I Will Always Love You (Maybe) by Dana Hawkins is a sapphic forced-proximity romance set in a snowed-in Minnesota cabin. The story follows Colby, a grieving widow who has perfected a quiet hermit lifestyle in northern Minnesota, until a chaotic, pink-haired vet tech, Josie, arrives for a house call—and in one reckless moment, Colby lets someone in.

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This is the first book in a long time that I just could not finish. I made it halfway through after a full week of trying—and it’s only 250 pages, which is usually something I can read in a night. I wanted to love the premise, but the setting issues kept pulling me out of the story.

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As a born-and-raised Minnesotan, the depiction of the state just sat wrong with me. The book is set somewhere between Duluth and the Boundary Waters—yet the author references a casual day trip to the Mall of America. That simply isn’t realistic. And a “massive blizzard” that wipes out the plows for several days in that region felt exaggerated in a way that made the forced proximity stakes hard to buy.

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An Enemies-to-Lovers Setup With a Twist

Northern Minnesota. Colby has built a secluded life designed to avoid complications: her cabin, her routines, and her golden retriever. She doesn’t let people in—until Josie arrives and disrupts the entire equation.

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Josie, meanwhile, is a serial hobbyist who’s perfected the art of staying busy enough to avoid feeling anything. Being trapped in a cabin with no distractions—and a woman who clearly regrets last night—becomes her personal nightmare.

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The setup is built for tension: awkward silences, lingering eye contact, and the slow shift from avoidance to connection. But because the geography and storm logistics didn’t feel believable to me, the atmosphere never fully clicked the way I needed it to.

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Where to Purchase I Will Always Love You (Maybe)

You can purchase I Will Always Love You (Maybe) by Dana Hawkins through the links below:

• Amazon – Buy on Amazon

• ShopMy – Shop My Favorite Books

(Links are commissionable at no extra cost to you.)

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Themes: Grief, Vulnerability, and Letting Someone In

At its core, I Will Always Love You (Maybe) explores:

• Grief and the fear of starting over

• Emotional walls built to avoid rejection

• The discomfort of being truly seen

• Forced proximity as a catalyst for vulnerability

• Choosing risk over isolation

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Who Should Read I Will Always Love You (Maybe)

This novel is best suited for readers who enjoy:

• Sapphic forced proximity romance

• Snowed-in cabin settings

• Grieving/guarded main characters

• Awkward tension turning into emotional intimacy

• Small-cast, relationship-forward stories

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If you’re reading primarily for tropes and cozy winter atmosphere—and you’re not picky about Minnesota realism—you may still have a good time with this one.

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Final Thoughts

I don’t DNF often, so this one surprised me. The premise had so much potential, and there are elements here that will absolutely work for the right reader. But for me, the inaccuracies in the Minnesota setting made it hard to stay immersed, and once I realized I was pushing myself just to keep going, I stopped at the halfway mark.

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (DNF at 50%)

Advanced Reader Copy received via NetGalley.

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Purchase the Book

I Will Always Love You (Maybe) is available on Amazon and through my curated ShopMy book list, where I collect and update all reviewed titles.