The Lilac River by Nikki Ashton, Book 1 of the Silver Peaks series - five star read for me!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, second chance romance, small town, hint of spice, single father vibes with an actual plot! Although sometimes slightly predictable, i really enjoyed the story and Nikkis writing style.

After fleeing town 10 years ago with a huge secret, Lily returns to her hometown to help her mum and grandmother but she isnt prepared to run into her first love Nash who is still seeking answers about her sudden disappearance all those years ago.

Nash who is now a single dad, works on the family ranch and is desperate to know what made Lily run away. Secrets, lies, regret and hurt threaten to stop them being together.
Can Lily face up to the truth and come clean to Nash?

Great character development, I loved Bertie and I am already so excited for what's to come!

Thanks to NetGalley, Nikki Ashton and Bubble Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

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The Lilac River, book one in the Silver Peaks series, is a small‑town, second‑chance romance following Lilly and her high‑school sweetheart Nash, who reconnect after a decade apart. The story dives into grief, secrets, single parenthood, and the enduring power of first love. Second‑chance romance: Heart-wrenching reunion after a decade apart.Dual perspectives:
Atmosphere: Lavender fields, a small ranch town, and quiet redemption.
Emotional pacing: Slow-burn tension with a deeply satisfying payoff.

4.5⭐️Thank you for this ARC! I absolutely adored this book. I devoured it in 48 hours and just loved Nash and Lily’s story. I just found out there’s two more books coming out this year for the brothers and I’m so excited to read! I’d highly recommend if you love cowboy romances, and a single dad trope. Check TW.

🪻ARC review🪻

The lilac river by @nikkiashtonauthor
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Oh my sweetness. This was so emotionally charged. I cried so much but I was also so giddy to know they were finally getting their happy ending. And Bertie had to be my absolute favorite character ever. She was so sweet and charming but so funny too. The relationship she has with her uncles is amazing. I cannot wait to see how this series progresses. I am sooooo excited !! 💥

Loved this! Second chance, small town, slow burn cowboy romance. What more could you ask for? Bertie was an absolute icon and I loved her. The family dynamics in this are so lovely and the relationships between the characters are well presented and really enhanced the story

This book was a slow burn but it was so good romance on 100 I loved everything about this book the characters and story made it so much more better I will recommend this awesome love story

The best second chance romance book I've read in a long time. I requested this one because I loved the cover and I didn't recognize the authors name. I'm so glad I got approved for this because I couldn't put it down. The banter between the brothers made me laugh. The short chapters made it easy to say "just one more chapter" about a dozen times throughout the book. The small town vibes and the characters names were other favorites for this one. The chemistry between Nash and Lily was amazing. I think this was well written and I definitely have this author on my radar. I'm look forward to another trip to Silver Peaks!

*Arc review*

Second chance at love? sign me up. I loved Lily and Nash and getting to see through the years of the relationship. Bertie was a trip and definitely added a lot of fun to the story with the mispronunciation of words. I am super curious about the other two brothers although I do believe that ending shows who one of them ends up with. The only thing I would have liked to see more of was the actual farms and like day to day with her being a teacher. Overall, a great read and a fun romance! Thanks again for the ARC!

3.5 ⭐️ this was exactly the second chance romance I needed. I really liked Nash and Lily and felt like their characters worked well together. I especially liked how she interacted with the family and with Bertie (who was hilarious). The relationship between Nash and his brothers felt really believable, and I enjoyed all of the interactions where all three of them were involved.

I felt like Lily’s reason for leaving was kind of anticlimactic, but it did not take away from the rest of the story. I definitely want to continue with the series.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.

I really enjoyed this second chance cowboy romance! Angst + heart? SIGN ME UP! Bertie was 1000% the star of the show. (I love her 😂) I do wish we had a little bit more of Lily's backstory in the beginning, but still a great fast paced read.I'm excited to read the brothers books next and see them grow! Thank you for the arc! 🩵

3.5⭐️
I really enjoyed this one ! I love small town romances and this one really hit the spot! I think my favourite part was the family dynamics in this one ! I loved Nash’s relationship with both his daughter and his brothers it honestly really helped with the storyline and feeling integrated into the family! + Bertie was ADORABLE I can’t lie Nash’s relationship with his daughter was so special it melted my heart ! I also loved Lily’s relationship with her mum and grandma as well as with Bertie ! I think the family dynamics were so well done and felt so real i loved it! I do feel like I wasn’t as Invested in both Nash and lily together as much as I hoped with some of their reactions and reasonings being a little annoying at points but that’s just me being picky !! but I will definetly be reading the rest of the series !
Thank you netgalley and bubble books ltd for the e-copy in exchange for a honest review !

Set against the backdrop of a small town, this story weaves together themes of family, love, and justice with a touch of suspense. I was especially drawn to the legal elements and the deep emotional undercurrents that emerged as the story progressed. As a reader who loves when legal drama meets romance, The Lilac River delivered on both fronts. Nash’s character was a standout. His quiet yearning and emotional complexity were beautifully portrayed and added depth to the narrative. While the first half of the book felt somewhat fast-paced and at times lacked character development, the second half truly found its rhythm. The emotional stakes rose, and the relationships became more compelling, making for a satisfying and engaging read. The bond between the brothers was one of the novel’s strongest elements. It was genuine, moving, and a grounding force throughout the story. I’m already looking forward to diving into Wilder and Gunner’s stories and continuing the journey with this cast of characters.

3.5 ⭐️

Second chance romances are one of my favorite tropes and paired with a cowboy small town scene, I was immediately sucked in to this story.

Seeing how much damage was done when Lily left and the tension and yearning between her and Nash once she returned was so much fun to read. Plus, I absolutely adored Bertie, she was easily my favorite character of this entire book. The fact that she kept pushing Nash and Lily together and would always see more than they thought was so funny and fun to read.

The only thing I didn't quite enjoy was how faced paced the entire story was. Most of the chapters are very short and the story kept progressing very quickly. A lot of the stuff in the past felt very repetitive and almost unnecessary at times and could have been better spent diving more into the characters and the different conflicts within the story. It just seemed like Nash forgave Lily a little too quickly and all their problems with his father got resolved a little too easy. I would have liked that part of the story to be a bit more drawn out and explored.

However, this was still such a fun read and I was sucked in right from the first page.

If you're looking for a story that has:
- Single Dad
- Cowboy
- Small Town
- Second Chance Romance
- He falls first
- Teacher FMC
- A bit of suspense and family drama

This is the perfect story for you!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

The Lilac River by Nikki Ashton, beat every expectation I had for it, I was prepared for another small town fluffy romance, but was met with a love story of found family, second chances, mystery, suspense, and all around greatness. Bertie was hands down my favourite aspect of this book, the little girl stole my heart from the first scene she was in, sassy, loveable, and a bit mischievous. The suspense this book brought made it difficult to put down, in the best way, trying to figure out who did it, having suspicions and finally finding out so much more than I expected was thrilling. The love story portrayed in these pages is so heartfelt and loveable, the lost love, longing and hope is written beautifully. Watching the main characters work through their past both together and separate was also amazing. I definitely recommend you read this book if this sounds up your alley!

Ahhh I loved this book!

Nash & Lily's story was heartbreaking & heartwarming at the same time. Loved the slight mystery aspect to it too. The side characters were great especially little Bertie, the sass that kid has. The writing was beautiful too, so much thought had gone into the back stories, the little phrases & quotes.

Can't beat a single dad romance especially when it's a footballer turned rancher. 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

My fav scene was definitely the storm👀☔️💜
More of this in future books please!!!😍😍

Thank you to Bubble books & Netgalley for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this 🫶🏼

What an easy book to get into. I was immediately entertained and invested in the story. I am pleased to learn that Books 2 and 3 will be coming soon! Ashton is a great author and talented at crafting characters and situations that will tug at your heartstrings. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m a sucker for second chance romances and single dads, so The Lilac River seemed like something I would love. Unfortunately, I never really connected with the characters, especially because Lily didn’t really seem to have much of a personality.

Overall though, this was a cute read, but Bertie is the ONLY reason this is getting 4 stars lol

This book is such a cute cowboy romance.
Nash and Lily met when she moved to his school. They fall utterly in love with each other. That’s until Lily leaves. 10 years later she arrives back in Town.
Nash is looking for the Truth. Lily has to keep the secret.
Lily starts her new jobs as a teacher, Nash’s daughter’s teacher.
They grow close again realising they never stopped loving each other.
The Twist at the end was devastating. All that time lost!
The development of Nash and Lily’s Relationship, was truly painstakingly heartwarming.
The storyline was great. It made you want to continue to the end.
This is everything you would want, from a cowboy romance.
I can’t wait for the brother’s books.

3.7⭐️



Diez años atrás, Lily Jones desapareció de Silver Peaks sin dar explicaciones, dejando atrás a Nash Miller, su primer amor, con el corazón hecho trizas. Ahora, Lily ha regresado al pueblo con el mismo secreto con el que se fue, y Nash, convertido en padre soltero, se ve forzado a enfrentar el pasado que tanto ha intentado enterrar.

Con la ayuda de sus hermanos, Nash ha criado a su hija Bertie en un rancho lleno de memorias y cicatrices. Cuando ve a Lily por primera vez después de una década, todo el dolor, el amor y la traición resurgen con fuerza devastadora. Lo que no sabe es que Lily no solo vuelve con culpa y arrepentimiento, sino también con heridas que nunca cerraron del todo.



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Es entendible porque Lily se fue, pero que en su regreso siguiera teniendo miedo de decir porque se fue, se me hizo tonto.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

Thanks to Bubble Books Ltd and NetGalley for this arc.

I thought this cowboy romance was absolutely adorable but also super “must keep reading” as I managed to finish this ARC in just a few short hours.

I love Lila and Nash together. And honestly, Nash, Gunner, and wilder all are the cutest most handsome book boyfriends and I can’t wait to read the next two books in the series.