
Published by Fence Free on June 7, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 356
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Desperate father Ian McKinley moves his delinquent teenage son to the small Virginia town of Keeling Creek, a place very unlike the New York City life he has been leading. Love takes him by surprise when he falls for Colby Williams, a woman unlike anyone he has ever been drawn to, a small town vet with a heart for animals and a fierce love for a teenage daughter she is also struggling to raise.
But Colby has a secret in her past, a secret she's not sure her daughter will ever forgive her for. And as for Ian McKinley, he seems too good to be true. If she had learned anything from the one time she had thrown her heart fully into love, it was that it didn't last.
Kassiah: Right off the bat, I want to say that I don’t love the title of this book. It totally fits–the MC is a vet and she believes that you can tell if someone’s one of the “good guys”…because he would love dogs, but I don’t like the title. It seems kind of ominous, right? And I think that would maybe make some people not pick up this quick, delightful read, and that’s a shame–because I really liked it a lot!
The story starts off with Ian McKinley at a party celebrating his success in bringing a high-profile client to his firm.
Ian McKinley had finally made it. Reached the pinnacle. The top rung of the ladder. Tonight represented the crown jewel in the career he’d spent seventeen years of his life building. Thirty-nine, and by most definitions, he had everything. Money. Success. A teenage son. A beautiful fiancée.
All of that comes crashing down when he gets a call from the local police department that his son, Luke, has been arrested for possession of marijuana. He’s devastated and quickly realizes that all of the time he’s spent building his career to provide a life for his son, he’s never given him the time it would take to have a real relationship. So, in an effort to save the situation, he puts everything on hold for a year–his high-profile job in Manhattan, his fiancée’s wedding plans, everything–and gets back to basics by moving with Luke to a rundown farm in need of repair in a small town in Virginia.
You can imagine that Luke does not take well to his change in scenery, but eventually the pair form a bond that was missing all along. Meanwhile, Ian starts up a friendship with the local veterinarian, Colby Williams. Colby, the town sweetheart, is a single mother with a struggling relationship with her fifteen-year old daughter, Lena. You know how small towns are, with everyone putting their two cents in and playing matchmaker. Colby and Ian have some run-ins because of that before eventually becoming friends. This of course, leads to more and has both of them questioning everything they thought they believed about love and relationships.
“I came here with my life all mapped out for the next year. Since I met you, not one thing has gone the way I planned it. When I’m around you, I find myself doing things I never intended to do. Like asking you to come out here tonight.”
“I shouldn’t have agreed. You’re not entirely to blame.”
“I can’t think when I’m around you. And when I’m not around you, you’re all I think about.”
::le sigh:: I really liked Colby and Ian. I liked this story–the whole idea of it was realistic, and I enjoyed it. There were a few scenes that were focused from the kids (Luke and Lena) points of view, and while I think it added to our understanding of what was going on, it was kind of weird to read their thoughts. I also thought what happens in the end was kind of abrupt, though I’m not unhappy with the way it ended. Overall, this was a fun, quick read, and I think that lots of you will like it. I will definitely be checking out more from this author!
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