His Last-Chance Christmas Family - Michelle Major (HSE #2805 - Dec 2020)

Series; Welcome to Starlight (Book 3)

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.

The Last Man She Expected - Michelle Major (HSE #2786 - Sept 2020)

Series: Welcome to Starlight (Book 2)

How could being so wrong suddenly feel so right?

Falling for her arch-nemesis

Isn't going to happen.

Moving to Starlight was Mara Reed's first step forward after her devastating divorce. But had she known she'd find Parker Johnson, her ex-husband's ruthless divorce attorney, there, she might have gone in a different direction. Away from the big city, Mara is seeing Parker in a new light -- but is it enough for her to set aside her anger?

Good book. Mara and her daughter moved to Starlight after her divorce. Staying with her aunt and working in her coffee shop gave Mara a chance to connect with people without risking her emotions. Her divorce had been ugly, with her ex-husband and his lawyer destroying both her personal and professional reputations and leaving her with nothing except her daughter. She is understandably angry and bitter.

Mara's daughter Evie made friends with another little girl, Anna, while Mara became good friends with Anna's father, Josh. They connected over their daughters' activities and the problems of single parenthood. Mara is especially happy that there are no sparks between them, as she swore off men after her divorce. What Mara doesn't know is that Josh's brother is coming to town to help Josh with his current construction project. She has no idea that Josh's brother is her ex-husband's divorce attorney.

I loved the first meeting between Parker and Mara. She recognized him immediately while he only felt a vague familiarity. That is until she blasted him for everything he enabled her ex to do to her. Of course, his first reaction was that it was just his job, not anything personal. The sparks fly between them, but underneath the antagonism are sparks of another kind. When Josh enlists Mara's help with the project, too, she finds herself working closely with Parker.

I liked watching the relationship develop between Parker and Mara. The attraction between them is undeniable, but neither wants a relationship. Parker is only in Starlight for a short time. His memories of growing up there with an abusive father caused him to leave Starlight behind years ago. He visits his brother and niece very rarely, and can't wait to go when he does. Mara is done with marriage. She doesn't trust her judgment any longer, nor does she have any confidence that a man would want her. She is content to have left city life behind her and has no intention of leaving Starlight. However, both agree that spending some no-strings adult time together would be acceptable.

The more time that Mara and Parker spent together, the more she saw a different side of him. He can be kind and funny. He gets involved in helping Josh with the girls' soccer team and unexpectedly connects with Evie. There are some great scenes between the two of them as Parker acts more like a father than her own did. I loved watching them start to feel like a family, something that worried both Parker and Mara. Though they have grown closer and been able to share some of their more painful moments, neither can see a future for them. When an unexpected visitor stirs up old fears in Mara, Parker suffers the backlash. I wanted to shake Mara for not letting Parker explain. I hurt for Parker, who had finally begun to recognize his feelings for Mara. An unexpected and eye-opening conversation helped Mara see the truth. Parker got an equivalent kick in the pants from his brother, making him realize that he'd allowed his fears to run his life for too long. I loved the ending.

Secondary characters were just as enjoyable. Evie and Anna were adorable. Opposites in many ways, they balanced each other's strengths and weaknesses. I loved Josh and his friendship with Mara. I ached for him and everything he'd been through with Anna's chemo and his wife's desertion. I liked Mara's friend Brynn and the support she gives Mara. I also hope to see her get a happy ending of her own.