Hope Ramsay

Good book. Molly has been pretty content with her life. She enjoys her work as a mechanic and has plans to open her own body shop as soon as she sells the car she's restoring now. Her creative side is satisfied by her knitting. Then everything goes to hell when her mother runs away from home, leaving Molly in charge of the knitting shop and running things at home. The local banker is holding the car she's restoring hostage, and the building she wanted for her business is suddenly leased to show more someone else.

Simon has returned to Last Chance to settle his father's estate. He hasn't been home since he argued with his parents about following his own path. The memories he has of Last Chance aren't the best. His parents were always fighting when he was a kid and he got caught in the middle. He was present at the death of his best friend. Now he just wants to settle things and go home to California. He is an artist who has a major commission to finish and it isn't going well. He doesn't expect to feel an attraction to Molly, who was just a child when he left.

Both Molly and Simon have some pretty major parental issues going on. Molly is in her twenties, still living at home, and dealing with her parents' expectations. When her mom takes off, Molly is expected to step right in and take over. Mom has never approved of Molly's dreams for her car restoration business and constantly tries to change Molly into what she wants. Meanwhile, after several years as a child being treated like a son by her father, when her brothers were born she was suddenly expected to turn into a girly girl. She tries hard to make people understand who she is, but it's an uphill battle. Simon has returned to deal with his father's death. He's dealing with a boatload of guilt because they never mended fences, but he isn't sorry that he stood up for himself. When he arrives home it's to discover that his mother suffers from dementia and most of the time doesn't recognize him. Even when she does, she treats him badly.

When Molly and Simon first meet, there is some antagonism. But there are also sparks. Simon offers her space in his building where she can work on her car while he works on his painting. They find themselves getting closer and building a friendship that slowly starts to develop into something more. Each of them resists the idea because neither is interested in commitment. They also have to deal with a whole bunch of interference from various members of the town. Everyone is trying to push Molly into a relationship with her friend Les and she doesn't care for him that way. And both of them are getting a boatload of grief from Molly's father, who had also been Simon's football coach. He keeps harping on the age difference between Molly and Simon and refuses to see that it shouldn't make any difference. I got really angry at the way everyone seemed to cave in to Coach's wishes when he was being so obnoxious.

I loved seeing how great Molly and Simon were with and for each other. Simon understood just what made Molly the person she was. He loved the contrasts in her personality, from her ability with cars to her knitting creativity. He also was able to see when she needed the closeness of his touch. I also liked the way he supported her choices by giving her the space to use. The only thing I didn't like was the way he let Coach talk to him. On her side, Molly saw past the shell that Simon showed to everyone else in town. She didn't like the way that they all treated him, especially once she got to know him better. I loved the scene where she talked him into playing hooky, and then he got her to go skinny dipping. Things really started to heat up between them at that point. They had so much going for them if they could just get up the backbone to go after what they wanted. There was a very nice twist to the ending, as both Simon and Molly realized what they wanted and what they had to do.

I loved visiting the town of Last Chance again and seeing old and new friends. Miriam, and now Savannah, are still making their ambiguous matchmaking predictions. The book club is still arguing over its selections. I especially enjoyed the scenes in the knit shop. The Purly Girls knitting group was fun to watch. I could also easily picture the chaos created by the toddler who was running wild. One of my favorite characters was Angel, Simon's assistant. He was so quickly absorbed and accepted by most of the town, despite his differences. I especially loved his involvement in so many things that benefited by his touch. He was such a people person that he was a delight to watch. I also loved the way that he was the one who was able to get through to Simon and get him back where he belonged. I really hope to see more of him in later books. show less

Very good story of redemption and second chances. Mike is a professional gambler in Las Vegas when he finds out that his younger sister has died, leaving him as guardian of his five year old niece, Rainbow. He feels completely unqualified for the job, so tracks down the half-brother he hasn't seen since he was five, and is now a preacher in Last Chance. He feels that Tim would be a better father figure, so he picks up his niece and her cat and heads to Last Chance.

Unfortunately for him, his show more niece, already traumatized by her mother's death, isn't taking to him very well, nor is her cat. As soon as they arrive in Last Chance he looks up a vet for the cat, and meets Charlene. He's floored by her beauty, but not too happy with her judgmental attitude about the way he's taking care of Rainbow. Then his half-brother, Tim, isn't sure he believes what Mike is telling him. All Mike wants to do is find someone more suitable than he is to raise Rainbow and get back to his life.

But the town of Last Chance isn't going to make it that easy for him. Tim needs time to verify what Mike has told him, so he convinces Mike to stay in town for a couple weeks. He even finds an apartment for them, which just happens to be next door to Charlene's. Mike figures that Tim is going to need a mother for Rainbow and has fixated on Charlene as the perfect candidate, a fixation that seems to be confirmed by the town matchmaker.

I really liked Mike. Even though he seems to be trying to dump Rainbow off on his brother, it's because he doesn't believe that he is a fit guardian for her. He carries a lot of guilt over what he sees as his failure to protect Rainbow's mother, his little sister, when she was younger. It was pretty amusing to see his efforts at pushing Tim and Charlene together, especially considering his own attraction to her. I also loved seeing how sweet he really was with little Rainbow. He didn't think he would be a good father, but he was doing everything right with her (except for the cat).

I also liked Charlene. She was a bit judgmental at first, but once she got past that hurdle, she was wonderful. She, too, has some guilt dogging her from mistakes made when she was younger. She has had terrible luck in picking men, starting with her college boyfriend, who left her pregnant when her father offered to buy him off. Her biggest guilty feelings stem from that pregnancy and the pressure from her parents that she succumbed to. However, that same experience has made her much more empathetic with Rainbow, and I loved the way that she connected with the little girl. She's also very attracted to Mike, but sees him as just as disastrous a choice as the other men.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between them. At first it was just as friends, as Charlene did her best to help Mike through various crises. But the more time they spent together, the more the attraction grew. Mike desperately tried to resist, as he was shoving her toward his brother, but it became harder for him to picture them together. I loved the way that things came to a head at the bachelor auction, though Mike was still resisting the obvious. It took some straight talk from the family lawyer and Tim for Mike to finally see the truth. I loved his big moment at the end, in the rain, cat and all.

As always, the small town of Last Chance plays a big role in the romance. Being from Las Vegas, Mike has no experience with the way that small town people are so deeply involved in each other's lives, and it takes him awhile to get used to it. I loved how everyone had an opinion on his plan to match Tim and Charlene. I also loved support he got during the trouble at the lake, including Sheriff Rhodes and his actions. The bachelor auction was a riot, with some interesting things resulting from it. But best of all was the way they all pulled together at the end.

Every small town has to have their bad apples, and in this case it was Charlene's parents. It's hard to believe two such terrible people could have produced someone like Charlene. I loved seeing her get stronger about standing up to them, especially that last scene at the hospital. show less

Terrific story of love and family and finding ways to deal with the past. Jenna recently inherited a great deal of money from a grandfather she never knew existed. She was raised by a single mother, and never knew her father. The inheritance upended Jenna's world, so she took a year to travel the world and decide what to do with her life. In her travels, she learned a lot about Eastern religions and adopted many of those traditions. Once back from her travels she decided to travel to show more Magnolia Harbor to find out about her father and connect with the only relatives she had left. Nervous about their reaction, Jenna arrived under an assumed name. Shortly after she arrived, Jenna learned that her father was an avid sailor who died while out sailing on his boat. She decided that learning to sail would be a good way to connect with him. A chance encounter had her hiring Jude to be her instructor.

Jude is a many with a lot of things on his plate. He and his father run Barrier Island Charters together, but Jude does most of the work. His father is an alcoholic who is also very set in his ways, making it difficult for Jude to grow the business the way he wants to. Jude was also involved in trying to preserve his Gullah heritage on the island. He was fighting to get land and cabins added to the historic register. He also wanted to prevent a large resort developer from buying the land and destroying the habitat. He also watched over some of his elderly relatives. Jenna's appearance made him suspicious, believing her to be a corporate spy for the resort developer. Her determination to hire him to teach her to sail, since he isn't a sailing instructor, just added to that suspicion.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jenna and Jude. She was attracted and drawn to him before she met him, just from watching him race his sailboat. I loved her vision of him as a pirate, especially once I learned of his ancestry. Jude was just as attracted to her, but determined to resist. Besides his conviction that she was a spy, she also ran up against his issues about women tourists and relationships with locals. Though his head told him to stay away, his heart kept pulling him closer. I loved seeing them together. Even though they were opposites in so many ways, they still managed to connect on others. I loved watching Jude introduce her to his Gullah heritage and her fascination and appreciation of what she learned. I appreciated the fact that Jenna confided the truth to Jude early on so that their relationship wasn't built on lies. The relationship built slowly, with caution on both sides because of their fears. Added to that were their different races and economic statuses, creating some real challenges to a future together. I ached for them both when Jenna's attempts to do something good ran up against Jude's pride, and her confession to her aunt and uncle created some painful questions about the truth. I loved Jude's big moment at the end as he let go of his fears and went after the woman he loved. The epilogue was a fantastic look at the difference investing in love can make.

I loved seeing how so many threads were woven together to create such an amazing story. There are family relationships that need to be mended. Jenna wants to connect with her aunt and uncle, but there are things about her father's death that needed to be cleared up before that could happen. Jude had a difficult relationship with his father, his brother Colton was less than understanding or helpful, and he has been angry at his brother Micah for deserting them. Micah wanted to make amends to all of them, having missed them in his years away. I loved how Micah was there for Jude when he really needed him. There were some racial and cultural tensions also. Jude's determination to preserve the Gullah traditions and lands weren't truly understood by those he tried to convince. Jude also had trouble believing that his race didn't matter to Jenna. Micah faced his memories of being the only black boy at the white church when he was younger, and now being the spiritual leader of that same church. Finally, there were those who fought for a better life against somewhat overwhelming odds. Jude had great plans for the business, but couldn't overcome his father's old-fashioned way of doing things. Ashley wanted to stay in her home and raise her son there, but the problems mounted at an alarming rate. Her pride and independence won't allow her to accept any help that even hints at charity. Through it all, love and patience ended up forming a community stronger than ever. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. show less

Very good story of love, family, expectations, and growth. Amy is the youngest in her branch of the Lyndon family. She is looked at as a spoiled princess, not just by the people in town but also by her family. Her greatest claim to fame is the size of the credit card bills that her father pays. When her father tells her he's had enough, he also tells her it's time to accept the proposal of the man she's been dating or to stand on her own two feet. To force the issue, he locks her out of the show more house and cuts off her credit and her bank account. Daddy expects her to run straight to Grady, who's already been telling people they're engaged. But Amy doesn't want to marry Grady and has told him so. After spending a miserable night in her car, she overhears that her cousin's wife Willow is hiring an assistant event planner, Amy heads for the inn. Unfortunately, the event planner job has been filled, so Willow offers her a job with the landscaping crew, fully expecting Amy to give up before the day is out.

In the previous book, Amy definitely came across as quite an airhead and started this book the same way. But that didn't last long, as Amy's pride refuses to let her give into her father's demands, especially as she doesn't love Grady. So she sucks it up and reports to head groundskeeper Dusty. Like everyone else, Dusty doesn't expect much from her, and her first assignment seems to prove him right. Amy is afraid to look stupid by asking for clarification on the task. She also takes it upon herself to do something else, which backfires on her. To teach her a lesson about asking questions, Dusty decides to send Amy on a "snipe" hunt. Completely unaware of the truth about snipes, Amy does as she is told. The result is hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking, and Dusty winds up feeling incredibly guilty. But Amy is so earnest and determined to be the best she can be, that Dusty finds himself unwillingly drawn to her.

Dusty has the reputation of being the Casanova of Shenandoah Falls. He is strictly a love 'em and leave 'em guy, as he never intends to marry. Dusty has been fighting for his reputation his entire life, thanks to a no-good drunk of a father. It seems that most people expect him to be just like his father. Dusty also owns a piece of land that has been in his family since the town was founded. He has plans for that land as soon as he has the money to carry them out. He is also fighting the county, who wants to take his land and turn it into a park. The court of public opinion is against him, and he's worried that they will succeed. His friends, David Lyndon and his wife Willow, are on his side and trying to help him. The last thing he needs is an unexpected attraction to Amy, the town princess.

I loved the development of their relationship. Amy is stubborn and determined to make it on her own. When Dusty finds out she's sleeping in her car (another hilarious scene) he works out a way for her to stay in a local hunting cabin. Amy has learned her lesson about asking questions and has discovered a wonderful thing called a library where you can find books about anything for free. I loved seeing her put that newfound knowledge to use, and she quickly starts to earn Dusty's respect. There is also an increasing undercurrent of attraction between them that occasionally leads to some smoking hot kisses (and finally a little bit more). With all the time that the two end up spending together, it isn't surprising that they really get to know each other. In spite of her apparent naiveté, Amy has an amazing amount of sensitivity when it comes to Dusty. She sees through the Casanova persona to the somewhat lonely and insecure man inside. I loved seeing her show Dusty that he is more than his father's son. Amy herself is pretty insecure also. Her family has spent so much time telling her that she's stupid and ridiculous that she believes it, too. I loved watching Dusty show her that she is neither, as she succeeds in training a dog everyone else had given up on, finds ways to help the event planner with some real Bridezillas and other crises, and even inspires Dusty to finally prepare a business plan for his land. She realizes that she's falling for Dusty, but expects nothing from him. Dusty fights the idea that he's falling for her. And when Amy's father and brothers interfere, Dusty makes a mistake that drives a wedge between him and Amy. I ached for both of them until Dusty gets some things explained to him and finally sees the light. I loved his big moment at the end, which was sweet and romantic.

There is a secondary story involving Amy's cousin Danny and his upcoming wedding to a reality tv star. Danny's intentions are honorable, but the whole event is a disaster in the making. The whole Lyndon family is involved. Pam is just as obnoxious in this book as in the first one, and I keep wanting to push her into a closet somewhere. Amy's brothers and male cousins are clueless and can't seem to see past the bride's physical attributes. I loved seeing Willow deal with the tv people and their demands. I loved how devoted Danny was to his little girl, though he was a bit blind to his options. I was surprised by the actions of a character from the previous book, who turned out to be much different than she appeared in that story.

The theme of family and expectations was strong. Dusty had to deal with the reappearance of his father and the trouble that he brought with him. I ached for Dusty because he was torn between what love he still had for his father and his disgust at his demands. I was furious with the way that the police chief and others treated Dusty after the fire. It was so satisfying to see the way that Amy stood up for him. As for Amy, I really wanted to smack her entire family for the way they treated her. Besides the way they put down her intelligence, the way they all kept pushing her at Grady was disgusting. Even though she didn't love him, they expected her to marry him anyway, because he was rich and could take care of her. What they did to her at Easter dinner was infuriating. I loved seeing her confound them all by standing on her own and being good at what she did. show less