Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good second chance romance between two people whose high school crushes on each other never went anywhere because of outside interference. Cierra is a recently divorced single mom trying to make a go of her real estate business. She leaps at the chance to sell the DeWalt property - and then finds out it may be haunted. Her only option is to contact Wesley, her high school crush and current co-host of a ghost hunter show, and ask for help.
Wesley is surprised to hear from Cierra. Though he and his brothers have had their dream come true with their television show, Wesley has a little trouble adjusting to the accompanying fame and change in circumstances. Older brother Dion (Summoning Up Love) has moved away to be with his girlfriend and his younger brother, Tyrone, is constantly on the road promoting the show. This leaves Wesley taking care of the family home by himself and feeling left behind.
A lot is going on in this book. First and foremost is the developing relationship between Wesley and Cierra. They get off to a rough start because of unresolved feelings over the end of their high school friendship. However, the attraction between their adult selves is undeniable, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. Cierra is hesitant to get involved with Wesley as she is still recovering from her unhappy marriage and messy divorce. But in the course of solving the mystery behind the haunting, the time they spend together allows them to get to know each other again. Some sweet scenes include Wesley showing up at Cierra's house with home-baked treats and Wesley's care of her after her first experience with a ghost. There are some steamy scenes as the attraction builds between them. And there are rough spots when remarks by others stir up insecurities and make them doubt each other and themselves. I liked that their dark moment didn't last long and that common sense and communication made for a happy ending.
There are complicating issues for Wesley and Cierra. Wesley spent years serving as the peacemaker between his two brothers and feels unappreciated. A suggestion from a neighbor that Wesley sell the house since no one lives there any longer motivates Wesley to talk to Cierra about it. But it doesn't go well when he broaches the subject with Dion and Tyrone. However, it finally gives Wesley the chance to make his brothers understand how he feels, and the resulting scene does much to clear the air between them.
At the same time, Cierra is dealing with a PITA ex-husband. Even after three years, Troy still harps on how Cierra's reactions to his actions were unreasonable and that her place is back with him. He uses passive-aggressive methods to make his point, which frustrates Cierra. Troy is selfish, narcissistic, and manipulative, and I enjoyed seeing Cierra shut him down. A terrific scene late in the book is when Wesley calls Troy out on his attitude. Her years with Troy made Cierra reluctant to get involved with Wesley, but his caring and supportive attitude went a long way toward easing her fears.
A fascinating part of this book was the investigation into the haunting of the DeWalt manor. I got goosebumps when I read the description of Wesley and Cierra's experiences in the house's kitchen. I was intrigued by the heartbreaking information they uncovered and loved how it was handled. I especially enjoyed Cierra's solution about the sale of the house.
The supporting characters added extra depth to the story. Wesley's brothers came across as clueless and unthinking at the beginning, and it took Wesley losing his temper to open their eyes. But once that happened, the brothers' closeness was re-established and strengthened. I look forward to Tyrone's story. Cierra's mother loved her, but her constant support of Troy rather than Cierra ticked me off. Then for her to suddenly latch on to Wesley because of his "celebrity" status made her look shallow, topped off by her insinuations that Cierra was using him for her business. My favorite of the secondary characters was Cierra's daughter Aria. She was adorable, and I loved how she connected with Wesley immediately. Her "Hi, Mr. Wesley!" always made him feel good.
#netgalley
Wesley is surprised to hear from Cierra. Though he and his brothers have had their dream come true with their television show, Wesley has a little trouble adjusting to the accompanying fame and change in circumstances. Older brother Dion (Summoning Up Love) has moved away to be with his girlfriend and his younger brother, Tyrone, is constantly on the road promoting the show. This leaves Wesley taking care of the family home by himself and feeling left behind.
A lot is going on in this book. First and foremost is the developing relationship between Wesley and Cierra. They get off to a rough start because of unresolved feelings over the end of their high school friendship. However, the attraction between their adult selves is undeniable, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. Cierra is hesitant to get involved with Wesley as she is still recovering from her unhappy marriage and messy divorce. But in the course of solving the mystery behind the haunting, the time they spend together allows them to get to know each other again. Some sweet scenes include Wesley showing up at Cierra's house with home-baked treats and Wesley's care of her after her first experience with a ghost. There are some steamy scenes as the attraction builds between them. And there are rough spots when remarks by others stir up insecurities and make them doubt each other and themselves. I liked that their dark moment didn't last long and that common sense and communication made for a happy ending.
There are complicating issues for Wesley and Cierra. Wesley spent years serving as the peacemaker between his two brothers and feels unappreciated. A suggestion from a neighbor that Wesley sell the house since no one lives there any longer motivates Wesley to talk to Cierra about it. But it doesn't go well when he broaches the subject with Dion and Tyrone. However, it finally gives Wesley the chance to make his brothers understand how he feels, and the resulting scene does much to clear the air between them.
At the same time, Cierra is dealing with a PITA ex-husband. Even after three years, Troy still harps on how Cierra's reactions to his actions were unreasonable and that her place is back with him. He uses passive-aggressive methods to make his point, which frustrates Cierra. Troy is selfish, narcissistic, and manipulative, and I enjoyed seeing Cierra shut him down. A terrific scene late in the book is when Wesley calls Troy out on his attitude. Her years with Troy made Cierra reluctant to get involved with Wesley, but his caring and supportive attitude went a long way toward easing her fears.
A fascinating part of this book was the investigation into the haunting of the DeWalt manor. I got goosebumps when I read the description of Wesley and Cierra's experiences in the house's kitchen. I was intrigued by the heartbreaking information they uncovered and loved how it was handled. I especially enjoyed Cierra's solution about the sale of the house.
The supporting characters added extra depth to the story. Wesley's brothers came across as clueless and unthinking at the beginning, and it took Wesley losing his temper to open their eyes. But once that happened, the brothers' closeness was re-established and strengthened. I look forward to Tyrone's story. Cierra's mother loved her, but her constant support of Troy rather than Cierra ticked me off. Then for her to suddenly latch on to Wesley because of his "celebrity" status made her look shallow, topped off by her insinuations that Cierra was using him for her business. My favorite of the secondary characters was Cierra's daughter Aria. She was adorable, and I loved how she connected with Wesley immediately. Her "Hi, Mr. Wesley!" always made him feel good.
#netgalley
