Again, with the three stars.... don't let the rating fool you. This is a good book! It was a much-needed break from the usual romance novels I have been reading! This is a heart-warming, charming book! I can't put into words what I think about it. The main characters are so real. The situations are so real. The epiphanies throughout the book jump out at you so hard, you may find yourself rethinking your own personal decisions in life! I gave it three starts just because it wasn't one of those "I just cannot put it down yet" kind of books, but definitely a book you strive to finish! ( )

Again, with the three stars.... don't let the rating fool you. This is a good book! It was a much-needed break from the usual romance novels I have been reading! This is a heart-warming, charming book! I can't put into words what I think about it. The main characters are so real. The situations are so real. The epiphanies throughout the book jump out at you so hard, you may find yourself rethinking your own personal decisions in life! I gave it three starts just because it wasn't one of those "I just cannot put it down yet" kind of books, but definitely a book you strive to finish! ( )

I'm surprised I actually finished this book. The main character was so self-centered, I wanted to smack him. It wasn't until the last few chapters that he realized what a selfish jerk he was. However, the family dynamics kept me somewhat interested, at least enough to finish. I believe I read somewhere that this received some sort of award. Unbelievable. ( )

For most people, working as a trauma nurse in third world countries would be stressful and a serious sacrifice. After more than 20 years working under these conditions, Sean reluctantly returns home to Belham, to take a break and try to ease the pain in his back. His Aunt, sister Deidre, and his nephew Kevin still live in the home where he grew up, after his mother died of Huntington's and his father left them. Returning for a brief respite from the field turns more complicated than Sean expected, as he finds his aunt has developed early-onset dementia, his sister has become so wrapped up in her acting career that she is never home, and nobody is being a parent to Kevin, a lonely child with sensory processing issues. Sean is eager to escape these family ties and get back to his life, however, he soon realizes that the real world of family is more complicated than trying to save the world.

Though I was a little slow to attach to this middle-aged male character, I loved Sean's relationship with Kevin, his buddy Cormac, and the other friends in Sean's life. The story was rather predictable, as you knew how it would end and it seemed like it took a long time for Sean to develop insight into his behavior. However, it was a very heartwarming story with likeable people and fully-developed characters. I also enjoyed how it overlapped with the author's previous novel "Shelter Me", with cameo appearances of those characters and Cormac playing a larger role. I can't wait to read the author's next novel, and I hope to revisit Sean, Kevin, Cormac and Rebecca and see how their lives have continued. ( )

A very nice surprise… I really enjoyed this book. I typically don't pick up and read books that have serious subject matter, I consider myself through this phase of life and ready to read lighter stuff, although one can only read so many at the beach and everything gets better…. anyway, I loved the development of the characters and although the subject of a torn family was hard, it had a very satisfying ending. I will read more by Juliette Fay, without trying to see what they are about first! ( )