Caro Carson

I loved this book. I started reading it during the afternoon and, except for stopping for dinner, didn't quit reading until I finished it late last night. As a former English major, I loved the English professor heroine and the Shakespeare themes that ran throughout. It was easy to see myself in "Dr. Dee's" students. My college was also a small one located in a small town, so I could relate to the setting also.

I loved the two main characters, Dr. Delphinia Ray and Connor McClaine. Delphinia show more is a bit shy when outside her comfort zone. She lives with her parents, high-level faculty members, who love her but don't listen to her. She dates a rather bland law professor that her parents approve of but yearns for the connection and passion she sees in the romances she reads. Delphinia loves her work but sometimes feels constrained by outside expectations. She's not satisfied with her life, but not quite sure how to fix it.

Connor made my heart ache. When he was seventeen, he made the mistake of getting in a car with some friends, not knowing the vehicle was stolen. As a result, he spent six months in prison and gained the title of ex-con for the rest of his life. His experiences in jail profoundly affected him, as did the days immediately after his release. His encounter with Seamus Murphy behind The Tipsy Musketeer pub changed his life. But try as he might, Murphy could not get Connor to see past his ex-con label to the good man he'd become. Connor believes that his past means nobody would want a relationship with him. I loved seeing Connor in his element at the bar, taking care of people. There were some fantastic scenes where his overall protectiveness and love of people shine.

I loved watching the relationship develop between Delphinia and Connor. She intrigued him from the moment she walked into the bar, and he got her attention when she saw him carry a keg in from the storeroom. It made me smile when their eyes met during the Shakespeare presentations. I laughed out loud when Connor got jealous over his employee's attempts to flirt with Delphinia, then chew him out for putting his professor in an awkward position. I also ached for him because he let his insecurity over his past stop him from following through on his interest and the interest he saw in her eyes. I felt terrible for Delphinia because she was interested, but her self-confidence was so low she didn't believe he'd be interested in her. Fortunately, it didn't stop her from returning to the bar as often as possible.

It doesn't take long before Delphinia compares the way Connor makes her feel to how her lawyer boyfriend, Vincent, makes her feel. Early in the book, a very prophetic scene takes place when she's late for a function they were to attend together. But the more she tries to get closer to Connor, the more he pulls away, trying to protect himself from her reaction if she knew his past. I loved how he saved her after that horrible dinner with Vincent and his friends, followed by the bridge meeting at the bar. The rooftop scene where he told Delphinia about his past broke my heart as he waited for her to reject him. I loved her reaction and the effect it had on him, but he still pushed her away. But when he witnesses Vincent's abusive behavior, Connor forgets everything in his determination to protect her. That scene, and the overwhelming support that Connor received, made an incredibly emotional ending.

The secondary characters, good and bad, made the story even richer. Kristopher's youthful attempts to flirt with Delphinia were both painful and funny, and his respect for Connor made him sit up and take notice when reprimanded. I laughed at Bridget's little sister-like attitude toward Connor, which went along with his brotherly treatment of her. I adored Murphy from the moment he took Connor in to his attempts to get through his stubborn head. I loved how he knew Connor well enough to figure out that he had "woman troubles."

On the other side, Delphinia's parents made me so mad at the way they treated her. They ignored her when she tried to tell them how she felt and behaved like she was too naïve to be on her own. Two things made me especially angry: how they pushed her at Vincent and when her father took her off the campus apartment list. They sure had their eyes opened at the end. Then there was Vincent. He gave me the creeps the first time I saw him with Delphinia, and it only got worse. His attitude about Connor and his attempts to discredit him over the pedestrian bridge made me mad. Finally, the new sheriff epitomized everything that gives law enforcement a bad name.

This is one book that I could easily reread many times. show less

Terrific book. Eli nearly died in a plane crash and hasn't been the same since. He no longer has the same passion for his work, he's haunted by nightmares of the crash, and realizes that he's pushed his family away for so long that he doesn't know them anymore. Eli recently accepted a semester-long teaching job at his alma mater, but even that doesn't break through his gloom. In an attempt to face one of his fears, he attends the town Yule log lighting and ends up facing much more.

Mallory is show more a senior at the college, finally finishing her degree after several years away. She spent those years as an unpaid caretaker to various elderly relatives before the gift of a self-help book helped her break free. Mallory practically worshiped the author of the book and applied its business advice to her personal life. I liked the book's quote at the beginning of each chapter and how that quote applied to the chapter. Darn close to destitute, she attends the Yule ceremony for the free entertainment. Unfortunately, she encounters three frat boys who make nuisances of themselves, driving her to approach a stranger for assistance.

Eli did not make a good impression during these initial moments. Mallory is a woman who needs help, and all he can think about is himself. He's wealthy and well-known and is therefore sure that she is coming on to him. I loved Mallory's reaction and his shock at it. He remained suspicious but did eventually play along with her plan. I enjoyed seeing the connection between Eli and Mallory, as he relaxed a little, able to be the man he wants to be. It was interesting to see Mallory tell him about her "friend" and his advice. I couldn't believe that Eli didn't recognize it as being from his book. There were some tense moments over a discussion of heroes, and I ached a little for Mallory as she looked at hers from a different angle.

As the evening went on, sparks of attraction began to build. Mallory is all for seeing where it goes, but Eli holds back. She stirs up feelings in him that he hasn't experienced in a long time, and he worries about losing control. When he finds out who her "friend" is, he feels guilty about concealing who he is. I liked that he had enough honor to want to come clean and understood why he wanted to put it off for as long as he could. I ached for Mallory and her feelings of betrayal when she found out the truth. I also hurt for Eli because Mallory had begun to break through walls that had surrounded him for so long.

I was so caught up in what was happening between Eli and Mallory that I didn't notice that one day/evening took up more than half the book. The intensity of their conversations made the story fly by. The pain of their parting was vividly portrayed, as was the hit to Mallory's pride. That pride was what kept her going when she had to see him on campus. When her financial problems made her homeless over the holidays, I loved how Eli stepped up to help.

Mallory's time at Eli's house added another level to their connection. Her support of him when he told her about the accident and what he's been through was heartwarming. That support became critical when Eli received an unexpected visit from his siblings. I loved seeing Mallory help him reconnect with them. There were still a couple of rough spots, but she helped him see what went wrong and how to fix it. The scenes between Eli and his brother and sister were emotional and satisfying. I also enjoyed seeing Mallory take Eli's book's advice less literally and see that her past is part of who she is now. I loved the ending and seeing the changes in Eli. His big moment at the end was sweet and romantic. show less

Terrific book that hooked me from the first chapter and didn't let me go until I finished it (well after midnight). Tana is a young woman who recently became the aquatics director at the local college. A former Olympic hopeful, she gave up her place on the team for a doomed marriage. She has suffered immense guilt since that time, for letting down her team, her coach, and her parents. She is currently in a relationship with a man who is about to leave for a year in Peru. Tana's life is show more upended with one phone call when her physical reveals that she is pregnant. To make matters worse, Jerry has no interest in being a father or giving up his own plans to be with Tana.

I ached for Tana. She only has a one-year contract, so revealing her pregnancy at the start of the school year, before she has a chance to prove herself, is not an option. She is so down on herself for what she sees as yet another poor choice. To make matters worse, she gets the news right before needing to recertify her CPR qualifications, surrounded by people she can't tell.

Caden is the firefighter/paramedic assigned to teach the class. He notices Tana immediately and thinks about getting to know her. He overhears the women talking about getting together at the local pub and thinks that would be a great chance to spend some time with Tana. His plans get derailed when she faints during class, and he learns of her pregnancy. He naturally assumes that she has a significant other, making her off-limits. I felt bad for Caden because he was very interested and had no idea that she was just dumped.

I loved seeing the development of the relationship between Tana and Caden. It is a small town, so they encounter each other occasionally. Caden keeps a tight rein on himself because of his belief that she is taken. Tana has sworn off men because of her bad judgment. There is no denying that Caden and Tana are drawn to each other and soon forge a strong friendship. Caden is very protective, and Tana is very independent, creating some pretty amusing discussions. The closer her due date came, the more Caden inserted himself into her life. This was fortunate the night she went into labor since she kept denying that's what it was. The delivery scene was great. The descriptions were so vivid I almost felt like I was there.

It was so sweet to see how Caden couldn't help caring for both Tana and Sterling. I loved watching them grow closer, as Tana learned to trust her heart, and Caden fell more in love each day. But Tana had never corrected a misunderstanding, and that eventually came back to haunt her. I ached for both of them when Caden confronted her about it. He felt betrayed and said some terrible things to her. I felt like he earned his misery since he stormed off without letting her explain. I cheered for Tana when she worked up to confront him and loved it when she called him on his wrongs. The ending was perfectly done and very appropriate for a firefighter.

There was much to love in this book besides the romance itself. I enjoyed Tana's work as the aquatics director. I ached for her fears that she wasn't good enough and that revealing her pregnancy would be the end of her job. I loved the scenes with her and her swimmers, especially the meet in January. It was evident that she had a magic touch for bringing out the best in them. I also loved her determination to be there through the finals, no matter what she had to do. I cheered for her when she took her future into her own hands by standing up for her success against the more popular sports.

The secondary characters were also well done. I liked Tana's growing friendship with her coworkers, especially once she got past her fears of revealing her pregnancy. Ruby was especially fun with her bold personality and big heart. I liked Caden's fellow firefighters and the fun they had when they weren't working. Tana's former coach warmed my heart with the way he supported her and encouraged her. At the same time, I wanted to shake her parents for the way they constantly harped on her past mistakes and how disappointed they were. They may have redeemed themselves a little at the end, but not like they should have. show less

Fantastic friends to lovers story. Evan and Juliet were good friends in college. Both are members of the ROTC and headed off to their first assignments as new second lieutenants. The night before graduation they promised each other that if they were still single as lieutenant colonels they would marry each other. Fast forward sixteen years and Juliet has just been promoted to lieutenant colonel. She is the single mother of an eleven-year-old son and has just arrived at the same base where show more Evan is stationed.

Evan got the shock of his life when Juliet showed up at his office to collect on that pact. He had no idea she was divorced and had all but given up on fulfilling the pact. He jumps at the chance to make his dream come true. Juliet is surprised at his quick agreement, especially considering she and Matthew are a package deal.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Evan and Juliet develop. Even though they've only seen each other a few times during the sixteen years, it didn't take long to re-establish their friendship. It quickly became evident that Juliet hadn't fully thought out all of the details of her proposal as she realized what being married to Evan meant. Thanks to her ex-husband, Juliet has lost a lot of confidence in her ability to sustain a relationship. I loved Evan's patience and understanding, as he is well aware of the failings of her ex. I felt a little sorry for Evan also because he blames himself for her miserable marriage. It was sweet to see how much effort Evan put into getting past Juliet's fears. There was a bit of a hiccup thanks to the woman Evan was dating before Juliet's arrival. I was impressed by the maturity of both Evan and Juliet as they talked about it and came out stronger on the other side. There was one more crisis to get through when Juliet's ex showed up and tried to make trouble. It was so satisfying to see him get what was coming to him. This time it was Juliet's turn to help Evan get past his fears. I loved her comment about him mucking things up as she made sure he knew how much she loved him.

A big part of the story was Juliet's son Matthew. He has a rough time of it. He has moved away from all of his friends and is the new kid at school in the middle of the year. He loves his father, but the man hasn't bothered to visit him in more than three years. Now there is a new man in his mother's life (ewww - kissing!) and he doesn't know where that leaves him. Juliet knows that Matthew needs a dependable male role model in his life and believes that Evan can be that man. There are some fantastic scenes of Evan and Matthew together. It isn't easy, as Matthew is suspicious, but Evan is determined. It is a bit of a rollercoaster ride as they work out their relationship. I loved the fishing scene, but the one that really won my heart was the aftermath of the incident at the school. The epilogue was just the icing on the cake.

One of the things I love best about Caro Carson's books is her attention to detail when it comes to the military. There's nothing worse for a reader with a military background than reading a book where the author screws up the details. This is never a worry with her books, thanks to her career in the army and being a West Point grad. From the description of the promotion ceremony to the visual of the MPs making a "hole" for him to get down the hall at the station, every bit of it felt authentic. The only thing I have left to say is "GO NAVY!" (Sorry, Caro - couldn't help it!) show less