Just Look Up by Courtney Walsh

About the Book
After tirelessly climbing the ranks of her Chicago-based interior design firm, Lane Kelley is about to land her dream promotion when devastating news about her brother draws her back home―a quaint tourist town full of memories she’d just as soon forget. With her cell phone and laptop always within reach, Lane aims to check on her brother while staying focused on work―something her eclectic family doesn’t understand.
Ryan Brooks never expected to settle down in Harbor Pointe, Michigan, but after his final tour of duty, it was the only place that felt like home. Now knee-deep in a renovation project that could boost tourism for the struggling town, he is thrilled to see Lane, the girl he secretly once loved, even if the circumstances of her homecoming aren’t ideal.
Their reunion gets off to a rocky start, however, when Ryan can’t find a trace of the girl he once knew in the woman she is today. As he slowly chips away at the walls Lane has built, secrets from his past collide with a terrible truth even he is reluctant to believe. Facing a crossroads that could define his future with Lane and jeopardize his relationship with the surrogate family he’s found in the Kelleys, Ryan hopes Lane can see that maybe what really matters has been right in front of her all along―if only she’d just look up.

My Thoughts
To say that this book has been recommended to me would be a gross understatement. Countless people have told me I absolutely had to read this book which just made my initial desire to read it grow even more. And after I read this author's latest release I knew there was no doubt I'd love this one. So with all that hype and build up I opened this book and started to read, and I have to say that it was even more amazing than I even imagined! I loved it so much and could barely stand to put it down, finishing it in a twenty-four hour window. And when I reached the end I didn't want to say goodbye, I'm already dreaming about a reread.
Lane was a heroine that I could really relate to emotionally. I haven't endured all that she did but so many of the thoughts and emotions she was experiencing are ones that I have had. My heart broke for her, the way she had been bullied, and how she felt she had no one on her side. I can't imagine feeling betrayed and abandoned by family members like she did. I loved watching her discover that she was enough just as she was, that God loved her simply because she was her, and that the people she had pushed away were waiting with open arms.
Ryan Brooks. I could not have loved him more if I tried! He had an easy-going, fun manner and the charm of someone who was good looking and knew it! He'd had a less than ideal childhood but through the kindness of Lane's father he found a second family. His past didn't define him but it fueled him to be a better man. I absolutely loved the way he was with Lane, gently nudging her but always being aware of how fragile she was and not pushing too hard. He just showed up when she needed it, even the moments when she couldn't recognize her own need. His relentless but quiet pursuit of her and the way he slowly broke down her walls, had me melting!
Brooks and Lane were just absolutely perfect for each other and completely adorable. I was cheering for them the whole time.
The other characters in this story were wonderfully written, whether it was someone to despise or love, or the ones that had to grow on you some.
Basically everything about this book was unbelievably good and I cannot recommend it enough!

Meet the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theatre director, and playwright. Hometown Girl is her seventh novel. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. She has written two additional books in the Sweethaven series, as well as three small-town romance novels: Paper Hearts, Change of Heart, and Just Look Up. She lives in Illinois, where she and her husband own a performing arts studio and youth theatre. They have three children. Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.