Worth the Wait (Guthrie Brothers, #2)

by Lori Foster

[kimbacaffeinate]

I loved that Foster gave us two completely fleshed out happily ever afters in WORTH THE WAIT. That combined with secondary characters, Screwy Louie's restaurant and a thread about young Colt made for a warm, page-turning read.

Hogan, Colt's Dad, has worked hard to get his life back on track and find happiness after his wife's death. In book one DON'T TEMPT ME we felt the chemistry between Violet, the owner of Screwy Louie's restaurant and Hogan, so I was anxious for their story. Violet is fun, strong, confident and someone you would want to befriend. She works long hours, and her dating life is practically nil. She is attracted to Hogan, but he has a reputation as a bit of player and that scares her. Hogan is tempted, but he isn't looking for happily ever after.

Hogan works weekends at Screwy Louie's grilling his ribs while keeping the ingredients to his sauce a secret. Grilling and watching folks enjoy his cooking helps Hogan relax,  but more than that he likes being near Violet. When Violet ends up ill, Hogan is there, and it allows the two to spend a little time together. She discovers he isn't a player and he finds that despite some issues he wants to get to know Violet intimately. Watching them tango was utterly addictive, and I found myself caught up in their romance. Foster weaved in humor, sweet moments and spicy heat.

I enjoyed getting Hogan's backstory and the current thread about his accounting job. Both added interest and allowed me to connect. Violet was a real gem even if she tries to do everything on her own. Both characters felt genuine and had me rooting for an HEA.

Our local Sheriff Nathan Hawley is more than a little curious about his cute, standoffish neighbor Brooklin Sweet and I had fun watching their relationship develop. While this was a secondary romance to the overall story, Foster threaded their romance throughout giving us some suspense, humor and awkward moments. Foster also used them to touch on the subject of how quickly we condemn folks before knowing all of the facts.

For fans of the series, we get updates on Honor, Jason, and other characters. Colt is present throughout the story, and we get tidbits about his life. Even though he is only eighteen, I hope we get his story. I loved the thread about the local gossip page. It was hilarious and cute moments developed from it. WORTH THE WAIT will work as standalone, but you'll want to read Honor and Jason's story.

Fans of Jill Shalvis, Robyn Carr, and Bella Andre will enjoy this series with its small-town feel and smidgeon of heat.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer