Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good start to the new series. I love the theme of restoring an old French chateau that was moved to New Jersey. Taylor is committed to honoring his late father's wish to renovate Bainbridge House, as are his three brothers and one sister. His sister, Viola, tells Taylor about her friend, Sonja, an architectural historian, as the perfect person to help him get it right. Sonja spent four years in an abusive marriage before escaping and working to regain her independence. Working on the Bainbridge House restoration will go a long way toward establishing her reputation in her field.
I loved the first meeting between Sonja and Taylor. The sparks were there from the beginning though both initially tried to ignore them. Taylor plans to concentrate on the renovations, while Sonja has no intention of getting involved with another man. Sonja's intelligence and passion for her work fascinated Taylor, and he knew she was exactly what he needed for the project. I liked watching them connect over their love of the house and the friendship that evolved because of it.
It wasn't long before Taylor realized he wanted more than friendship with Sonja. However, as attracted as he is to her, he doesn't just want to sleep with her. Taylor craves the kind of loving relationship his parents had and believes he can have it with Sonja. All he has to do is convince her. I enjoyed his efforts to do so and appreciated how he was always careful not to push. That care is what slowly worked its way past Sonja's walls.
I liked seeing Sonja let go of her fears and embrace her feelings for Taylor. Their connection over the house added an extra layer to those feelings. Their relationship looked very promising for the future until Taylor saw something that he misinterpreted and reacted poorly. His words and actions brought back bad memories of her marriage and drove Sonja away. I ached for Sonja as she tried to reconcile those memories with her feelings for Taylor. Conversations with her mother helped her enough to think about what had happened from another perspective. I liked that Taylor was smart enough to realize how badly he'd behaved and patient enough to give Sonja the time she needed. The ending was great, as both Taylor and Sonja shared their fears and feelings before moving on to their future.
One of the things I liked about this book were the little details that go into restoring a building like Bainbridge House, from the foundation to the landscaping. I'd love to see more about some of the treasures Sonja finds. I loved her suggestions about the farm-to-table for the planned restaurant. I look forward to the future books with Taylor's siblings, each of whom has a talent/career that blends well with their plans for the chateau.
#netgalley
I loved the first meeting between Sonja and Taylor. The sparks were there from the beginning though both initially tried to ignore them. Taylor plans to concentrate on the renovations, while Sonja has no intention of getting involved with another man. Sonja's intelligence and passion for her work fascinated Taylor, and he knew she was exactly what he needed for the project. I liked watching them connect over their love of the house and the friendship that evolved because of it.
It wasn't long before Taylor realized he wanted more than friendship with Sonja. However, as attracted as he is to her, he doesn't just want to sleep with her. Taylor craves the kind of loving relationship his parents had and believes he can have it with Sonja. All he has to do is convince her. I enjoyed his efforts to do so and appreciated how he was always careful not to push. That care is what slowly worked its way past Sonja's walls.
I liked seeing Sonja let go of her fears and embrace her feelings for Taylor. Their connection over the house added an extra layer to those feelings. Their relationship looked very promising for the future until Taylor saw something that he misinterpreted and reacted poorly. His words and actions brought back bad memories of her marriage and drove Sonja away. I ached for Sonja as she tried to reconcile those memories with her feelings for Taylor. Conversations with her mother helped her enough to think about what had happened from another perspective. I liked that Taylor was smart enough to realize how badly he'd behaved and patient enough to give Sonja the time she needed. The ending was great, as both Taylor and Sonja shared their fears and feelings before moving on to their future.
One of the things I liked about this book were the little details that go into restoring a building like Bainbridge House, from the foundation to the landscaping. I'd love to see more about some of the treasures Sonja finds. I loved her suggestions about the farm-to-table for the planned restaurant. I look forward to the future books with Taylor's siblings, each of whom has a talent/career that blends well with their plans for the chateau.
#netgalley
