Series: Heartbreaker Bay (Book 4)
Meet cute...
Run for the hills -- temporarily. That's Colbie
Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy
family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken
its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under
the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival.
Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas
among strangers. But she's pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won't be a stranger for
long.
Make merry...
Spence's commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of
Relationships Past means he doesn't have to worry about the powerful -- okay, crazy
hot -- chemistry he's got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything,
especially herself... just because she's gorgeous and a great listener…just
because she “gets” Spence immediately doesn't mean he won't be able to let
Colbie go. Does it?
…and hope for a miracle.
Now the clock's ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks
to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this
Christmas last a lifetime.
Fun trip back to San Francisco and the magical fountain
of love. I've been looking forward to Spence's story and loved that he found
someone so perfect for him. Spence has a big heart that he hides behind a loner
façade. He is a brilliant inventor who gets lost in his work, which has been
the death of several relationships. Having decided that love and work don't
mix, he has written romance out of his life. His friends are his family, and that's
enough for him until he collides with Colbie.
Colbie is the famous author of a young adult fantasy
series and the glue that holds her family together. When the stress of writing
a new book and wrangling her helpless family members gets too much, she runs
away from home. Thanks to an unforeseen series of events, she ends up in San
Francisco instead of a tropical island. The next thing she knows, an out-of-control
dog knocks her into a fountain, and she's pulled out by the best-looking man
she's ever seen.
I loved seeing the relationship develop between Colbie
and Spence. The sparks flew between them from the moment Spence pulled Colbie
out of the fountain. She so enchanted him that he acted entirely out of character,
from rescuing her from the fountain to renting her an apartment in his
building. Colbie was just as attracted to Spence but wary. She's only in town
for three weeks for rest and relaxation and to get her writing mojo back. Spence
suddenly finds himself willing to put his work aside to help Colbie fulfill her
bucket list of things to do while in San Francisco.
Neither Colbie nor Spence is interested in a
relationship. Colbie has too much on her plate, and she won't be around for
long. Spence's aversion to relationships is well known. But nothing says they
can't indulge in a fling while she's there and enjoy each other's company. I
loved watching Spence come out of hiding and take pleasure in surprising Colbie
with various activities. The serious and introverted workaholic becomes a bit
more social, and his friends are stunned by the changes they see in him. Colbie
has been so immersed in her writing and caring for her family that doing fun
things for herself had never been possible until she met Spence. I loved the
friendship that grew between them and how easily they understood each other.
Neither gets bent out of shape if one gets lost in a project or a moment of
inspiration.
I loved their time together and seeing them learn to
balance their lives. It doesn't take too long to realize they want more togetherness.
But neither is ready to risk rejection by saying anything, as each assumes that
the other is still in "fling" mode. Then a misunderstanding makes
things awkward between them, and Colbie plans to leave early. The scene before
she leaves is heartbreakingly emotional as Colbie allows her fears to keep her
from admitting what she wants. Just a few days apart, and some kick-in-the-pants
conversations with those who love them make Spence and Colbie realize what
they've given up.
I loved the ending and seeing Spence and Colbie let go of
their fears and find joy together. The scene at the pub was fantastic, with not
just an emotional reunion but a funny reminder of just how well Spence
understands her. The epilogue was terrific, with a surprise from a sweetly
awkward Spence.
One of the things I love about this series is the close
group of friends that it is centered around. Each has their unique quirks and
personalities that make them real and relatable. In this book, Elle was one of
my favorites. She is very protective of Spence, which makes her suspicious of
Colbie, especially considering Colbie's secretiveness about some things. Colbie
eventually wins her over just by being herself, and in the end, she and Elle
are friends. I liked how accepting of Colbie the whole gang was, especially
when they saw what she meant to Spence. I also loved Eddie, the homeless man
who hangs out in the courtyard. His advice to the residents is always spot-on. There
was a revelation about Eddie and his past that I never saw coming but made his
advice to Spence especially poignant.
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