Mere words can’t end their families’ feud, but the Campbell heir and the Bradshaw heiress plan to write a future together. Buffalo, NY, 1924, Laura Bradshaw adores stories with happily ever afters. But since her mother died seven years ago, the Bradshaw Shoe Company heiress has been as good as locked away in a tower. Her overbearing father cares little for her dreams, throwing himself instead into his tireless takedown of his competitor, the Campbell Shoe Company.

However, Laura has been gifted with a mysterious friend with whom she’s been exchanging letters. As heir to the Campbell Shoe Company, Isaac Campbell is a sought-after bachelor who has never felt an inkling of desire for the women who constantly bat their eyes at him. His thoughts are consumed by an oak tree in the Buffalo Zoo—or rather, the mystery woman he exchanges letters with courtesy of the tree. She’s been one of Isaac’s only joys in a life consumed by his father’s tireless hatred of Bradshaw. A hatred that, Isaac is coming to realize, may affect him more personally than he ever imagined. When Laura’s father orchestrates a match between her and an important business owner, she resolves to pursue her only chance at freedom. But Isaac believes their story isn’t bound for a tragic ending. He’s certain there’s more to the Bradshaw-Campbell feud than meets the eye. And he won’t stop digging until he uncovers the truth that might bridge the divide between him and the woman whose words have captured his heart.

I loved everything about this story – the setting, the time period, the characters, the plot, and most importantly, the romance! 

This was my second Rachel Fordham book, and she is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I love her clean historical romances. They warm my heart and always put a smile on my face. 

This is a Romeo & Juliet retelling with a dash of You’ve Got Mail, and it was so sweet and charming. I listened to the audiobook and couldn’t stop listening to it. It’s a dual POV from both the main female protagonist, Laura, and the main male protagonist, Issac. I appreciated getting both of their perspectives in this story, which helped me to connect and relate to both characters. You could see how they were both innocent young adults swept up in this family feud between their fathers, who worked together at a shoe factory until they had a falling out. Now, they both rival each other with their own shoe factories, constantly trying to outdo the other in business. 

I really enjoyed this story being set in the 1920s. It was fun going back in time to this era, and through the descriptive writing, I was fully immersed in this time period and could picture what was being described, from clothing to housing to lifestyle to the behavior of people back then. I also enjoyed the settings of the Buffalo Zoo and Niagara Falls toward the end of the book. The author weaves in real historical facts mixed with fiction, and at the end, she offers an author’s note about the story, what was made up, and what was real. 

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. They were fully developed and were easy to connect with and relate to. I felt fully invested in them, and watching this relationship progress was really entertaining. We get depth from the characters and the overall story, which adds to the book. We feel their tension and exhaustion of this family feud that has been going on for many years. If you enjoy the enemies-to-lovers and forbidden love romance tropes, then you’ll love this story. 

I was also really engaged with the plot. I thought it was creative and entertaining. It kept my interest the entire time, and I kept wanting to know what would happen next. The pacing was great. There was a wonderful balance of romance and drama to keep my attention. There’s even a bit of a mystery to figure out, which was unexpected and made the book even more interesting. 

This is such a heartwarming, feel-good story that I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance stories and historical dramas. Absolutely loved it, and now I want to buy a physical copy for my personal library and reread it! This is an author I want to read to zero now.