The Little Things by M. Jean Pike

The Little Things by M. Jean Pike
Publisher: White Rose Publishing, Pelican Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Inspirational
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

A decade ago, Rochelle Delany made a decision that changed her life forever.
Wanting more than just football games and potluck suppers, she boarded a bus for California and didn’t look back. But instead of a glamorous life, she became trapped in a nightmare of labor trafficking. Now, she’s made a daring escape and returns home to Ohio.

Sandy Fairbrother has a problem with trust.
Twice betrayed, he now puts his faith only in God. He’ s a single dad doing his best to grow his construction business and raise his young son. But haunted by an impulsive kiss Rochelle gave him fifteen years ago, her unexpected return has him rethinking things. He’ s been given a second chance to win her heart. And this time, he plans to succeed.

Rochelle barely remembers Sandy, but she’s drawn to his goodness. But just when she thinks she’s found peace, her past catches up with her, and she finds herself in danger of losing the only safe haven she’ s ever known.

Returning home to a small down in Ohio isn’t Rochelle’s first choice, and things quickly take a surprise turn!

I loved reading Ro and Sandy’s story! They live in a small town, giving the story that fun small-town charm, while keeping me glued to the pages with plenty of surprises! Sandy is a great character, and a wonderful father. I adored seeing him with Jace his young son, and seeing Jace with Gus! Gus is a bulldog and the bond Jace shares with him in this story is precious!

While this is a fun small town read, it does deal with the tough topics, include labor trafficking and broken families. I enjoyed seeing how the author wove these difficult yet daily issues into the story. It worked well in this one, and as Ro’s story unfolds I found myself drawn into the story more with each new twist! Author M. Jean Pike does a good job of talking about difficult issues with finesse and tact, keeping it subtle and with minimal detail will still alerting readers to the situation. I appreciated her efforts to both bring awareness to these issues while still providing readers with a clean and delightful read!

The romance was also wholesome and heartwarming in this one! It isn’t easy for either of them to trust after the bad hand life has dealt them, so seeing Sandy and Rochelle both overcome there past mistakes and betrayals, learning to work together. Their relationship is sort of a second chance romance, paired with the ‘girl-who-got-away’, so I enjoyed seeing them reunite early on the the story, and loved getting Sandy’s side of things, and especially loved seeing how he regarded his feelings for Jace when considering pursuing a relationship, wanting to be sure Jace has a good life as well. The blooming relationship in the story is a sweet one, and I enjoyed getting to meet these characters!