Nelda F. (nelda7071360) reviewed Let Me Call You Sweetheart (Silhouette Intimate Moments, No 851) on + 10 more book reviews
Trouble's back in town.
He'd always been the wrong side of the tracks bad boy of Sweetheart, Iowa--the kind a "nice" girl like Bess Carey wasn't supposed to want. But that hadn't kept her from loving him---not even when he disappeared without a word...
Now Zack Crandall had returned to uncover the truth about the tragedy that had driven him away. But this town was determined to keep its secrets. And Bess lived in fear of what would happen if he knew her most shattering secret---the truth he'd never known...
Her secret? Their child.
He'd always been the wrong side of the tracks bad boy of Sweetheart, Iowa--the kind a "nice" girl like Bess Carey wasn't supposed to want. But that hadn't kept her from loving him---not even when he disappeared without a word...
Now Zack Crandall had returned to uncover the truth about the tragedy that had driven him away. But this town was determined to keep its secrets. And Bess lived in fear of what would happen if he knew her most shattering secret---the truth he'd never known...
Her secret? Their child.
Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good second chance story. Zach and his siblings grew up in an abusive home, looked down on by most of the people in town. Zach reacted by living down to their expectations. The only person who saw through his façade to the vulnerable boy underneath was Bess. She was his tutor for several classes and got to know him well, going from wary to in love with him. But Zach disappeared the same night his father was murdered, leaving people believing he was the murderer. His mother claimed to have done it and went to prison.
Bess grew up with a straight-laced and controlling mother. She was raised to be a "good girl" and constantly warned about protecting her reputation. That didn't stop her from loving Zach despite her mother's objections. When Bess discovered she was pregnant after Zach's disappearance, it was her mother who took control.
Seventeen years later, Bess's mother is dead, and Bess inherits the family bookstore. She runs the store, dresses conservatively, is on many committees, and does her best to evade the local matchmakers' attempts to find her a husband. The high points in her life are when her niece, Faith, comes to visit. The last thing she expected was for Zach to return to town.
Zach returned to town to be there when his mother returned from serving her sentence. He also wants to find out the truth about who killed his father. He's sure that his mother didn't do it. He also wants to see Bess again.
I ached for Zach and Bess. Zach's return sets the entire town on its ear. They still treat him as though he's guilty of murder. But Zach has a surprise for them all when he shows up for the first day of his new job. I laughed out loud at the shock and consternation of the residents and loved seeing him trample over their expectations. Bess is shocked at his return and stunned to discover she still has feelings for him. She also fears him discovering her secret. But her mother's influence is still strong, and she is torn between those feelings and her fear of others' opinions. It takes an eye-opening conversation with her niece for Bess to break free of the chains that have held her back. I loved her big moment at the end.
Zach stirs up a hornets' nest when he starts asking questions about his father's murder. As he and Bess dig into his father's past, they find themselves the target of someone who doesn't want them to succeed. Escalating attacks kept them on edge, while the twists of their investigation kept me guessing. The final confrontation was intense and not who I expected.
Bess grew up with a straight-laced and controlling mother. She was raised to be a "good girl" and constantly warned about protecting her reputation. That didn't stop her from loving Zach despite her mother's objections. When Bess discovered she was pregnant after Zach's disappearance, it was her mother who took control.
Seventeen years later, Bess's mother is dead, and Bess inherits the family bookstore. She runs the store, dresses conservatively, is on many committees, and does her best to evade the local matchmakers' attempts to find her a husband. The high points in her life are when her niece, Faith, comes to visit. The last thing she expected was for Zach to return to town.
Zach returned to town to be there when his mother returned from serving her sentence. He also wants to find out the truth about who killed his father. He's sure that his mother didn't do it. He also wants to see Bess again.
I ached for Zach and Bess. Zach's return sets the entire town on its ear. They still treat him as though he's guilty of murder. But Zach has a surprise for them all when he shows up for the first day of his new job. I laughed out loud at the shock and consternation of the residents and loved seeing him trample over their expectations. Bess is shocked at his return and stunned to discover she still has feelings for him. She also fears him discovering her secret. But her mother's influence is still strong, and she is torn between those feelings and her fear of others' opinions. It takes an eye-opening conversation with her niece for Bess to break free of the chains that have held her back. I loved her big moment at the end.
Zach stirs up a hornets' nest when he starts asking questions about his father's murder. As he and Bess dig into his father's past, they find themselves the target of someone who doesn't want them to succeed. Escalating attacks kept them on edge, while the twists of their investigation kept me guessing. The final confrontation was intense and not who I expected.
