Series:
Fortunes of Texas: The Wedding Gift (Book 4)
All that's missing is the glass slipper…
High school teacher and aspiring artist Ginny Sanders
knows she is not Draper Fortune's type. Content to admire her fabulous and
flirty new neighbor from a distance, she is stunned when he asks her out. What
would the superwealthy, superhandsome Fortune want with her? Draper is charmed
by the sensitive teacher, but when he learns why she doesn't date, he must
decide if he can be the man she needs…
Good opposites attract story. Ginny and Draper appeared
in the previous book,
Anyone but a Fortune. Draper is Beau Fortune's brother,
and they shared a house while building their investment business. Ginny is their
quiet next-door neighbor.
This book opens as Ginny witnesses the vocal breakup of
Draper and his latest girlfriend. Ginny watches, slightly embarrassed and
somewhat amused, as Draper is clueless about the woman's motivation. Draper is
also embarrassed that Ginny witnessed the whole debacle. While they've been
neighbors for a few months, there hasn't been much interaction other than polite
chit-chat. Now dateless for an upcoming art fundraiser, Draper asks Ginny if
she'd like to go with him.
Ginny is an artist who recently returned to painting
after a traumatic experience in college silenced her desire to paint. As a new
year's resolution, she decided she would finish a small painting daily. After
getting home from her teaching job each day, she heads to her porch to work on
that day's painting. I loved her determination and the reawakening of the
happiness she gets from it. She's stunned that he asked her out but steps outside
her comfort zone and agrees.
I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship
between Draper and Ginny. Draper is well-known as a ladies' man. He leans
toward women who are beautiful and part of his world but never stays with any
woman for long. He doesn't understand why he is so drawn to Ginny, who is opposite
his usual date. It was lovely to see how he took an interest in her art and
wanted to help her. As they spend more time together, the attraction they feel
grows stronger, though Ginny's past throws a road bump into their developing
relationship. I liked Draper's sensitivity in not pushing her and Ginny's
realization that she trusts him.
While Ginny feels herself falling for Draper, he freaks
out about his growing feelings for her. It all comes to a head when he takes
her to New Orleans to a gallery showing that includes some of her work. Ginny
feels like a fish out of water among the wealthy attendees. A feeling that
isn't helped when women from his past are all over Draper. But Draper's fears
have him behaving like a jerk until Ginny has had enough. Her anger and hurt
were understandable, and I loved seeing her stand up for herself.
Draper earned every bit of the misery he felt. He behaved
horribly, and he knew it. It took some serious soul-searching for him to
realize what his problem was. He was determined to win Ginny back. I had to
shake my head as his first few attempts showed that he still didn't get it. It
took some outside advice to open his eyes. I had a good idea of what his big
moment would include, and I was happy to see I was right. He still had to work
for Ginny's forgiveness, but he redeemed himself very well in the end.
There is a little progress in the overarching series question
of the mysterious gifts. Counting from the first book, there was a figurine
with a key inside it, a painting, a pink blanket with an F on it, and now a
record with an old song. I liked seeing the various members of the Fortune
family work together to figure it out. I'm looking forward to seeing how the
latest discovery works out.
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