Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Sweet story of love, healing, and family. Hannah is a busy sales exec for a medical equipment company. Her life is going as planned, with her wedding approaching rapidly, and her career on track for a promotion. Then she returns early from a less than satisfactory team-building exercise to find her fiancé in bed with her assistant. This is followed by the unexpected death of her best friend, leaving Hannah as the guardian of Erin's five-year-old son Noah. Determined to do the motherhood thing right, Hannah rents a house near Sullivan's Crossing, takes family leave from her job, and gives herself and Noah a chance to grieve their loss and get to know each other.
The house is owned by Owen, a brilliant photographer who rents his home while he travels. His most recent trip was canceled, leaving Owen at loose ends. Rather than cancel the rental, Owen stays in his studio, leaving the house to Hannah and Noah. He promises to keep out of their way, but his dog Romeo and Noah have other plans. Owen quickly finds himself drawn into Hannah and Noah's lives.
I loved the development of the relationship between Owen and Hannah. They are attracted to each other from the moment they met, but with only a two-week stay planned, neither is prepared to do anything about it. They attempt to bury the attraction and quickly form a satisfying friendship. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, from quiet morning coffee on the porch to outings with Noah. By the time the two weeks are up, both Owen and Hannah acknowledge that there is something special between them. Owen convinces Hannah that she and Noah should stay for the summer and see where it goes. Owen also shares the tragedy he experienced twelve years earlier that changed his life.
The romance between Owen and Hannah is a slow-burning one. I liked that they took their time to get to know each other. Owen is a sensitive man who excels at understanding other people's feelings. Both he and Hannah keep their lines of communication open, talking about issues before they become problems. I loved that Owen was there for Hannah, supporting her without taking over. I liked the way that he made his feelings clear, and his hopes for the future, without putting any pressure on Hannah. This enabled Hannah to regain trust in her feelings and her judgment.
Things aren't all rainbows and flowers though. Hannah became Noah's guardian because Erin was estranged from her family. Her mother was emotionally abusive and showed an undeniable preference for Erin's brother. Roger was physically and emotionally abusive, as well as an addict and criminal. Erin's will made it clear that her family was to have no contact with Noah. Hannah was shocked when Erin's mother, Victoria, challenged her for custody and was suspicious of her motives. Hannah's protective instincts were fierce and I liked seeing her inner strength revealed. Hannah's new friends rallied around her to help however they could. I especially liked Helen's methods, which were unconventional but effective. There was a twist to the resolution that I didn't see coming but really enjoyed.
Noah was adorable. I liked watching him bond with both Hannah and Owen. It was terrific to see that he and Hannah were able to talk about their grief at the same time they built their own relationship. He wasn't a perfect child, which was refreshing. His actions were realistic for his age, with the occasional meltdown and bits of stubbornness. I loved the way that he and Romeo bonded. It was so much fun to see the two of them together. Noah's explanations of Romeo's clumsiness to others were always amusing. I ached a bit for him when he talked about being different from other kids, and loved seeing the changes he experienced while at the lake.
I enjoyed seeing various characters from earlier books. Even though I have only read the first book and this one, I never felt lost. There was enough information given to enlighten without bogging things down in recaps. It did whet my appetite to go back and read the others.
The house is owned by Owen, a brilliant photographer who rents his home while he travels. His most recent trip was canceled, leaving Owen at loose ends. Rather than cancel the rental, Owen stays in his studio, leaving the house to Hannah and Noah. He promises to keep out of their way, but his dog Romeo and Noah have other plans. Owen quickly finds himself drawn into Hannah and Noah's lives.
I loved the development of the relationship between Owen and Hannah. They are attracted to each other from the moment they met, but with only a two-week stay planned, neither is prepared to do anything about it. They attempt to bury the attraction and quickly form a satisfying friendship. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, from quiet morning coffee on the porch to outings with Noah. By the time the two weeks are up, both Owen and Hannah acknowledge that there is something special between them. Owen convinces Hannah that she and Noah should stay for the summer and see where it goes. Owen also shares the tragedy he experienced twelve years earlier that changed his life.
The romance between Owen and Hannah is a slow-burning one. I liked that they took their time to get to know each other. Owen is a sensitive man who excels at understanding other people's feelings. Both he and Hannah keep their lines of communication open, talking about issues before they become problems. I loved that Owen was there for Hannah, supporting her without taking over. I liked the way that he made his feelings clear, and his hopes for the future, without putting any pressure on Hannah. This enabled Hannah to regain trust in her feelings and her judgment.
Things aren't all rainbows and flowers though. Hannah became Noah's guardian because Erin was estranged from her family. Her mother was emotionally abusive and showed an undeniable preference for Erin's brother. Roger was physically and emotionally abusive, as well as an addict and criminal. Erin's will made it clear that her family was to have no contact with Noah. Hannah was shocked when Erin's mother, Victoria, challenged her for custody and was suspicious of her motives. Hannah's protective instincts were fierce and I liked seeing her inner strength revealed. Hannah's new friends rallied around her to help however they could. I especially liked Helen's methods, which were unconventional but effective. There was a twist to the resolution that I didn't see coming but really enjoyed.
Noah was adorable. I liked watching him bond with both Hannah and Owen. It was terrific to see that he and Hannah were able to talk about their grief at the same time they built their own relationship. He wasn't a perfect child, which was refreshing. His actions were realistic for his age, with the occasional meltdown and bits of stubbornness. I loved the way that he and Romeo bonded. It was so much fun to see the two of them together. Noah's explanations of Romeo's clumsiness to others were always amusing. I ached a bit for him when he talked about being different from other kids, and loved seeing the changes he experienced while at the lake.
I enjoyed seeing various characters from earlier books. Even though I have only read the first book and this one, I never felt lost. There was enough information given to enlighten without bogging things down in recaps. It did whet my appetite to go back and read the others.
