Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
I have nothing but love for the Braddock family, and am sad to see it all end, but I am also glad to see Winnie taking back her life and finding her happy.
It appeared, that Winnie's withdrawal began with her father's illness, but it seems like she had problems in other areas of her life as well. It was advice from her father, which finally made her stop, take a hard look at herself, and start making decisions to get out of her rut and back to the land of the living. I am not going to say she went head-on into this whole new adventure. In reality, Winnie made a big decision, and then sort of wallowed in her grief, but then a little blast from her past gave her a push in the right direction.
Holden had been the resident bad boy. He had a mean disposition and knew how to push Winnie's buttons. He was back in his hometown looking to atone for his past and rebuild those relationships he had broken, back when he was an angry teen. Holden learned from his past, he learned from his mistakes, and he was ready to begin anew. He just needed the other people to believe that he had changed too.
Holden was definitely the star of this story for me. I have a special place in my heart for people, who have to fight back from the bottom, and Holden sort of had to do it all on his own. I could tell how hard he was working to earn back the trust and friendship from all those he alienated as he grappled with his grief and pain in his younger years. A stint in juvie and years of hard work made him a different man, and it pained me that so many people in his life couldn't believe he could change. It was quite gratifying to see so many things fall into place for him, and I especially loved that he got his HEA.
This book had so many elements, which made me happy. It was a hate-to-love-romance with a whiff of second-chance thrown in there. Winnie and Holden shared quite a past, and I adored all their history. Attraction is always great to see in a romance, but it was seeing something real and meaningful develop between Holden and Winnie, which really warmed my heart. Both had some past experiences, that cut them deeply, and this allowed them to see each other in a way many hadn't.
Other things I loved:
• Finding out why Holden called Winnie "Larry" ❤️
• Duke and Uncle Holden
• The Braddock siblings
• A wedding!!!
• Being in Maine
I have grown to love this family so much, and I will miss them, but I am really happy with the ending Denault gave them.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 22 December, 2018: Finished reading
- 22 December, 2018: Reviewed