Forever in the Country
The Series Finale I Was Craving
Alexandra Hale had my heart breaking from page one in her Clementine Creek series finale, Forever in the Country. After falling in love with Sorren and Rhea from book one, I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in their perfect HEA.
Sorren drew me in from the very start of the series, because, let’s face it, broody protectors are my catnip. He had so much baggage, so much depth to his backstory, and there were so many unknowns about him, and Hale did right by him, giving him the best recovery story. A story accentuated by the love of and for his found family. And Rhea was the ultimate caretaker through the series, pulling me in with her warmth and insights. But that no-nonsense side of her was exactly what Sorren needed. Being seen as the beautiful soul she is—caring, protective, independent—by her family, and finally by Sorren made all the struggles worth it.
Hale does a really great job of weaving her stories around the solid elements of family ties and the foundations relationships are built on. Forever in the Country infuses emotional intensity and steam, allowing her characters to let go of the past and embracing the present and future with their perfect partner. The most wonderful thing about this series finale: Seeing characters I adore finally recognize their struggles and make room for the future by saying goodbye to the past.
As with all great series finales, it wasn’t just Sorren and Rhea who got closure, but Marlee (Sorren’s sister- Back in the Country) and the entire Clementine Creek family. Those small-town feels are strong, as are the bonds created through the series. While Forever in the Country can be read as a standalone, readers will have a much better grasp of the family dynamics, characters, and their backgrounds if the series is read in order.
