[Arcadia Creek]: A Series Review

Hi y’all!

Hello bookish friends! Sometimes I take unintentional breaks from reviewing. And this past little while has been one of those breaks. Life is full, busy, hectic, exhausting, beautiful and so rewarding. I hope you are finding joy in your life right now!

I am thrilled to share my series review of the Arcadia Creek series by Kasey Stockton! I recently binged the entire series and loved them all! I just adore this small town of Arcadia Creek for all the quirks and the endearing moments. This series is full of heart, hope, and beautiful love stories.

Book Summaries: Love on Deck “He calls it fake dating, but she calls it being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Lauren Foley and Jack Fletcher already tried to be amicable once—on a blind date that ended in complete disaster. Now, years later, they have to put up with each other for the sake of her sister and his best friend, who are eloping on a cruise to the Bahamas. But that’s not the worst of it. No, Lauren’s in even deeper water when she finds herself agreeing to play Jack’s fake girlfriend for the duration of the cruise. Now the only thing on her mind is trying not to strangle him when he dials up the charm, but it becomes harder to remember exactly why she ever hated him in the first place. Jack, on the other hand, is enjoying the perks. Until the cruise lands on American soil again and real life hits them square in the face. Lauren is up for a promotion at work, and Jack promised her something that would secure it. But promises are easily broken, vacation life doesn’t always translate to the real world, and sometimes enemies start that way for a reason. Book one in the Arcadia Creek romance series, Love on Deck is a fake dating enemies-to-lovers story with forced proximity and a happily ever after.”

Falling in Line “Break my heart once, shame on you. Break my heart twice? Nope. Not gonna let that happen.Tucker’s heart was broken, stomped on, chewed up and spit back out. But that was five years ago. He’s had time and space to come to terms with being left behind, to heal his heart. It’s helped that June has stayed away from Arcadia Creek. Except now . . . she’s back. She says she’s here to stay. But old wounds don’t heal as smoothly the second time. And Tucker isn’t about to trust June again. No matter how hard she tries.“

Recipe for Rivals “She thought she could steer clear of romance in a town full of cowboys, but then she met the fireman. After signing divorce papers and leaving her New York life behind, Nova Walker needs a refuge. She finds it in small town Texas with her Aunt Gigi, along with the opportunity to earn her keep working in Gigi’s diner. Since she’s going to Arcadia Creek, Nova expects the cowboys, but she doesn’t expect the extremely attractive firefighter who—living up to his fiery title—seems to butt heads with her at every turn.

With his charm and cocky attitude, Dusty Hayes—as hickish as they come in this backwater place—has a knack for pushing Nova’s buttons and propelling her competitiveness into overdrive. Friendly battling with Dusty gives her a break from her insurmountable trials, but though his antics soon change from teasing to flirting, Nova can’t allow her walls to crumble. Because the last time they did, she lost everything. And with two small kids depending on her, Nova will never allow that to happen again. Book three in the Arcadia Creek romance series, Recipe for Rivals is a competition-based enemies-to-lovers story with a single mom, a fire fighter, and plenty of banter.”

The characters are so lovely in this series. Well rounded, complex, relatable and easy to cheer for. I was invested in each love story from the first pages. Loved the characters surrounding the main characters in each story too. The relationships and family dynamics were so fun and I loved seeing the people of Arcadia Creek support, lift and heal together.

Lauren was such a great character to get to know. She has a difficult and complicated past. She’s had to grow up faster than kids should. And she is now successful. But is she happy? I loved seeing her open up to Jack and realize her own worth and value. I loved seeing how easily she fits into Jacks family and how much meaning she finds in her life once she is connected to him and to Arcadia Creek. Jack was probably my favorite character in the book (besides his darling mom!). I loved how he isn’t the enemy Lauren thinks he is. His side of the story from their disastrous first date was the first step in really getting to know him. He is kind, loyal and tenderhearted. I loved watching him take care of Lauren and show her how amazing she is. They are so great together!Lauren and Jack are surrounded by such a fun cast of characters. I loved Jacks small town Texas family especially his sweet mom and his relationships with his brothers. I also enjoyed getting to know Lauren’s sister and her husband (who is also Jacks best friend). Seeing those sisters, who have been through so much, really understand each other and build a stronger relationship was so lovely.
I was invested in June and Tucker and their love story from the first pages of this one. Loved the characters surrounding them too — June’s dad (stubborn, healing in more ways than one and so loyal), Nellie (mother figure, feisty, second chance on love for her too), Tucker’s family especially his mom who I love (loved seeing her work through forgiveness and grace in this one) also I would love a book for Colt — the baby brother!! Loved seeing Lauren and Jack in this one and seeing how happy and content they are in their future.
Absolutely loved Nova and Dusty! Loved their banter. Loved their rivalry. Loved their love. The way they both fall for each other so quickly is so beautiful. And I love how they build each other up and help each other see their value and worth. Dusty cares for Nova in the sweetest ways and I loved how he protects and cherishes both her and her kids. Nova is a fantastic single mom protagonist. I loved getting to know her and admired her strength, patience and incredible work ethic for her kids. Her motherhood is authentic and beautiful.

Kasey does such a beautiful job incorporating difficult topics into her stories with grace and tact. There are some heavier topics in these stories including loss of parents, a manipulative husband, abandonment, discussions of drug addiction and overdose and domestic abuse. These topics give her characters added depth and relatability. They aren’t perfect but they are trying to be good people. Lauren has experienced a lot of grief and works hard to be successful. I loved seeing her reach for true happiness. Tucker and June both made mistakes and are healing together. Seeing them give their love a chance again and fight for their love was so beautiful! And Nova & Dusty both have difficult experiences in their pasts. Seeing them move forward and build joy together was so beautiful. Kasey does a beautiful job including difficult topics. In fact, they add depth to her stories while not overpowering them. And I loved the beautiful messages of faith and hope at the center of each of these books.

These stories have some of my favorite tropes in them. Those include:
*Enemies to Lovers
*Forced Proximity
*Fake Dating
*Second Chance
*Single Parent Romance
*Fantastic Banter
*Found Family
All of these tropes are beautifully done and make these stories impossible to put down. The fake dating has the perfect combination of tension and chemistry. The banter is fantastic in all three books. The second chance romance is beautiful and healing. The found family is endearing and loyal. The single parent romance is absolutely beautiful. The protection, loyalty, forgiveness, tenderness, and love are just lovely. I love a book with great banter, complex characters and beautiful love stories. This series boasts three such books!

I have fallen in love with Arcadia Creek! I hope Kasey will continue to add more books to the series. I don’t want it to end! A fantastic series — highly recommend!