Asking the gorgeous and alluring florist to be my
plus-one to tonight’s wedding should have been weird, but instead, it was as
natural as breathing. And to my shock, she said yes.
But I can't get my hopes up that it will go anywhere.
Hattie has no interest in dating a Marine. She’s trying to save her family’s
struggling flower shop, and she knows I’m only a temporary fixture in this
town.
So, we only have tonight. After that, we’ll go our
separate ways, each of us thankful for a fun evening.
It shouldn’t be too hard. After all, we don’t even know
each other. It should be no problem to walk away and pretend my heart hadn’t
recognized hers the moment we’d met. Besides, love at first sight is just for
the movies, right?
Sweet story. The cover of this one caught my eye because
of the Marine. I have a soft spot for Marines, having been married to mine for
thirty-nine years. This book had me hooked right from the beginning.
I loved how Thatcher and Hattie met. Thatcher is being a
good son and helping his mom deliver some stuff to a friend's wedding (which
they are invited to attend). Thatcher is a bit bummed because his date for the
wedding bailed on him. While helping his mom, the florist arrives with the
wedding flowers. Thatcher is rendered nearly speechless by her beauty and her
smile but pulls himself together enough to offer to help her. Thatcher is shy
and frequently stumbles over his words, and I loved seeing him try to ask
Hattie to go to the wedding with him.
Hattie is sweet, beautiful, and devoted to her parents
and their florist business. That business is struggling, and the long hours she
spends there have scuttled several relationships. I liked how well she and
Thatcher connected while doing the flowers. She was surprised by his invitation
to attend the wedding with him but looked forward to it. Something changed
later that evening when she found out he was a Marine. She doesn't date Marines
because they leave after a couple of years, and she can't/won't go with them.
She doesn't want to invest in a relationship and end up alone again.
Thatcher is naturally bummed when he finds out but
doesn't want to give her up. Instead, he proposes that they be friends. As a
firefighter on the Marine base, Thatcher's schedule is irregular. So on his
days off, he shows up at the flower shop and offers to help. This gives him
lots of time to spend with Hattie. After several weeks of this, it's evident
that there is more there than friendship. But the knowledge that he will
eventually be transferred and that Hattie won't leave her parents is a
stumbling block to their future.
I loved how a chance conversation during a flower
delivery gave Thatcher an option he'd never considered before meeting Hattie.
He doesn't make quick decisions but takes the time to talk to people and
consider the ramifications. I ached for him when he presented the idea to
Hattie, and she didn't react the way he'd hoped. I understood her fears but
felt like she didn't give Thatcher enough credit for knowing his own mind. The
discussion with her parents was realistic and honest and gave her a new
perspective. The ending was sweet, and the thirty-years-later epilogue was
fantastic.
I enjoyed this story so much that I have added this
author to my "must-read" list.
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