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bookishmya's review
5.0
I adore Charlie Lane’s writing. Her books are an auto-add to my tbr list. This story is no exception. For a marriage of convenience, this story has a remarkable family pull. Not standard in that trope, but love is the underlying emotion of all their problems from the start. Coming from a place of loss, Henry protects his heart by staying away from everything he loves. But his children need a parent, so he enlists the help of widow, Sarah Pennington. The attraction and the need to protect is instant, she is smart, kind and a good mother already. The perfect answer to his dilemma. Except that protecting his heart means leaving her too, but she is a fixer and sets out to fix not only his household, but also his heart.
I was drawn in immediately by their wicked teasing rapport. These two blend together so smoothly you cannot help but love them. I loved how his research played such a rounding arc throughout the entire book. ‘The Crocodiles!’ Right down to his crocodile smile. The children were endearingly sweet, and the conflict with the oldest daughter was exactly what one would expect from a young girl forced to grow-up too fast. She has such strong emotions and deserves to be taken care of for once. Charlie Lane is a master at writing a good Brute, tough and wounded and desperately in need of love. Henry is exactly this and it breaks your heart how effortlessly he pushes everyone away. I have never read so much laughter in a love scene, and yet it completely worked and took away nothing. Sarah is literally the light he needs to bring him out of the shadows. The HEA at the end is the perfect picture of the family bliss he’s always deserved.
I was drawn in immediately by their wicked teasing rapport. These two blend together so smoothly you cannot help but love them. I loved how his research played such a rounding arc throughout the entire book. ‘The Crocodiles!’ Right down to his crocodile smile. The children were endearingly sweet, and the conflict with the oldest daughter was exactly what one would expect from a young girl forced to grow-up too fast. She has such strong emotions and deserves to be taken care of for once. Charlie Lane is a master at writing a good Brute, tough and wounded and desperately in need of love. Henry is exactly this and it breaks your heart how effortlessly he pushes everyone away. I have never read so much laughter in a love scene, and yet it completely worked and took away nothing. Sarah is literally the light he needs to bring him out of the shadows. The HEA at the end is the perfect picture of the family bliss he’s always deserved.
sanniemay926's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book and the characters. The daughters were fun characters and I really enjoyed Nora and her flair for fun and Jackson and his carefree ways. I look forward to reading more about them. I feel like there could have been more substance to story and less internal dialogs though. A few spots that need editing as well.
bookishbecca's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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