Coltons (Book 121)
United at Christmas by new life
Threatened by an old enemy
Neil Colton and Mayor Elise Willis loved and lost each other long ago…but desire and danger soon reunite them this holiday season. In the aftermath of an attack on both their lives, Elise reveals that -- thanks to one reckless night -- she's pregnant with Neil's baby. Nothing will prevent the lawyer from protecting the woman he loves and the child he's always wanted… Even if it means losing his own life.
Good book. I haven't read the other books in the series, but there was enough background given that I didn't feel lost. However, I do want to go back and read the others! Neil and Elise met in law school, fell in love, got married, and then started a law practice together. Though their love was strong, so were the problems with their marriage. The main one was that Neil was in a hurry to start their family, and Elise wasn't ready. Neil threw down an ultimatum: baby or divorce, and Elise chose to divorce, even though she still loved him.
I will say I mostly liked Neil and Elise, but they also irritated me at times. Strangely enough, they remained friends after their split, having dinner together once a month, and maintaining a professional relationship. Elise went on to become mayor of the town while Neil continued his law practice. Underneath their friendship, the sparks between them remained strong, and one night they gave in to them. The story starts a month later, with Elise suspecting she may be pregnant.
When Neil finds out, he immediately proposes marriage, and she immediately says no. This is where Neil has clearly not learned his lesson. Every time he sees Elise, he pushes for marriage, talking about raising the baby, being a family, etc. Elise had put off having a family with Neil because she needed to find out who she was, professionally and personally. She's happy with her work as mayor. Though dismayed by the pregnancy, she feels fully capable of being a single mom and the mayor. Neil's constant proposals, and the way he words them, strike at deep down insecurity because she thinks he only wants to marry her because of the baby. He's never told her that he regrets the divorce and still loves her. Both of them spend a lot of time dwelling on these two issues instead of talking to each other. It takes life-threatening danger and some advice from his mom for Neil to realize where he went wrong. I liked his big moment at the end as he finally makes things right.
The story's suspense started with a bang (literally!) and stayed intense throughout the book. Neil and Elise were lured to an empty building under false pretenses. They barely escaped with their lives when the building exploded. As attacks on them continue, the reader occasionally gets a peek into the culprit's thoughts. He clearly has a grudge against both Neil and Elise, but the question is, why? Does it have something to do with one of the cases they worked on years ago? Or is it related to the ongoing questions about the properties the senior Colton developed? There are plenty of heart-pounding moments leading up to the final confrontation. The book finishes with a surprise revelation by Mr. Colton that is a lead-in to the next book.
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