The One I Left Behind by Piper Rayne Review

When I was given the opportunity to read The One I Left Behind by Piper Rayne, book one in the Plain Daisy Ranch Series, I was ecstatic! This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. 

Synopsis

Ben Noughton is retiring from over a decade of being a NFL pro. He left his high dollar life in San Francisco to return to his small town in Nebraska. His dad and two brothers, Jude and Emmett, are running their family's ranch. Ben isn’t sure what is next for him, but he has a feeling this part of his past is just a pit stop. But when his old high school coach has a heart attack, Ben steps up to coach for the season.

Gillian Adams has been working her butt off as a single mom. She just needs to pass the Bar exam and then she can move and find a job making more money to support herself and her son, Clayton. Clayton is 14-years-old and Gillian's whole heart. When Ben returns to Nebraska, Gillian does everything she can to avoid him. He broke her heart when he left for school all those years ago, and she has never fully recovered. 

But because it is such a small town, it is difficult to avoid one another–especially since Clayton is on the JV football team. Although their relationship ended years ago, their hearts are still pulling towards each other. But with Ben moving back and Gillian hoping to leave, will their old feelings be enough to keep them together? 

Review 

This was my second book by Piper Rayne and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series. Coming from a small town myself, the small town trope is one of my favorites. While this was a smaller book (only 249 pages) I still felt like there was plenty of time to become invested in Ben and Gillian’s relationship.

I loved their banter and how Gillian didn’t give in too soon to Ben’s charm. I also enjoyed how the single parent trope was handled. They were super aware of Clayton’s feelings throughout the novel. Gillian was a strong, independent woman with a heart of gold, and Ben was a charmer who would burn the world down for one more chance with her. 

The primary characters of this novel were awesome, but so were Ben’s brothers, family, and the rest of the town. I loved how everyone was closely knit together. It makes me feel optimistic that we will get to see all of these characters again throughout the series. 

Make sure you order a copy of The One I Left Behind by Piper Rayne. It comes on May 14th and is worth the read! 

Read if you love: 

-Small town romance

-Single mom

-Second chance romance

-Found family

-Former athlete 

Book two in the series will make its debut in early July, so the wait won't be too long!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!