Review: Engaging and emotional
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 8, 2013
Sweet and emotional, Dominique Eastwick's short story gives readers a charming view of true love and second chances. Though the story's length prevented full exploration of many of the story's elements, this was still a fun read with heartfelt and realistic characters whose connection is undeniable in spite of all the history that lies between them.For as long as she can remember, Callie Sherman has been in love with her childhood best friend, Aiden Marshall. Along with their mutual friend Zia, the three were inseparable, but a childhood pact with Zia ensured that Callie could never act on her crush...even when Zia announced that she and Aiden were engaged. A single kiss in their childhood hideout seemed like the only thing that Callie and Aiden would ever share, and Callie has convinced herself that her dreams were never meant to be.What she doesn't know is how deeply that kiss affected Aiden as well. Though he had loved Callie for years, Aiden believed that she could never return his feelings and tried to move on. Now that his divorce is final, however, Aiden is determined to do whatever it takes to win Callie's heart and make her his, but will all the mistakes of their past get in the way of their happily ever after?For such a short story, these characters were well-developed and very sympathetic. Callie's mix of personal accomplishments and inner self-consciousness made her an easily identifiable and empathetic. Aiden is very clearly an upstanding and honest hero, and while I would have loved to know more about his early history with Callie and learned more about the evolving nature of their relationship, it was clear when they were together that their bond was a strong one and their chemistry was fantastic.Callie's reunion with Aiden was tender and wonderfully heartwarming. However, other than their own nerves, there was very little keeping them apart by the time their reunion took place. In a novella of this length, there wasn't room for a great deal of tension, but I would have wanted a bit more anxiety over their eventual happy ending. It was very interesting to see Aiden's side of the story and understand the way that one kiss affected him. However, because readers are aware of his thoughts and experiences, they know more than the characters, which is a tricky situation for an author, making it difficult to build suspense.I enjoyed seeing other members of Callie's family and getting to learn a bit about all the relationships that make up her world. Though very secondary to the character-driven plot, the setting and supporting cast added a good deal to the world of the book and understanding of our hero and heroine.Dealing with a love triangle is never easy, but I found the way that Dominique Eastwick dealt with Zia's involvement in the plot helped develop the characters that she had created and also provided a satisfactory conclusion to this story . All in all, this is an engaging, emotional story of redemption and second chances, making for a fun single-serving read.Reviewed by Bridgetfor TheRomanceReviews.com