Veena’s review of Suddenly Last Summer (O’Neil Brothers, Book 2) by Sarah Morgan
Contemporary Romance published by HQN 24 Jun 14
They’re both gorgeous and tormented in their own unique way. He’s a rich, successful, and dedicated doctor. She’s a beautiful, renowned, and sexy chef. Their chemistry is off the charts and one night it all came to a head and they indulged in a hot and frenzied encounter. That should have been the end of it, since neither one does long term or relationships, but the memories of that one night continue to haunt both of them months after the deed. Dear Reader, let me assure you that this buildup definitely makes for a very satisfying read between the covers.
Elise is an extremely talented chef who could have the world at her feet and yet she’s content to cook at the O’Neil resort, taking a personal interest in putting it on the map and in the black. She loves all the O’Neils with the fierce love of family that only someone completely alone in the world can. If her feelings for Sean are slightly more than familial, then that will remain her personal secret, especially since he seems to have stayed away from her and his family since their steamy encounter last summer.
Sean is a gorgeous man who has women throwing themselves at him, but he’s a dedicated doctor married to his profession, and so while he’s happy to indulge when he needs, no woman has made a lasting impact on him. He has his own reasons for staying away from the family resort, but news about his grandfather’s heart attack has him rushing home. Hopefully he hasn’t left it too late to heal the estrangement between them.
The story develops at a wonderful pace, peeling back layer by layer to help us understand the depths within each of the characters. It’s very heartwarming to see the relationship between brothers and grandfather and grandson finally emerging out of the darkness of misunderstanding and guilt. For someone who doesn’t do love and is unwilling to see the development of his relationship with Elise as love until the latest possible moment, Sean’s willingness to go after what he wants and put himself all out there a hundred percent definitely made my own heart beat a little faster.
Of course, I started in the middle of the series and, yes, I had to go looking for the beginning where it all began, since I love the chemistry of the other characters that I met in this book, and I definitely plan on reading until the last brother finds his happily ever after.
Grade: A
Summary:
Fiery French chef Élise Philippe is having a seriously bad day. Not only have the opening day plans for her beloved café fallen apart, but Sean O’Neil is back in town, and looking more delectable than ever. Last summer, they shared an electrifying night together…and the memories have Élise really struggling to stick to her one-night-only rule! Her head knows that eventually Sean will be leaving, so all she can do is try to ignore her heart before she spontaneously combusts with lust.
Being back in Vermont—even temporarily—is surgeon Sean O’Neil’s worst nightmare. For Sean, returning home to the Snow Crystal Resort means being forced to confront the guilt he feels about rejecting his family’s rural lifestyle years ago. But discovering that Élise has settled in Vermont and still sets his blood racing is a very welcome distraction! Thinking he can persuade her into a replay of last summer is tempting, but remembering how good they are together is going to make walking away more difficult than he could imagine….
Other books in this series:
