Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good second chance story. Bella and Burke knew each other as teenagers until a tragic car accident set them on separate paths. Twelve years later, they meet again at her brother's wedding, and the unspoken teenage crushes turn to more adult feelings. But both Bella and Burke carry scars from that day long ago, scars that hold them back from living life.
Bella was badly scarred on her chest and arms by broken glass. Since then, she hides her scars under her clothes, afraid to let others see that she is less than perfect. That same fear prevents her from allowing anyone other than her family to get close to her. Even in the family business, she tends to stay in the background, allowing others to shine. Since the accident, she worked hard to avoid seeing Burke again because of guilty feelings about what happened. When her brother asks Burke to be his best man, Bella knows avoidance is no longer possible, though she tries.
Burke survived the accident with only a broken arm as a physical injury but a deep sense of guilt for not preventing it. Though he wasn't the driver, he blames himself for allowing his friend to get behind the wheel. His inability to help at the scene drove him to a career in medicine. Now his career is the center of his life, with no room for relationships. Seeing Bella again stirred up feelings he thought were long gone.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Bella and Burke. When he accidentally sees Bella's scars, Burke is heartbroken and blames himself for Bella's hiding. He makes it clear that it is the effect of the scars that bother him, not the scars themselves. Strangely enough, Bella realizes that she trusts him to be honest with her. When a medical crisis with her mother forces Bella to return to London, Burke is there every step of the way. I loved Burke's kindness and understanding and his efforts to ease Bella's worries. It is easy to see the growing connection between them. It was sweet to see Burke show Bella his favorite place in London, and I enjoyed seeing how she relaxed under his nonjudgmental attentions. At the same time, the sparks of attraction continued to grow until they could no longer resist them.
But the depth of that connection worried Burke. Bella crept past his walls, but he feels he doesn't deserve the chance for happiness that she represents. So he pushes her away with words about his unwillingness for commitments, the importance of his career, and the distance between their lives (him in London, Bella in Paris). Bella, who admitted to herself that she was falling for him, was left with a broken heart but a new determination to begin living her life. I loved seeing the new confidence in herself and the strength it gave her to come out of hiding. I loved seeing Burke's pride in her actions and his need to see her again. But when the story of the accident becomes public, Burke makes the boneheaded mistake of blaming Bella for it and walks away again. I wanted to shake him for being so selfish. I had to laugh when he realized what he'd done and went to his mom for advice. Instead of commiserating, she told him he was a coward and that "my love and support comes in the form of kicking your a**."
I loved the effect that advice had on Burke. After a long look at himself and his options, he finally went to see Bella. I laughed a little to see that he was intimidated by seeing where she worked and understanding her responsibilities. His nervousness when he finally saw her was sweet. I liked that he understood when she made him work for her forgiveness. I also liked that Bella admitted that the blame wasn't all his and that she also made her share of mistakes. But the vital part was embracing their love for each other and being willing to work to keep it strong. The epilogue was great and gave a hint of who is next in the family to fall.
Bella was badly scarred on her chest and arms by broken glass. Since then, she hides her scars under her clothes, afraid to let others see that she is less than perfect. That same fear prevents her from allowing anyone other than her family to get close to her. Even in the family business, she tends to stay in the background, allowing others to shine. Since the accident, she worked hard to avoid seeing Burke again because of guilty feelings about what happened. When her brother asks Burke to be his best man, Bella knows avoidance is no longer possible, though she tries.
Burke survived the accident with only a broken arm as a physical injury but a deep sense of guilt for not preventing it. Though he wasn't the driver, he blames himself for allowing his friend to get behind the wheel. His inability to help at the scene drove him to a career in medicine. Now his career is the center of his life, with no room for relationships. Seeing Bella again stirred up feelings he thought were long gone.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Bella and Burke. When he accidentally sees Bella's scars, Burke is heartbroken and blames himself for Bella's hiding. He makes it clear that it is the effect of the scars that bother him, not the scars themselves. Strangely enough, Bella realizes that she trusts him to be honest with her. When a medical crisis with her mother forces Bella to return to London, Burke is there every step of the way. I loved Burke's kindness and understanding and his efforts to ease Bella's worries. It is easy to see the growing connection between them. It was sweet to see Burke show Bella his favorite place in London, and I enjoyed seeing how she relaxed under his nonjudgmental attentions. At the same time, the sparks of attraction continued to grow until they could no longer resist them.
But the depth of that connection worried Burke. Bella crept past his walls, but he feels he doesn't deserve the chance for happiness that she represents. So he pushes her away with words about his unwillingness for commitments, the importance of his career, and the distance between their lives (him in London, Bella in Paris). Bella, who admitted to herself that she was falling for him, was left with a broken heart but a new determination to begin living her life. I loved seeing the new confidence in herself and the strength it gave her to come out of hiding. I loved seeing Burke's pride in her actions and his need to see her again. But when the story of the accident becomes public, Burke makes the boneheaded mistake of blaming Bella for it and walks away again. I wanted to shake him for being so selfish. I had to laugh when he realized what he'd done and went to his mom for advice. Instead of commiserating, she told him he was a coward and that "my love and support comes in the form of kicking your a**."
I loved the effect that advice had on Burke. After a long look at himself and his options, he finally went to see Bella. I laughed a little to see that he was intimidated by seeing where she worked and understanding her responsibilities. His nervousness when he finally saw her was sweet. I liked that he understood when she made him work for her forgiveness. I also liked that Bella admitted that the blame wasn't all his and that she also made her share of mistakes. But the vital part was embracing their love for each other and being willing to work to keep it strong. The epilogue was great and gave a hint of who is next in the family to fall.
