Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good second chance story. Lawson and Eve had been high school sweethearts until they were driven apart by the death of a friend and Eve's departure for Hollywood. He hasn't seen her in eighteen years. Then he finds out that Eve has moved back to Wrangler's Creek.
Eve has been having a bad year. She's pregnant from a one night stand with her former costar. Her adopted daughter isn't speaking to her. She just wants a place where she can get her life back on track, and when she's offered the house in Wrangler's Creek, she jumps at it.
The book started with a bang and just kept going. Lawson was confronted by local fortune-teller and resident nutcase, Vita, and informed that he had a bunch of curses on him. He blows her off, but soon has reason to regret it, as he's told about Eve's presence on the ranch. He comes face to face with her just in time to deliver her baby, in a vastly amusing scene. It's also quite clear that the sparks between them aren't dead. Lawson copes by leaving town for as long as he can get away with it. Eve was grateful for his help, but she's glad he's gone. It gives her a chance to figure out what she is going to say to him.
I liked both Lawson and Eve. Lawson is a good man. He loves his family, even though they frequently irritate him. He works hard on the ranch. He's very careful not to lead women on during those occasions when he cuts loose. He is also racked with guilt over the death of his friend Brett, and blames himself for what happened. Having Eve around is a double-edged sword â she reminds him of that loss, but he's also still attracted to her.
Eve has worked hard to be a good mother to Tessie, keeping her out of the Hollywood spotlight. But Eve has also kept a huge secret from her â a secret that caused a big rift with Tessie when it was discovered. Eve also feels guilty about Brett's death, feeling that she could have done something to prevent it. Eve is a good person who made the choices that she believed were best at the time, but they are now creating more problems for her. But no matter what happens, she faces up to the consequences.
I liked the rekindling of Lawson and Eve's relationship. Delivering her baby adds a layer of intimacy to their new reality. Lawson also discovers that he is unexpectedly protective of both Eve and little Aidan, a situation that is very disturbing to him at the beginning. He wants to keep his distance to protect his heart, but he just can't do it. Eve is equally drawn to the man that Lawson has become, but the secrets she is keeping make that attraction hard to accept. It was fun to see how they fought their feelings, especially when everyone else could see that they belonged together. I especially enjoyed the identical housewarming gifts that Dylan gave to both Lawson and Eve.
I loved seeing Lawson get more involved in Eve's life. It took him a while to realize how strong his feelings for her were. Those feelings took quite a hit when he discovered the secret she had been keeping. I understood his anger, and I also liked when he accepted that she had done what she thought was best. I did get a bit frustrated with Eve as she kept putting off the talk she had to have with Lawson, afraid that it would ruin their healing relationship. But whatever else was going on, I loved that they worked together to weather the crisis involving Tessie. Eve still had some obstacles to face, thanks to her former costar. Thankfully, with Lawson's support, she finally saw that she and Lawson belonged together. I liked Lawson's big moment at the end, even though it didn't go quite the way he planned.
The secondary characters were terrific. Vita's involvement with Lawson's âcursesâ was pretty funny, especially the scene with the chicken. Cassidy was a terrific friend and had no problem telling Eve when she was being an idiot, but also backing her up anyway. Kellan was the character who was the biggest influence on the story. His total involvement in his own wants and activities, regardless of anyone else, made him especially irritating. I loved seeing Eve push back, getting blunter as the book went on. I loved seeing her finally get her point across. There was a terrific scene at the end, with Lawson, Tessie, and one of the show fans, that was especially heartwarming.
Eve has been having a bad year. She's pregnant from a one night stand with her former costar. Her adopted daughter isn't speaking to her. She just wants a place where she can get her life back on track, and when she's offered the house in Wrangler's Creek, she jumps at it.
The book started with a bang and just kept going. Lawson was confronted by local fortune-teller and resident nutcase, Vita, and informed that he had a bunch of curses on him. He blows her off, but soon has reason to regret it, as he's told about Eve's presence on the ranch. He comes face to face with her just in time to deliver her baby, in a vastly amusing scene. It's also quite clear that the sparks between them aren't dead. Lawson copes by leaving town for as long as he can get away with it. Eve was grateful for his help, but she's glad he's gone. It gives her a chance to figure out what she is going to say to him.
I liked both Lawson and Eve. Lawson is a good man. He loves his family, even though they frequently irritate him. He works hard on the ranch. He's very careful not to lead women on during those occasions when he cuts loose. He is also racked with guilt over the death of his friend Brett, and blames himself for what happened. Having Eve around is a double-edged sword â she reminds him of that loss, but he's also still attracted to her.
Eve has worked hard to be a good mother to Tessie, keeping her out of the Hollywood spotlight. But Eve has also kept a huge secret from her â a secret that caused a big rift with Tessie when it was discovered. Eve also feels guilty about Brett's death, feeling that she could have done something to prevent it. Eve is a good person who made the choices that she believed were best at the time, but they are now creating more problems for her. But no matter what happens, she faces up to the consequences.
I liked the rekindling of Lawson and Eve's relationship. Delivering her baby adds a layer of intimacy to their new reality. Lawson also discovers that he is unexpectedly protective of both Eve and little Aidan, a situation that is very disturbing to him at the beginning. He wants to keep his distance to protect his heart, but he just can't do it. Eve is equally drawn to the man that Lawson has become, but the secrets she is keeping make that attraction hard to accept. It was fun to see how they fought their feelings, especially when everyone else could see that they belonged together. I especially enjoyed the identical housewarming gifts that Dylan gave to both Lawson and Eve.
I loved seeing Lawson get more involved in Eve's life. It took him a while to realize how strong his feelings for her were. Those feelings took quite a hit when he discovered the secret she had been keeping. I understood his anger, and I also liked when he accepted that she had done what she thought was best. I did get a bit frustrated with Eve as she kept putting off the talk she had to have with Lawson, afraid that it would ruin their healing relationship. But whatever else was going on, I loved that they worked together to weather the crisis involving Tessie. Eve still had some obstacles to face, thanks to her former costar. Thankfully, with Lawson's support, she finally saw that she and Lawson belonged together. I liked Lawson's big moment at the end, even though it didn't go quite the way he planned.
The secondary characters were terrific. Vita's involvement with Lawson's âcursesâ was pretty funny, especially the scene with the chicken. Cassidy was a terrific friend and had no problem telling Eve when she was being an idiot, but also backing her up anyway. Kellan was the character who was the biggest influence on the story. His total involvement in his own wants and activities, regardless of anyone else, made him especially irritating. I loved seeing Eve push back, getting blunter as the book went on. I loved seeing her finally get her point across. There was a terrific scene at the end, with Lawson, Tessie, and one of the show fans, that was especially heartwarming.
