With a busy life as a single mother, Joy Howard has her plate full. With an active teenager, working as a literacy tutor and painter to survive, romance is not even something she has time for. As they say, people come into your life for a reason. Love can come when you’re not looking.

One thing that Bo Beauman wasn’t in the market for was a girlfriend. However, when a breath of fresh air caught his attention and shined brighter than the son, he caught a glimpse of the possibility of letting someone into his complicated life. On the road to changing his life, being a counselor to fellow ex-cons and working to create a stable life, he is looking to go forward rather than backwards. Taking a chance, they both hit it off and despite their obvious differences, gives him a purpose and hope to look forward to.

As their interests grow, Joys starts to get random texts and phone calls from unknown callers. Uncertain who to trust, she struggles to cope with the situation and finds herself cautiously leaning towards Bo. As things escalate and the truth is uncovered, the boundaries of their potential relationship get pushed to define the possibilities that seemed like a limited future.

Sycamore Circle is the anticipated follow up to the initial book in The Rumors in Ross County series. Honestly, this is a tough one for me. I’m new to the series and wonder if reading the preceding book would have influenced my thoughts. This book not only introduced me to the author but this sequel comes anticipated from the first book. My issue isn’t with the plot of the book. As I was reading the book, I was waiting for that moment that just demanded an emotional investment. It just wasn’t there for me. I felt neutral but interested to see where it would take me. I loved the characters in the book and their storylines but I wish there had been more.

Bo and Joy were complicated and frustrating. Two different people that were destined to be together, I wish their relationship could’ve been more definitive and fleshed out. I wanted to fall in love with the redeemed man who deserved to prove he could love and be loved. The love/hate relationship with certain members of his family and when he had that call and request from his brother, I was so invested to see how that would play out because what they thought played a huge role in how he felt about himself. We saw how that was affected by his interest with Joy. If he would’ve gotten that moment alone with his brother, and got the acceptance that he was a changed man, that confidence would’ve transformed his insecurity of his self worth.

The transition of their situation is where I was stuck. I loved the two broken people coming together. I just wish there was a more cohesive emotional continuity to them. Yes, they had issues and trust problems that built and led them where they had to go but what were they? I get where some things can be inferred but their conflicted status between friends, wanting to date, and acquaintances is what disconnected me from wanting to love them. This perspective would've made this page turning for me.

The suspense element of the book was well played. I would’ve never expected that plot twist and that brought some excitement for me. I will say that part of the book to the end piqued my interest more with resolution with the epilogue.

Despite my thoughts, I’m going to go back and read book one and anticipate book three if there shall be to see if I feel differently. From reading how other readers felt about this book, they overwhelmingly loved it so I will definitely keep an open mind. If you are a fan of this series, I encourage you to check it out to see what it’s about because it has a good plot and for continuity with the series.

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