Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 10/3/2022 + 2573 more book reviews

Good book. Everyone in the TCC heard Natalie's confession of her feelings for Jonathan when her online chat with her best friend accidentally went live at the club's Fourth of July bash. Since then, she's been avoiding him and everyone else as best she can. Finally, she decides to leave town for a while and let the gossip die down. She checks into a Galveston resort and looks forward to a week of peace.

Jonathan has been aware of Natalie's crush for years, but with a bad marriage and divorce under his belt, he has no intention of ever marrying again. He blames himself for the failure of his marriage, so he keeps his liaisons superficial and spends all of his time working on the family ranch. When his worried parents force him to take a vacation, Jonathan finds himself checking into the same resort where Natalie is staying.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Natalie and Jonathan. Natalie is a curvy woman who was bullied as a child because of her weight and still has self-esteem issues. When Jonathan looks at her, he sees a sexy woman he'd like to spend time with. Neither can deny the fiery attraction they feel. After one night together, Jonathan proposes a week-long fling to end when they return to Royal. Natalie agrees because she will take what she can get but suspects that her heart will pay the price.

Natalie was right. The more time they spent together, the deeper her feelings for Jonathan grew. Throughout the week, he made it clear that marriage would never be an option, but she couldn't help hoping he'd change his mind. Some scenes between them fueled that hope. Even though Jonathan often feels things with Natalie that he's never felt before, he suppresses those feelings, sure they wouldn't last. He stubbornly sticks to his "no marriage" mantra until Natalie finally believes him.

On their return to Royal, they attempt to return to their previous lives, but both are miserable. Resuming their affair in secret seems to be the only cure. Once again, Natalie risks her heart, but she can't stay away from the man she loves. Jonathan may be cracking under the onslaught of his feelings, but his fears continue to hold him back. When Jonathan's ex-wife confronts Natalie, it brings her fears to a head, and she pulls back. I loved seeing Jonathan finally see the light with the help of his brother Jayden. I loved his emotional reunion with Natalie, and his big moment at the end was a neat tribute to their beginning.

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