Review: Very good romance :)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 16, 2014
4 starsThis was a very good story. I really liked both Eric and Annie and found their story to be unique and engaging. Although I've had a few of her books on my to read list, this is the first book I've read by this author. I liked it enough that I still plan to try more of her work. FYI, there were some editing issues in the book.Annie is a good woman and a librarian. She's had a pretty good life but during college she had a boyfriend that drank a lot and ended up getting violent with her and she left him. Annie hasn't felt desire for another man in the 5 years since that happened. She transferred colleges to Michigan and when she graduated she got a job in a small town in Michigan. Part of this job is going to the local prison every Friday to help the prisoners with improvement classes as well as other activities. Annie is understandably rather nervous her first day there.Eric is a good man that is very loyal. He grew up in a bad area of a small town and him, him mother and his sister had to look out for each other. Eric is naturally protective and he also doesn't feel he has much to offer past being a protector to those he loves, even if it means his own freedom. He was sent to prison for assault and he doesn't regret what he did. Many see that as bad but he can't help but see it as something he had to do because the person he assaulted had done very bad things to someone he loved dearly. Eric did his time and tried to stay out of trouble but, because he made his lack of remorse clear, Eric doesn't expect to get granted parole.Annie shows up for her first day at the prison and sees Eric when she first arrives. There's an instant heat between them and when he shows up for a book reading that afternoon Annie swears she can almost feel it as he looks at her. Later that day, Eric approaches her for help with a writing disorder he has called dysgraphia (where you can read ok but have problems forming works when writing). She offers to bring stuff in to help him the next week and they exchange a few words but not too much. The heat is there between them though and Annie is surprised that the first man to make her desire perk up after 5 years is an inmate in a prison. The next week she gives Eric some worksheets for his writing issue and he asks her to write out a letter for him. She agrees and it's a love letter but when it's done he tells her he doesn't know the woman's address and asks her to keep it. During the letter there are a few hints he means the letter for her and she's drawn in by it, rereading it many times over the next week. The next Friday, Eric has written out a letter for her and slips it to her before she leaves. This note is also a love letter, both seductive and sweet making Annie want more. Eric is great because he asks her at the end of each letter to wear a color the next week if she wants the letters to continue and if she doesn't then he'll know to leave her alone. I thought it was cool because it gave her a measure of control over what was happening (Other than reporting him to the guards). She starts sending him letters in return and they have a clandestine romance via letter for months (from August until November).In November, Annie gets a letter that freaks her out...Eric has gotten parole. He knew the hearing was coming up but didn't expect it to go through and once it did he wasn't sure how she'd take it so he holds off a couple weeks. When Annie finds out, she has 11 days until his release and the last Friday she's there she asks about his crime and is rather freaked about his lack of remorse for such a violent act. He doesn't feel he can tell her about his sister's business so Annie doesn't realize exactly why he did what he did and this freaks her out. Eric leaves prison thinking things probably aren't going anywhere between them but he'll be living in the same town as her. Annie misses Eric after she's not seeing him any more but has mixed feelings about his past and what kind of man that makes him. They do end up running in to each other and Eric does his best to make her feel comfortable around him. Annie sees he's trying and they end up having coffee and talking more. Annie decides to give Eric a chance and the start to discover what they can have together now that he's free and they're getting to know each other outside of the constrains of letters or the prison. The issue of Eric risking his future to be the protector of the people he loves comes to the forefront again when the guy who Eric beat up is let out of prison for his own crimes and Eric's sister is freaked out. Annie is unthrilled with his sister not pressing charges against the guy but expecting her brother to go to jail to protect her and it causes a bit of a rift between her and Eric. Eric loves her but loves his family as well and isn't happy about having to choose between them. There's some drama but Annie does stick by her man and things turn out pretty well. As they've settled their biggest hurdles, Annie and Eric settle in to start their HEA.This was a very enjoyable story. I liked both Annie and Eric and couldn't help but root for them. I haven't read a book where the hero is in prison when the couple meets but this was well done, IMO. The issue of debating the acts of a felon and whether (after committing those acts and not regretting them) the felon can still be a good man was handled pretty well. People are always going to disagree on stuff like this point but I think the author did a good job at making Eric lovable despite his ability to act out violence. I'd recommend this book for those willing to give a bad boy (with a good heart) a chance. :D