Contemporary Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 25 Aug 20
The town of Blessings does it again. The lovely characters who populate this small town take newcomer Cathy Terry, who is escaping from her abusive past, to their hearts and speed up her healing process. Well, maybe a part of that healing is handsome rancher Duke Talbot, who comes to her rescue after a hit and run and sort of never leaves.
Cathy is a survivor. She grew up off the grid in Alaska and knows how to revert back to her roots and live rough and tough, regardless of the money she has in her bank account. With winter approaching, she decides to shelter in a rental in small town Blessings. Her only indulgence is running and that, too, is curtailed when she’s knocked down by a car. Fortunately, Duke Talbot saw it all go down and came to her rescue. It’s hard to imagine this sweet, caring man is single, but, luckily for Cathy, he’s been waiting for her to show up in his life.
Another plus for Cathy, Duke comes with a ready-made family. He has a brother and sister-in-law and connections to the town that span generations. Cathy finally figures out what it means to be a part of a family, because not only does the Talbot family adopt her, but so does the entire town and all the lovely people we’ve met in earlier stories. Cathy’s attempt to pay it forward with a young woman with two children gives her a new passion and a way to spend all that money that she earned in her divorce settlement.
Of course, there is a serpent in paradise. Even as Cathy thought she had escaped from her vindictive ex-husband, he finds her again. On a shopping trip to the nearest mall, Cathy runs into one of the empty socialite housewives she had once hung out with, and soon the news filters to her nasty ex. Danger now stalks Cathy in Blessings, but she has had enough of running and tackles it head on, bringing her into the orbit of the local news and an expose on her nasty ex that has him running for his life from his equally nasty cohorts. Cathy sure is a magnet for trouble, when another trip to the mall gets her there as two masked men decide to target the mall in a shooting stampede.
Fortunately Duke has her back. The romance between Cathy and Duke is slow and sweet and oh-so romantic. As the two of them spend time together, renovate an old house, and support each other, this story is exactly what we’ve come to expect from this series.
If you haven’t read of the series thus far, this story can be read as a standalone, but the author does catch you up with various characters from the earlier books, so it’s good to visit a while.
Grade: B
Summary:
How often do you find a love like this?
Cathy Terry is tired of running. Full of fear and hope, she backpacked across the country to Blessings, Georgia, not knowing if or when her abusive ex-husband would catch up to her. In Blessings she glimpses a safe haven and the closest feeling to home she’s had in a long time―even more so when she meets Duke Talbot. The sweet, strong, and handsome rancher provides a shoulder to lean on. The stakes get higher as the community embraces her and her relationship with Duke deepens―but can Cathy claim a new home and family before her past claims her?
No excerpt available.
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