Christine Rimmer

Terrific friends-to-lovers story. This is the sixth book in the series following the second generation of the Bravo family, and I love catching up on the lives of the original characters. In this case, Joe is Nate and Meggie Bravo's son (Marriage by Necessity). He has seen their long and loving marriage, as well as those of other family members. However, Joe has been burned by love twice and refuses to go down that path again. Be that as it may, he still wants to marry and have a family, if show more he can find a woman he can trust. Who better than his best friend, Macy?

Macy moved home with her daughter, Ana, after she divorced her cheating husband. She works as a bookkeeper for her mom's florist business and Joe's hardware store. Though she wouldn't mind marrying again, trusting another man won't come easily. Joe's proposal surprises her, and she initially flatly refuses even to consider it. But Joe is persistent and eventually convinces her that it will work.

I loved watching Joe and Macy's relationship grow. Their long-standing friendship means they know each other very well. I loved the prologue, with its sampling of letters that show they've had each other's backs all their lives. Their marriage seems to be an easy extension of their friendship, and they settle quickly into marital bliss, including an unexpected amount of chemistry. That chemistry opened Macy's eyes to her changing feelings.

Matters become complicated when Joe's past comes calling. Macy's acceptance and embracing of the situation showed how much she trusted Joe. But does that trust extend to confessing her feelings? And what will Joe's response be? There were times when I wanted to shake him for being so blind, but I also understood his fear. Of course, I knew everything would work out, but the journey was emotion-packed and kept me hooked to the end. The epilogue was a nice peek at their future.

My favorite secondary character was Ana. Her relationship with Joe was sweet, and I loved how he thought of her as his. I couldn't understand how her father was so uninterested in having anything to do with her, though at least he lived up to his financial responsibilities. show less

I loved this book as the last of the Justice Creek Bravos bites the dust. For the last several months Nell Bravo has been doing her best to avoid Declan McGrath, but he keeps turning up wherever she is. They had been high school sweethearts, but he had broken things off with her twice, shattering her heart and her trust. Eleven years later he wants back into her life, and she wants no part of him - or so she tells herself.

Nell is at a construction convention in Las Vegas when Deck turns up show more yet again, thanks to a bit of maternal interference by Willow Bravo. After months of trying to avoid him, Nell decides that accepting his invitation for drinks is the best way to finally get closure on their relationship and move on. She ignores the little voice in her head that says being anywhere near him is bad for her peace of mind. Drinks turned into dinner and a return of the old easiness of being together. After just enough alcohol to reduce her inhibitions, Nell agrees to a quick Vegas wedding but experiences massive regrets the next morning. After informing Deck that she wants a divorce, she heads for home.

I really liked the development of their relationship. Both have issues from their past relationship that have to be dealt with before they can find their future together. Though Deck seemed to be extremely manipulative at the beginning, he had to take desperate measures just to get Nell to talk to him again. As more of their history was revealed, I completely understood what had driven Deck's actions back then. He and Nell were in love, and Nell was expecting them to get married. But men have their pride, and with Nell being the rich girl and Deck being the poor boy, he wanted to make something of himself first. He was also honest enough with himself to realize that they weren't ready for marriage. Deck's relationship with his father also played into it when his dad convinced Nell to "loan" him some money, which further damaged Deck's pride. Nell never saw the issue, only wanting to help the man she loved and his family. She was devastated by their breakup and all her attempts to make amends fell on deaf ears, except for that one encounter that ended up shattering her heart and her trust completely.

I loved seeing Deck convince Nell not to file for divorce immediately, but to give them until Christmas to try to make their marriage work. He doesn't get things entirely his way, though, as Nell has conditions of her own. Deck is the kind of guy who likes to be in control, thanks to the lack of it when he was growing up, and giving up some of that control wasn't easy. I enjoyed seeing Nell stand up to him and make him look at compromises. Living with Deck is everything she had once dreamed about, but Nell is reluctant to risk her heart again, fearing that Deck will walk away at the end of their Christmas deadline. There is also still the problem of Deck's father and his refusal to let his dad anywhere near Nell. She believes that until that hurdle is overcome, they have no chance to make their marriage work. Everything came to a head on Christmas day, with an unexpected gift from Deck's dad causing a freak out on Deck's part. An eventful day ended with Deck and Nell finally laying their past and fears to rest. The scene in front of the fireplace was sweet and romantic and absolutely perfect.

One thing that was never in doubt was that they still loved each other. Even though Deck had attempted marriage to another woman, it didn't work out because his heart was still Nell's. I loved that he owned up to his mistakes of the past and wanted another chance. He also knew that it wasn't going to be easy. On Nell's side, she had tried to convince herself that her feelings for Deck were dead, but it only took seeing him again to show that they weren't. She fought it during those months he haunted her, but she would never have married him if she hadn't known deep down that she still cared. The chemistry between them was hotter than ever, and that also had its influence on their relationship, because their feelings made that connection so much deeper.

I also loved the scenes with various members of Nell's family. The closeness between the two sets of siblings has continued to grow throughout the series. I also liked seeing the changes in Willow as she found a new love of her own. I enjoyed the assorted get-togethers, from Nell's confession lunch with her sisters to Willow's wedding, and seeing how the previous couples are doing now. It was quite a contrast with Deck's family. I ached for him and his sister over the unhappiness of their childhoods. I was impressed that both of them had turned out as well as they had because of it. Deck is still very close to his sister, and in spite of his issues with his dad, still watches out for him.

This was a terrific series and I can't wait to start The Bravos of Valentine Bay.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. show less

Terrific romance with an unusual start. The book opens with James face-to-face with Addie's grandfather, who is holding a shotgun pointed at him. Levi is convinced that James is the father of Addie's baby and determined that James will do the right thing. James is confused because he's never even had the chance to kiss her, much less sleep with her, though he definitely wants to get to know her better. Things get even more interesting when Addie arrives home and sees what her grandfather is show more up to, and he has a heart attack while she's yelling at him.

Let me start out by saying that I loved Levi. He was quite the interesting character. He's very old-fashioned and when he discovers that Addie is pregnant, he zeroes in on the man that he sees making eyes at her. He is stubbornness personified and nothing Addie says will convince him otherwise. His use of his recovery to force the issue was quite a risk. Later on, I loved seeing him dealing with Lola, the live-in nurse, with an interesting twist at the end. He comes through for Addie with some well-timed advice.

James has been yearning after Addie for months. He's built a house on land right next to hers, and they frequently talk when she's out riding. I loved his calmness in the face of chaos during the shotgun incident and heart attack. It was his chance to be there for Addie when she needs him. I loved his attempt to convince Levi, and how he ended up telling Addie he's willing to go through with the wedding to help her out.

Addie complains about Levi's stubbornness, but she is right up there with him. I had to laugh at her frustration as she tried to convince him of the truth about her baby. She's had three serious boyfriends and each time she's ended up left behind. She no longer trusts herself to pick out a man who won't leave her brokenhearted. She's attracted to James, but wary of opening her heart again. She agrees to the marriage, but only a temporary one until her grandfather is better.

I loved the development of their relationship. The chemistry between them is strong, and they dive right into that, while still trying to protect their hearts. Over the next couple months they settle in to what seems like a terrific marriage. James is quick to realize that he wants to continue the marriage. I loved seeing him try to let Addie know how he feels. Addie also realizes that she loves him, but she her fears cause her to push him away. James shows amazing understanding and patience while he waits for her decision. Once she accepts her feelings and sees that she's the one running away, she can finally open her heart to James's love. I loved her way of showing him that she was ready to face the future with him, it was so adorable. I look forward to seeing their progress in future books.

*copy received in exchange for an honest review. show less

Terrific second chance romance. I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. Connor and Aly had married very young and divorced after only two years when Connor refused to follow up on his promise to move to New York with her. They haven't seen each other since then. Aly is on her way back to Valentine Bay to care for her mother, her mind on Connor and their past when she is involved in an accident. The resulting concussion blocks her memory of the seven years since their divorce.

This show more was an emotion-filled story. I could feel Aly's fear and frustration as everyone tried to convince her of the truth when all she wanted was to see Connor. When Aly's brother Dante showed up at Connor's door, Connor's fear of the worst was apparent. He has huge regrets over his part in the end of his marriage, and he will do anything to help Aly. Emotions ran high as Connor struggled to be both firm and kind as well as honest, Aly finally accepted the truth, and Aly's father and brothers reeked of hostility. Her reaction was understandably blunt, which made it even more of a surprise when she showed up at his house, asking to stay with him while she was in town.

I loved the rekindling of Connor and Aly's relationship. It is evident from the start that their feelings for each other never died. Though she still hasn't remembered anything, Aly is confident of her feelings for Connor and wants a chance to repair their relationship. She senses that he still cares, but that he is fighting it. Moving in with him is her way of trying to break down his walls. Connor realizes quickly that his feelings for Aly never died, but there are two things that argue against getting involved again. First, she is still recovering from her injuries, and he doesn't want to take advantage while she is vulnerable. Second, Aly will return to New York at the end of her stay, and that is a recipe for another broken heart. I loved watching Aly chip away at Connor's resistance until he finally gives in. He'll take what he can get and hope for the best at the end.

I liked seeing them get to know each other as they are now. There are plenty of sweet scenes of everything from cooking together to walks on the beach to quiet movie nights. Though it's always in the back of their minds, both of them put off thinking about what will happen when Aly leaves. I cried for both of them when her memories of their divorce returned, and she had to deal with the pain all over again. Aly's discovery of her pregnancy is a complication that adds to her confusion over what she wants for her future. Both she and Connor have some things to work through that create quite a bit of tension. There were times I wondered if Connor had learned anything from his past mistakes. His big moment at the end was fantastic and showed that he finally got it.

I loved the family relationships in this book. The Bravos are as close as ever, and it was great to see them. Aly's attendance at the family dinners entailed catching her up on their lives, which also served as a reminder to the reader of what had gone before. I really liked how Aly was pulled back in with little fuss. Daniel still serves as the family advisor and does a great job of helping Connor with his decision at the end. Aly's family was terrific too. Aly was the youngest, with three older brothers, meaning she suffered through a lot of overprotectiveness. I enjoyed the glimpses of her life growing up with them, especially with her brother Dante. That she fell in love with Dante's best friend created deeper issues later on. It was both funny and emotional to see the changes that Connor and Dante's friendship goes through over those years. There was a terrific scene that involved Dante and Connor's sister Grace that made me laugh at Connor's reaction and wonder if the tables will be turned at a later date. I liked Aly's relationship with her mom and the help and understanding she received. I loved that Aly's mom was firmly on their side and kept the guys somewhat in check. show less