Yours to Keep (Man of the Year, #2)

by Lauren Layne

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 stars

After suffering a major injury, MLB star, Carter Ramsey, returns to his hometown to recuperate and contemplate his future. What he didn't anticipate was his former high school lab partner, Olive Dunn, barreling her way into his life and into his heart.

I found this book so delightful. Both Carter and Olive charmed my pants off, and I had the best time with them.

Carter was the golden boy, who found major league success, but he was reaching an age where success wasn't everything and was looking for more. He found it difficult to make real connections with people, and felt like when they looked at him, all they saw was Carter the baseball player. They never seemed to want to know the man underneath the uniform. There were a few times in the book, when Carter was reflecting on this and it really broke my heart. I felt his loneliness and longing, and to me, Olive was one of the best people to fill that empty space in his life.

Carter may have been the golden boy, but Olive enjoyed just as much status in their hometown. She was energetic and upbeat, and her rosy outlook was contagious. But for all the smiles and sunshine she left in her wake, Olive was very much on her own. She suffered through a string of failed relationships and didn't believe there was anyone out there who would want her in that way. Again, my heart broke.

Carter and Olive were a perfect pairing. They bantered like champs, and there was also a good deal of heat between them too. I found it easy to fall under their spell and thought they were pure magic together. It was so sweet watching them slowly realize what they saw in each other. Carter was especially precious, because a man that can say such adorable and tender things will always win my heart.

Not only were Carter and Olive fantastic, but I loved being in Haven. I am a sucker for a small town, and I found all its denizens quite marvelous as well. In the afterword, I found out that Haven was the setting of An Ex for Christmas, which is one of my favorite Lauren Layne books. Not only did I get to go back to Haven, but I got to catch up with Kelly and Mark. What a nice surprise!

I was already reveling in all the fun, banter, and sweetness of this story when I got to (drumroll please) THE EPILOGUE! You guys know how much this girl loves an epilogue, and Layne did not disappoint me. As the cherry on top, it was a jump ahead epilogue showing me the fabulous future for this couple. To quote a popular song, their "future's so bright, I gotta wear shades."

Overall, Yours to Keep was a hit for me. I smiled, laughed, swooned, and just felt happy as I read it. What more could I ask for?

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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