Jennifer Wilck

Good second-chance romance. Jared and Caroline were high school sweethearts who were reunited when Jared returned to their small New Jersey town. Jared broke up with Caroline, leaving her behind to deal with her terminally ill mother, and never contacted her again. In the ten years since then, he has become a successful entertainment lawyer and recently became his niece's guardian. Caroline stayed home, cared for her mom, and did her best.

The story opens as Caroline celebrates booking her dream vacation. After paying off her mother's medical bills and being free of responsibilities, Caroline can't wait. The last thing she expected was to run into Jared. It is a shock and brings back bitter memories of how he left her behind and basically abandoned her. While Jared feels guilty about how he treated her back then, he's ready to pick up where they left off.

I enjoyed the rekindling of Caroline and Jared's relationship. I liked that he had the guts to apologize for his earlier behavior, but he seemed to think that was all that was needed for everything to be fine and dandy. Jared's life is in a state of flux. He is grieving the death of his brother, adjusting to being a dad to his two-year-old niece and trying to figure out why his job isn't as satisfying as it used to be. Spending time with his family, away from the pressure of his career, gives him a new perspective, but he isn't sure what to do about it. There are some sweet scenes with Jared and Becca as he grows into his new role.

Caroline is wary of spending time with Jared. She doesn’t want to risk falling for him again and being hurt when he returns to California. She has also waited so long to be free of responsibilities that she can't see a way to fit Jared and Becca into her life. However, neither can they stay away from each other. I liked the support Jared gave Caroline for the fundraiser.

I got a little frustrated with both Jared and Caroline. They are clearly in love, but neither seems interested in finding a way to be together. Jared is determined to make Caroline see that he has changed from the inconsiderate jerk he used to be, but he spends a lot of time thinking about himself and how things affect him. Caroline can only focus on how different their lives are and that she doesn't want to lose the independence she's earned. It takes parting again for each to see what is important and how they can be stronger together.

There is also a bit of mystery in the story. Caroline's long-awaited raise and promotion are on hold because of a budget shortfall. She becomes suspicious when the numbers don't seem to add up. I liked her determination to uncover the truth and enjoyed watching her efforts.

#netgalley… (mere)

Terrific second chance story. Aaron and Sarah had been together through high school and college when a lack of communication drove a wedge between them. Now Aaron runs the family deli in their hometown, and Sarah works for an agency in DC. She rarely goes home, preferring not to risk running into Aaron. She has a boyfriend, Matthew, who has proposed and is considering whether to accept.

The first person Sarah encounters when she returns home for the holidays is Aaron. The meeting does not go well, as he acts cold to her and walks away. Sarah doesn't know his problem since he was the one who walked away from their relationship. There are several more encounters where Aaron's animosity rolls off the page. I loved when Sarah confronted him and called him out on what he did.

During this time, both Aaron and Sarah face crossroads in their lives. Aaron is a man who takes responsibility very seriously, from running the family deli to dealing with unexpected crises. He has trouble asking for help and carries the burdens on his shoulders rather than sharing the load. Sarah must decide if she wants to accept Matthew's proposal, and she doesn't understand why she has so much trouble making the decision. The more time she spent at home, the more she realized that she had changed in ways she didn't like. I liked seeing her look at herself and her choices and realize that she'd lost herself along the way and that it was time to do something about it.

I liked watching Aaron and Sarah rekindle their relationship. The sparks and attraction between them are evident from the start. Though each believed they had moved on, it was clear that the feelings were still there. They had the opportunity to repair their friendship once they cleared the air about their breakup. I liked watching them spend time together and seeing the chemistry between them. I got frustrated with both as they realized the truth of their feelings but couldn't see how they could be together. Aaron's resistance to change and Sarah's belief that she had to be in DC to make a difference was an obstacle to their future.

A crisis in their community changed Aaron and Sarah in ways they didn't expect. I ached for Aaron and his intense anger over what happened. It was understandable, but it also ate away at his peace. I liked his discussion with the rabbi and his friend Dave and how they helped him move past it to a healthier response. I loved how Sarah used her experience in her job to help Aaron and the community find a way to counteract what had happened. Her actions also opened up new opportunities for her. I liked how each saw their mistakes and moved to make changes. I loved Aaron's big moment at the end. Sarah's wariness was understandable, but love won out.

Sarah and Aaron's families are loving, supportive, boisterous, and interfering. I liked seeing Sarah and her mother reconnect. My favorite family member was Aaron's grandmother. She is fun, outspoken, and mischievous. I laughed out loud at the scene at the bingo game as she tried to help him with his "female trouble."

#netgalley… (mere)

I won a print copy of the first edition of this book from the author as part of The Romance Reviews 6th Anniversary Celebration, and the following is my honest opinion.

Fate as a unique way of bringing two individuals, where the female protagonist still devastated from the husband’s death over three years ago and in no rush to love again meets her unexpected knight in shining armor who has sworn never to fall in love again.

Lily Livingston is that woman in this book, and as any working single Mom knows; it’s hard enough trying to find time for both her career and being a mother to her young six-year-old daughter, Claire, child without trying to find the time to make her family whole again. There’s no time to even begin looking for a guy she can fall in love with to give her the HEA she desires.

On the other side, we’ve got Gideon Stone, a great guy whose only drawback is his being wheelchair bound; a guy most women, including Lily, would consider to be damaged goods and the last individual who would be able to fulfill her desire of having a HEA. Yet, a chance business agreement find these two individuals being brought together.

It is through this partnership that these two individuals learn to work as a team to beat the hurdles which are being thrown in front of them; and it’s through this realization that neither one can succeed on their own that they apply this knowledge to the own personal lives. Gideon, having been hurt when his girlfriend ups and left him after his accident, loses the faith he once had in himself and his heart, fearing he could never again satisfy the needs of a woman. Luckily, Lily sees the possibilities in being with him, and the possible HEA of being in his arms; which Gideon begins to realize himself.

With the sizeable reduction in the number of pages in this book’s latest edition, I envision the issues I’d found in this first edition being eliminated, which will result in an enjoyable reading experiencing involving human nature, and the need to open one’s heart to the renewed possibility of faith and being able to receive and give love. In the end, with all things considered, I’m giving this revised debut endeavor by Ms. Wilck 5 STARS.… (mere)