Review: kept the reader aware of the choices and how difficult it is to balance all the concerns with everyone’s best interests at heart
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 9, 2014
The second that I have read in this series, Melissa Foster is wrapping up the Braden clan by finding them their match.  I’m a sucker for a romance when I know, as I turn the first page, that the story will have a happy ending, reading is an escape and I want to leave that world with a smile.Brianna is a single mum, she is, like many single mothers out there, entirely dedicated to her child and doing the best for her possible.  With a twelve year plan to take her to her daughter turns 18: men, dating and the concept of love are not on her radar.Hugh is the fast-paced celebrity brother: a grand prix racer he goes through women like his race team does tires.  Tall, leggy, easy on the eye and not requiring commitments, his intention and desire to find a lasting relationship is negligible.When Hugh spots Brianna he is instantly intrigued: so different from those he is used to encountering, she doesn’t even know who he is or what he does.  Her casual responses, while friendly are distant and he is far more used to having women falling over him, knowing who he is and how his position can improve their lives.Hugh makes some huge changes in his life: he wants Brianna and will need to drop that ‘rico suave’ exterior to show her that he has a heart and they stand a chance.  Brianna is so focused on keeping Layla happy, even to the detriment of her own life, that she is unwilling to allow a man in.  But, like all good things, plans change and Briana needs to face some of her own insecurities to take a chance at a family that will be more than she ever imagined.Characters are well defined and portrayed, with real emotions and insecurities that feel natural and familiar to all readers.  While the instant attraction and connection was a bit farfetched, and made hash of Brianna’s ‘set in stone life plan’, it did show how futile such rigid planning can be.  Foster manages to incorporate real world concerns that will resonate with many, and while making this a romance, the omnipresent issue of family and children first kept the reader aware of the choices and how difficult it is to balance all the concerns with everyone’s best interests at heart.A great installment in the series, I do need to go back and read the earlier books in the series, but I didn’t find a great lack of understanding or information jumping into the series at the end.I received an eArc copy from the author via Tasty Book Tours for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.