At the stroke of midnight,
A stranger's kiss changes everything…
Brian Fortune doesn't think he will ever find the woman
he kissed at his brother's New Year's wedding. So when the search for the
provenance of a mysterious gift leads him into a local antique store a few days
later, he's stunned to find Emmaline Lewis, proprietor -- and mystery kisser!
Surprise turns to shock when he realizes that she's also six months pregnant.
Brian has never been the type to commit -- and he's really not ready to become
a family man in one fell swoop! But suddenly he knows he'll do anything to stay
at Emmaline's side -- for good…
Good book. Brian Fortune was in Rambling Rose on New Year's
Eve to celebrate a multi-couple family wedding, including his twin brother
Brady's (An Unexpected Father). He shared a stunning New Year's kiss with a
beautiful woman who quickly disappeared, leaving him unable to forget her.
Brian is the only one of his siblings still living in New
York. The rest have found their way to Texas and are working with their Texas
cousins. Brian, whose job as an advertising exec allows him to work remotely,
promised to stay in Rambling Rose until his sister-in-law has her baby. He also
promised to watch Brady's twins while he and his wife were on their honeymoon.
Brian is the quiet twin when compared with the outgoing
Brady. He often feels at a disadvantage around his brother. Brian portrays
himself as a lone wolf and perennial bachelor who doesn't commit ever since his
college sweetheart broke his heart. It also hides the vulnerabilities caused by
Tammy's parting words. Brian thinks he doesn't have what it takes to be a husband
and father.
Emmaline took over her grandfather's antique shop after
his death. She is also preparing to be a single mother after her ex-boyfriend
made it clear he has no interest in fatherhood. She hasn't revealed her
pregnancy, worried about the reactions of her friends and neighbors, thanks to
her mom's experiences as a single mother. Emmaline is very independent and
determined to depend only on herself.
Brian and Emmaline meet again when he shows up at her
shop investigating a mysterious wedding gift received by Brady and Harper. He's
stunned to see that Emmaline is six months pregnant and more so to discover
that it doesn't matter to him. He's still interested in getting to know her
better, even though he'll be leaving in a few weeks. Emmaline isn't interested
in a relationship as the shop and her baby are her priorities. Still, she has
nothing against spending some time with Brian while they research the horse
sculpture.
I liked watching Brian and Emmaline spend time together.
Despite their initial plan to have some fun together, it doesn't take long for stronger
feelings to develop. Brian is protective of Emmaline and unexpectedly invested
in her life. But Brian is convinced that he cannot be what she needs, despite
evidence to the contrary. The scenes of Brian with his nephews were adorable,
and his ability to relate to them as a twin himself helped a lot. There were
times when I wanted to shake Brian for his refusal to admit that he'd changed
since coming to Texas.
Emmaline has almost as much tunnel vision as Brian. Because
of past disappointments, she refuses to allow herself to depend on anyone else.
But the more time she spends with Brian, the more she is tempted to lean on
him. I liked Emmaline's support of Brian and how she tries to show him that he
underestimates himself. When she finally realizes the depth of her feelings for
a man who won't commit, she does what she must to protect her heart.
I ached for Emmaline and Brian. Each was too stubborn to open their heart and
risk rejection rather than take a chance. Even Brady had trouble getting
through to Brian. It took a scare involving Emmaline for Brian to overcome his
fears. I loved the emotional scene at the end and seeing both Brian and Emmaline
get the future they wanted.
The mystery of the horse sculpture is intriguing. The information
they have uncovered reveals a little bit of the sculpture's history but still
nothing about who it is from. An unexpected twist at the end opened the door to
more information that I expect will be revealed during the rest of the books in
the series. I can't wait to see the story behind it.
A stranger's kiss changes everything…
No comments:
Post a Comment