****(4) out of 5 stars!
SYNOPSIS:
Shy bookstore owner Jane Finch grew up hiding in the margins of her own life while her vibrant, adventure-loving sister, Samantha, dominated every plotline. She’s made peace with it, unlike Sam’s business partner, Caleb, who’s always nudging Jane to go after what she really wants. Why should she care what blunt, brash Caleb thinks? They’ve never had much in common, except for Sam.
After tragedy strikes, they don’t even have that.
Caleb can’t quite remember when Sam’s little sister stopped being like a surrogate sibling to him and became just… Jane. She’s the most intriguing woman he’s ever met, and so much sexier and stronger than she thinks. On the emotional journey to honor Sam’s memory, the spark they’ve tried to deny becomes an inferno. This journey was meant to be an ending, but will they discover an unexpected new beginning?
After tragedy strikes, they don’t even have that.
Caleb can’t quite remember when Sam’s little sister stopped being like a surrogate sibling to him and became just… Jane. She’s the most intriguing woman he’s ever met, and so much sexier and stronger than she thinks. On the emotional journey to honor Sam’s memory, the spark they’ve tried to deny becomes an inferno. This journey was meant to be an ending, but will they discover an unexpected new beginning?
~
REVIEW:
This is the first book by Abigail Strom that I have read,
but it will not be the last! I have been luck to read
a number of good books of late, and I have to count this story among them.
I was enthralled by the two complex and nuanced main players,
Jane and Caleb, especially the way that their relationship evolved over time,
both in the narrative and prior to those events. Most of the peripheral characters were also fairly
three-dimensional, particularly in consideration of the small parts they
played. My favorite of them was probably
Hunter, Caleb’s older brother, who in his one scene dispensed some very
important advice:
“Caleb. You’re not Dad, and in spite of the dick move
you pulled today, you’re not Mom, either.
Your life worked find when you weren’t in love, but now you are. So you’re going to have to make some
adjustments.”
There were a few instances that you could just see coming as
the narrative played out, but the tale took several turns that I was not
expecting. It definitely kept my
attention throughout and wanting to find out what happened next.
There were a few things about the tale that were just hard
to come to terms with. Jane’s entire
reaction to the tragedy they face seems rather stilted, and just not quite in line with
her other activities. I also found her
expectations of Caleb a bit excessive, given how well she knew him; and also his
eventual about-face to be a bit sudden. Otherwise, though, it was a darling tale of love and acceptance.
Although the main defining event of the book is definitely sad
and depressing, the book was nonetheless well worth the read, with a very satisfying ending on many fronts. There were a lot of quick-witted verbal
interactions between the characters, enough plot to actually make it
interesting, some hurdles to overcome but not enough to make it hopeless, a lovely romance, and
the couple of love scenes included were definitely hot. Certainly a fun and enjoyable book that I highly recommend.
~
I received a free eBook copy of this novel from NetGalley,
and have willingly provided an honest review.
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