Hallie had been a widow for years. Her husband had invested well so they had plenty of money to live on. She owned a small dress shop, Stepping Up, in Georgetown. She had never been attracted to another man after her husband’s death until she saw Simon Cole. This lunch meeting was disastrous so Simon came up with a plan to show the two ladies just how rough it could be. Justin had invited the two ladies to spend two weeks at his home. Simon routed them to the old, dilapidated, primitive shack with no modern conveniences.

Linda LaRoque has written a comical, yet emotionally charged book about the lives and loves of two couples who both had so much garbled baggage that it was almost impossible for them to allow themselves to feel. These main characters were self-sufficient, used to taking care of everyone but themselves. They both had intense love for their families and were determined that nothing, and no one, was going to hurt them.

The sensual tension between the main characters was explosive. Their children and others were vital in telling this story. They were believable and quite loving at times. When things seemed impossible to work out, that’s when the surprises began to happen. I can even see a great sequel to this book. I’ll look forward to it.

I highly recommend this book. It is one to not be missed. The storyline will remain within the mind of the readers long after the book ends. Kudos to Ms. LaRoque!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
August 18, 2009