A man recovering from a toxic relationship and slowly healing. A woman recovering from a divorce and seeking a new life. When their worlds collide, will Garrett and Bertie finally heal and find their happily ever after?
Garrett MacAteer has rejoined his family and is trying to rebuild his life after escaping a toxic relationship that has left him scarred, vulnerable, and with nothing more than the clothes on his back and the strength of his hands.
After Bertie Shore's marriage descends into an unfulfilling placeholder in her life, she takes a big leap and finds a new direction and leaves to pursue her lifelong ambition of owning a bed-and-breakfast inn.
Neither is looking for a connection, but one night they find it. Can they survive the challenges they face long enough to accept new love, take it, and hold it close?
EXCERPT:
The tension in his shoulders relaxed a bit under my fingers. “Been a shitty day.” Those beautiful eyes suddenly looked sad and my heart pinged for him. “I’m sorry.” “Not your fault. Just really bad timing.”
“I get that. My day’s been rough too.”
As the song played, we descended into silence. Keeping any distance proved impossible on the jam-packed dance floor and from time to time, his body brushed against mine. The raw lyrics and driving chords echoed in my head and a different kind of heat started in my belly. One I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It made me ultra-sensitive to his every movement. His hands stayed on my waist, but his thumbs brushed across my ribs in a teasing caress. The tips of my breasts grazed his chest, and I wanted to press them in harder. Our lower bodies connected, grazing against each other. He was hard, and my mouth watered with need. I didn’t remember anything this forceful the last time Karl, and I were together or any time before that. My imagination took over, and I pictured this green-eyed man driving into me. Oh, I could almost feel it happening right here and now.
He pulled back and his eyes looked into mine. “I need to get out of here.”
Their intensity hit me like a lightning strike. I became feverish and my belly quivered with tightness.
“Sure.”
“Come with me.”
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
From the very first page this book took on a cleansing vibe courtesy of a hero and heroine who decided it was time to leave unhappiness behind to find something more emotionally healthy and personally satisfying. Set in a small town, and focusing on the MacAteer Brothers, this book charmed me through its brotherly exchanges and realistic depiction of emotions that repeatedly pulled at my heartstrings. Heartfelt talks soon led to a sensuality that had me rooting for this couple every step of the way in a tale that was well worth the read!
Garrett MacAteer's a man who's been bruised by love, cheated on and betrayed by his fiancée. For far too long he stayed with her, letting her make a mockery of their engagement and letting his pride keep him tied to her. Eventually, any love that remained was snuffed out and saw him returning to the family fold and a support system he sorely missed. Garrett's a delicious hero, a good and honorable man hurt by someone proclaiming to love him while using him at the same time. Needless to say, he's ready for a fresh start, but he's not going to just jump right into his fresh start. He's leery this time around but can't deny the instant attraction he feels for the new girl in town, Bertie. Their connection is instant, crackling, and is both a sweet and sexy journey full of introspection and empowerment. Add in a bit of suspense courtesy of certain someone's wanting to taint their HEA and you end up with a fully fleshed-out romance that kept me fully immersed from start to finish.
Bernadette Shore was once at the top of the business world, making more money than she could ever possibly spend, and feeling less than satisfied with her life. Her marriage had been over for a long time, but it was finally time to formalize things and go after what she always wanted...to own a quaint B&B. Opening a B&B wasn't the only new facet to her life though...so too was meeting the sexy and serious Garrett. A memorable New Years soon binds these two together in a romance that played with my heartstrings and had me rooting them on through every emotional high and low. Bertie's an immensely appealing heroine, one who knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. She understands Garrett's fears, the damage to his trust and his heart, and is willing to go slow with him in a romance that warmed my heart while making it race a time or two.
This was a story that flowed beautifully, kept me engaged and cheering this couple on through every roadblock thrown their way. Their romance was both sweet and sensual, allowed to grow and be nurtured slowly in a journey that was oh so satisfying. The MacAteer Brothers were a delightful part of this story too as each brother left an indelible mark on my heart. The brothers are a strong support to each other, playful in their banter, with interactions that put a smile on my face. Though this book is part of a series it stands strongly on its own with a romance that thoroughly entertained me. Readers looking for a set of brothers to make every dream come true though will definitely want to read the previous installments for even more fodder for sweet dreams as we wait for what Ms. Nystrom has planned next!
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
ML Nystrom had stories in her head since she was a child. All sorts of stories of fantasy, romance, mystery and anything else that captured her interest. A voracious reader, she’s spent many hours devouring books; therefore, she found it only fitting she should write a few herself!
ML has spent most of her life as a performing musician and band instrument repair technician, but that doesn’t mean she’s pigeon-holed into one mold. She’s been a university professor, belly dancer, craftsperson, soap maker, singer, rock band artist, jewelry maker, lifeguard, swim coach, and whatever else she felt like exploring. As one of her students said to her once, "Life’s too short to ignore the opportunities." She has no intention of ever stopping...so welcome to her story world. She hopes you enjoy it!
**********GIVEAWAY**********
ML Nystrom here. Thank you for the lovely review and your help in promotions. It's satisfying and humbling to know someone gets your book and what the message is supposed to be. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read it.
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