Elijah March feels mixed feelings about returning to the small-town of Grand Ridge. He left over a decade ago as his dad—and the town—painted him to be a degenerate teenager.

He’s willing to risk it to see Hazel again.

Months after their one night and he needs to know if she craves him like he craves her.
Being chased by her boyfriend’s dog, is a rude awakening that maybe the spark didn’t go both ways.

Hazel Matthews is overworked, overwhelmed, and over it. She just wants to run her business without worrying about the hometown gossips.

Directly after the man she’s not dating “breaks up” with her, Elijah shows up as if conjured from her most coveted memories, and desires.

But memories are long and controversy runs deep in Grand Ridge. A relationship with the legendary bad boy, and a scandalous bachelor auction could destroy the shaky foundation of her vet clinic.

My Review:

Having read “Just Fake Married” by Marty, I have a true appreciation for her female protagonists. The personalities they project and the inner turmoil make them such well-rounded and relatable characters. Hazel was no exception in “Hazel and Elijah Find Out.” I feel that this was more established in the prequel, “Hazel and Elijah Don’t Get Caught,” and I will reference the importance of reading it first several times, as it may have an impact on how this story appeals to you.

Being invisible in the small town of Grand Ridge is a life to which Hazel had become accustomed. That was until a gorgeous pair of green eyes turned her world upside down. For one blissful night, the man she had coveted since high school was hers. Fifteen months later, despite seeing Dennis and attempting to move on, Elijah was still the only man she wanted. If it weren’t for his father, Dr. March, they could have had something. Instead, to protect her acquisition of the vet clinic, he skipped town. Holding onto his number, which she had gotten from his friends, she still hadn’t found the courage to contact him. Little did she know, Elijah couldn’t let her go either, and despite the animosity of his so-called hometown, he was willing to face the consequences to see her again. The problem is, was invisibility so bad when all eyes are on you, the legendary bad boy, and the only option left to save your business is a bachelor auction? Thrust into the spotlight, Hazel has to decide if the feelings she had for Elijah are worth the scrutiny she now has to endure or if it was better being the good girl everyone knew and loved.

There were so many things I loved about this book: the role reversal between Hazel and Elijah, the focus on how we don’t always know what is best, the notion that letting others in isn’t the end of the world, the insightful approach to perspectives and judgment, and the portrayal of the turmoil involved in standing up for what is right. This book made excellent points without being preachy.

I will warn that without reading the prequel, you will feel like you have been dropped in the middle of a story already in progress. This creates some detachment from the characters as they continuously reference events that happened between them or around them. I highly recommend reading the prequel first, then diving into this story. I found a huge shift in my attitude towards the book when I stopped, read the prequel, and then reread the book. I felt like I understood the characters, their connection, and became more invested in the story. The references had more meaning, small moments were more significant, and character growth was clearer with a more laid-out before and after view.

While the humor in the book was mild, the auction brought tears to my eyes! It indirectly built interest in additional characters, paving the way for a potential book two about a certain veterinary assistant. The overall feel of the book was not side-splittingly hilarious; it was more insightful, somewhat dramatic, and reflective, but that chapter was a fantastic pause from the feelings invoked by the rest of the book.

As mentioned above, this book was an ode to introspection – demonstrated by the effects of the past on the present. Elijah constantly battled who he was, no matter the good he did or how much he changed. The worst part is that his “bad” was a misrepresentation; it was the making of a man—his father, who found it better to throw his family to the wolves than to allow the community to see him for what he really was. The worst part was Elijah’s “self-sacrifice” was more self-preservation and fear. He was disowned by his father and had a community turn its back on him; what was one more person to him? It didn’t help that the low self-esteem emanating from Hazel fed into his fears while amplifying her own. How can you reassure someone if you don’t think you are good enough, if everyone around you questions your worth, your value? In another place, at another time, they would have been two people who were crazy about each other and able to allow their relationship to flourish. Instead, they had to live in a conjured-up existence of good versus evil, corruption, and other nonsensical points of view that were more harmful than good.

Again, it is really important to read the prequel because it helps create a better understanding of the rift between Elijah and his father when witnessed firsthand, instead of a rehashing. In the prequel, we discover Elijah returns to Grand Ridge with the main objective of reconnecting with his father. The problem is, Dr. March can’t see beyond Elijah’s past. He refuses to see him as the man he has become, only judging him by his past transgressions. The snide comments, the insults, and the direct warnings he gives to Hazel reflect the lost cause of Elijah’s attempt to reconnect. I agree with Nora; the comments uttered by Dr. March should not have been said in the presence of others. However, that slip is what gives way to Nora and Hazel seeing Dr. March through Elijah’s eyes versus the eyes of the community that admire him. The reason this is important is that the tables turn in “Hazel and Elijah Find Out.” When he returns, he is no longer interested in connecting, and having read the prequel, the reader understands why. We have a clear picture of who Dr. March is and why Elijah rebelled the way he did and continues to pay the price.

It was an interesting approach to make Elijah the more insecure one in the relationship. This is the man every woman wanted and every guy wanted to be. Even with his good looks and success, he still didn’t believe he was good enough for Hazel. Hazel, who had had a crush on him since high school. Hazel, who was constantly scrutinized for being with Elijah because their coupling “didn’t make sense.” Despite all odds in the community stacking up against her, she was the one who fought against the voices of judgment to be together, while Elijah broke under the jealousy and pressure. It was refreshing to have an author take this approach and to show everyone has their own insecurities, no matter who they are!

Marty definitely turned up the heat in this one. The prequel was already on fire, but this took Hazel and Elijah to a whole new level. The chemistry and fire between these two would burn the e-reader right out of your hands! Even the buildups and anticipation were electric. There was never a doubt how much these two desired each other or the “damage” they would do once they got their hands on each other.

If it were possible to place “Hazel and Elijah Don’t Get Caught” inside of “Hazel and Elijah Find Out” as a prologue or Part One, I think this would greatly improve the readers’ experience. Otherwise, the book on its own, while enjoyable, may leave some feeling a little disjointed but still entertained. I can’t wait to see what else Marty creates within this series. She has piqued my interest with the possibility of Nora and Brooks, so hopefully, we have more fascinating tales from Grand Ridge coming soon.