(tl;dr at the bottom for anyone who doesn’t want the full review)

I have read and loved each of the five previous Starlight Cove books, so when I first caught wind of the final book coming soon, I knew the chances of loving this one were pretty high.

Unsurprisingly, I loved it. Rebel Heart had everything I expect from Brighton: snarky banter, a bit of tension, fantastic spice, some interference from Mabel, and a heartwarming HEA.

What I didn’t expect was to end up sitting in my living room at 6am, in tears because this book hit things close to my heart.

One of the things I love about Brighton’s books is that she does her research, and she does it well. So when I found out that one of the recurring topics of this one would be SI, I was excited to see how it would play out. What she created is a character whose broken thoughts felt so familiar, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him.

I was almost caught off guard more than once at the accuracy of Levi’s thoughts, having struggled myself. I also know that some people will probably be unhappy about how much progress he makes on his mental health. The events of the book take place over less than a year, and Levi had been struggling with this for more than a decade. It would have been super unrealistic if he was magically better by the end, and I really appreciate that that’s not the direction she went.

On top of all the things I loved about Harper (and there really is a lot), the fact that she was ok with the times that he needed to not talk, was perfect. Everyone deserves that person.

Overall, this book will stick with me for a long time, and I can’t wait to get a physical copy in my hands. Thank you Brighton, for writing such wonderful characters. And for giving us someplace like Starlight Cove to escape to.

✨Tldr: absolutely read this book if you like small town romances with banter, spice and a HEA. Be aware of potential triggers because your mental health is important