Donna Alward

Though a relatively simple, this was a sweet enough romance set with a small town background.

Laurel was by far my favourite character. She's feisty, and I appreciated how she was setting up her own business and taking a leap of faith. I also related a lot to her as she found it challenging to say no to people and I know how hard it can be not to put others first.

A subplot revolved around a minor character, George, which I found to be an intriguing way of both building up the main plot and their romance. He was homeless but Aiden had always showed him some kindness, which intrigued Laurel, leading to some development that was probably the most unique aspect of this book.

My main issue with this book was probably how Aiden seemed to lack a dating history and a personality. While it's made quite clear that he had one kind of serious relationship, it wasn't really clear if after that he was a total player or if he was very solitary.

I'm not enamoured with this book--though there was nothing bad about it, it was fairly predictable and had nothing outstanding.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)

Good conclusion to the series. I have been looking forward to Stephen's story since the first book in the series, and I was curious to see if the uptight, occasionally vengeful head of the family could be redeemed. There has been some progress as each of his siblings finds happiness, often with someone who doesn't fit Stephen's idea of appropriateness. His pride in the family takes a severe hit in the previous book when he finds out about his late father's affair and the existence of a half-sister.

As this book starts, Stephen struggles with his feelings about his father. Added to his workaholic tendencies, his family has had enough of his grumpy attitude, motivating his strong-willed mother to insist that he return to the family estate in England for at least two weeks of vacation. He's not happy about it, but he goes. He doesn't expect to find the house devoid of all staff except the housekeeper's daughter, Esme.

While her mom recovers from a health scare, Esme has taken a leave of absence from her hotel job to fill in at Chatsworth. With no family expected to be in residence, Esme has given the staff two weeks off, leaving just herself to hold down the fort. She's shocked when Stephen shows up unannounced. He didn't make a very good showing at first, but eventually comes down off his high horse and shows his human side.

Stephen and Esme have a long history. They were good friends as children, even though he was the earl's heir and she was the housekeeper's daughter. They played together, did homework together, and hung out in the kitchen under the watchful eye of Esme's mom. That all changed when Stephen was thirteen and was sent off to boarding school. Their parting was acrimonious, and Esme felt the sting of betrayal and loneliness after he left. After a few moments to clear the air, they settle into a cautious working relationship.

I liked seeing the relationship develop between Stephen and Esme. It doesn't take long to rekindle their friendship, mainly once Stephen relaxes his lord-of-the-manner persona. I enjoyed seeing them reminisce about the fun they had as kids. When Esme learns why Stephen had been "banished" to England, she sets out to remind him what it's like to have fun, from visiting their old haunts to attending the village fair. Neither expects the attraction that flares between them.

Stephen sees nothing wrong with spending time together, but Esme is conscious of the gap between their places in life. When Stephen invites her to go to Paris with him for a short visit and to attend a charity event with him, she is hesitant to accept. I loved watching him treat her to everything from a spa day to being dressed in designer clothes. I felt for Esme and her discomfort at the event and loved that Stephen understood her feelings. Their escape was amusing, and giving in to their growing attraction was not a surprise. I also enjoyed their visit with his family the next day. I loved that the family absorbed Esme into their circle since she'd always been a part of their lives. I got a kick out of the reactions of Stephen's female family members and their advice to Esme. They had no trouble seeing the way the wind blew.

Matters get complicated when a picture of them on the fair's Ferris wheel makes national gossip papers. Esme's fears get the better of her, and Stephen allows hurt pride to make him walk away. Both have past issues that affect how they deal with what happens. It takes frank conversations with their mothers for each one to see what they are throwing away. I loved the emotional ending and seeing Esme and Stephen open up completely to each other about their fears and hopes. The wedding day scene was incredible. I loved the attention to detail; from when Esme woke up to when Stephen saw her walking toward him, I felt like I was there.… (mere)

I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars for this. This wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a quick, fun, mindless sexy read. It wasn't anything like that. It was a roller coaster of emotion. Half the time, I was annoyed with the characters, the other half, their story broke my heart. This was frustrating to read, but at the same time worth the struggle.

This is the story of a couple who married young and separated soon after. Years later, the wife returns to try to get in person the divorce she's been asking for for 12 years by mail. The husband had his own reasons for refusing. When these two finally meet face to face again, the sparks are still there, but they both have a ton of baggage. Like I said, it was an emotional roller coaster with these two. Too much was left unsaid for too long and there really didn't seem to be much hope. And old habits die hard. It's so hard for them to be open with each other. So many times I wondered what was the point, but they stuck with it. And despite the ups and downs, I could be happy for them in the end.… (mere)

Years after Pax broke things off with little explanation, Megan is not thrilled to run into him at a rodeo, but their old feelings prove as persistent as he is.

I do wish the conflict between these two required more of a compromise in the end, it just seemed a bit too easy, but if you’re looking for a quick read, this novella is a solid choice, the characters are likable, the dialogue has a natural quality to it, and it was nice modern switch-up to have the heroine be the one on the rodeo circuit not the hero.… (mere)