It's his job to protect her…
…not to tempt her!
The last thing Sophie wants is to be stuck under the professional eye of Connal Lancaster, the man she shared that mistake of a kiss with two years ago. Only, she has no choice. Her life is threatened as the princess of Havenhurst's best friend. And when a storm forces Sophie and Connal to spend one night in a secluded cabin, this time Connal's kiss feels nothing like a mistake…
Good book. I remember "meeting" Sophie and Connal in His Convenient Royal Bride and thinking that there was potential for a good story there. I am delighted to say that I was right. In that book, Sophie was still very young and obviously crushing on Connal. He makes it clear that he has no patience with her antics. At the beginning of this book, four years have passed. The prince and Connal have discovered that some unexpected threats would affect Maddie and Sophie. Rather than tell them the truth, they concoct an elaborate scheme that brings Sophie to Havenhurst.
Sophie is older and wiser now. She finished college with her marketing degree and went to work for a band, traveling the world with them. She also had been engaged. But the engagement and the job ended unexpectedly, giving her the freedom to visit her friend. One thing she is determined to do - live down the mistakes of her past when it comes to Connal. She is sure that she's outgrown the old crush and can behave accordingly.
I loved the first meeting between Sophie and Connal when she arrived. His effect on her hasn't changed, and she ends up feeling awkward rather than confident. I did laugh at her trick with her bag, which confused him. Connal's first reaction to seeing her was relief that he could protect her. It was quickly followed by the realization that she is now a beautiful woman and one that has an unwelcome effect on him.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Sophie and Connal. The sparks are there and reveal that Connal felt them from the beginning. But he has buried his emotions because of the guilt he feels over the deaths of his wife and son. He won't allow himself to be needed by anyone. Sophie has issues with trusting her judgment and has written off men in her immediate future. But one thing that hasn't changed is Sophie's dislike of being told what to do. Within a week of her arrival, she has had enough of always being followed and becomes adept at ditching her security detail. She's not too happy when Connal confronts her, but she successfully makes a case for her need to get away. I laughed out loud at the scene in the lingerie shop and her attempt to get him to lighten up. I ached for Connal as he showed her where his fun stopped. I liked how Sophie stopped thinking in terms of what she wanted and decided to try to bring some laughter back to his life.
Starting with the night at the pub, during the spoons performance, and the dancing afterward, Sophie made it her mission to make him feel again. I liked her enjoyment of seeing him relax and have a good time. However, he freaked out a little when he realized that he pictured her as the type of woman to come home to. The night they attended his family party, Sophie had her moment of jealousy, which made her mad. The sparks between them were off the charts when they spent time in the hot spring, showing both of them that they were playing with fire.
Those sparks turn into a conflagration when Connal and Sophie
become trapped by a storm during a fishing trip. The fishing itself turned into
a competition that brought out more of the connection both tried to deny. Everything
from doing dishes to chopping wood was a symphony of flirtation hidden in the
guise of more competition. But it was when they took the time to talk of their
pasts that the true depth of their connection became apparent, and their desire
could no longer be denied. I loved the joy they found in being together and had
high hopes for their future. However, the arrival of the rescue party reminded
Connal of his belief that she deserved better than him, and he pushed her away.
I wanted to shake him for being such a boneheaded jerk, especially since his
stunned realization of his feelings quickly followed it. I ached for Sophie,
who believed that once again, she'd made a fool of herself and fled to preserve
her pride. I loved Connal's conversation with Edward and the push he received
to make things right. I enjoyed seeing his frustration when he finally caught
up with Sophie and had to convince her of his feelings. He had to work for it,
but the result was sweet.
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