A perfect Starlight Christmas
Is this Christmas the perfect time for their last chance?
Widowed after an unhappy marriage, single mom Brynn Hale has finally returned home to Starlight. She's ready for a fresh start for her son, and what better time for it than Christmas? Still, Nick Dunlap is the one connection to her past she can't let go of. Nick let his status-conscious parents talk him out of pursuing Brynn in high school and he's not sure he deserves a chance with her now. But the magic of the season might make forgiveness -- and love -- a little bit easier for them both…
Terrific friends-to-lovers/second chance story. Brynn recently lost her husband when he died in a crash - along with his latest mistress. After ten years of an unhappy marriage and putting a brave face on for the town, she is ready to take back her life. One part of her past is Nick, her best friend growing up, and her high school crush. Their friendship hasn't been the same since then, and she misses it. Nick is now the police chief in Starlight but still feels like he hasn't lived down his high school reputation. At that time, he was the town bad boy with a revolving door of girlfriends.
I was sucked into this story from the beginning. I liked Brynn. Her life hasn't been an easy one, but she made it work. Getting pregnant just before high school graduation and marrying the baby's father hadn't been her preferred plan. I was impressed by her determination to be a good mother and how she kept working to improve her life. I loved that she kept her head up even when she was the subject of the town's gossips. I liked Nick too. Yes, he'd been a selfish jerk in high school and not a very good friend to Brynn. But losing both his brother and his father in a short period of time changed him.
I liked the development of the relationship between Brynn and Nick. Brynn had never lost her old crush on him, and her encounters with him since Daniel's death have added to the attraction she still feels for him. Nick regretted his high school idiocy for years. He stayed friends with Brynn and Daniel during their marriage but kept his feelings under wraps. Nick feels guilty over being the one who set Brynn up with Daniel and is now determined to do everything he can to help her, however she needs it. But he also refuses to do anything about those feelings for fear of hurting her again.
Their lives take an unexpected twist when one of Daniel's girlfriends shows up with his baby, then disappears, leaving the baby with Brynn. Brynn falls in love with little Remi and wants to keep her, but circumstances place Remi with Nick as her foster parent. A fire at Brynn's house sends her and Tyler to stay with Nick while their home is repaired. As the four of them settle into a pseudo-family, the sparks between Nick and Brynn continue to grow. I loved Nick's connection with young Tyler, his unexpected bond with little Remi, and his yearning to make this temporary life permanent. I loved watching him overcome his fears and his sweet attempts to "court" Brynn. His biggest problem was his protectiveness and wanting to shield her from things that could hurt her.
Meanwhile, Brynn had been working hard at taking charge of her life. Her feelings for Nick continue to grow, fed by his care and belief in her. She's just beginning to believe that they have a future together when an unexpected visitor blows a hole in that dream. I ached for Brynn and her feelings of betrayal and hurt. Her anger was believable, and I liked how she confronted Nick over it. I felt a little sorry for Nick because he hadn't realized what he was doing and is devastated by what she said. Their misery oozed off the page, and I could feel their pain. I liked how their friends supported them while also pointing out some things neither Nick nor Brynn had considered before. I liked Nick's big moment in the end and his heartfelt declaration of his feelings.
I liked the secondary characters. Brynn's son Tyler was terrific. He's a good kid with a big heart who is portrayed as a relatively normal ten-year-old boy. I loved his fascination with the baby, and he was adorable with her. He also had a few instances where he wasn't quite so sweet, adding to the story's realism. I also liked Brynn and Nick's friends and both the support and the tough love they need.
After reading the book, I was a little confused by the back-of-the-book blurb. Brynn wasn't returning to Starlight; she's lived there her whole life. This is part of her self-confidence issue as she felt judged by others her entire life. As for Nick, I recall nothing about his parents discouraging him about Brynn. He blames it all on his selfishness and stupidity.
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