Contemporary Romance published by Devney Perry LLC 2 Mar 21
The restored Cadillac that six youngsters survived in during their time living in a junkyard in California comes full circle in this last book of the series, bringing all those people together again as the car takes them across the country, finding love and happiness along the way. This particular car belongs with Karson, the oldest of them, who kept them as safe and protected as he could until they all turned eighteen and could finally start living their lives on their own. He never expects to see that Caddy or any of the girls who were like family to him ever again.
Clara and her son, August, make the last leg of the trek from Arizona to California and surprise the hell out of Karson when they pull up in front of his house. Their history is a bit more complicated than the rest of their made-up family. Young Clara had a crush on him all those years ago, and to her amazement, he felt the same way toward her, and they came together the last few days before she and her twin were finally free to head to Vegas. Those nights gave her memories of love for a lifetime. I enjoyed the look back, getting both their back stories and that of their time in the junkyard in a more in-depth look. How those teens took care of each other and figured out how to live with almost nothing is amazing to read.
Now that Clara is back in his life, Karson can’t help but wonder at the timing. But, then again, their timing was always off, never allowing them more than a moment of happiness together. Once again, their lives are in different places and Clara is scheduled to head back to Arizona much too soon. But finally fate decides to prolong their reunion, taking them back to the junkyard where so memories reside. Those scenes are emotional and life-affirming as Karson and Clara re-step through their past vehicle to vehicle, as well as the yard’s owner’s office, where they learn so much about the man who now obviously cared more about those kids that he never shared with them.
I really enjoyed Clara’s son in this story – as does Karson when things become a bit awkward at times. A lot has to happen for Clara and Karson to be together, and while there’s a few hurt and disappointed feelings, the way the author handles that is done quite respectfully, even interspersing some guilt in the mix. By the time you get to the wonderful epilogue, all those feelings, including the guilt, is worth it. I wish more authors would give us such epilogues, especially in multi-book series where all the characters we’ve come to love are together one last time, cluing us in on what their lives have been like and what is to come.
This series is a must-read. Definitely start at the beginning to meet the characters as they meet each other and go through their lives the best they can. I’m sorry to see this series end, but I’m excited on the other hand to discover what’s up next from Ms. Perry. In the meantime, I believe her Tin Gypsy series will keep me occupied and give me new friends to worry over and love.
Grade: A
Summary:
Clara Saint-James is completing a journey started by an old friend. She’ll return a Cadillac to California, a place she’s avoided for more than a decade. But it’s time for closure and to put old ghosts to rest. And it’s time to find out if the feelings she’s cherished for the boy from her past are just fanciful memories—or if there’s a chance they are real.
Timing was never on her side, especially when it came to Karson Avery. The two of them lived in a junkyard as runaway teens, and though she wanted more than his friendship, he always belonged to another—until that one night when he was hers.
When Clara finds Karson living in a small, coastal town, she’s not surprised the beautiful boy from her past grew into a stunning man. His smile is as captivating as ever. His eyes have the same roguish glint. But timing is still working against her.
Clara must decide how far she’s willing to go to battle for Karson’s heart. Or if it’s time to let him go and surrender to the dotted lines that have always kept them apart.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
