Review: Behind the Pine Curtain

Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on March 28, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "Tonight, you're mine."

"I've always been yours."

3.75/5

This was a nice, enjoyable read. It’s about 250 pages long and features two likeable characters. I’ll likely reread some time later when I just want something short and sweet to make me happy.
    
Jackie was once forced out of her hometown by her parents after she came out to them, now she’s an author. She’s brought back to town by the passing of her father, at the insistence of her father’s lawyer. When she gets back home, she meets with Kay. Kay was her best friend going on, but they’ve not talked in 15 years. Now Kay is divorced and has a business that she owns. The two reconnect but the sparks from when they were teenagers are still lingering.

I really enjoyed both characters and most of the side characters. I wasn’t a big fan of John Lawrence but that was because I was never sure where his loyalties lied. Kay was sweet and I loved when we got to dip into her head. Watching her struggle to deal with the new emotions that aren’t exactly new was fun and it was so sweet. Jackie is tough but sweet. It was nice to see her acknowledge the privilege that she had had growing up. She had to struggle with her feelings coming back but she also had to deal with the aftereffects of her father’s death, returning to her old hometown, and the surprises her father left her.

I really loved the chemistry between Kay and Jackie. The two worked together so well and it just felt so naturally. I wish there had been an epilogue so that I could have known what time had in store for them, especially since they have lives in different places. I also liked that the author wrote in flashbacks to when they were teenagers to talk about their past.

I had one big issue with this book and one minor issue. My big issue is that I just felt like a bit too much time was spent on the legal and business side of everything. I know that part of the plot was the fact that Jackie was brought back to her hometown because of a will, but it was just too much for me to find enjoyable. My minor issue is the ending part. It felt a bit rushed but more than that I didn’t like how some parts were handled. I don’t like the way that Kay’s situation was handled. Jackie left after Kay admitted she couldn’t come clean and that she would need time. I get why she left but I just felt bad for Kay. It just bothered me personally and I wish that either Jackie had stayed or that there had been more chapters dedicated to the aftermath of Jackie leaving and Kay working towards telling her family.

This was a really nice book. It was a good read that usually managed to keep my interest. I had a couple of issues with it but nothing big.