Review: Delightful read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 17, 2013
These small town romances from Entangled Publishing's Bliss line are really starting to grow on me with each one I read. Roxanne Snopek's Three River Ranch novel was another delightful read from that line.We are first introduced to Mitch because it is ultimately his decision that serves as the catalyst for this story. At first glance, he's a successful businessman who has everything he could possibly want or need. But a little white lie backfires on him, leading him right back to the one woman who knew all about his humble beginnings.I really liked Sabrina, although I did have a bit of a love/dislike relationship with her throughout the story. When she wasn't thinking about her plan for revenge, she was actually a really nice and compassionate individual. At first I was on board with her plan for a little payback on Mitch, but that quickly changed as soon as his history was revealed. She knew just how difficult his childhood had been between his father and his dyslexia. Even she acknowledged that they were too young to have dealt with things maturely. So when she had thoughts of feeling a little sorry for him one minute only to emphasize her need for revenge the next, she came across as...the bad guy. I think the revenge plan would have worked for me had she not been the kind person at heart as she was portrayed, or perhaps if Mitch hadn't had so many tough issues in his past that just screamed for sympathy.Mitch was such a sweet character. He perceived himself as a loser back in the day, and he seemed to think the rest of the town saw him the same way. He wanted to be a success not just for himself but because he felt he had something to prove. I liked his character arc which exposed his vulnerabilities and insecurities, but he overcame them with support from his family and Sabrina.I enjoyed this story a lot. Neither the story nor their connection felt rushed because of their history. Even though I didn't buy every nuance of Sabrina's character, I liked that she didn't approach Mitch with snark or animosity. With the added years of maturity under their belts, I liked their relationship in the present more than their past one. It was well written and the dialogue flowed naturally. I would definitely read more stories by this author.Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.