REVIEW: Where It All Began by Lindsay Gibson Is a Disappointing Read

Lindsay Gibson is a recent addition to the Harpeth Road Press family, but her novels don't achieve the gold standard of the boutique publishing company owned by author Jenny Hale.

Where It All Began is Gibson's Summer 2025 release, and it unfolds like a bad Hallmark movie.

Plot Summary of Where It All Began by Lindsay Gibson

Growing up on Martha's Vineyard, Willow, Grayson, and Tyler are inseparable, though this childhood friendship ultimately morphs into a love triangle.

On prom night of their senior year, Grayson receives an emotional blow that rocks his entire world, so he taps his best friend, Tyler, to escort Willow to the dance. Jealous of their relationship, Tyler capitalizes on the opportunity and lies to Willow to break them up, hoping for a chance to win her heart.

If you've been thinking about trying Audible through Amazon, FYI there's a limited time offer happening now where you can get it for $0.99/month for three months. It includes audiobooks, podcasts, documentaries, theater, and sleep programs.

The same night, when an unexpected fire ignites her family's barn where horses-in-training are boarded, Willow is traumatized. She leaves Martha's Vineyard for college and never returns.

After eight years together, Tyler abandons Willow, who is now a therapist, at the altar. Her stress is compounded when she learns her father has suffered a bad fall and is hospitalized. Willow finally returns home to support her family during her father's recovery, and it's not long before she reconnects with Grayson, who still has a grip on her heart.

Grayson and Tyler share a secret that can ruin everything. How can Willow trust either of them again when she discovers the truth?

Review: Where It All Began by Lindsay Gibson Is Terrible in So Many Ways

The concept of Where It All Began is promising, and Gibson's writing style shows merit, but, just as in her novel The Christmas Promise, the author forces things to happen in unnatural and unbelievable ways.

Problem #1: It's not believable that the prom night debacle isn't sorted out before Willow leaves for college. She and Grayson are high school sweethearts who are truly in love, not simply infatuated. The author tries to excuse the communication breakdown on their youth, immaturity, and inability to process trauma, but the reader doesn't buy it. Two young people so in love would have connected, had a conversation, and worked to make sense of things.

Problem #2: The barn fire is traumatizing, but not enough to keep Willow away from her home and family for eight years. Her parents and siblings manage to cope and move on just fine. No humans die, and she doesn't lose her house or belongings. Even combined with the upset of prom night, it is inconceivable that Willow can't face coming home after so many years.

Problem #3: Willow is a therapist with an established counseling practice, yet she is the most messed up character in the book. It doesn't make sense. At times, she is cognizant of the fact that she should employ the same therapy techniques she advises her clients to apply, yet she usually fails to do so. Readers expect her to get a grip early on, yet Willow continues to make a long series of unwise choices. She melts down into drawn-out crying episodes, and after deciding to stay in Terra Cove, she inexplicably races back to Connecticut without resolving any of her issues then promptly returns a short time later. This is MESSED UP and doesn't track.

Problem #4: The drama isn't organic but artificially manufactured. Every time Tyler or Grayson approaches Willow to have a conversation like mature adults, she abruptly shuts them down, tells them not to follow her, avoids their calls, or storms off. It's ridiculous. The perpetual delayed communication and misunderstandings are herniated like in a bad Hallmark movie.

The perfect reading light for in bed or when the power goes out!

Problem #5: The author cannot write in a male voice. The thoughts and conversations the male characters have in the story sound like a woman's voice. Here's just one example--Tyler tells Willow, True love found as early as yours has left an indelible stamp on your hearts that cannot be replicated. Men absolutely do not speak this way (unless, maybe, they are gay). The internal monologue Grayson has and his exchanges with Willow's brother, Wes, don't align with how most men communicate.

Problem #6: Willow's hometown is so small that gossip travels quickly, yet we're supposed to believe that everyone in the town knows the "big secret" except for her? She would have heard about it through the grapevine before Grayson and Tyler came clean.

Problem #7: In the epilogue, we learn that two years pass before Willow and Grayson wed. They have known each other their entire lives and lost each other once. After so many wasted years, it would have made more sense for them to get married immediately.

Problem #8: If you turn to Harpeth Road books for clean romance, Where It All Began is not clean. It is not smutty, as there are no sex scenes or inappropriate encounters, but it's not wholesome due to the implied sexual dalliances that saturate the novel. The reader learns of two people having affairs, Willow shacks up with Tyler unwed for eight years, Willow lives with Grayson for a year before their wedding, and Willow's brother and her best friend move in together. The overtly secular nature of these cohabitations is a huge turnoff for readers seeking clean romance.

Try journaling to create a deeper connection to the books you read.

Where It All Began is another novel that showcases Gibson's style: forcing a story to unfold in a manner that makes no sense, overhyping the drama, ignoring all the holes, and hoping the reader won't notice. It's like Cinderella's stepsister pretending the glass slipper fits when it clearly doesn't.

I hope Gibson learns from her mistakes, hones her skills, and finds success in the industry, but after suffering through two of her novels, I'm done.

Try These Harpeth Road Summer 2025 Releases Instead

If you're looking for quality, well-told sweet romances to read this summer, Harpeth Road released two in 2025 that fit the bill. Check out my reviews of Jenny Hale's novel Out of the Blue and Audrey Lancho's The Silver Lining. Both novels are outstanding and will be time well-spent!

Before you go, be sure to connect with Booknerdia for more reviews, bookish posts, and fun on social media!

Time for a new Kindle? Try Kindle Scribe!

REVIEW: Where It All Began by Lindsay Gibson