The Coldwater Warm Hearts Club

Finished February 10
The Coldwater Warm Hearts Club by Lexi Eddings

Lacy Evans has returned to her home town from the big city with her life feeling broken. She made some bad judgements there, and she lost her business and her fiance. She also still has a huge debt hanging over her due to the betrayal of the man she thought she could trust.
She can't handle living with her parents, so she takes an apartment that comes with a resident cat, one that doesn't seem to like her much at first. But she finds old friends, and a job that she can enjoy, and begins to settle in. Coffee shop owner Jacob Tyler seems different from the charming but flirtatious boy she knew, maybe partly due to his military experiences. Her ex-boyfriend Daniel Scott seems friendly, but what is going on with his marriage?
Lacy begins to get to know these people from her childhood as an adult, and finds more beneath the surface than she thought. When one of the locals noticed a need and responded to it with an offer of assistance, a group was formed, the Warm Hearts Club. The members identify needs and work together to meet those needs, whether it is for the basics of life, a little respite for a tiring caregiver, or a new way forward for someone who's been stuck in a rut for far too long. Lacy joins this community and finds herself considering a future in town, but her past has a way of coming back after her, and she might be in more trouble than she realizes.
I liked how every chapter had a quote at the beginning from one of the characters in the book. It gave me more insight into some of the more minor characters in a charming way.
A nice read.

Chase

Finished February 26
Chase by Dean Koontz, performed by Nick Podehl

This short novel is set in 1971, and was originally published by Koontz in 1972 under the pen name K.R. Dwyer.
Benjamin Chase is a veteran of Vietnam, caught up in guilt over his actions in wartime, but recently awards a medal for his actions. Ben feels out of touch with those around him, going through a set routine every day. The gift of a vehicle by the local merchants' association, a result of his medal, throws him out of his routine and takes him up to the top of the hill near town, a local spot for young lovers. When he sees a man creeping up on a vehicle he takes notice and while unable to prevent the murder of one of the car's occupants, he does keep things from going further.
As a result of this action, he gets even more media attention, and also, it would seem, notice by the murderer, who now looks to Ben as a new target.
As Ben reacts to this, first in retreat and denial and then in action, he tracks the man down, and eliminates the threat in a way that feels right to him.
The psychology that runs through both Ben's and the killer's actions here is interesting, although this is a rather odd novel. I found the calmness of the woman that Ben finds solace in different, and likely a product of the time this novella was originally written.