Finding Hayes

Magnolia Falls Series, Book 5

By: Laura Pavlov

Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Lee Samuels

Sometimes relationships come along that define you.

Someone who brings out sides of you that no one else sees.

The reason that you try to be the best version of yourself.

Savannah Abbott was my North Star growing up.

She was my best friend, my neighbor, and the person who knew me best.

But without warning, she was gone in the blink of an eye.

My life began unraveling the day she left Magnolia Falls.

Because apparently, when you lose the best thing in your life, it’s all downhill from there.

But I’m a survivor—and I forced myself to move on.

My guard went up, and my ability to trust people disappeared.

Until the day Savannah came back to town—more than a decade later.

And now she’s acting like I’m the enemy.

She wants nothing to do with me, even all these years later.

Until she needs a favor.

A temporary husband.

I may not be the marrying type, but for Savannah, I’m willing to bend the rules.

None of this is real, and she reminds me of that every day while we’re playing house.

I may fight fires for a living, but my new wife is a flame that I don’t want to extinguish.

She’s the fire that’s been missing all along.

**This is book 5 in the Magnolia Falls Series. Each one can be listened to as a complete standalone. A HEA is guaranteed!**

Magnolia Falls Series:

Loving Romeo

Wild River

Forbidden King

Beating Heart

Finding Hayes

©2024 Laura Pavlov (P)2024 Laura Pavlov

Wonderful end to the series

Since they were little, Savannah was everything to Hayes: best friend, neighbor, partner in crime, Shortcake. She was the one person he could depend on, trust completely - his North Star... until one day she leaves without a goodbye or explanation, cutting ties with him completely and leaving him at the worst moment of his life. But he survived. He put guards around his heart and moved on. Now she is back in Magnolia Falls. 
Savannah is back because she's the sole heir to the man who treated her like a cherished granddaughter. She knows she'll have to see Hayes around and she's sure she can deal. In true Hayes fashion, he's always there when she needs him: a car that won't start... being a temporary husband... You read correctly. The will stipulates that she needs to be married in 30 days or lose the inheritance. She'd toss it all if she didn't need the money badly to help with her dad's medical bills. Now, she'll have to play house with the man who broke her heart. 
She wants nothing to do with him. He's still hurt that she left him. He might be a firefighter, but the fire between them is one no one manages to extinguish.
Oh how I love a friends to lovers story! They're the hardest to write but Laura did it perfectly. She even managed to use the miscommunication trope in a way that works! I love seeing Hayes and Savannah finding their way to each other. I also loved how every conflict was external and, even estranged, they tackled them together. My heart was warmed also by how the Ride or Die friends band together and are there for Hayes. A lovely ending to a wonderful series!
Narrated beautifully by Andi Arndt and Lee Samuels (dual style). Andi can do no wrong in my book and this is no exception. Lee Samuels is also amazing as Hayes, a man whose guards are up but who lets them down for the one person he has loved all his life. Great performances!

Hope, Change, & Steadfast love

love all these books in all her series. they all connect and you know all the characters over the whole universe. it's magical and genious

Wonderful story with great narration

I was so excited for Finding Hayes but i was also sad that the Magnolia Falls Series was coming to an end. All i’m going to say is Ms Pavlov gave us exactly what we wanted with Hayes Woodson and Savannah Abbott’s journey and this is a wonderful addition to one of my favourite series of the year.
Lee Samuels and Andi Arndt did a wonderful job bringing the characters and their journey to life. They were spot on with the love, the banter, the passion and all the emotions that flows through this book.
Hayes and Savannah had been friends since childhood but she left town and that left a void in his heart. So what happens when she is back in town and the only way to get her inheritance is find someone to marry ……
What starts out as a marriage of convenience soon turns into so much more. The chemistry they share is hot but it was the friendship and the love that took this book to the next level. I fell hard and fast for Hayes and Savannah is the girl I want as my bestie. I was captivated from the first page and there was no putting down until the final word was read. Catching up with the gang of die or ride brothers always adds depth to Ms Pavlov’s wonderful stories and that’s why for me she is the queen of small town romances. I’m excited to listen to this on audio and can’t wait to see what’s coming next from this very talented author.

Another great Magnolia Falls

Really enjoyed the series got all five of the books. They’re all great. Worth the time and money

Marriage of convenience, small town romance, end of a great series!

3.5 stars. I love the Magnolia Falls series so much, it was sad to see it end but also I’m excited for what’s to come from Laura Pavlov with her next series. While this book wasn’t a favorite in the series for me, it was a solid addition.

✨small town romance
✨grumpy x sunshine
✨marriage of convenience
✨fake relationship
✨firefighter
✨returning home
✨found family
✨on KU

Hayes and Savannah were childhood friends who had a falling out (which we learn about later into the book), and now she’s back in their hometown! She’s back because someone in her life recently passed away and is leaving her millions of dollars, which the caveat that she has to be married. So her and Hayes decide to have a marriage of convenience and fake a happy marriage.

I liked parts of the story, then struggled with other aspects, and then liked seeing all the side characters and their updates too. So definitely highs and lows in this one for me. I love a marriage of convenience set up but do struggle with the execution of it in contemporary romances, I wanted to dig a little deeper with this couple and their story but didn’t feel like we got to that level. I also wasn’t a fan of their falling out in the past, it was obvious that was going to be what caused it all and I just don’t like it when ‘that’ is the reason of what went down in the past. Wished it went a different way or had something more there. The ending was good (although maybe tied up a littttttle too easily), but I liked seeing so many moments with the other characters of the series in this one and all their babies and updates on their lives.