Gorgeous Rico D'Angelo is single-handedly saving the world, one disadvantaged teen at a time. The opening of his charity café should be enough for him to finally put the regrets of his childhood behind him…but even as the ribbon is cut on opening day it's not enough.
Until new hire Neen Cuthbert walks through the door and offers an unexpected blast of sunshine! She's had her fill of misguided do-gooders, but something tells her Rico is different. Neen won't let him push her away -- especially now she's discovering that Rico might just need her most of all….
Good book. Rico is a social worker whose job is to help at-risk youth avoid the pitfalls that lead to trouble. His current project is setting up a charity café where those youth learn job skills that will help them lead productive lives. He is motivated by an incident that happened when he was a teen and which still haunts him. As the book opens, he is waiting for the third and final interviewee for the job of café manager.
Neen has had a rough few weeks. Her beloved grandfather died, leaving her the money she needs to start her dream café. Unfortunately, the will is being contested, leaving her at loose ends. She applies for the café manager position as a way to stay in the business until the will is settled.
I liked the development of the relationship between Rico and Neen. They were drawn to each other from the start, but both have reasons to resist the pull. Neen recently ended a relationship with a controlling man who doesn't want to let go. She doesn't want to get involved with another man. Rico cut himself off from all emotions, feeling that he deserves no happiness because of his teenage mistakes. He focuses on his mission of helping youth but doesn't allow himself to get emotionally invested. As they work together to get the café up and running, Neen powers through any doubts she has by keeping a positive outlook. That hands-on positivity has a significant effect on the boys who work for her. Rico discovers that it affects him also, though he fights it all the way.
One thing Rico doesn't fight is his protectiveness when a series of suspicious "accidents" put Neen in danger. I liked how he stepped in to help and support her. He did get a little testy about her assistance to one of the boys and his brother, but he also came through with a way to make it work. As Neen learns more about the events that drive Rico, she wants to make him see that his guilt is misplaced. I loved seeing her stand up to Rico's mother and to show him that he has a right to his own life. She also works to help Rico see that his friend would disapprove of what he was doing.
I especially enjoyed how Neen used cooking to help Rico experience the happiness he denied himself in his job. It hurt to see Rico berate himself for feeling happy and withdraw back into his shell. I liked that she didn't give up and kept chipping away at that shell. Rico's "aha" moment at the end was great, and I loved seeing what he and Neen could do together.
Part of the book dealt with Neen's dream of her own café that she and her grandfather planned together. The delay in her plans because the will was being contested is what brought her to Rico's café. I was horrified when I discovered who was trying to overturn the will and why. I also hurt for her over the stalker-caused accidents and how it affected her sense of safety. I was stunned when the stalking incidents were solved, as I hadn't seen that coming at all.
I loved the secondary characters of the young men who
worked the café for Neen. It was incredible to see how she brought out the best
in them. I especially loved Travis and the changes that I saw in him by the end
of the book. His little brother was adorable.
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