Take a Chance (Willow Creek, #4)

by Micalea Smeltzer

[whisperingchapters]

The final book in the Willow Creek is here! The feels have hit me hard because I do not want to say goodbye to these characters :'( Micalea Smeltzer has become a favorite author for a reason and it's because her books, especially this series, always have amazing characters that one can relate to and also very funny characters. This last book went out with a bang. My favorite thing about it is that it wasn't just focused on the romance, but it was focused on Hayes, Arden and little Mia as a family.

Hayes has been a player for so long but all of his band mates have settled down with their own girlfriends/wives and Hayes can't help but feel lonely. Being the oldest of the band members, he realizes it is time to settle down before it is too late. Hayes and Arden met in In Your Heart and Hayes was awe-struck by the red-head and her daughter and all he wants is for Arden to take a chance on him. Hayes is the funniest character in this series. Well, he's kind of in competition with Maddox. Both are a handful and will get you to laugh in no time. I honestly want Hayes. His desire to have a family goes beyond anything in his life at this point. His love for Mia, someone who isn't his real daughter, will make you beg him to ditch Arden and be with you because he is a total gentleman to Arden and Mia. You guys should read the way he behaves with Mia—it's beautiful. I mean, the guy had a birthday and he invited Arden and Mia and held the party at Chuck E. Cheese's just so he could have fun but also Mia could be there. Let's just cry at how wonderful Hayes is. He needs to be real.

"I feel that Mia is very much mine. Yeah, maybe she's not my biological child, but as long as we're together she's my kid. And I'll take care of her just as much as I will you. I promise you that."

Arden is a spitfire. She has to be to protect herself and her daughter. Her husband fled when he found out Arden was pregnant with Mia, leaving her broken and vulnerable. Slowly, she started to build herself up for Mia until she reached the place where she could be okay again. Still, she keeps a wall around her heart so when Hayes arrives and starts crumbling those walls, Arden wonders if she should try to take a chance one last time. Arden is a wonderful mother, even when Mia tests her patience. I admire Arden because she raised Mia all on her own and she has still managed to stay strong through all of it. Her witty banter with Hayes was a light and fun touch to their romance and I was glad Hayes and Arden had found one another because they really balance each other out.

Maddox and Emma, Mathias and Remy with baby Liam, Ezra and Sadie have all joined this last installment in the series *throws confetti and dances*. This last book made me realize it's officially over and I won't be reading about these characters—except for the bonus scenes being written—anymore and it makes me sad. It's like I've lost a part of me. These characters really grew on me like no other and it pains me to say goodbye. This series has been an emotional roller-coaster since I have cried, laughed, gotten angry, laughed and cried some more. This is a series that I will never forget and the characters will forever live in my heart.