Review: The best book of the series, by far
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2014
I have read each book of HJ’s, and I must admit that THIS book was my favorite….I have liked each of her books, but this one surpassed all my expectations.  It was simply heartwarming and pure. It was a raw, rough around the edges, true love that brought this story to life and the love between Miles and Willow was one that made me actually feel the emotions. I enjoyed Cree….it was a breath of fresh air, it had a different appeal to it and I really enjoyed it. But this one, I actually got watery eyes in a few spots. I felt growth and pain, love and weakness, dark and light. It really did make me experience their love….but it also made me experience their pain.Willow is hurting….she uses coping mechanisms to get through all her pain and has erected her own walls that are seemingly impenetrable. She needs to get through some hurt, but during this process she is pushing away those that she loves dearly. It’s a true-to-life reaction that many of us have and I was really able to connect on a deeper level with Willow than any other character.I cry for the door slammed shut in my heart and cry for all the what if’s.  And some nights I even cry for the Willow who actually lived and didn’t simply survive.My way to cope, deal, live day to day and just be. I guess somebody has to set a bad example, so with my mask, door to my heart locked tightly, and new life motto, “No F**cks Given”, I’ll battle my way through this thing called life one moment at a time. ~WillowMiles is escaping from his horrible past and comes searching for someone….someone very important to him. He ends up finding Willow along the way, and this MAN is nothing short of amazing. His disposition, his demeanor, his mentality; it was truly awesome. It honestly made him that much more amazing in my eyes. I could totally picture him and envision how he was, based on his description, and he never wavered from who he was. True character.We meet Miles as he saunters into The Shop and comes face to face with Willow….and she is NOT in a good mood. This meeting set the tone for the whole book, to me. It was EPIC. I laughed so much in the beginning of this book….it was so funny!!! We see the side of Miles that we see throughout the entire book. He really is all man….and Willow finds him rather delicious as well.The dark haired, stubbly bearded stranger has frosting dripping from the front of his tight white t-shirt. My eyes are absolutely in love with him. He’s a walking advertisement straight from the wrong sides of the tracks. I mean, his face is that of a Greek god, but his look and dress screams bad boy—the type of bad boy you want to ride off into the sunset. To hell with that, he’s the kind you want to ride all night. ~Willow observing the very sexy MilesWe catch up with the gang and all the happenings with everything that has gone on since we last left them, and I loved seeing how everyone’s lives were going; the groove they all fell into and how well everyone was adjusting to their new lives as fathers/mothers, husbands/wives, brothers and sisters. We also got some sneak peeks into Willows’ past that explains what happened and how hurt she got. Greyson was NOT on the nice list….at all.As Miles tries to break down Willows’ walls, we start to see a heartwarming love blossom. It had growth and steps that were so true to life for someone who has had so many walls up; it really made me feel for her. I also helped to understand her better, all the while seeing Miles for the true gentleman he was. I connected with Willow on a deeper level than any of her other characters in this series, and it was a very honest connection. Miles was the epitome of a perfect man….he really was. I am in love with him. He is mine. No questions. Back off. Moving along….As their love grows, so do the questions as to what is going on with Miles and his ‘activities’. With Willow already guarding her heart, she is not a very trusting person. Miles has a secret and Willow needs to find out before it rips her away from him. Emotionally, she is not rational….because she has been hurt, but once again, Miles is the perfect gentleman and soothes it over and explains everything. Including his real reason for coming to town…..and it was no coincidence.Now, I do NOT do spoilers, so this is going to be very vague; the secret that was held was one of EPIC proportions. It was a secret that I didn’t see coming AT.ALL. However, this is where some really angry feelings came from me and how it was handled. Milly made me SO angry….so very angry; I wanted to punch her—Lacey style!!!  This part of the book opened up the door for the very necessary healing for many members of the family. It also brought out some deep feelings from some of the characters that we may have gotten a glimpse at, but didn’t fully explore before. I was frustrated, I will be honest….but who am I to say how someone will react when something from their past comes back and hits them when they least expected it. Emotions from the past carry deep-rooted feelings and reactions, and we definitely saw them play out in the family dynamic.This book couldn’t be put down, even if I tried. I read it all day, while cooking, while eating and before bed. I finished it and had to soak it all in. the emotions were real. It was raw….there were parts that made me say “what??!!”, but overall, this one was my favorite. It made me feel. Truly feel.HJ has such a different way to her stories….her writing is not typical and it truly is “HER” way, yet it works. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but true, raw reality. I loved this book…..I truly did. Awesome job! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Luke is a mystery that I would like to look into.