While I was a bit disappointed in this book, there was enough good in it to make me keep reading and enough hint of things to come to make me excited for the next one in this series. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Description:
Jane Pringle never meant to fall for her boss. After landing a job as a pastry chef at the exclusive Briarwood Golf and Yacht Club in Eastbridge, Connecticut, she just wants to keep her son in a good school district and find some peace and quiet, far away from her manipulative ex-husband. But when Briarwood’s charismatic co-owner takes an interest in her, Jane’s best-laid plans go awry . . . in the sweetest way possible.
Rich and handsome, the grandson of one of the most powerful men in New York City, Preston North hasn’t lived quite the charmed life everyone believes. His family taught him everything he needs to know about betrayal—and Press wants no more of it. What he wants is Jane. The gorgeous single mom is selfless and kind, plus she’s got a backbone. To win her trust, Press just needs to shake off his playboy reputation.
They’ve each been burned in the past. But now Press and Jane will have to choose between letting their fears get the best of them . . . or breaking free and following their hearts.
Review copy provided for an honest review
I went round and round before I decided on my star rating and before writing my review for this book. I have loved Elisabeth Barrett’s books in the past and while I liked this one it wasn’t one that held my attention from beginning to end. I just felt like there was something missing from the story and I kept waiting for something “more” to happen. Both the main characters were good people and had interesting backgrounds and while the story started off strong, I felt it kind of fizzled in the middle and never really got back on track. Despite that, I was still thrilled with the ending and I will be one of the first in line to read the next book in this series because I do enjoy this author’s work.
Single mom Jane Pringle’s life has been turned upside down in the last few months; after the building that housed the bakery she worked in and the apartment she lived in was sold she was forced to find a new job, a new residence all while dealing with a blackmailing ex-husband. Jane is devoted to her son and her job so when she realizes she’s attracted to one of the owners of the country club she works at it throws her for a loop especially when he makes sure she knows he is interested.
Preston “Press” North’s life began to unravel after his father’s death and the secrets that came out afterwards. Press went into a downward spiral, but has spent a year reclaiming his life, getting healthy and staying out of trouble. When he meets Jane in a most unusual way, he begins to think that he is ready for a woman in his life. He just has no idea how hard it will be to convince Jane to give him a chance.
From the start I liked these two characters immensely and I kept on liking them up to the end, but for quite a while I didn’t really feel the heat between them. For me there was no real spark, there was some interest and the little “dates” they shared were amusing and fun, but I wasn’t convinced they would be compatible on a deeper level. I loved that Press was very upfront from the start about the demons he faced and the fact that he was turning his life around. Press didn’t hold back much and that made me admire him a lot. I loved Jane so much in the first book so her behavior in this book kind of threw me a bit; I get that she didn’t trust easily because of her ex-husband and her history, but I just felt like she kept making the same mistakes over and over with Press and never really learned from them. It also bothered me that someone who had endured so much and been so strong to leave a bad situation let her mother’s words override her independent thinking. There were moments when I saw that “old” Jane and I got excited, but then she’d turn around and do something that would make me want to bang my head on the wall. As they spent more time together and especially as Press became more involved in her life and with her son, I enjoyed this story a lot, but then Jane would slam on the brakes and it would be two steps back again which was very frustrating for me as a reader. I’ll also be honest and say that I expected and maybe even hoped for a moment when Press would confront Jane’s ex-husband; that storyline seemed to have a huge build up only to kind of fizzle which was a bit of a letdown.
The good things that came out of this story Jane, Carolyn and Grace’s unusual and special friendship continues to blossom. I love how these three women from very different backgrounds have become the best of friends and are there to help each other no matter the situation. Jane and her mother have become closer and formed a friendship that benefits them both greatly. Briarwood continues to thrive with the three owners determined to see the renovations through despite their challenges. Press, his brother, Griff and their Mother are beginning to heal the riffs between them and work together to repair their relationship. Jane, Press and Andy are finding out what it is like to have a real family.
While I was a bit disappointed in this book, there was enough good in it to make me keep reading and enough hint of things to come to make me excited for the next one in this series.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Slick