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In the Long Run
Free-spirited and easygoing Taylor Vandenberg left her hometown of Faircombe, Tennessee as soon as she could, and in the twenty-five years since, she has rarely looked back. She wouldn’t change anything about how her life has turned out – having traveled to nearly every country, never staying anywhere long enough to feel stifled. Very few things can hold her attention back in Faircombe: her sister/best friend, her precocious niece, and perhaps the prospect of riling up Brooke Watson.
Brooke has known Taylor for her entire life, given that her best friend is Taylor’s younger brother. And a lifelong knowledge of Taylor means that Brooke knows she’s trouble: irresponsible, takes nothing seriously, and is irritatingly attractive. Unlike Taylor, Brooke loves their town so much that she’s spent her adult life dedicated to making sure it doesn’t get swept away like many of the other declining small cities of the American South. Faircombe means the world to her, and she’s willing to do just about anything to make sure it flourishes.
Even if it means working with Taylor, whose path seems to continuously be crossing with Brooke’s everywhere she turns…
Brooke has known Taylor for her entire life, given that her best friend is Taylor’s younger brother. And a lifelong knowledge of Taylor means that Brooke knows she’s trouble: irresponsible, takes nothing seriously, and is irritatingly attractive. Unlike Taylor, Brooke loves their town so much that she’s spent her adult life dedicated to making sure it doesn’t get swept away like many of the other declining small cities of the American South. Faircombe means the world to her, and she’s willing to do just about anything to make sure it flourishes.
Even if it means working with Taylor, whose path seems to continuously be crossing with Brooke’s everywhere she turns…
443 pages, Unknown Binding
First published November 19, 2021
720 people are currently reading
6341 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews
September 18, 2022
**'Patience, skillful writing and commitment will either have you telling a really good story or faking telling one but you have to try because readers will know if you're making a fool of them...'
4.5stars!
Such a well written and intoxicating story from Ms. Cass. A highly recommended book!
4.5stars!
Such a well written and intoxicating story from Ms. Cass. A highly recommended book!
November 21, 2021
Leave or stay?
I don't know about you, but to me, the name "Haley Cass" alone on a book is close to a guarantee of a fantastic story. So I downloaded the book on release day and read it immediately without so much as stopping to check out the blurb first. No regrets! Cass has a knack for writing romances and I was hooked.
The characters are complete opposites and I can't decide who I like better because they are interesting in their own ways. Taylor is a travel blogger who can't settle in a place for long. She's carefree and acts like a hippie despite being 44 years old. Brooke is 4 years younger, the city manager of their hometown of Faircombe, Tennessee and prefers the predictable and routine lifestyle. The premise is that Brooke and Taylor have known each other for 25 years through Taylor's brother who is Brooke's best friend but they never keep in contact. While they aren't exactly friends, they are still considered "something" to each other when they bump into one another in San Diego one day. Taylor is later brought back to Faircombe for reasons and into Brooke's life.
I love the way Brooke and Taylor behave when they are together. Taylor flirts and teases and pushes all of Brooke's buttons. Brooke scowls at her all the time but we all know the truth is that Brooke has been in love with Taylor since forever. The chemistry is off the charts and the intense love declarations are so worth waiting for.
I must say, I'm not normally a big fan of small town romances but this one is different. Cass changed my mind about them. The entire town is a pull factor for Taylor to stay on, not just Brooke or Taylor's family. And I just love the idea that Faircombe is warm and charming and everyone is family.
I think this book has a slight issue with pacing, but this is only a minor detail in the grander scheme of things. As usual, Cass delivered a story I just couldn't put down.
I don't know about you, but to me, the name "Haley Cass" alone on a book is close to a guarantee of a fantastic story. So I downloaded the book on release day and read it immediately without so much as stopping to check out the blurb first. No regrets! Cass has a knack for writing romances and I was hooked.
The characters are complete opposites and I can't decide who I like better because they are interesting in their own ways. Taylor is a travel blogger who can't settle in a place for long. She's carefree and acts like a hippie despite being 44 years old. Brooke is 4 years younger, the city manager of their hometown of Faircombe, Tennessee and prefers the predictable and routine lifestyle. The premise is that Brooke and Taylor have known each other for 25 years through Taylor's brother who is Brooke's best friend but they never keep in contact. While they aren't exactly friends, they are still considered "something" to each other when they bump into one another in San Diego one day. Taylor is later brought back to Faircombe for reasons and into Brooke's life.
I love the way Brooke and Taylor behave when they are together. Taylor flirts and teases and pushes all of Brooke's buttons. Brooke scowls at her all the time but we all know the truth is that Brooke has been in love with Taylor since forever. The chemistry is off the charts and the intense love declarations are so worth waiting for.
I must say, I'm not normally a big fan of small town romances but this one is different. Cass changed my mind about them. The entire town is a pull factor for Taylor to stay on, not just Brooke or Taylor's family. And I just love the idea that Faircombe is warm and charming and everyone is family.
I think this book has a slight issue with pacing, but this is only a minor detail in the grander scheme of things. As usual, Cass delivered a story I just couldn't put down.
November 21, 2021
4.5⭐️ – Haley Cass hasn’t released a lot of books yet but I’m always looking forward to the next one, and it’s been like this from the beginning, right after Those Who Wait. Her writing is refreshing and dynamic, and, combined with the stories she chooses to tell, it gives me all the feels. And I know that whatever happens, I will root for the characters.
Brooke Watson is very good at her job but when it comes to talking about it in front of hundreds of people, not so much. Especially when she’s asked at the last minute to fill in for someone else at the conference. Then has to give her own presentation too. Could the day get any worse? When Taylor Vandenberg materialises in front of her, Brooke’s body reacts the way it has in these circumstances since she was twelve: with unwanted yet undeniable attraction. Taylor left Faircombe, Tennessee, as soon as she could to go discover the world and at forty-four is still as enthusiastic about her travels as ever. Meeting her brother’s best friend far from home is unexpected but welcome. Making Brooke smile, even as she can’t help teasing her, has always been an especially gratifying challenge. They’re grownups now though, and maybe the teasing and smiling hold more weight? Especially when, for the first time since she left twenty-five years ago, Taylor finds herself in Faircombe for more than a couple of days.
I wasn’t sure about Taylor at first. She sounded fun but a tad too pushy for my taste. She grew on me very quickly though, as I realised the word that kept coming to mind in relation to her was tenderness. There’s a lot of tenderness in the way Taylor looks at Brooke and thinks of her. I also believe one of the reasons Brooke gets so upset at how Taylor teases her and makes fun of her grumpiness and seriousness is probably because these traits of her own personality irritate her, and she can’t get herself to trust that Taylor actually finds them endearing.
As far as she can remember, or at least since she was twelve, Taylor’s mere presence nearby has always affected Brooke. And as much as she wants to dislike Taylor and what she represents – freedom? –, Brooke can’t help but want her. The feeling is mutual, even though Taylor is a lot more honest with herself about it. Brooke denying herself, fighting the attraction, makes the moments she surrenders even sexier. Cass plays off the contrast between tactile Taylor and Brooke’s aloofness splendidly.
Haley Cass writes extremely romantic stories, and In the Long Run is no exception. Brooke isn’t seen as romantic by most people, but Taylor knows better. Romantic gestures aren’t necessarily grand gestures, it’s also in the little things, the attention. I used the word tenderness above, Cass casts a very affectionate eye on her characters (main and secondary), and it makes them all the more lovable.
The best scenes, for me, are when both Taylor and Brooke are on the page at the same time, and thankfully, we get a lot of that. Not that the rest of the book isn’t interesting, it sets the scene and shows the characters’ layers. But their interactions are delightful. I love that they’ve known each other their whole life and know one another so well but still discover things about the other.
As I’ve come to expect from Haley Cass’s books, I loved the MCs but there are a few secondary characters that absolutely deserve to be mentioned as well. Taylor’s siblings Ben and Savannah, Taylor’s niece Jo, Brooke’s assistant Marisa, the town gossips, the cats… They’re all part of Taylor and Brooke’s journey.
My only real issue with this book is that it’s too long. Haley Cass doesn’t write short books and while it’s not a weakness per se – I’m not asking for less story –, some parts could have been a little tighter, less wordy.
I also want to mention one scene that really resonated with me as a reviewer, and I’ll try not to spoil it too much. Taylor documents her travels on her website, and her readers follow her recommendations. At one point she explains to Brooke that the reason they do is that they trust her. And she can’t let her heart, her history, her desire to please someone she cares about interfere. It’s a feeling I’m familiar with, because let’s be honest, when you’ve been reviewing for a while, you interact with authors, and along the way, you find that you like some as people, beyond their books, sometimes more than their books. Some even become friends, because we’re all human, and we have books and more specifically sapphic fiction in common. And once in a while, you find yourself having to review a book by one of them. And you can’t let whatever you think of them, positive or negative, influence that review. Because there are people who trust you to be fair and honest and to let your personal feelings aside. You owe them that fairness and that honesty. You owe it to the authors (I find that I’m often harsher with my friends’ books, actually, which isn’t fair to them either) but first and foremost to the readers. So yes, Taylor’s words echoed very precisely with my own experience. And I hope that, like her, I succeed in giving every book I read a fair chance, no matter who wrote it.
Back to this particular book. With In the Long Run, Haley Cass gives us, once again, lovely characters, and a heartwarming story of coming home when you least expect it.
Brooke Watson is very good at her job but when it comes to talking about it in front of hundreds of people, not so much. Especially when she’s asked at the last minute to fill in for someone else at the conference. Then has to give her own presentation too. Could the day get any worse? When Taylor Vandenberg materialises in front of her, Brooke’s body reacts the way it has in these circumstances since she was twelve: with unwanted yet undeniable attraction. Taylor left Faircombe, Tennessee, as soon as she could to go discover the world and at forty-four is still as enthusiastic about her travels as ever. Meeting her brother’s best friend far from home is unexpected but welcome. Making Brooke smile, even as she can’t help teasing her, has always been an especially gratifying challenge. They’re grownups now though, and maybe the teasing and smiling hold more weight? Especially when, for the first time since she left twenty-five years ago, Taylor finds herself in Faircombe for more than a couple of days.
I wasn’t sure about Taylor at first. She sounded fun but a tad too pushy for my taste. She grew on me very quickly though, as I realised the word that kept coming to mind in relation to her was tenderness. There’s a lot of tenderness in the way Taylor looks at Brooke and thinks of her. I also believe one of the reasons Brooke gets so upset at how Taylor teases her and makes fun of her grumpiness and seriousness is probably because these traits of her own personality irritate her, and she can’t get herself to trust that Taylor actually finds them endearing.
As far as she can remember, or at least since she was twelve, Taylor’s mere presence nearby has always affected Brooke. And as much as she wants to dislike Taylor and what she represents – freedom? –, Brooke can’t help but want her. The feeling is mutual, even though Taylor is a lot more honest with herself about it. Brooke denying herself, fighting the attraction, makes the moments she surrenders even sexier. Cass plays off the contrast between tactile Taylor and Brooke’s aloofness splendidly.
Haley Cass writes extremely romantic stories, and In the Long Run is no exception. Brooke isn’t seen as romantic by most people, but Taylor knows better. Romantic gestures aren’t necessarily grand gestures, it’s also in the little things, the attention. I used the word tenderness above, Cass casts a very affectionate eye on her characters (main and secondary), and it makes them all the more lovable.
The best scenes, for me, are when both Taylor and Brooke are on the page at the same time, and thankfully, we get a lot of that. Not that the rest of the book isn’t interesting, it sets the scene and shows the characters’ layers. But their interactions are delightful. I love that they’ve known each other their whole life and know one another so well but still discover things about the other.
As I’ve come to expect from Haley Cass’s books, I loved the MCs but there are a few secondary characters that absolutely deserve to be mentioned as well. Taylor’s siblings Ben and Savannah, Taylor’s niece Jo, Brooke’s assistant Marisa, the town gossips, the cats… They’re all part of Taylor and Brooke’s journey.
My only real issue with this book is that it’s too long. Haley Cass doesn’t write short books and while it’s not a weakness per se – I’m not asking for less story –, some parts could have been a little tighter, less wordy.
I also want to mention one scene that really resonated with me as a reviewer, and I’ll try not to spoil it too much. Taylor documents her travels on her website, and her readers follow her recommendations. At one point she explains to Brooke that the reason they do is that they trust her. And she can’t let her heart, her history, her desire to please someone she cares about interfere. It’s a feeling I’m familiar with, because let’s be honest, when you’ve been reviewing for a while, you interact with authors, and along the way, you find that you like some as people, beyond their books, sometimes more than their books. Some even become friends, because we’re all human, and we have books and more specifically sapphic fiction in common. And once in a while, you find yourself having to review a book by one of them. And you can’t let whatever you think of them, positive or negative, influence that review. Because there are people who trust you to be fair and honest and to let your personal feelings aside. You owe them that fairness and that honesty. You owe it to the authors (I find that I’m often harsher with my friends’ books, actually, which isn’t fair to them either) but first and foremost to the readers. So yes, Taylor’s words echoed very precisely with my own experience. And I hope that, like her, I succeed in giving every book I read a fair chance, no matter who wrote it.
Back to this particular book. With In the Long Run, Haley Cass gives us, once again, lovely characters, and a heartwarming story of coming home when you least expect it.
June 21, 2022
➥ 5+ Stars *:･ﾟ✧
I had an absolutely fabulous time buddy reading this with Amy!! At first, I had promised to not finish all of Haley Cass' books (Yes, I've consumed them all now) but Amy thankfully sent me a link to a Haley Cass interview where she talks about a bunch of books she has planned (I'm so excited, you have no idea). I've seen some of my mutuals rate this book a little lower than all the other HC books they've enjoyed and I simply refuse to read them, my bubble shan't be burst. This book was such a joy to read and I cannot express how nice it is to have an author you can always rely on for a fucking good romance.
I love this book so much. But I'm tired and it's nearly 1 am right now so I'll wrap it up quick for the time being. The forced proximity, the one-night stand to lovers, the tenderness, the steam; it was all beyond excellent (the usual for HC ofc). I adored the fact that this wasn't a toaster oven romance. In fact, I love how there was no coming out or homo drama in general. It was just about their love and how it fits within their different lives. There was a mini-break up at the end but I LOVED it, there was such good grovelling and it made everything to deliciously dramatic. All the little things made this feel so real. "Regards", the pants and necklace, that one stuffed animal etc. were...amazing (for lack of a better word). Thank GOD for dual povs, so good.
Now for my mini complaints HEHEHEH. I don't love characters being involved in politics. Like I really don't give a fuck if you're a mayor or something lmao. Americans feeling like they're from another planet because they live in the country side has me dead LMAOO. "Small town" romance BAHAHA. I grew up in a small town and this is definitely unrealistic, but I'm more than happy to not care about that. We should have gotten a Taylor/Brooke Yoga scene. I would have appreciated a couple more sex scenes (but don't get me wrong, omg i think this book has one of the best sex scenes i've ever read i'm so serious). I see why people say HC needs an editor but...I kinda don't mind. I mean I've probably read "dark eyes" like 389450 times but I also don't care. Dark eyes is what they are and so it fits the description idc!! HC, don't change pls. You could lose your sparkle. Also I'm pretending the age gap isn't real bc my brain deletes the intimacy when it imagines it LMAO. Goodnight people, read this.
"I'll think of this," Taylor whispered into her ear, as she squeezed her arms a little tighter around Brooke. It gave Brooke, ironically, the most secure feeling she'd really ever had. It might be false security, and yet somehow it was the most safe she'd ever felt. "When I'm in Antarctica and it's literally freezing, I can think of this and feel warm."
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
I had an absolutely fabulous time buddy reading this with Amy!! At first, I had promised to not finish all of Haley Cass' books (Yes, I've consumed them all now) but Amy thankfully sent me a link to a Haley Cass interview where she talks about a bunch of books she has planned (I'm so excited, you have no idea). I've seen some of my mutuals rate this book a little lower than all the other HC books they've enjoyed and I simply refuse to read them, my bubble shan't be burst. This book was such a joy to read and I cannot express how nice it is to have an author you can always rely on for a fucking good romance.
➥ Taylor (h) ...jesus christ I think I'd do anything she asked me. She's so hot, I don't know how HC does it. Taylor is a travel gal, she packs light and goes everywhere. She had a rough upbringing and has avoided her hometown as much as possible. But, she has to pay a visit because her sister is pregnant. When I tell you I am in love with this woman😞✋ the fact that she is not sitting on my face as we speak is quite the tragedy. If you read this book (through my influence ofc), just know that this gorgeous, magnificent, fine lady belongs to me. HC's millennialism slips through a little, though. She's written to seem like a chill, live laugh love, yoga girl which seems a little stereotypical (idek how to explain this, who let me write reviews??) but it's ok (!!) because she's super hot and she doesn't act like a boho girl OK???
➥ Brooke (h) was a character I really struggled to like at the beginning. The was a little too self-centered, the opening chapter in her perspective was weird, and I didn't love her decisions. But alas, I liked her in the end. She's the grumpy one in the grumpy/sunshine dynamic we have going on here (and I like that Taylor was the sunshine-y one but not an oblivious, innocent, smiley girl. just a hot one that's happy to flirt, always). I really appreciate how she stood her ground during the last part of the book and I slowly came to love her character. It's clear that she's perfect for Taylor through the way their personalities interact. If Brooke weren't a grump, then Taylor's banter, teasing etc. wouldn't be the same.
I love this book so much. But I'm tired and it's nearly 1 am right now so I'll wrap it up quick for the time being. The forced proximity, the one-night stand to lovers, the tenderness, the steam; it was all beyond excellent (the usual for HC ofc). I adored the fact that this wasn't a toaster oven romance. In fact, I love how there was no coming out or homo drama in general. It was just about their love and how it fits within their different lives. There was a mini-break up at the end but I LOVED it, there was such good grovelling and it made everything to deliciously dramatic. All the little things made this feel so real. "Regards", the pants and necklace, that one stuffed animal etc. were...amazing (for lack of a better word). Thank GOD for dual povs, so good.
Now for my mini complaints HEHEHEH. I don't love characters being involved in politics. Like I really don't give a fuck if you're a mayor or something lmao. Americans feeling like they're from another planet because they live in the country side has me dead LMAOO. "Small town" romance BAHAHA. I grew up in a small town and this is definitely unrealistic, but I'm more than happy to not care about that. We should have gotten a Taylor/Brooke Yoga scene. I would have appreciated a couple more sex scenes (but don't get me wrong, omg i think this book has one of the best sex scenes i've ever read i'm so serious). I see why people say HC needs an editor but...I kinda don't mind. I mean I've probably read "dark eyes" like 389450 times but I also don't care. Dark eyes is what they are and so it fits the description idc!! HC, don't change pls. You could lose your sparkle. Also I'm pretending the age gap isn't real bc my brain deletes the intimacy when it imagines it LMAO. Goodnight people, read this.
Dark eyes fluttered open, a wicked grin pulling up Taylor's lips. "Do you like this?" Her breath hitched even as she teased. She grinded her hips down against Brooke in a move that was so sensual, it was fucking sin, and Brooke gasped with it. She swore she could feel it.
"You do. You fucking love me like this," Taylor whispered into the dark air as she arched her back and started moving her hips faster. "I know you do."
"You would tease me even while I fuck you," Brooke breathed out, narrowing her eyes as she added a finger the next time Taylor moved her hips down, and then curled all three of them inside her.
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
November 4, 2022
In the Long Run by Haley Cass is simply one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I could never imagine loving two of her characters more than I love Sutton and Charlotte from Those Who Wait, but then I met Brooke and Taylor.
It was only supposed to be one night, a night where Brooke Watson can forget who she is and just give in to the feelings she has always had for Taylor Vandenberg. Type A Brooke doesn't have one night stands. It's not on her carefully constructed life plan. But a few glasses of wine and the knowledge that she probably won't see world traveler Taylor for another few years relaxes her enough to give in to the desire she feels and sees mirrored on Taylor's face.
A situation with her sister forces Taylor back home even though the thought of an extended amount of time there causes her anxiety. She has to do this for her sister because she needs her but why does the thought of being near Brooke for so long leave her feeling both excited and uneasy?
There is something seriously beautiful in the way Haley Cass writes. It's the best way to describe her writing. Taylor and Brooke reach in and grab your heart and don't let go. They are the perfect example of opposites attracting. Taylor with her yoga, traveling around the world, seemingly carefree attitude and Brooke with her structured, reserved, emotional awkwardness. But those are how the great love stories are made. By taking people who shouldn't work yet they fit perfectly. I love how Taylor's secret place in her hometown where she used to escape was this old, abandoned house. When she has an argument with her brother she goes to the house and it's now being lived in by Brooke. Brooke is Taylor's safe place and the home she never knew she was searching for.
I read this book in a day and a half. Not sure if I should brag about that, as it clearly means I did nothing else in my life during that time. But, whatever, one must have priorities and a new Haley Cass book fits the bill. She is able to write characters who are so developed I honestly have a hard time remembering that they aren't real because I feel like I know them so well. This book gave me all the feels and that's what a great book should do. It lets you escape life and feel like you're just watching two friends find love. One of my absolute favorite books of the year.
ARC provided by the author for an honest review.
It was only supposed to be one night, a night where Brooke Watson can forget who she is and just give in to the feelings she has always had for Taylor Vandenberg. Type A Brooke doesn't have one night stands. It's not on her carefully constructed life plan. But a few glasses of wine and the knowledge that she probably won't see world traveler Taylor for another few years relaxes her enough to give in to the desire she feels and sees mirrored on Taylor's face.
A situation with her sister forces Taylor back home even though the thought of an extended amount of time there causes her anxiety. She has to do this for her sister because she needs her but why does the thought of being near Brooke for so long leave her feeling both excited and uneasy?
There is something seriously beautiful in the way Haley Cass writes. It's the best way to describe her writing. Taylor and Brooke reach in and grab your heart and don't let go. They are the perfect example of opposites attracting. Taylor with her yoga, traveling around the world, seemingly carefree attitude and Brooke with her structured, reserved, emotional awkwardness. But those are how the great love stories are made. By taking people who shouldn't work yet they fit perfectly. I love how Taylor's secret place in her hometown where she used to escape was this old, abandoned house. When she has an argument with her brother she goes to the house and it's now being lived in by Brooke. Brooke is Taylor's safe place and the home she never knew she was searching for.
I read this book in a day and a half. Not sure if I should brag about that, as it clearly means I did nothing else in my life during that time. But, whatever, one must have priorities and a new Haley Cass book fits the bill. She is able to write characters who are so developed I honestly have a hard time remembering that they aren't real because I feel like I know them so well. This book gave me all the feels and that's what a great book should do. It lets you escape life and feel like you're just watching two friends find love. One of my absolute favorite books of the year.
ARC provided by the author for an honest review.
December 16, 2021
5☆
I must confess after reading my second book by this author now, I am officially joining the Haley Cass fan club, although that was actually already clear after Those Who Wait.
Brooke Watson has roots in Faircombe, Tennessee. It has been her home since birth and now she works there as the city manager. She lives and works in a structured way, loves order, and doesn't like surprises at all. When she has to present unexpectedly a paper to fill in for a colleague at a convention far from home in San Diego, a lecture for which she was unprepared, the day takes a turn she would have gladly done without. As if the day wasn't bad enough, she unexpectedly meets Taylor Vandenburg, her best friend's older sister. Taylor, the woman who could drive Brooke up the wall in a second with her nonchalance and teasing, but who also exerts a fascination on Brooke.
Taylor - Made To Travel is not only the name of her travel blog, it has been her philosophy of life since she left Faircombe many years ago. She is at home everywhere and nowhere and loves it that way. But when her little sister Savannah asks her to come to Faircombe and stand by her side, she can't say no, even though she has no idea how she's going to last several weeks in that town.
I like how different the author created Brooke and Taylor's personalities, but the more I got to know them, the better I saw that the two could complement each other very well. Brooke has a personality of her own. She works hard, stands up for her ideas and the well-being of her town, is kind and sometimes grumpy in an endearing way. Since she was a teenager she has struggled with feelings for Taylor that go beyond friendship. But she fights them because she is convinced that Taylor, Ms. Independence, will never settle down and sees herself as a mere victim of Taylor's teasing anyway. Fruitless to act on her feelings, right? I'm convinced you couldn't ask for a better friend than Brooke and I wish I had her talent for order and organization at least once in a while.
Taylor is the complete opposite of Brooke. Always on the road and on the lookout for the next destination. But after spending some time in Faircombe, she begins to see her hometown through Brooke's eyes and maybe the concept of settling down isn't as foreign as it had felt for her before. Her attraction for Brooke increases inexorably and even though Taylor has the ability to read Brooke like an open book on most issues, she fails when Taylor herself is the subject.
When Brooke can no longer resist her attraction for Taylor either, they enjoy the "thing" they have with each other. Neither wants to name it more specifically, let alone talk about feelings. But it feels fantastic. The chemistry between them sparks so brightly that Faircombe wouldn't even need Christmas lights. The love scenes are sizzling hot. They embark on a sometimes bumpy journey, the outcome of which both can only dream of.
Haley Cass has a unique gift for writing romances, writing about moods, attraction, and feelings that you can immediately feel and empathize with. I love it when a story gives me the feels. Even though her books can be a bit long-winded, they never bore me. I always have the need to know everything about the MCs, every thought and feeling they have. They grow on you the longer the journey goes.
ARC provided by the author to LezReviewBooks in exchange for an honest review.
I must confess after reading my second book by this author now, I am officially joining the Haley Cass fan club, although that was actually already clear after Those Who Wait.
Brooke Watson has roots in Faircombe, Tennessee. It has been her home since birth and now she works there as the city manager. She lives and works in a structured way, loves order, and doesn't like surprises at all. When she has to present unexpectedly a paper to fill in for a colleague at a convention far from home in San Diego, a lecture for which she was unprepared, the day takes a turn she would have gladly done without. As if the day wasn't bad enough, she unexpectedly meets Taylor Vandenburg, her best friend's older sister. Taylor, the woman who could drive Brooke up the wall in a second with her nonchalance and teasing, but who also exerts a fascination on Brooke.
Taylor - Made To Travel is not only the name of her travel blog, it has been her philosophy of life since she left Faircombe many years ago. She is at home everywhere and nowhere and loves it that way. But when her little sister Savannah asks her to come to Faircombe and stand by her side, she can't say no, even though she has no idea how she's going to last several weeks in that town.
I like how different the author created Brooke and Taylor's personalities, but the more I got to know them, the better I saw that the two could complement each other very well. Brooke has a personality of her own. She works hard, stands up for her ideas and the well-being of her town, is kind and sometimes grumpy in an endearing way. Since she was a teenager she has struggled with feelings for Taylor that go beyond friendship. But she fights them because she is convinced that Taylor, Ms. Independence, will never settle down and sees herself as a mere victim of Taylor's teasing anyway. Fruitless to act on her feelings, right? I'm convinced you couldn't ask for a better friend than Brooke and I wish I had her talent for order and organization at least once in a while.
Taylor is the complete opposite of Brooke. Always on the road and on the lookout for the next destination. But after spending some time in Faircombe, she begins to see her hometown through Brooke's eyes and maybe the concept of settling down isn't as foreign as it had felt for her before. Her attraction for Brooke increases inexorably and even though Taylor has the ability to read Brooke like an open book on most issues, she fails when Taylor herself is the subject.
When Brooke can no longer resist her attraction for Taylor either, they enjoy the "thing" they have with each other. Neither wants to name it more specifically, let alone talk about feelings. But it feels fantastic. The chemistry between them sparks so brightly that Faircombe wouldn't even need Christmas lights. The love scenes are sizzling hot. They embark on a sometimes bumpy journey, the outcome of which both can only dream of.
Haley Cass has a unique gift for writing romances, writing about moods, attraction, and feelings that you can immediately feel and empathize with. I love it when a story gives me the feels. Even though her books can be a bit long-winded, they never bore me. I always have the need to know everything about the MCs, every thought and feeling they have. They grow on you the longer the journey goes.
ARC provided by the author to LezReviewBooks in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2021
Haley Cass released a new book! Of course I pre-ordered it and luckily had time to read it, even while on a short trip with my best friends.
"In the Long Run" is an opposites-attract, small-town romance about Brooke B. Watson (IYKYK) and Taylor Vandenberg. They've known each other just about their whole lives because Brooke is best friends with Taylor's younger brother. Taylor left home after high school and is busy traveling around the world for her travel blog. Brooke is the city manager for their hometown and while at a conference in San Diego, she unexpectedly runs into Taylor who helps calm her down after a terrible speech. A couple of weeks later, Taylor shows up in their hometown for an extended stay and the two continue to run into one another.
This was written by Haley Cass so of course it's good. It started off well but then kind of slowed down, however it picked back up again and finished strong. It took longer for me to warm up to Taylor and Brooke than it did to the characters in Those Who Wait and When You Least Expect It. Once I finally understood them though, I absolutely loved them.
I really don't want to delve too much into the plot and whatnot because I didn't even read the blurb when I started and it's so fun this way. I highly recommend this...especially if you're into snarky, lovable idiots :)
"In the Long Run" is an opposites-attract, small-town romance about Brooke B. Watson (IYKYK) and Taylor Vandenberg. They've known each other just about their whole lives because Brooke is best friends with Taylor's younger brother. Taylor left home after high school and is busy traveling around the world for her travel blog. Brooke is the city manager for their hometown and while at a conference in San Diego, she unexpectedly runs into Taylor who helps calm her down after a terrible speech. A couple of weeks later, Taylor shows up in their hometown for an extended stay and the two continue to run into one another.
This was written by Haley Cass so of course it's good. It started off well but then kind of slowed down, however it picked back up again and finished strong. It took longer for me to warm up to Taylor and Brooke than it did to the characters in Those Who Wait and When You Least Expect It. Once I finally understood them though, I absolutely loved them.
I really don't want to delve too much into the plot and whatnot because I didn't even read the blurb when I started and it's so fun this way. I highly recommend this...especially if you're into snarky, lovable idiots :)
November 27, 2021
3.5 Stars ⭐️ a good but not great read for me
Let’s start by saying I love the way Haley Cass writes and I will read any book she publishes.
While I liked this book I didn’t love it and that has to do with my own personal feelings and nothing to do with the writing. For me, I was just not a fan of the dynamics of the couple. Their back and forth goes on for 70% of the book so it was just a lot for someone not really enjoying it to begin with. I did like the ending and the epilogue quite a bit.
I would urge you to read this book if you like grumpy vs easy going and a lovely HEA.
Let’s start by saying I love the way Haley Cass writes and I will read any book she publishes.
While I liked this book I didn’t love it and that has to do with my own personal feelings and nothing to do with the writing. For me, I was just not a fan of the dynamics of the couple. Their back and forth goes on for 70% of the book so it was just a lot for someone not really enjoying it to begin with. I did like the ending and the epilogue quite a bit.
I would urge you to read this book if you like grumpy vs easy going and a lovely HEA.
December 5, 2021
This is the fourth book I've read by this author, and the fourth I've rated 5 stars. While I pre-ordered the book and counted down the days until release, I still took a week to start the book. Not because of other things I was reading. But because I'd gobbled up the author's three previous books and read them quickly, giving all 5 stars, and I feared I would have way too high expectations for this book.
The vast majority of this book, not all but vast majority, takes place in a small city in Tennessee. Oddly, before reading this book, I had had this vague thought that I kind of wanted to read a book that was in between the two normal extremes in lesbian fiction: small town, or huge city. I've not personally lived in a city as small as the one in this book, roughly 16K to 20K sized city, so I cannot really note if a small city should or shouldn't have a "small town vibe". That "everyone knows everyone else, and their buisness" vibe. Which is present in this book.
While the majority of this book takes place in that city, Faircombe, the book actually opens in a bar in San Diego. Brooke is in the bar suffering from a recent public presentation she was made to do for a conference (the reason she is in San Diego). Taylor is in the bar because she spotted Brooke entering said bar, and had to confirm if that really was Brooke or not (it'd be super odd for Brooke to be spotted going into a bar during the day; much less one in San Diego).
The two, of course, know each other. They've spent a good portion of their lives knowing each other. Due to Brooke Watson's family issues, she basically grew up with Taylor Vandenberg's family. They were basically sisters, four years apart, but still. Which, yes, did cause me vague feelings of something or other when the two hooked up.
Taylor is the bubbly, always smiling type. Who has that itch to travel, that need to travel. Which she started to scratch when she left home at the age of 19 and started a career traveling the world. Luckily, she has been able to make a job out of it, a career. Writing for a website she created, and posting videos of her trips to various places.
Meanwhile, Brooke is the stiff type. The kind who never seems to relax. Brooke is the city manager of that city most of the action in the book takes place.
The two hadn't seen each other in a longish while, but they pick up their "normal" dynamic immediately. The dynamic of Taylor being bubbly and joking with Brooke; Brooke being grumpy and annoyed at Taylor. Brooke always lusted after Taylor (ever since she was something like 12 and saw Taylor in a bikini); while Taylor has had some vague feelings towards Brooke as well, though not fully formed nor fully acknowledged. Neither knew of the other's feelings on this matter.
Because of the situation they find themselves in, the two spend some time together in San Diego. Which lead to a one-night stand. Brooke talking herself into this situation with the "comfort" of knowing she wouldn't see Taylor again for at least 4 months, and she'd be able to "process/get over" their activity.
Conference over, Brooke returns to the city she's city manager in. Before she can process her experience, she finds Taylor in the same city. There's a vague, and somewhat less than vague "did she follow me? why is she following me" vibe in Brooke's thoughts and words. Taylor can't actually refute Brooke's suspicious with the truth, because she had promised her sister to not tell anyone that she's, the sister, pregnant. So, she comes up with a "list of neat underlooked places in the South" as for why she's in Faircombe. Which I mention as that's a plot line followed in the book to keep the two women interacting with each other. Well, more so than the weekly family dinner together would.
Course, there's more layers of tension in having Taylor suddenly there in the city. Brooke is best friends with Taylor's brother, and friends with Taylor's sister. And she doesn't exactly want to let them know that she slept with Taylor.
Right, so. I rather liked bubbly-happy Taylor (who expressed a lot more emotions than happiness), grumpy prickly Brooke, and their family (Taylor's brother Ben, and sister Savannah; and yes, I purposefully put that as "their family", not because of their relationship, but because the four of them grew up together basically as one family), and Brooke's cats Spoon, Gremlin, and Dolly.
Two of the four works I've read by this author ended up being rated 5+ stars. Two, including this one here, ended up being rated somewhere in the 4.75 range. Looking at the review for that other 4.75 book - I somewhat rated it lower than the other two because of a lot of "skipping", time passing without details being expressed. Oddly enough, that happened here as well, but it did not impact the rating No, it was, probably more than three things but I'll mention three things: 1) eye balls; 2) that whole vaguely sister incest thing; 3) occasional periods of vague boredom that happened once or thrice.
It really did probably have an impact on the rating, but I'm not 100% sure of how much of an impact it had. But that eye rolling thing really got on my nerves. To the point I kept having to stop and take longish pauses between readings. Brooke constantly rolled her eyeballs, as did Taylor, as did side characters. There were at least 99 eye rolls in the book. Actually, roughly 86 "rolled". 13 "rolling". So, 99. Probably other methods of indicating "eye rolling" was also used in the book. Jo, among those quoted below, is, at least, a kid. If nothing else, this little quote gathering lead me to confirm: Taylor has dark eyes; Brooke has hazel eyes. For those who care about eye color (and Jo, Taylor' niece, has blue eyes).
*whimpers* Hmms, the author's book "Those who Wait" had about 72 rolling eyes, though it didn't seem to annoy me when I read that book. "Forever and a Day" had six eye rolls. "When You Least Expect it" had just one rolled eye.
A quote about one of Brooke's cats (not involving eyeballs):
Rating: 4.75
December 5 2021
The vast majority of this book, not all but vast majority, takes place in a small city in Tennessee. Oddly, before reading this book, I had had this vague thought that I kind of wanted to read a book that was in between the two normal extremes in lesbian fiction: small town, or huge city. I've not personally lived in a city as small as the one in this book, roughly 16K to 20K sized city, so I cannot really note if a small city should or shouldn't have a "small town vibe". That "everyone knows everyone else, and their buisness" vibe. Which is present in this book.
While the majority of this book takes place in that city, Faircombe, the book actually opens in a bar in San Diego. Brooke is in the bar suffering from a recent public presentation she was made to do for a conference (the reason she is in San Diego). Taylor is in the bar because she spotted Brooke entering said bar, and had to confirm if that really was Brooke or not (it'd be super odd for Brooke to be spotted going into a bar during the day; much less one in San Diego).
The two, of course, know each other. They've spent a good portion of their lives knowing each other. Due to Brooke Watson's family issues, she basically grew up with Taylor Vandenberg's family. They were basically sisters, four years apart, but still. Which, yes, did cause me vague feelings of something or other when the two hooked up.
Taylor is the bubbly, always smiling type. Who has that itch to travel, that need to travel. Which she started to scratch when she left home at the age of 19 and started a career traveling the world. Luckily, she has been able to make a job out of it, a career. Writing for a website she created, and posting videos of her trips to various places.
Meanwhile, Brooke is the stiff type. The kind who never seems to relax. Brooke is the city manager of that city most of the action in the book takes place.
The two hadn't seen each other in a longish while, but they pick up their "normal" dynamic immediately. The dynamic of Taylor being bubbly and joking with Brooke; Brooke being grumpy and annoyed at Taylor. Brooke always lusted after Taylor (ever since she was something like 12 and saw Taylor in a bikini); while Taylor has had some vague feelings towards Brooke as well, though not fully formed nor fully acknowledged. Neither knew of the other's feelings on this matter.
Because of the situation they find themselves in, the two spend some time together in San Diego. Which lead to a one-night stand. Brooke talking herself into this situation with the "comfort" of knowing she wouldn't see Taylor again for at least 4 months, and she'd be able to "process/get over" their activity.
Conference over, Brooke returns to the city she's city manager in. Before she can process her experience, she finds Taylor in the same city. There's a vague, and somewhat less than vague "did she follow me? why is she following me" vibe in Brooke's thoughts and words. Taylor can't actually refute Brooke's suspicious with the truth, because she had promised her sister to not tell anyone that she's, the sister, pregnant. So, she comes up with a "list of neat underlooked places in the South" as for why she's in Faircombe. Which I mention as that's a plot line followed in the book to keep the two women interacting with each other. Well, more so than the weekly family dinner together would.
Course, there's more layers of tension in having Taylor suddenly there in the city. Brooke is best friends with Taylor's brother, and friends with Taylor's sister. And she doesn't exactly want to let them know that she slept with Taylor.
Right, so. I rather liked bubbly-happy Taylor (who expressed a lot more emotions than happiness), grumpy prickly Brooke, and their family (Taylor's brother Ben, and sister Savannah; and yes, I purposefully put that as "their family", not because of their relationship, but because the four of them grew up together basically as one family), and Brooke's cats Spoon, Gremlin, and Dolly.
Two of the four works I've read by this author ended up being rated 5+ stars. Two, including this one here, ended up being rated somewhere in the 4.75 range. Looking at the review for that other 4.75 book - I somewhat rated it lower than the other two because of a lot of "skipping", time passing without details being expressed. Oddly enough, that happened here as well, but it did not impact the rating No, it was, probably more than three things but I'll mention three things: 1) eye balls; 2) that whole vaguely sister incest thing; 3) occasional periods of vague boredom that happened once or thrice.
It really did probably have an impact on the rating, but I'm not 100% sure of how much of an impact it had. But that eye rolling thing really got on my nerves. To the point I kept having to stop and take longish pauses between readings. Brooke constantly rolled her eyeballs, as did Taylor, as did side characters. There were at least 99 eye rolls in the book. Actually, roughly 86 "rolled". 13 "rolling". So, 99. Probably other methods of indicating "eye rolling" was also used in the book. Jo, among those quoted below, is, at least, a kid. If nothing else, this little quote gathering lead me to confirm: Taylor has dark eyes; Brooke has hazel eyes. For those who care about eye color (and Jo, Taylor' niece, has blue eyes).
Brooke rolled her eyes so hard it hurt; Those hazel eyes rolled at her; Taylor thought as she rolled her eyes; Mrs. Andrews rolled her eyes [at least twice]; Jo rolled her eyes at him; Jo's blue eyes rolled; Jo rolled her eyes again; Taylor's dark eyes rolled; Savannah's somber look broke as she rolled her eyes with a scoffing laugh; Savannah rolled her eyes;
*whimpers* Hmms, the author's book "Those who Wait" had about 72 rolling eyes, though it didn't seem to annoy me when I read that book. "Forever and a Day" had six eye rolls. "When You Least Expect it" had just one rolled eye.
A quote about one of Brooke's cats (not involving eyeballs):
And one of Brooke's favorite things about Spoon was how she often made sounds back at Brooke, as if she were answering her. There was always a short meow sound from Spoon, as if she wanted to say something matter of fact and to the point.
Rating: 4.75
December 5 2021
December 19, 2021
3.75 stars. Another good book by Cass, they are always a delight to read. That said, this was not my favorite book, maybe my expectations were too high. Cass has a way of writing likeable characters with a lot of depth and true emotions, which is also the case here, but I have to be honest, it took me a long time to warm up to Taylor and Brooke. It’s a testament to Cass’ writing that I liked them in the end as much as I did.
Taylor is a traveler, she never stays put in the same place for long, while Brooke likes structure and her small town Faircombe. When Taylor returns to Faircombe for a while it is easy to see how these two personalities clash. As I mentioned, liking them took some time for me as I didn’t find them the most believable at the start. Brooke is so very serious I thought she never had any fun in her life at all, whereas Taylor is the free-spirited person of the two, if only her need to annoy Brooke didn’t also annoy me. But the unthinkable happened, I did like them in the end, how could I doubt it.
The storyline is not the most surprising, but it is well written and once I was invested in the characters I easily flew through the rest of the book. Cass has an easy writing style, but it was a bit repetitive in places and the one thing that I couldn’t unsee once I noticed it was the shear amount of eye rolls in this book. These are small things though, and it was a good read overall, just not my favorite by Cass.
Taylor is a traveler, she never stays put in the same place for long, while Brooke likes structure and her small town Faircombe. When Taylor returns to Faircombe for a while it is easy to see how these two personalities clash. As I mentioned, liking them took some time for me as I didn’t find them the most believable at the start. Brooke is so very serious I thought she never had any fun in her life at all, whereas Taylor is the free-spirited person of the two, if only her need to annoy Brooke didn’t also annoy me. But the unthinkable happened, I did like them in the end, how could I doubt it.
The storyline is not the most surprising, but it is well written and once I was invested in the characters I easily flew through the rest of the book. Cass has an easy writing style, but it was a bit repetitive in places and the one thing that I couldn’t unsee once I noticed it was the shear amount of eye rolls in this book. These are small things though, and it was a good read overall, just not my favorite by Cass.
December 4, 2021
This made me miss travelling but I loved it.
My heart hurt for Taylor and the things she experienced when she was younger, and Brooke's quirks were endearing. They truly were opposites that fit together so well. Brilliant work by Cass.
My heart hurt for Taylor and the things she experienced when she was younger, and Brooke's quirks were endearing. They truly were opposites that fit together so well. Brilliant work by Cass.
October 26, 2021
I love Haley Cass books so being asked to beta read this one was a dream come true!
Excellent premise, phenomenal character development and just the best happy ever after!
Excellent premise, phenomenal character development and just the best happy ever after!
August 12, 2024
I love this book. I love Taylor and Brooke—their chemistry, their teasing back and forth, their whole dynamic, their unconditional love for one another. Taylor is a Scorpio and Brooke is a Virgo and no one can convince me otherwise. 🥰
November 28, 2021
I admit, when a sex scene occurred so early in the game, I became worried. However, as soon as it clicked that it had a major purpose in the story, my worry faded.
The thing I loved about this book was the MCs' exchanges. The teasing, mostly initiated by Taylor, were so amusing 'cause it's my favorite kind of flirting (That's not to say when I tease, I'm automatically flirting, ok? Lol 😜). The shrewd sense of humor was perfect, and Cass made it seem like writing them was effortless. I found myself having the same reaction as those of the characters' after reading through them.
When Taylor and Brooke asked each other if they've ever fallen in love, a particular line in Taylor's confession got me blushing 'cause I connected with her so much—it was like I was being called out 🤣 It was startling 'cause I use those exact same words when *secretly* describing myself with regard to this topic 🙈 These relatable little nuggets are one of the things I love about Cass' novels. She just gets me hehe.
This whole book was one long road towards a FINALLY. 30+ years of knowing each other and the MCs were only acknowledging their feelings now?! Jeez. Can you imagine having unresolved feelings for someone for that long? This takes pining to a stratospheric level!
Having said all that, maybe I'm being extra critical now, but something about this story lacks a punch for me, and I hate that I can't pinpoint what it is. I guess I was spoiled by Cass' earlier novels for always leaving me on cloud nine, so when this one didn't leave me on the same heightened spirits, it felt like something was missing.
Objectively speaking though, a 4-star book by Cass is still miles better than most f/f romances out there. It's just that knowing how great she is at writing them is affecting my gauge in rating this.
Still, a Haley Cass book is synonymous to a fantastic read and makes recommending her books a no-brainer. It's precisely why she's one of my favorite authors.
P.S. Loved how Cass handled the old biddies here! I totally didn't expect them to become endearing 🥰
The thing I loved about this book was the MCs' exchanges. The teasing, mostly initiated by Taylor, were so amusing 'cause it's my favorite kind of flirting (That's not to say when I tease, I'm automatically flirting, ok? Lol 😜). The shrewd sense of humor was perfect, and Cass made it seem like writing them was effortless. I found myself having the same reaction as those of the characters' after reading through them.
When Taylor and Brooke asked each other if they've ever fallen in love, a particular line in Taylor's confession got me blushing 'cause I connected with her so much—it was like I was being called out 🤣 It was startling 'cause I use those exact same words when *secretly* describing myself with regard to this topic 🙈 These relatable little nuggets are one of the things I love about Cass' novels. She just gets me hehe.
This whole book was one long road towards a FINALLY. 30+ years of knowing each other and the MCs were only acknowledging their feelings now?! Jeez. Can you imagine having unresolved feelings for someone for that long? This takes pining to a stratospheric level!
Having said all that, maybe I'm being extra critical now, but something about this story lacks a punch for me, and I hate that I can't pinpoint what it is. I guess I was spoiled by Cass' earlier novels for always leaving me on cloud nine, so when this one didn't leave me on the same heightened spirits, it felt like something was missing.
Objectively speaking though, a 4-star book by Cass is still miles better than most f/f romances out there. It's just that knowing how great she is at writing them is affecting my gauge in rating this.
Still, a Haley Cass book is synonymous to a fantastic read and makes recommending her books a no-brainer. It's precisely why she's one of my favorite authors.
P.S. Loved how Cass handled the old biddies here! I totally didn't expect them to become endearing 🥰
June 1, 2022
A slow-burn romance with a lovely narration
Haley Cass is one of my go-to Sapphic authors since I’ve read her debut novel Those Who Wait, which was one of my favourite books of 2020. I was really looking forward to reading this novel but unfortunately, it coincided with one of the worst moments of my life. I found myself reading it while sitting at my dad’s death bed and, understandably, I wasn’t in the right headspace and DNF halfway through. Not the book’s fault. So I decided to wait for the audiobook and now that it’s out it was my time to finally immerse myself in the story.
Taylor Vandenberg left her home of Faircombe, Tennessee twenty-five years back to travel all around the world. Brooke Watson has lived in Faircombe all her life and as the current town manager is fully dedicated to her hometown. When both women cross paths unexpectedly, they acknowledge a mutual attraction but Taylor never stays in the same place for long and Brooke isn’t one for a casual relationship…
This is an opposites-attract, coming home romance set in a small town. Brooke and Taylor are the definition of opposites. While Brooke likes stability, predictability and her hometown life, Taylor prefers constant change and travel. Hardly a recipe to find common ground for a sustainable romance, but Ms. Cass manages to get a happily ever after but not without a good dose of angst and uncertainty along the way. As a result, this is a slow-burn romance, longer than an average book. It generally doesn’t feel long but it could have been cut a bit without neglecting the overall quality of the story.
Like in her previous work, Ms. Cass knows how to write chemistry between the main characters and Brooke and Taylor have it in spades. One of the best parts of this novel is the dialogues and banter. Taylor loves to wind Brooke up and Brooke falls for it every single time. It’s the main form of communication between them, Taylor’s jokes and Brooke’s complaints. It’s fantastic to see how slowly but surely, they learn how to communicate better and express their feelings.
Anastasia Watley is the narrator for this story and for me it was the right choice. If you have listened to her performance of The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair, you know she produces a mellow southern accent which is ideal for these characters. Her pace is spot on and her performance of the very emotional moments in this novel is fantastic as usual. It improved my enjoyment of this story even more.
If you like slow-burn romances with very different main characters, then this one is for you. This isn’t my favourite book by this author but it’s still worth a read/listen. 4.5 stars.
Length: 16 hours, 23 minutes
Available in Scribd
Haley Cass is one of my go-to Sapphic authors since I’ve read her debut novel Those Who Wait, which was one of my favourite books of 2020. I was really looking forward to reading this novel but unfortunately, it coincided with one of the worst moments of my life. I found myself reading it while sitting at my dad’s death bed and, understandably, I wasn’t in the right headspace and DNF halfway through. Not the book’s fault. So I decided to wait for the audiobook and now that it’s out it was my time to finally immerse myself in the story.
Taylor Vandenberg left her home of Faircombe, Tennessee twenty-five years back to travel all around the world. Brooke Watson has lived in Faircombe all her life and as the current town manager is fully dedicated to her hometown. When both women cross paths unexpectedly, they acknowledge a mutual attraction but Taylor never stays in the same place for long and Brooke isn’t one for a casual relationship…
This is an opposites-attract, coming home romance set in a small town. Brooke and Taylor are the definition of opposites. While Brooke likes stability, predictability and her hometown life, Taylor prefers constant change and travel. Hardly a recipe to find common ground for a sustainable romance, but Ms. Cass manages to get a happily ever after but not without a good dose of angst and uncertainty along the way. As a result, this is a slow-burn romance, longer than an average book. It generally doesn’t feel long but it could have been cut a bit without neglecting the overall quality of the story.
Like in her previous work, Ms. Cass knows how to write chemistry between the main characters and Brooke and Taylor have it in spades. One of the best parts of this novel is the dialogues and banter. Taylor loves to wind Brooke up and Brooke falls for it every single time. It’s the main form of communication between them, Taylor’s jokes and Brooke’s complaints. It’s fantastic to see how slowly but surely, they learn how to communicate better and express their feelings.
Anastasia Watley is the narrator for this story and for me it was the right choice. If you have listened to her performance of The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair, you know she produces a mellow southern accent which is ideal for these characters. Her pace is spot on and her performance of the very emotional moments in this novel is fantastic as usual. It improved my enjoyment of this story even more.
If you like slow-burn romances with very different main characters, then this one is for you. This isn’t my favourite book by this author but it’s still worth a read/listen. 4.5 stars.
Length: 16 hours, 23 minutes
Available in Scribd
March 20, 2024
I can hardly contain myself. I couldn't even lie in bed after I finished.
I feel wired.
Starting this story, I found Brooke so insufferable, but I carried on, trusting the author and other gr reviewers' judgement. I'm glad I did because.
Holy crap.
Haley Cass gently, skillfully unwrapped the present that is Taylor and Brooke's love story. I found myself not only liking them, but loving these characters and these characters together. And for those of you who dread the inevitable drama that comes in these lesfics, Cass doesn't belabor that! There's conflict and then it's resolved lovingly, without dragging it for multiple miserable chapters. This is no longer something I can casually observe about Cass's writing; it's now something that I can gladly expect.
I found myself eating up the angst when it got to that point, too. Because the love just dripped from the pages, dear gay jesus. I'm giving nothing away because you should just give this story a shot. Don't let an initial acerbic Brooke scare you off.
And THAT sex scene. Oh my...you know the one. DAMN.
Only one note:
New favorite author. New characters to obsess over. Five stars because goodreads told me that's all I can do.
I feel wired.
Starting this story, I found Brooke so insufferable, but I carried on, trusting the author and other gr reviewers' judgement. I'm glad I did because.
Holy crap.
Haley Cass gently, skillfully unwrapped the present that is Taylor and Brooke's love story. I found myself not only liking them, but loving these characters and these characters together. And for those of you who dread the inevitable drama that comes in these lesfics, Cass doesn't belabor that! There's conflict and then it's resolved lovingly, without dragging it for multiple miserable chapters. This is no longer something I can casually observe about Cass's writing; it's now something that I can gladly expect.
I found myself eating up the angst when it got to that point, too. Because the love just dripped from the pages, dear gay jesus. I'm giving nothing away because you should just give this story a shot. Don't let an initial acerbic Brooke scare you off.
And THAT sex scene. Oh my...you know the one. DAMN.
Only one note:
New favorite author. New characters to obsess over. Five stars because goodreads told me that's all I can do.
December 27, 2021
"In the Long Run" is an opposites-attract, small-town romance set in Faircombe, Tennessee. Brooke and Taylor have known each other almost their entire life and meet again 25 years after the free spirited Taylor returns to Faircombe after traveling the world.
I'm a character driven reader and unfortunately I couldn't connect with this couple. Taylor was way too pushy for my taste and it took me very long to eventually warm up to her. Brooke was ok, but I didn't particularly care for her.
The small town setting where everybody knows everybody and everything was portrayed very well and felt authentic.
Even though this was a miss for me, I will still read Haley Cass' next book since I loved "Those Who Wait" and "When You Least Expect It" so much.
I'm a character driven reader and unfortunately I couldn't connect with this couple. Taylor was way too pushy for my taste and it took me very long to eventually warm up to her. Brooke was ok, but I didn't particularly care for her.
The small town setting where everybody knows everybody and everything was portrayed very well and felt authentic.
Even though this was a miss for me, I will still read Haley Cass' next book since I loved "Those Who Wait" and "When You Least Expect It" so much.
December 19, 2021
Wonderful, as all books by Haley Case, now officially one of my absolutely favorite authors. And, one more thing, as God is my witness I'll read everything this author writes!
April 30, 2023
You can’t go wrong with this author, can you!?! Very solid read , just a bit too long for my taste :)
December 5, 2021
I love Haley Cass and this book will be out EXACTLY ON MY BIRTHDAY
so yeah, I'm really excited to read it
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Haley Cass never disappoints, another fantastic book!
I love how Taylor tease Brooke
I can't imagine how it's to live travelling like that.
I do love to travel, but I need my home
I cried so many times during this book, but don't get me wrong, is a really fun story, but you really get involved with them
I wish there were more sexy times, Haley write great hot moments and they have such great chemistry, It'd be amazing
hot lvl: 4
so yeah, I'm really excited to read it
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Haley Cass never disappoints, another fantastic book!
I love how Taylor tease Brooke
I can't imagine how it's to live travelling like that.
I do love to travel, but I need my home
I cried so many times during this book, but don't get me wrong, is a really fun story, but you really get involved with them
I wish there were more sexy times, Haley write great hot moments and they have such great chemistry, It'd be amazing
hot lvl: 4
December 12, 2021
I will still be willing to be part of Cass' fan club, even if this book didn't hit an exceptional mark for me, this time.
I loved the chemistry from the beginning !
I felt the book kind of slow and repetitive at some points
After 75% it picked up the pace and brought some good drama to the story.
Cass is an expert on how to build two lovable main characters
I ended the book with a happy feeling :)
3.75 *
I loved the chemistry from the beginning !
I felt the book kind of slow and repetitive at some points
After 75% it picked up the pace and brought some good drama to the story.
Cass is an expert on how to build two lovable main characters
I ended the book with a happy feeling :)
3.75 *
December 10, 2021
What is the old wives tale again, about not rolling your eyes because they will stay that way?
Well, Brooke definitely has something to worry about. I do believe I had a mild migraine from the eye rolling for the duration it took to finish this book. And most definitely gained an ulcer or two from the amount of stomachs twisting the characters felt all over the place.
There were definite pros and cons for this coming together story of two polar opposites, two women who have known each other their whole lives. The author does a superb job of really fleshing out the quirks of these two MCs; laid back, world traveler bloggist extraordinaire Taylor, who is 4 years older than Brooke and left home young, never staying in one place for long. And rigid, rule follower, aloof Brooke, who has stayed in her hometown, and held a candle to Taylor her entire life (though would never tell a soul that). She is a tough nut to crack, and is perpetually annoyed by Taylor, eye rolling and frowning at her ad nauseam. A chance encounter leads them to *ahem* connect, and the rest of the story follows their unique dynamic together. There were moments my heart lurched in sympathy, and I felt genuine happiness, pain, and irritation throughout. HOORAY FOR EMOTIONS!
I do love Ms. Cass' writing, and have her in my top 5 lesfic authors. I think she adds a massive amount of feelings and depth and warmth to her characters. However, in this book I feel this lost some points for me, because it was just... too... much. The vast amount of introspection was problematic. A question would be asked in dialogue, and the character would then have to REALLY reflect about the answer that sometimes took over a page or two to develop. I had these visions of Brooke standing there awkwardly for at least 2 minutes while Taylor agonized and over-thought her answer before anything came out of her mouth. My eyes didn't roll, but they did cross a few times with the "get out with it!" thought. I think I too gained a forehead crease like Brooke from all my frowning.
It was also much too long. Take out 100 pages and the flow would have been much better and edited to tighten it up and take out some of the major repetition (aka: eye rolls and stomach issues and frown lines, oh my!)
So all in all, there were parts I really liked, and 100% cheered on this couple. I am pleased with the result and found the pacing of the ending perfect, not too rushed as many books are! But points were dropped for the above issues. I dragged my feet, and rarely does it take me more than a day or two to finish a book, so a whole week of it being easily put down was eating up into finishing my yearly book challenge. 3.75/5.
Well, Brooke definitely has something to worry about. I do believe I had a mild migraine from the eye rolling for the duration it took to finish this book. And most definitely gained an ulcer or two from the amount of stomachs twisting the characters felt all over the place.
There were definite pros and cons for this coming together story of two polar opposites, two women who have known each other their whole lives. The author does a superb job of really fleshing out the quirks of these two MCs; laid back, world traveler bloggist extraordinaire Taylor, who is 4 years older than Brooke and left home young, never staying in one place for long. And rigid, rule follower, aloof Brooke, who has stayed in her hometown, and held a candle to Taylor her entire life (though would never tell a soul that). She is a tough nut to crack, and is perpetually annoyed by Taylor, eye rolling and frowning at her ad nauseam. A chance encounter leads them to *ahem* connect, and the rest of the story follows their unique dynamic together. There were moments my heart lurched in sympathy, and I felt genuine happiness, pain, and irritation throughout. HOORAY FOR EMOTIONS!
I do love Ms. Cass' writing, and have her in my top 5 lesfic authors. I think she adds a massive amount of feelings and depth and warmth to her characters. However, in this book I feel this lost some points for me, because it was just... too... much. The vast amount of introspection was problematic. A question would be asked in dialogue, and the character would then have to REALLY reflect about the answer that sometimes took over a page or two to develop. I had these visions of Brooke standing there awkwardly for at least 2 minutes while Taylor agonized and over-thought her answer before anything came out of her mouth. My eyes didn't roll, but they did cross a few times with the "get out with it!" thought. I think I too gained a forehead crease like Brooke from all my frowning.
It was also much too long. Take out 100 pages and the flow would have been much better and edited to tighten it up and take out some of the major repetition (aka: eye rolls and stomach issues and frown lines, oh my!)
So all in all, there were parts I really liked, and 100% cheered on this couple. I am pleased with the result and found the pacing of the ending perfect, not too rushed as many books are! But points were dropped for the above issues. I dragged my feet, and rarely does it take me more than a day or two to finish a book, so a whole week of it being easily put down was eating up into finishing my yearly book challenge. 3.75/5.
January 3, 2022
Haley Cass hasn’t written a lot of books, but what she has written is so good any nee book with her name on it becomes a must-read. I started 2021 with Cass and I decided to do the same for 2022 and it is a grey book to begin the year with.
We have to utterly adorably quirky characters who are slightly older than the norm in lesfic books. Taylor is 44 and Brooke is 40. They’ve been ik echt other’s lives since they were kids as Ben is Brooke’s BFF and Taylor’s little brother. If you are looking for polar opposites in main characters you’ve found them here.
This book starts pretty fast paced but it slows down a bit and drags just the tiniest bit in my opinion. What keeps it enjoyable to read it the constant let’s call it banter. The interactions where Taylor teases and flirts and Brooke acts all grumpy and eye rolling, but we all know she loves her. We are just waiting for big declarations of love.
After a bit of dragging it picks up again and the ending is very enjoyable and suiting for these characters.
Cass knows how to write a story, keep you entertained and rooting for these characters. They are so different but both quirky and loveable and I just can’t get enough. Of course it’s a long book, because it’s a Cass book, but still it doesn’t feel like enough. I want to spend my days in Faircombe, Tennessee wrap myself up in the comforts of this small town and all the nice citizens.
On the socials I saw Cass is planning to write a follow up story involving some of the side characters from this book and I am ready for it, bring it on asap please ;)
We have to utterly adorably quirky characters who are slightly older than the norm in lesfic books. Taylor is 44 and Brooke is 40. They’ve been ik echt other’s lives since they were kids as Ben is Brooke’s BFF and Taylor’s little brother. If you are looking for polar opposites in main characters you’ve found them here.
This book starts pretty fast paced but it slows down a bit and drags just the tiniest bit in my opinion. What keeps it enjoyable to read it the constant let’s call it banter. The interactions where Taylor teases and flirts and Brooke acts all grumpy and eye rolling, but we all know she loves her. We are just waiting for big declarations of love.
After a bit of dragging it picks up again and the ending is very enjoyable and suiting for these characters.
Cass knows how to write a story, keep you entertained and rooting for these characters. They are so different but both quirky and loveable and I just can’t get enough. Of course it’s a long book, because it’s a Cass book, but still it doesn’t feel like enough. I want to spend my days in Faircombe, Tennessee wrap myself up in the comforts of this small town and all the nice citizens.
On the socials I saw Cass is planning to write a follow up story involving some of the side characters from this book and I am ready for it, bring it on asap please ;)
July 3, 2022
Beautifully written. Excellent performance by Anastasia Watley.
Loved absolutely everything.
Loved absolutely everything.
August 15, 2024
4.5
Haley Cass can do no wrong—thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Haley Cass can do no wrong—thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
July 17, 2025
9/10
||reread || feb 2025 || love the new cover
Haley Cass back at it again.
She’s definitely one of my favourite writers so, I’ll admit, it was kinda scary starting this book - will it be good, will I be disappointed? I didn’t want to leave a bad review and THANKFULLY here we are at 5 stars.*
The characters. Ah, the characters are always so likable no matter which story of the author you’re reading. Like, all of them. Yes, Brooke and Taylor (the MCs) are the most important ones (obviously) but I must say I loved Savannah, Taylor’s sister, the best. She seems like an amazing character and then especially you have all the things happening to her + a possible love interest** and I’d LOVE to explore her and Marisa’s story if possible (and I feel like that’d be a pretty easy thing to do in the same universe and all - a lot of people do it eg Melissa Brayden and E. J. Noyes on top of my head and if Haley Cass decides to go with it as well you won’t hear me complaining!). Actually, I feel like I’d love that story even more since I’m not a big fan of second chance romances and all that.
Yes, not a fan of second chance romances at all to be completely honest so - why read this book?
It’s Haley Cass, duh.
I mean, as I already said, I was a bit nervous about it (reading a book with a trope that’s soo not on top of my list) and it did give me some weird feels in the beginning as well but I grew to love Taylor and Brooke and their story. They are like complete opposites but still understand each other which is adorable. Honestly, the only problem I had is that I just couldn’t picture them as 40+ like they were in their late 20s/early 30s in my head. No matter how hard I tried.
I’m a big fan of slow burn romances so I would’ve loved it if the book was longer and their story more slowed down with flirting and such. Not even that but maybe meet the other characters a bit more? Seeing what’s happening with their lives would paint the whole picture a little better I think. Like Jo, Taylor’s niece, was cute but a bit just there, and then Ben, Taylor’s brother and Brooke’s best friend, was there just so Taylor would have someone to make up with. I mean it’s maybe just me but - yeah. I don’t want to sound mean since there IS stuff about people and happenings of Faircombe but I feel like I just couldn’t really get a good picture of it that way.*** On the other hand maybe I wasn’t intended to.
Sometimes I think the problem’s in me, honestly, because since I was born I didn’t live anywhere but in this 2 million people European city so imagining how some little town in the South US functions is alien to me. Or something.
Also, I found Faircombe such a funny name and I couldn’t get used to it the whole book.
Yeah, sure, this one is also very cliche but I live for that sh*t and I feel like Haley Cass mastered it. I’m a bit more emotional than usual when reading her books because it’s so easy to relate and feel what’s going on. As always, H. Cass’ writing pulls you into the story very easily, it’s flow-y and so damn enjoyable.
* not gonna lie - at some points I did think it’d be an 8/10 (4 star) book but by the end it had me almost crying and all so it definitely moved up
** / SPOILER kinda / Savannah is a baker who got pregnant after a one night stand and Marisa, Brooke’s assistant, is going to Savannah’s bakery like every day for her amazing scones. Or does she? 2 in 1 probably. Shipping those two b a d.
*** guess that could be done in the other book in the series about Savannah and Marisa 😏
||reread || feb 2025 || love the new cover
Haley Cass back at it again.
She’s definitely one of my favourite writers so, I’ll admit, it was kinda scary starting this book - will it be good, will I be disappointed? I didn’t want to leave a bad review and THANKFULLY here we are at 5 stars.*
The characters. Ah, the characters are always so likable no matter which story of the author you’re reading. Like, all of them. Yes, Brooke and Taylor (the MCs) are the most important ones (obviously) but I must say I loved Savannah, Taylor’s sister, the best. She seems like an amazing character and then especially you have all the things happening to her + a possible love interest** and I’d LOVE to explore her and Marisa’s story if possible (and I feel like that’d be a pretty easy thing to do in the same universe and all - a lot of people do it eg Melissa Brayden and E. J. Noyes on top of my head and if Haley Cass decides to go with it as well you won’t hear me complaining!). Actually, I feel like I’d love that story even more since I’m not a big fan of second chance romances and all that.
Yes, not a fan of second chance romances at all to be completely honest so - why read this book?
It’s Haley Cass, duh.
I mean, as I already said, I was a bit nervous about it (reading a book with a trope that’s soo not on top of my list) and it did give me some weird feels in the beginning as well but I grew to love Taylor and Brooke and their story. They are like complete opposites but still understand each other which is adorable. Honestly, the only problem I had is that I just couldn’t picture them as 40+ like they were in their late 20s/early 30s in my head. No matter how hard I tried.
I’m a big fan of slow burn romances so I would’ve loved it if the book was longer and their story more slowed down with flirting and such. Not even that but maybe meet the other characters a bit more? Seeing what’s happening with their lives would paint the whole picture a little better I think. Like Jo, Taylor’s niece, was cute but a bit just there, and then Ben, Taylor’s brother and Brooke’s best friend, was there just so Taylor would have someone to make up with. I mean it’s maybe just me but - yeah. I don’t want to sound mean since there IS stuff about people and happenings of Faircombe but I feel like I just couldn’t really get a good picture of it that way.*** On the other hand maybe I wasn’t intended to.
Sometimes I think the problem’s in me, honestly, because since I was born I didn’t live anywhere but in this 2 million people European city so imagining how some little town in the South US functions is alien to me. Or something.
Also, I found Faircombe such a funny name and I couldn’t get used to it the whole book.
Yeah, sure, this one is also very cliche but I live for that sh*t and I feel like Haley Cass mastered it. I’m a bit more emotional than usual when reading her books because it’s so easy to relate and feel what’s going on. As always, H. Cass’ writing pulls you into the story very easily, it’s flow-y and so damn enjoyable.
* not gonna lie - at some points I did think it’d be an 8/10 (4 star) book but by the end it had me almost crying and all so it definitely moved up
** / SPOILER kinda / Savannah is a baker who got pregnant after a one night stand and Marisa, Brooke’s assistant, is going to Savannah’s bakery like every day for her amazing scones. Or does she? 2 in 1 probably. Shipping those two b a d.
*** guess that could be done in the other book in the series about Savannah and Marisa 😏
January 7, 2022
My first read of 2022! I'm glad it was a Haley Cass book, she's one of my favourite authors.
What I liked:
Taylor. When I first starting reading I thought I'd like Brooke more, but Taylor stole the show for me. I loved her attitude towards life and travelling and love. The way she interacted with her world was really refreshing.
Taylor and Brooke's sexual chemistry really jumped off the page. I could tell almost from the start that they'd been attracted to each other for a long time.
Taylor and Savannah's relationship. It was nice to see.
The length. For me, the longer the book is the better (as long as I'm enjoying it haha!)
What I didn't like:
It needed more editing. Like, way more editing.
Brooke and Ben's friendship. They've been best friends since kindergarten, but that doesn't really translate onto the page. Taylor's and Savannah's relationship was better.
The ending. (Spoilers!) The epilogue redeemed it a bit for me, but for most of the last chapters I did not like the direction it was going. I didn't want Taylor to give up travelling. It was her life, something she genuinely loved doing. She even had sponsors! I understand her not going to Antarctica and returning to Faircombe was the big romantic gesture, but I couldn't stop thinking of the sponsors and if she's be in trouble with them hahaha.
I understand Brooke not wanting to watch Taylor leave again and again, but there are plenty of people who have jobs that take them away from home for long periods of time. And that's what travelling was to Taylor; her job. She, as mentioned, had sponsors, and she made loads of money selling her photographs. I thought it was a bit selfish of Brooke to expect Taylor to give that up for her. Love isn't about changing a person, it's about growing with them. I was glad to see in the epilogue that Taylor does in fact continue travelling, just for shorter periods of time.
While they had great sexual chemistry, I'm not so sure about their romantic chemistry. They're very different people, and I'm not sure it would work long term.
I realise this review seems negative, but I assure you I really did enjoy the book! Those Who Wait is still my favourite, but this was decent too.
What I liked:
Taylor. When I first starting reading I thought I'd like Brooke more, but Taylor stole the show for me. I loved her attitude towards life and travelling and love. The way she interacted with her world was really refreshing.
Taylor and Brooke's sexual chemistry really jumped off the page. I could tell almost from the start that they'd been attracted to each other for a long time.
Taylor and Savannah's relationship. It was nice to see.
The length. For me, the longer the book is the better (as long as I'm enjoying it haha!)
What I didn't like:
It needed more editing. Like, way more editing.
Brooke and Ben's friendship. They've been best friends since kindergarten, but that doesn't really translate onto the page. Taylor's and Savannah's relationship was better.
The ending. (Spoilers!) The epilogue redeemed it a bit for me, but for most of the last chapters I did not like the direction it was going. I didn't want Taylor to give up travelling. It was her life, something she genuinely loved doing. She even had sponsors! I understand her not going to Antarctica and returning to Faircombe was the big romantic gesture, but I couldn't stop thinking of the sponsors and if she's be in trouble with them hahaha.
I understand Brooke not wanting to watch Taylor leave again and again, but there are plenty of people who have jobs that take them away from home for long periods of time. And that's what travelling was to Taylor; her job. She, as mentioned, had sponsors, and she made loads of money selling her photographs. I thought it was a bit selfish of Brooke to expect Taylor to give that up for her. Love isn't about changing a person, it's about growing with them. I was glad to see in the epilogue that Taylor does in fact continue travelling, just for shorter periods of time.
While they had great sexual chemistry, I'm not so sure about their romantic chemistry. They're very different people, and I'm not sure it would work long term.
I realise this review seems negative, but I assure you I really did enjoy the book! Those Who Wait is still my favourite, but this was decent too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2022
What an amazing read!! This book is fantastic. It was a long read and I loved every single bit of it. Haley Cass has proven to be one of the best new sapphic authors in the past couple of years. The ratings of each of her books speak for themselves. However, Cass is a strong and articulate writer and creates characters you absolutely fall in life with. That was for sure sure the case with me while reading this one.
The character development and complexity of all their thoughts and emotions really envelops you as you are reading. You feel everything the main characters have to give. The supporting characters really play such a significant role in the story as well.
I’m so pleased with this book and plan to recommend it to others. I’m looking forward more reads from Cass. Too bad I read this so early in 2022. It’s going to be hard to top.
The character development and complexity of all their thoughts and emotions really envelops you as you are reading. You feel everything the main characters have to give. The supporting characters really play such a significant role in the story as well.
I’m so pleased with this book and plan to recommend it to others. I’m looking forward more reads from Cass. Too bad I read this so early in 2022. It’s going to be hard to top.
August 21, 2022
i feel so empty now that i finished all of haley's books....
August 30, 2024
Gahhhhh I feel so incredibly warm right now!! Also I’m so in love with Taylor 😍😍
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