She'd been the girl he'd always loved.
Until she married his best friend.
Now Crystal Stoker was a widowed single mom and Luke
Stirling was trying his best to avoid her. That was proving impossible in their
small town, especially when Luke learned her young son needed help that only he
could provide. The injured Marine was just looking for a little peace and quiet
-- not expecting any second chances, especially ones he didn't dare accept.
Terrific book. Luke has been back in his hometown for a
year after his medical discharge from the Marines. He is doing his best to
avoid Crystal, whose husband Brandon, Luke's best friend, was killed in the
same IED attack. Luke blames himself for Brandon's death and is sure that
Crystal would want nothing to do with him.
Crystal's son Jack has changed since his father's death,
constantly in trouble at school for fighting. She's at her wit's end trying to
get through to him. When circumstances make it impossible for Luke to continue
avoiding Crystal, he realizes there is something he can do to help Jack and
honor his friend's memory.
Luke's school years were miserable because of undiagnosed
dyslexia. His home life wasn't much better, thanks to the cruel taunts of his
grandfather. It wasn't until Luke left home and joined the Marines that he
found out what the trouble was. Thanks to the help he received, Luke found a
new way to learn, opening up the world of education to him. I loved hearing
about his extensive experiences and the vast difference they made to his life. Unfortunately,
recovery from his injuries was a long, slow process, and he still suffers from
pain and PTSD.
Like Luke, Brandon had had dyslexia, and Jack inherited
the issue. Luke tells Crystal he will work with Jack, teaching him ways to work
around the problem. It warmed my heart to see the nearly immediate difference
that Luke's lessons had on Jack. Because of his own experiences, Luke knew precisely
how to reach Jack, and there are some great scenes of the two of them together.
The amount of time Luke spends with Jack creates other
complications. Luke has always had feelings for Crystal, but she was his best
friend's wife. Though Brandon is gone, Luke's guilty feelings make him feel
unworthy of her. Crystal was stunned to discover that Luke rouses feelings in
her that have been numb since Brandon's death. Too bad that Luke doesn't show
any signs of returning those feelings, keeping her firmly in the friend zone. Fortunately,
a hint of jealousy when she goes on a date with another man gives her hope. A
bit of boldness on her part, and the sparks between them burst into flame.
I loved watching them grow closer over the next few
weeks, though each was wary of being the first to express their feelings. It
takes a frightening accident and Luke's fear of a return of an old injury for
them to break through their reluctance. I loved the epilogue and how Luke
involved Jack in the planning for his big moment.
My favorite scene was when Crystal, a certified massage
therapist, finally convinced Luke to let her work on him. I loved seeing him go
from skeptic to believer in one session.
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