Series: McBrides of Texas (Book 2)Eternity Springs (Book 17)
Hope springs eternal in this enchanting Texas town.
Meet Gillian Thacker. Her business: Bliss Bridal Salon.
Her passion: Weddings. Her own wedding: It’s complicated. Life isn’t turning
out like she’d planned. The last thing she wants is for a real-life hero to
ride to her rescue when an unexpected event puts her entire future in
Redemption, Texas, at risk. So what’s a broken-hearted bridal expert to do?
Maybe a new set of survival skills is exactly what she needs…
Tucker McBride has been proud to call himself a U.S. Army
Ranger. But now that his days of service are over, he’s decided to put his
expertise to use by founding a wilderness skills training school. He sets up
shop in Redemption, next to Bliss Bridal, and so begins life: Part Two.
Marriage has been pretty low on his agenda, but as soon as he meets Gillian,
Tucker can’t help but contemplate the ultimate challenge: Convincing the
reluctant bride to take his hand and leap into the adventure of a lifetime. .
.until death do they part.
Terrific book. This is the story of the second McBride
cousin, Tucker. Though he originally planned to make the military his career,
his most recent posting convinced him otherwise. Pushing papers was a pain, but
what got to him most was the backstabbing, political vipers he had to deal
with. So he pulled the plug but is now feeling a bit lost and unsure of what
comes next. So he heads for Redemption and the land that he and his cousins own,
looking for peace and inspiration. He did not expect to come across a damsel in
distress along the way.
Gillian is having a bad day. After an argument with her fiancé
over wedding plans, she compounds her problems by wrecking her car in the
middle of nowhere. Undeterred, she hikes off in the direction of town, high
heels and all. She doesn't expect a knight on his trusty steed to come to her
rescue.
I loved the first meeting between Gillian and Tucker.
There are sparks, but Tucker doesn't act on them because he's an honorable guy,
and she's engaged. However, there is plenty of banter between them, and he pours
on the flirty charm. Several months pass with Gillian and Tucker seeing each
other occasionally, including on New Year's Eve. The cracks in her relationship
with Jeremy become more pronounced. The final betrayal comes when Jeremy, as
the bank representative, sells a property that Gillian had plans for without
telling her. I ached for Gillian but was happy that she finally saw Jeremy for
the snake he was. What was most eye-opening for Gillian was the realization
that she was less upset over the loss of Jeremy than she was the loss of the
property and her dreams for it. To find out that it was Tucker who bought the
property was an additional blow. I liked her face-off with him. Her enthusiasm
for her plans made Tucker want her all the more. Now that she is no longer
engaged, he is ready to go into pursuit mode.
I loved the development of the relationship between
Tucker and Gillian. It was smooth, and it wasn't easy, but it was beautiful.
Tucker has a good understanding of Gillian from the beginning. When Gillian
went into a deep funk over the end of her dreams, Tucker conspired with her
mother to pull her out of it. I loved what they came up with, and it certainly
did the trick. Gillian regained a bit of her spark, and Tucker makes sure she
knows of his interest. But Gillian's confidence in herself and her judgment is
shot, and she is afraid to jump into a new relationship. I loved Tucker's
patience as he agrees to be friends while she works through it. They spend some
time together over the next few weeks, growing closer, but with Gillian always
keeping that bit of distance between them. I thoroughly enjoyed it when Tucker
introduced Gillian to the joys of hiking. Her resistance was funny, and his
cajoling was sweet. It's so apparent that Tucker is head over heels for her,
but Gillian can't let go of her fears.
Things take a turn when the proof of Jeremy's betrayal
blindsides Gillian. I loved that she ran to Tucker, knowing in her heart that
she could trust him. I loved how he took control of everything and gave Gillian
the perfect escape experience. There ended up being more to the trip than planned,
and though she was all-in at first, she freaked out the next day. I ached for
Tucker, who thought that he had finally won his fair lady. His patience was
incredible as he gave Gillian the time she wanted. I was frustrated with
Gillian because she coasted along, not really giving the issue the time it
deserved. I loved what finally opened her eyes and gave Gillian her confidence
back. There were still some things to work out between them, but they talked
them out with the result of coming out stronger on the other side. I loved that
discussion and how it showed the changes they both experienced.
There was also a lead-in to the next book with Boone. I
can't wait to read it and see how he handles that unexpected complication to
his life.
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