Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 7/23/2019 + 2618 more book reviews

Fun, sweet, and sassy book. I'm delighted to see Duffy get his own story. He has been there throughout the other books, the quintessential southern guy. Polite, helpful, supportive of his family, but also caught in a vicious cycle with his ex-wife. That cycle begins to change when Lucy moves back to town. Duffy and Lucy had been best friends all through school. He developed romantic feelings for her but was too afraid of messing up their friendship to do anything about it. Instead, he watched as she married his friend and moved away; then he made the mistake of marrying Lana. Even though they are divorced, Lana has kept Duffy on a string, reeling him in whenever she wants. I was as frustrated as his family was with the way he let it happen. But as soon as Lucy came back, Duffy began to pull away from Lana, creating all kinds of interesting situations.

Lucy knew early in her marriage that she had made a mistake, but pride wouldn't allow her to admit it. With the death of her husband, Lucy moved back home to Lake Sackett. She has plans to open her own bakery as a fresh start for herself and her son if only her in-laws leave her in peace. Running into Duffy again stirs up feelings she thought she'd buried long ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Duffy and Lucy's relationship. Their first meeting after her return was hilarious, as he catches her in the middle of an x-rated cake delivery. The sparks between them are still there. Duffy realizes quickly that he never stopped loving Lucy and is determined to win her back. Lucy is wary. She doesn't want to risk losing Duffy's friendship if something goes wrong, plus she already has so much on her plate that adding a romance feels like a bad idea. But as hard as she tries, Duffy's sweet, persistent attentions work their way past her walls. I loved the scenes of the two of them together as they get to know each other all over again. I especially liked their ability to be honest with each other and talk things out. There was a hilarious scene involving Lucy and Lana, as Lana gets up to her old tricks and Lucy calls her on it. It was also fun to see Duffy's family get in the act of pushing the two together. The boat scene was fantastic and typically Frankie. I ached for Duffy and Lucy when her insecurities caused her to pull away. Some advice from unexpected sources put both Duffy and Lucy back on the road to their happy ever after.

The secondary characters were great. Lucy's son Sam was adorable, not too sweet and not bratty. I loved the way he took to Duffy, and his scenes with the dog nearly stole the show. Lucy's mother- and sister-in-law were well done as the banes of her current life. Evie's attitude toward Lucy and her attempts to manipulate Lucy's life frustrated her to no end. It took a while, but Lucy finally reached her breaking point in a scene that made me cheer for her. Sister-in-law Melody was a self-righteous prig, and I liked seeing her get her comeuppance. I adored Lucy's assistant, Specs. His interview for the job was excellent and Lucy earned my respect with the way she handled it. As always, the McCready family was wonderful. They are always there for each other, even though their methods are sometimes questionable. There was a terrific scene near the end where nice-guy Duffy finally has enough from his female relations.

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