Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Twenty-eight-year-old Hannah Spencer wants nothing more than to change everything about her life.

After ten years of living in cities, Nathan Wild has just moved back home to Vermont and doesn’t want to change anything about his.

Recently laid off from her depressing job in Boston and ready for a challenge, Hannah heads to Vermont for the summer to take care of her sister’s kids and do some serious soul searching. There, against the stunning landscape of the Green Mountains, she embarks on an ambitious project: building a treehouse for her niece and nephew. As she hammers away, she formulates a plan to jump-start her life with a new job out West. But will Nathan-next-door complicate her desire to change course? A witty, romantic, and inspiring story of a young woman taking control and making tough choices about love and work to build the life she wants, The Treehouse on Dog River Road will have you rooting for Hannah every step of the way. 

Review:

The wonderful new novel, The Treehouse on Dog River Road, by Catherine Drake finds two attractive people in their late twenties who start a summer fling.  Hannah and Nathan can keep things light, no problem.  But as the summer progresses, and they get to learn more about each other, each finds that, perhaps, they've met "The One".  Sounds great, right?  Well, not exactly.  Hannah is trying to find a career that has more meaning than just a paycheck.  She wants to relocate to a new city and make a fresh start.  But Nathan just bought a house and is looking to establish roots in the small town where he has lots of family.  That's the main (really the only) conflict in this book.   

I liked that both Nathan and Hannah's extended families were a daily part of their lives, and that Nathan had a strong bond with his dog.  These are details that are often missing in books.  The ending, which I will not give away, really elevated the book.  Powerful events take place that change everyone's lives, and cement Hannah's feelings for Nathan.  

If I had any criticism of this novel, it's that everyone is a little too perfect.  It's as though the author couldn't bear to give Hannah or Nathan (or their families) any flaws.  But these are great characters who I think people will enjoy reading about.

What I Liked:

"Clean" Romance:

As much as I love romance books, I am usually conflicted because the emphasis in these novels are mostly on detailed descriptions of sex (always the best of their lives!), and less on how well the two people actually get along.   While there is quite a lot of sex in this book, it's without the play by play that I often see in other novels in this genre.  I would say that this is a "clean" romance, which I really appreciated.  But for some people, sex scenes are a big reason to read romance novels.  Hey, whatever floats your boat.  If your looking for graphic sex scenes, you will be disappointed with this book.

Story:

I liked that Hannah's experience babysitting her niece and nephew wasn't all puppies and rainbows.  Hannah doesn't have any familiarity with children, so the first few days are rough.  Sometimes books go from one extreme to another with this kind of storyline.  Either the main character is naturally great with kids, or they are bumbling idiots.   While Hannah is on a learning curve dealing with kids all day, she is not incompetent. 

Using her skills building homes with Habitat for Humanity, Hannah is determined to build the ultimate treehouse for the kids.  While there is the usual sexist comments from some men questioning her knowledge of building, there was a nice balance between that and Hannah actually asking for help on some of the tasks.  

Hannah and Nathan take their time getting to know each other, which I liked.  Of course, they both felt an instant attraction, but their attempts to move things along are often interrupted by the kids, or just regular things like having to do their jobs.  This was a much more natural flow than the insta-romance, that these sort of books usually go for.

The final quarter of the book takes a dramatic turn as the region is hit with a hurricane.  Both Hannah and Nathan find out how easily life can change based on events that are beyond their power.  Learning to make the most of what then can control is a life lesson for us all.

What I Was Mixed About:

Story:

It might have made for a more interesting story if Hannah and Nathan's roles had been reversed.  What if Hannah had been the one to have just bought a house, and Nathan had to consider finding a job to stay near Hannah?  I would have loved for the guy to be the one who might need to compromise, rather than (always) the woman.

Lack of Conflict:

The only problem for Hannah and Nathan is where Hannah might be moving to.  Everything else was a little too perfect.  No one has problematic relatives, or bad habits, or hidden issues.  Now, I don't necessarily need people to have dark secrets.  But everything is a bit sugary-sweet in this book.  For instance, there are hints that the people in Nathan's family drink excessively, but no one has a drinking problem.  Nathan's home is messy, but the author emphasizes that he is not a hoarder.  Why couldn't he be?  I wouldn't have liked him less for this.  It would have made him more human.  

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  May 10th, 2022

Author:  Catherine Drake

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre:  Romance

Page Length:  356 Pages

Format:  E-Book

Source:  NetGalley

Recommendation:  A "clean" romance that is sometimes a little too perfect.  The ending elevated this to a stronger recommendation for me.