I was really excited to see Erin Kern publish another Trouble title. I really enjoy reading about this family. And I did enjoy this story as well. Characters are well developed, storyline is interesting and I was intrigued to see what happened. What I didn't care for was how the story flowed...or didn't. I hope to see more from Ms. Kern and I would recommend this book with the caveat that there will be pages that can just be skimmed over since they didn't really add to the story. ( )

I started this book with high hopes, wanting a light contemporary fiction romance, loving the cover, the setting, and the premise, but this book pushed several of my hot buttons, and though there were hot sex scenes, I didn't feel enough connection to the hero/heroine to get past them.

Early on, Brody's ex-wife Kelly has a crisis involving her aging mother in Michigan. She has to leave Wyoming to go take care of her mother, and she has arranged for Elisa, a neighbor with whom she is friend-ish, to care for her and Brody's 11-year old son Tyler, after school until his dad can pick him up.

Non-douchebag responses from Brody might include:
I am so sorry; I hope she will be okay. I know this must be hard on you. How is Tyler taking this; how can I make it easier on him? Oh, you've already lined up somebody to keep an eye on him after school? That's great - what's his/her name? Would you be okay with it, if I didn't feel comfortable with your person, if I found somebody else? I know you need to take care of this; I will step up and do whatever needs to be done.

Brody's response: none of the above, all whiny-baby stuff about how this was inconveniencing HIM. So, I was already disposed to not like him very much, and he just kept... being a whiny baby until shoved and pushed and guided otherwise, even if studly eye candy on the outside.

I hated that, when they jumped into bed, that Elisa didn't want Brody to wear a condom (after all, she was on the pill, and had known him for a couple of weeks, after all). ESPECIALLY since it is mentioned that Brody's ex, Kelly, conceived while on the pill, and it's against his principle to not use condoms, but h'okay, fine. Nooooo!

Then there's a subplot involving a stray dog that Elisa & Tyler have rescued from the park, who turns out to be elderly and very sick with cancer and has to be put down. The euthanasia scene might be triggering to anyone who's lost a beloved pet, and there were pieces missing. Why, if Elisa is soooooo over the top attached to this stray dog, is there no mention of her going to check on the mutt when she has been away all night, to see if he's still breathing? Why doesn't anybody ask about how Tyler's taking the dog's impending (or past) death, since his emotional attachment to the dog has been emphasized?

I received an ARC of this novel through Netgalley and Grand Central in exchange for an honest review.

I did really like the descriptions of Elisa's photography, and how she arranged food to photograph it to best effect. I wanted to find something to like about Brody, besides his looks, but I came up empty; every admirable action he took, he was pushed into by someone else. I know how hard it is to write a book, and think this author has a lot of promise; it's just not here in this book for ME. ( )