerly in her belly, ready for a sugar fix.” Duffy even learns to accept his neighbor Eunice with her gifts of odd foods and nosiness. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Notes: 1. #6 in the Love in Harmony Valley Series. It could be a standalone because the focus is on the new characters introduced in the series with previous characters just forming a background

    2.  This book is Jess and Duffy’s story.

Publication:  June 20, 2023—Franny Beth Books

Memorable Lines:

Jessica’s heart wrenched. She would have loved to have been a part of a large family with a business like this one. She longed for such history. For family traditions and favorite recipes. For the simple state of belonging.

They drove to the vet’s office. Goldie rode on the truck’s center console as if she’d been riding in trucks all her life. For such a froufrou-looking dog, she had chutzpah.

Rose had rejection in her tone before the rejection ever came. “We’re so old, we don’t even buy green bananas. Taking in a pet at this point in our lives wouldn’t be wise.”