Fifteen years later, Travis and Gena meet again. Only now, she owns the inn he’s considering for his wedding – to another woman. And this time, she’s guarding her heart carefully. She’s not going to allow him to hurt her – or their daughter.
Despite their resolve to keep things impersonal, the past comes rushing back and feelings they both thought long dead rise from the ashes. But there are other lives at stake now, including that of the child Travis once thought was a lie.
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I had so much hope for this one. Yes it sounded like a Harlequin title but the excerpt totally had me excited: oh look - the heroine's not taking any crap! This dude was an asshole but she's gonna give him whatfore while both of them work towards a new relationship! Woot!
Sadly, it was not to be.
Not only does Gena spend most of this book full of guilt and regret over a decision that personally, I felt made a lot of sense given the circumstances, she lets everybody else treat her like crap too! You'd get a moment where she had a spark and would talk back to Travis, but then on the next page she'd let her teenage daughter berate and manipulate her, and doesn't make Travis work for much of anything! Augh! I know that the daughter was working as the engine to keep their relationship going, but when the heroine has repeatedly said 'stop he's engaged' why the hell would you still go along with her obvious machinations? It makes no sense. Plus Travis was the classic alphahole, because while I think the hero is entitled to a little bit of anger in the beginning about the 'hidden baby' thing (though this one was only slightly hidden), at some point you have to start redeeming yourself. Why is the only person speaking with any sense in this book the jilted fiance?!
All in all there was so many better places this book could have gone and I would have been a lot happier. I would have even been satisfied if Gena had stuck to her guns when in response to his original proposal she said 'no we don't even know each other' and they'd spent some time dating. Shrug. I just don't get it.
Overall Feeling - D
Series - 1) Forever Again 2) Holiday Sparks 3) Mistletoe & Margaritas 4) Slow Summer Kisses
