Broken Dreams

by Corinne Michaels

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Broken Dreams is the second book in the Whitlock Family series by Corinne Michaels. I was excited about this book as Corrine Michaels is slowly becoming a favourite of mine. She delivered another riveting tale, which despite the infusion of humour and steamy moments, packed an emotional punch. Michaels takes readers back Sugarloaf with the story of Addison, who was first introduced in Help Me Remember, where she tragically lost her husband. After three years of grieving, she's now ready to move on with her life and hopes to find love once again. What she never expected was agreeing to a fake relationship and finding herself falling in love with her fake boyfriend. Broken Dreams makes a great addition to the Whitlock Family series. A series which continues to strike the perfect balance between emotion, setting, and plot.

This is a story about two single parents who lost their spouses three years earlier. A lost which left them broken-hearted. Now, while Addison feels she's ready to move on, Grady is not interested in a relationship. His only concern was taking care of his three-year-old son. Now Addison needs a date for a wedding in Sugarloaf, her hometown. Grady is seeking investors to get his business off the ground. However, none were willing to invest unless he had a girlfriend. So they both decided to help each other by entering into a fake relationship. However, a thin line exists between fake and reality. Soon, what started out as a facade became the real thing.

I loved this story. Although not my favourite of the series, it comes a close second to Forbidden Hearts. One could see that Grady and Addison made a great couple. Their chemistry was so intense that not even they could deny it. I loved the fact that their relationship started out in friendship mode and slowly moved to the romantic mode. They thought they were fake dating, but that was far from the truth. Everyone saw what they didn't. Living in a small town, they came under a lot of scrutiny. Seeing them together, no one would believe they were fake dating.

The moments they shared had me rooting for them. While Addison knew what she wanted, it took Grady sometime to acknowledge his feelings. His reluctance was mostly due to fear. Which is understandable for someone who has experienced loss of a loved one in the past.  Healing came through their love for each other. Seeing their children developed such a beautiful friendship warmed my heart.

Readers who read the Rose Canyon series will be delighted to reunite with characters from the series. This book works as a standalone, however, you will want to read the previous book. Overall, Broken Dreams was a lovely story designed to entertain readers from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading Rowan's story. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading