Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

Sometimes the person you never quite forgot comes back into your life when you least expect it. In With You, Charleston by Kyara Rice, Josie Peyton has built a successful career as a wedding photographer in Charleston, South Carolina, after giving up her dream of traveling the world to snap wildlife photos. While working at an event, she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Samuel Greene, the boy she fell for as a senior in high school. A decade has passed since they were together, and he now serves in the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed thousands of miles away in Kodiak, Alaska. He has also been casually involved with Jessica, a woman there who has grown closer to him than either of them anticipated. However, the attraction between Josie and Samuel remains, along with the reasons a relationship seems nearly impossible. He has spent years moving from place to place and avoiding anything that might make him want to stay, while she has created a stable life close to her family. Josie, Samuel, and Jessica each have their own grief, uncertainty, and hopes for the future. What begins as a surprising reunion soon forces Josie and Samuel to consider whether what they had years ago deserves another chance. Can they build a path forward together when they’re being pulled in different directions? And what happens to Jessica?

I really enjoyed With You, Charleston by Kyara Rice. Josie and Samuel had such a great spark between them. I liked that their relationship wasn't their only struggle. Both of them were carrying things from their past, so there was more to them than just the love story. I was interested in the whole question of staying or going, too. Leaving might mean following a dream, but it can also mean running from something you don't want to face. I thought the different points of view worked well because I got to see what was going on in everyone's head, even when they weren't being completely open with each other. I wasn't expecting Jessica to have as much of a voice as she did, and I'm glad she wasn't there simply to get in the way of Josie and Samuel. She had her own feelings and problems to work through. The book had some funny moments mixed in with the more serious ones, too. I smiled when Josie started timing Samuel as he changed a flat tire. It was a small exchange, but their teasing made their connection feel more natural. Rice did a very good job of creating characters I cared about and making me want to see where their choices would take them. Anyone looking for a second-chance romance with plenty of chemistry, emotional baggage, family bonds, and a little suspense should give this one a try.