Terrific book. This is the third in the series and can be read as a standalone, but you'll get more out of it if you read the others first. This is the story of Charlotte Parrish, the sort-of little sister to Brodie and Jack Crews, and Mitch Crews, the half-brother they didn't know about. Their father, Elliott, is a man who doesn't know the meaning of the words fidelity and commitment. The first two books, Driven to Distraction and SlowRide, explain their relationships to Elliott.
Mitch had a hard life growing up with a part-time father, an addict mother, and her drug dealer boyfriend. He's recently out of a five-year prison sentence received for a stupid decision he made in an effort to protect his mother. She has since passed away, and Mitch arrived in Red Oak, Ohio, looking to meet his half-brothers. He's not sure why it just feels like something he needs to do. He never expected to encounter someone like Charlotte.
Charlotte was taken in by Ros Crews when her parents passed away. Brodie and Jack have always treated her like a little sister, from teasing to protectiveness. Charlotte gives as good as she gets, keeping them in line as well as their office organized. She loves them, but when it comes to a man of her own, she wants someone less badass and more normal. Meeting Mitch brought out a side of her she didn't recognize.
I loved the opening pages of the book. It starts with Charlotte having car trouble in front of a bar and being accosted by a couple of drunks. Mitch was hanging around the outside of the bar and noticed Charlotte as she was making phone calls looking for help. Intrigued and attracted, it was fun to see him argue with himself about talking to her, but he didn't hesitate when it looked like she needed help. I loved the way they immediately connected. Charlotte wasn't the least bit afraid of him, even when he punched the drunk. Just as Mitch finished, Brodie and Jack arrived, having received her messages. Of course, they went into protective, big brother mode right away, with Charlotte doing her best to call them off. Mitch immediately realized who they were, and wasn't happy about having his timeline moved up before he was ready. It got even more complicated when Ros arrived. The various reactions to Mitch's revelations were fantastic. My favorites were Ros's immediate acceptance, and Mitch's complete bewilderment at it. I also loved how easily Charlotte could read Mitch's emotions. This scene was an excellent indicator of how Mitch's absorption into the family was going to go.
Mitch has only had himself to rely on for so long that he isn't sure how to handle having a family who wants to be involved in his life. I loved how none of them let him push them away. Even when he tried, they would just keep coming back. There were terrific scenes of everything from family dinners to work parties where he had to learn that family meant everything to them. It was a hard concept for him, and I ached for the way he wanted it to be true but was afraid to believe. Mitch also had the problem of not wanting his past to impact them, but that past was coming for him. I loved the support that he received and the difference that it made to him when he finally believed.
I loved the development of the relationship between Mitch and Charlotte. The connection and sparks were there from the moment they met. Mitch had some bad moments when he realized her relationship to Brodie and Jack, but it didn't slow him down for too long, though he did have to agree to their conditions at the beginning. His fascination and sheer delight in being with her were sweet. I loved how he appreciated her sass and ability and willingness to stand up for herself against Brodie and Jack. He was also very protective of her, especially when it came to himself. It took him a long time to believe that she would genuinely be interested in him. Charlotte was surprised by her reaction to Mitch but accepted it very quickly. I loved how she understood him and could read his emotions. It warmed my heart to see the way that she smoothed the way between him and his brothers, defended him when she thought he needed it, and stood up for him when she felt it was necessary. I loved how the attraction between them grew until they couldn't fight it any longer, and their feelings grew right along with it. The biggest obstacle was getting Mitch to believe that they could have a future together. I loved the ending, and seeing Mitch finally feel like he was home.
The suspense of the story was good. We discovered fairly early that Mitch's mom's boyfriend is absolutely no good. Upon finding out that she left her house to Mitch, who'd sold it to the state and walked away, he was furious. He was determined to get his revenge and tracked Mitch to Red Oak. It is immediately evident that he has no redeeming features and is extremely dangerous. Mitch was afraid for Charlotte and the others and determined to find the man before he could do any harm. There are some scenes from Newman's point of view that reveal how bad he is. The tension ramps up as Newman's plans draw closer to fruition, and Charlotte becomes a target. The final confrontation had me glued to the pages until it was all over. I especially loved how Newman underestimated Mitch and completely blew off Mitch's family connections. I loved seeing how they all came together to end the threat.
Mitch had a hard life growing up with a part-time father, an addict mother, and her drug dealer boyfriend. He's recently out of a five-year prison sentence received for a stupid decision he made in an effort to protect his mother. She has since passed away, and Mitch arrived in Red Oak, Ohio, looking to meet his half-brothers. He's not sure why it just feels like something he needs to do. He never expected to encounter someone like Charlotte.
Charlotte was taken in by Ros Crews when her parents passed away. Brodie and Jack have always treated her like a little sister, from teasing to protectiveness. Charlotte gives as good as she gets, keeping them in line as well as their office organized. She loves them, but when it comes to a man of her own, she wants someone less badass and more normal. Meeting Mitch brought out a side of her she didn't recognize.
I loved the opening pages of the book. It starts with Charlotte having car trouble in front of a bar and being accosted by a couple of drunks. Mitch was hanging around the outside of the bar and noticed Charlotte as she was making phone calls looking for help. Intrigued and attracted, it was fun to see him argue with himself about talking to her, but he didn't hesitate when it looked like she needed help. I loved the way they immediately connected. Charlotte wasn't the least bit afraid of him, even when he punched the drunk. Just as Mitch finished, Brodie and Jack arrived, having received her messages. Of course, they went into protective, big brother mode right away, with Charlotte doing her best to call them off. Mitch immediately realized who they were, and wasn't happy about having his timeline moved up before he was ready. It got even more complicated when Ros arrived. The various reactions to Mitch's revelations were fantastic. My favorites were Ros's immediate acceptance, and Mitch's complete bewilderment at it. I also loved how easily Charlotte could read Mitch's emotions. This scene was an excellent indicator of how Mitch's absorption into the family was going to go.
Mitch has only had himself to rely on for so long that he isn't sure how to handle having a family who wants to be involved in his life. I loved how none of them let him push them away. Even when he tried, they would just keep coming back. There were terrific scenes of everything from family dinners to work parties where he had to learn that family meant everything to them. It was a hard concept for him, and I ached for the way he wanted it to be true but was afraid to believe. Mitch also had the problem of not wanting his past to impact them, but that past was coming for him. I loved the support that he received and the difference that it made to him when he finally believed.
I loved the development of the relationship between Mitch and Charlotte. The connection and sparks were there from the moment they met. Mitch had some bad moments when he realized her relationship to Brodie and Jack, but it didn't slow him down for too long, though he did have to agree to their conditions at the beginning. His fascination and sheer delight in being with her were sweet. I loved how he appreciated her sass and ability and willingness to stand up for herself against Brodie and Jack. He was also very protective of her, especially when it came to himself. It took him a long time to believe that she would genuinely be interested in him. Charlotte was surprised by her reaction to Mitch but accepted it very quickly. I loved how she understood him and could read his emotions. It warmed my heart to see the way that she smoothed the way between him and his brothers, defended him when she thought he needed it, and stood up for him when she felt it was necessary. I loved how the attraction between them grew until they couldn't fight it any longer, and their feelings grew right along with it. The biggest obstacle was getting Mitch to believe that they could have a future together. I loved the ending, and seeing Mitch finally feel like he was home.
The suspense of the story was good. We discovered fairly early that Mitch's mom's boyfriend is absolutely no good. Upon finding out that she left her house to Mitch, who'd sold it to the state and walked away, he was furious. He was determined to get his revenge and tracked Mitch to Red Oak. It is immediately evident that he has no redeeming features and is extremely dangerous. Mitch was afraid for Charlotte and the others and determined to find the man before he could do any harm. There are some scenes from Newman's point of view that reveal how bad he is. The tension ramps up as Newman's plans draw closer to fruition, and Charlotte becomes a target. The final confrontation had me glued to the pages until it was all over. I especially loved how Newman underestimated Mitch and completely blew off Mitch's family connections. I loved seeing how they all came together to end the threat.
