Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific second chance romance with a bit of suspense thrown in for good measure. Caleb has been focused on business for years, giving little thought to his personal life. He is stunned when his grandmother insists that her grandchildren marry before the age of thirty-five for men and thirty for women. That is only two months away for Caleb. If they don't fall in with her plans, controlling interest in the company will go to their uncle. He's even more shocked when Gran brings Tilda Riley into the mix, suggesting he marry her.
Tilda returned home to Seattle to help her father prevent a hostile takeover of the family company - by Caleb's company. She and Caleb had been a couple nine years earlier until he broke up with her in a cruelly emotional confrontation. Devastated, Tilda moved to Asia to continue her work and to raise the daughter Caleb knew nothing about. She can destroy his company but finds it more practical to join forces with him instead. But can she protect her heart this time around?
I loved watching the rekindling of the relationship between Caleb and Tilda. From the start, their chemistry is just as strong as ever. I appreciated that they sat down and talked about their past, admitting they'd made mistakes. I especially enjoyed Caleb's admission that he'd been a jerk. They enter into marriage as a simple business arrangement, but that doesn't last. Gran's gift of a seaside cottage gave them a place to get away for a few days and get reacquainted, discovering things they hadn't bothered with years earlier. There were some sweet and emotional scenes as they shared their lives' big and small events. Neither could deny the strength of the attraction they felt, and it didn't take long for them to give in to it.
As they returned to their new everyday lives, I loved seeing Caleb and Annika connect. She is an adorable girl, bright, confident, and thrilled to have a father in her life. It was great to see Caleb loosen up from being all-business and enjoy teaching her to cook and helping her with her schoolwork. I loved the whole "project manager" scene with them. It doesn't take long for them to settle into happy family life.
But trouble soon rears its ugly head. Caleb's Uncle Jerome is a nasty piece of work and is unhappy about Caleb's marriage to Tilda. The dinner scene at his house was terrible and showed his true colors. When Tilda's father's house is robbed, a file she'd held in reserve to fight the takeover goes missing. Soon after, Jerome told Caleb about the "nuclear option" file, accusing Tilda of plotting against Caleb. Meanwhile, Tilda confronts the man who gave her that file. Both Caleb and Tilda have some trust issues thanks to betrayals in their pasts, and this situation brings those issues to the surface. I ached for both as they saw their happy marriage crumble under the strain. It takes tough love from his sister Maddie to straighten Caleb out, and I loved watching him fight for Tilda. There are some unexpected twists in the process, but love and communication win the day in the end.
The secondary characters play significant roles in the story. Caleb's grandmother is a tough old bird. Her methods are questionable but effective. She elicited sympathy from me when she talked about her daughter and how her first sight of Annika had affected her. After looking at what is in store in subsequent books, I can't wait to see how she handles it all. After Annika, my favorite character was Caleb's sister Maddie. She thinks the sun rises and sets on Annika, and I loved seeing the two of them together. Annika brings the fun back into Maddie's life. I also liked Maddie's relationship with Caleb, who she adores but has no illusions about. She is a fun aunt. I also liked their cousin Veronica, who had the misfortune to be Jerome's daughter. I don't like how he treats her. She is engaged, and her fiancé rubbed me the wrong way. I can't wait to see how that goes.
Tilda returned home to Seattle to help her father prevent a hostile takeover of the family company - by Caleb's company. She and Caleb had been a couple nine years earlier until he broke up with her in a cruelly emotional confrontation. Devastated, Tilda moved to Asia to continue her work and to raise the daughter Caleb knew nothing about. She can destroy his company but finds it more practical to join forces with him instead. But can she protect her heart this time around?
I loved watching the rekindling of the relationship between Caleb and Tilda. From the start, their chemistry is just as strong as ever. I appreciated that they sat down and talked about their past, admitting they'd made mistakes. I especially enjoyed Caleb's admission that he'd been a jerk. They enter into marriage as a simple business arrangement, but that doesn't last. Gran's gift of a seaside cottage gave them a place to get away for a few days and get reacquainted, discovering things they hadn't bothered with years earlier. There were some sweet and emotional scenes as they shared their lives' big and small events. Neither could deny the strength of the attraction they felt, and it didn't take long for them to give in to it.
As they returned to their new everyday lives, I loved seeing Caleb and Annika connect. She is an adorable girl, bright, confident, and thrilled to have a father in her life. It was great to see Caleb loosen up from being all-business and enjoy teaching her to cook and helping her with her schoolwork. I loved the whole "project manager" scene with them. It doesn't take long for them to settle into happy family life.
But trouble soon rears its ugly head. Caleb's Uncle Jerome is a nasty piece of work and is unhappy about Caleb's marriage to Tilda. The dinner scene at his house was terrible and showed his true colors. When Tilda's father's house is robbed, a file she'd held in reserve to fight the takeover goes missing. Soon after, Jerome told Caleb about the "nuclear option" file, accusing Tilda of plotting against Caleb. Meanwhile, Tilda confronts the man who gave her that file. Both Caleb and Tilda have some trust issues thanks to betrayals in their pasts, and this situation brings those issues to the surface. I ached for both as they saw their happy marriage crumble under the strain. It takes tough love from his sister Maddie to straighten Caleb out, and I loved watching him fight for Tilda. There are some unexpected twists in the process, but love and communication win the day in the end.
The secondary characters play significant roles in the story. Caleb's grandmother is a tough old bird. Her methods are questionable but effective. She elicited sympathy from me when she talked about her daughter and how her first sight of Annika had affected her. After looking at what is in store in subsequent books, I can't wait to see how she handles it all. After Annika, my favorite character was Caleb's sister Maddie. She thinks the sun rises and sets on Annika, and I loved seeing the two of them together. Annika brings the fun back into Maddie's life. I also liked Maddie's relationship with Caleb, who she adores but has no illusions about. She is a fun aunt. I also liked their cousin Veronica, who had the misfortune to be Jerome's daughter. I don't like how he treats her. She is engaged, and her fiancé rubbed me the wrong way. I can't wait to see how that goes.
