“You said you're not scared. Prove it.”
When Jack Radcliffe dares Belle Fortune to kiss him at
the Hotel Fortune's Valentine's Ball, he thinks he's just having fun. She's a
pampered Southern princess newly moved to Texas, and she's interested in
someone else. In other words, she's “safe.” From the moment their lips touch,
however, the former military man is in trouble. The woman he shouldn't want
challenges him to confront his painful past -- and face his future head-on…
Good book. Belle Fortune is a recent transplant to
Rambling Rose, working as her brothers' office manager while they set up the
new office. The book opens at the beginning of February when Belle is
surrounded by all the trappings of romance and feels very alone. She has her
eye on a certain man she thinks is perfect for her, and even though they don't
know each other, she plans to change that. While cheering herself up with shopping
therapy, she's bowled over by a runaway dog and rescued by the man trying to
catch the dog. After a few awkward moments and the discovery that her cousin is
married to his sister, Belle offers to help Jack with some purchases he needs
to make.
Jack arrived home in Rambling Rose after leaving the
army. He feels guilty for missing his sister's wedding and the birth of her
little girl, hence the need for shopping assistance. He's still thinking about Belle the next day
but reminds himself he's in no position to think about dating anyone. He has no
job, and the things he's seen and done have left him feeling undeserving of
happiness.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship
between Belle and Jack. Their subsequent encounter is at the Valentine's Ball,
where Belle hopes to catch her crush's eye. That encounter doesn't go too well,
and Jack offers to pay attention to her in hopes of making him jealous. Instead,
the kiss they share knocks them both for a loop, and Belle quickly forgets
about the other man. Belle and Jack begin spending more time together. I loved the
effect Belle has on Jack as he discovers that being around her eases the strain
he feels.
I liked how Jack sees Belle as an intelligent and capable
woman. As the youngest of seven, Belle suffers from being looked at as the baby
of the family and not taken seriously. She has big plans for her future, and
Jack's support gives her the courage to move up the timeline. I also liked
seeing her stand up to her overprotective brothers, who love her but tend to forget
that she's a grown woman.
I liked watching Jack and Belle grow closer while their
attraction grows stronger. Jack appears to be settling in well with his new
construction job, the rental house he is renovating for his boss, and his
adoption of the dog that brought him and Belle together. But underneath the
surface, Jack is being eaten by the guilt he brought home from his last
deployment. Those feelings throw up a barrier between Jack and Belle because he
refuses to discuss it with her. Belle wants to help Jack, but he won't let her
in, so she starts digging on her own. Trouble happens when she comes on a little
too strong, and Jack gets angry over her interference. I loved that Belle had
the strength to stand up for her needs and refused to settle. I hurt for
Jack, who knew he'd been a jerk but was
afraid of her reaction if he told her everything.
It takes a phone call from Jack's past and a bit of a
butt-kicking from the caller for Jack to see the truth. I loved seeing him
finally take the needed steps to deal with his issues and their effect on his
outlook. I liked his big moment with Belle and their agreement that they can
handle anything as long as they are together.
I enjoyed the scenes of Jack with his three-legged pittie
named Sarge. The dog had a significant impact on his life and his future. Jack's
idea of matching older/special needs animals from the shelter with veterans was
beautiful. I especially enjoyed seeing Jack match his friend Marcus with the
black cat named Diva. I hope to see more of Pets2Vets in later books.
There was a little more about the series' overarching
story of the mysterious gifts from the big wedding. In this book, Belle has a
framed rose picture with a verse and the initials MAF. How is it connected to
the previous book's horsehead statue and safe deposit key? I can't wait to
follow along and find out.
My only quibble with the book was pretty minor. Jack is
twenty-five years old but stated that he was a captain in the army. He quit college
after two semesters to work construction, then joined the army. He would not
have gone in as an officer without a college degree. Becoming an officer from
the enlisted ranks isn't easy or quick, and you still need to have a college
degree by the time you are commissioned. The average age of a captain who enters
service after graduating college is twenty-seven. This did not hinder my
enjoyment of the book, though it did pull me out of the story for a few
minutes.
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