Series: Honeymoon Harbor (Book 3)Summertime is the best time to lose yourself in the romance of Honeymoon Harbor…
When he lands in the emergency room after collapsing at the funeral of a colleague and friend, Wall Street hotshot Gabriel Mannion initially rejects the diagnosis of an anxiety attack. But when warned that if he doesn't change his adrenaline-fueled, workaholic lifestyle he could end up like his friend, Gabe reluctantly returns to his hometown of Honeymoon Harbor to regroup.
As he adjusts to the sight of mountains instead of skyscrapers, Gabe discovers advantages to this small Pacific Northwest town he once couldn't wait to escape. But it's irresistible librarian Chelsea Prescott who, along with the two foster children she's taken under her wing, makes slowing down seem like the best prescription ever.
Over the course of their summer romance, Gabe gets a taste of the life he might have had if he'd taken a different path. But with his return to New York City looming on the horizon, he'll have to choose between the success he's worked tirelessly for and a ready-made family who offers a very different, richly rewarding future…if he'll only take the risk.
It's been a while since I read a JoAnn Ross book, and this one reminded me why I like them so much. This one takes two people who are very different and shows how right for each other they are. The story opens with the youngest Mannion brother, Gabe. He couldn't wait to get out of his small town and test himself in the city. He has become so immersed in his Wall Street life that he doesn't even go home for family events. But when he collapses at a friend's funeral, the doctor makes it clear that if Gabe doesn't change his workaholic ways, he's likely to follow in his friend's footsteps. Reluctantly, Gabe heads back to Honeymoon Harbor for the summer. After three weeks, he's slowly going nuts with boredom when his brother suggests he dust off his high school boatmaking skills. So Gabe immerses himself in building a Viking faering and ignoring any and all interruptions. Until Chelsea shows up, looking for his help with her library's summer kids' program. He's quite rude to her, a reflex to push her away because he feels an immediate attraction to her.
Chelsea has lived her whole life in Honeymoon Harbor. Her childhood was difficult when her little sister got sick and died, with the stress and grief tearing her parents apart. Chelsea coped by spending as much time as possible at the library. The librarian became a friend and mentor, and now Chelsea is the head librarian. She loves encouraging people, especially children, to read, and is full of ideas for her summer programs. When she hears about Gabe and his boat, she's determined to get him on board. She doesn't expect a Mannion to be so cold and rude, and leaves the workshop furious with him - and unexpectedly attracted. But she's not about to give up on getting him involved.
I loved the development of Gabe and Chelsea's relationship. The sparks flew between them from the beginning. Gabe is reluctant at first to pursue anything because he sees her as the forever type and he plans to be gone again after Labor Day. Chelsea is attracted, but not interested in a relationship. She keeps herself closed off, determined to guard her heart against pain and loss. I loved the scene where Chelsea rowed across the lake to beard the dragon in his den and found a meeting of the minds (and bodies) instead. I had to laugh at Gabe's description of her as a velvet bulldozer, able to roll right over any of his objections to her program. They then moved on to a frank discussion of their attraction and, realizing that neither wants anything permanent, decide to go for a summer fling. I loved watching them start the getting to know each other process while at the same time respecting each other's boundaries. Those boundaries get blurry very fast when two young girls come into Chelsea's life.
Chelsea befriended two young foster girls who hung out in the library every day after school. She saw a lot of herself in the older girl, Hannah, and found herself getting more and more involved in their lives. When circumstances led to the loss of their current foster home, Chelsea stepped in to become a foster parent herself. Gabe is stunned to find himself just as involved, in spite of frequent self-doubts about what he is doing. I loved seeing how deeply Hannah and Hailey touched both their hearts. There were fantastic scenes of the four of them together, of Chelsea doing "girl things" with them, and them slowly becoming a family. I loved Gabe and Chelsea's attempts to find time for themselves and laughed out loud at "The List." Gabe totally melted my heart when he got Hannah involved in helping with his boatbuilding. I ached for Hannah, who found it very hard to trust the adults in her life, as she slowly opened herself up to Gabe and Chelsea.
Though Chelsea embraces her new reality and looks to making the girls a permanent part of her life, Gabe still has his eyes set on his return to New York. There were the occasional moments when I had high hopes that he would see how much happier he was now, but he would always fight them off. Then he goes and pulls a genuinely boneheaded move, at his sister's wedding of all places. I cried for Chelsea's heartbreak and cheered when she blasted him for it. Even Hannah got into the act, capped off by his own brother. I liked Gabe's big moment at the end, though I'm not sure that Chelsea made him work hard enough to dig himself out of trouble.
I loved the small town vibe and the way that everyone looks out for each other. It was great to see how many people got involved in Chelsea's library program. I also loved the scene at the fire when so many people stepped up to make sure that Chelsea could take care of Hannah and Hailey. The foster moms' support group was another example of people helping each other, with a great mix of serious and fun advice.
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