BOOK REVIEW for "Love After All (Hope, #4)" by Jaci Burton

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

SUMMARY:

High school math teacher Chelsea Gardner has the perfect plan. She’s tired of dating all the wrong men, and after years of frustration, she’s developed a foolproof list of requirements for finding “The One.”

Bar owner Sebastian “Bash” Palmer finds Chelsea beautiful, smart and fun, but he thinks her list is ridiculous and unnecessary. Intent on proving Chelsea is looking for love in all the wrong ways, he offers to help her find the “perfect” man.

Chelsea knows Bash isn’t the right guy for her—he barely meets one of her criteria—but there’s something about the charismatic man that has her yearning for things that are most definitely not list approved.

Because sometimes, a relationship that looks totally wrong on paper can turn out incredibly right…

REVIEW:

This is the first full-length book in the series to go beyond the Burnett and McCormack families, moving easily into their group of friends by highlighting Chelsea Garner and Bash Palmer.  These two are so delightful and entertaining!  I has been so fun to watch the chemistry and connection between them grow throughout the course of the prior books. 

As usual, it is great to see many of the characters from prior books make appearances again through the course of the story.  And some of the characters prove interesting as well.  My absolute favorite in this story is Lou.  I love how quickly she and Bash take to one another, to the point that she accompanies him pretty much everywhere, and he even find himself talking to her when they’re alone. 

There is a lot of humor and wit in this book, mostly due to their personalities, but also somewhat generated by the way in which they get together.  Bash fairly relentlessly pursues Chelsea, while she is actually a little more reluctant to advance their relationship.  He is a much nicer guy than even he realizes, and always has Chelsea’s best interest at heart, both before and after they get involved. 

That’s what makes the drama at the near-end so bizarre.  Of course, there always has to be some obstacle for the couple to overcome, it seems, but in this instance it doesn’t really seem to be in character for him.  Although I guess love does make people do all kinds of crazy things.  Luckily though, with the help of their friends – who at first protect her and then assist on their reconnection – they manage to capture their happily-ever-after.