Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
I sat down to read this book and barely moved until I turned the last page. Alex and her workaholic life caught my attention in the first two books, and I wondered how anyone would break through that mindset. She has her life planned, and nothing will derail her. Then the birth father, that was barely in her life, died and left his entire estate to her. Suddenly all that effort has been negated, and she has more money than she knows what to do with. In the end, it wasn't a who, but a what - a simple fortune cookie with the message âDo it now.â So she walked into her boss's office, said, âI quit,â and left for the family farm that day.
It was fun to see everyone's shock that Alex would do such an uncharacteristic thing. Even Alex herself is still stunned. She plans to sit around in the farm's guest cottage and read, binge-watch television, and chill out while she decides what to do next. Then she finds out that her brother-in-law's twin brother needs a place to stay while he's visiting for the holidays, and she has the only empty bedroom on the farm. But Alex and Weston have a history that the rest of the family is unaware of - a passionate one-night-stand after their siblings' wedding a few months earlier. They promised each other the next morning it would never happen again.
Right there, we know what's going to happen. Sparks that strong are not going to disappear just because they say so. Sure, neither one is interested in a relationship. West is happily playing the field, having been burned once already. He's not against falling in love and getting married; he's just not interested right now. Alex feels her life is too unsettled even to consider getting involved with West.
I loved watching the relationship between Alex and West develop. They are determined to stick to their promise, but their connection and chemistry are too strong. They discover they have a lot in common and are surprised to find that *gasp* they actually like each other. What would it hurt to indulge in a little holiday fling? They're both adults and promise to keep it casual.
I enjoyed seeing the time they spent together. There is lots of family time, illustrating that both have excellent relationships with their families. Sometimes it may feel like they are a little too close, such as when West gets unsolicited advice from his brother Easton or Alex's sisters warn her of West's playboy ways. But the love is unquestioning, and support is only a phone call away if needed.
I liked the time Alex and West spent with each other. Outside of the bedroom, they spend time talking about many things. I loved how West supported Alex in her decision to leave her job. He reminds her that she's an intelligent, capable woman who will figure out her path when the time is right. I liked his sensitivity to her moods and his ability to help her through them. West is stunned when he realizes that he has fallen in love with Alex despite their âflingâ status. But when he confesses those feelings to Alex, she freaks out. I ached for them both as Alex's fears kept her from admitting her feelings. It takes some well-meaning interference from various family members to bring these two back together. The ending was terrific, and I loved seeing Alex open herself up to the feelings she had buried for years. The epilogue was an excellent wrap-up for the book and the series.
I can't end the review without mentioning Alex's decision to get a puppy. I had to laugh at how she had the âperfectâ dog in mind when she and West headed to the shelter. She won my heart when she wandered past all the cages, spending time looking at each animal, and stopped at the one holding a small, scruffy, older dog. The immediate bonding between the two was fantastic, and with the name âCookie,â they were clearly fated to belong to each other. I loved that she ended up with an older dog because those are so often passed over.
It was fun to see everyone's shock that Alex would do such an uncharacteristic thing. Even Alex herself is still stunned. She plans to sit around in the farm's guest cottage and read, binge-watch television, and chill out while she decides what to do next. Then she finds out that her brother-in-law's twin brother needs a place to stay while he's visiting for the holidays, and she has the only empty bedroom on the farm. But Alex and Weston have a history that the rest of the family is unaware of - a passionate one-night-stand after their siblings' wedding a few months earlier. They promised each other the next morning it would never happen again.
Right there, we know what's going to happen. Sparks that strong are not going to disappear just because they say so. Sure, neither one is interested in a relationship. West is happily playing the field, having been burned once already. He's not against falling in love and getting married; he's just not interested right now. Alex feels her life is too unsettled even to consider getting involved with West.
I loved watching the relationship between Alex and West develop. They are determined to stick to their promise, but their connection and chemistry are too strong. They discover they have a lot in common and are surprised to find that *gasp* they actually like each other. What would it hurt to indulge in a little holiday fling? They're both adults and promise to keep it casual.
I enjoyed seeing the time they spent together. There is lots of family time, illustrating that both have excellent relationships with their families. Sometimes it may feel like they are a little too close, such as when West gets unsolicited advice from his brother Easton or Alex's sisters warn her of West's playboy ways. But the love is unquestioning, and support is only a phone call away if needed.
I liked the time Alex and West spent with each other. Outside of the bedroom, they spend time talking about many things. I loved how West supported Alex in her decision to leave her job. He reminds her that she's an intelligent, capable woman who will figure out her path when the time is right. I liked his sensitivity to her moods and his ability to help her through them. West is stunned when he realizes that he has fallen in love with Alex despite their âflingâ status. But when he confesses those feelings to Alex, she freaks out. I ached for them both as Alex's fears kept her from admitting her feelings. It takes some well-meaning interference from various family members to bring these two back together. The ending was terrific, and I loved seeing Alex open herself up to the feelings she had buried for years. The epilogue was an excellent wrap-up for the book and the series.
I can't end the review without mentioning Alex's decision to get a puppy. I had to laugh at how she had the âperfectâ dog in mind when she and West headed to the shelter. She won my heart when she wandered past all the cages, spending time looking at each animal, and stopped at the one holding a small, scruffy, older dog. The immediate bonding between the two was fantastic, and with the name âCookie,â they were clearly fated to belong to each other. I loved that she ended up with an older dog because those are so often passed over.
