Series: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Book 7)
Finn Brannigan has a need for speed. Fast cars, fast
jets, and the fast life that comes with being a TOPGUN naval aviator. He's
flying missions over Afghanistan when his media mogul father dies unexpectedly,
leaving Finn an airline in the wilds of the Alaskan wilderness. Which is a cool
surprise, though he hasn't a clue what he's supposed to do with three small
planes half a world away.
Nine months later, burned out from multiple deployments,
Finn leaves the Navy and heads north to the Last Frontier to escape the world.
But his planned isolation is blown to bits when a runaway bride insists he fly
her to her planned honeymoon cabin located in his remote mountain town of
Caribou.
As the short Alaskan summer spins out, Finn finds himself
wanting to slow the days down and savor every delicious moment with the
free-spirited singer/songwriter who’s made him feel alive again.
Tori Cassidy has had it with dishonest, cheating
playboys. Alaskan bush pilot Finn Brannigan is exactly the kind of man she can
envision building a life with. Hardworking. Honest. Ordinary.
There’s just one problem: Finn is lying about who he
really is.
Good conclusion to the series. Finn is the youngest of
the Brannigans, and at this point the only one left unattached. As a Navy pilot
he's enjoyed the adrenaline rush associated with it and the attentions of the
ladies on the ground. However, between his father's death and two near-death
experiences, Finn is ready for his next adventure. Conveniently, his father
left him an airline in the wilds of Alaska, giving Finn a chance to enjoy some
peace and quiet. To aid in that, he doesn't tell anyone in Caribou, Alaska,
that he's the new owner of the airline. They all believe that he's just another
pilot. His peace and quiet come to an abrupt end when he picks up a runaway
bride who plans to use the intended honeymoon cabin for her own chance at peace
and quiet.
Tori has had a rough year. Her singing career is at a
standstill while the now-bankrupt recording studio finds a buyer for her
contract, leaving her broke. Her engagement to her childhood crush comes to a
crashing end when she discovers his cheating, lying, and actual plans for the
future. I had to laugh when she reminisced about finding out about his cheating
and how she thought about "Bobbitizing" him. I'm old enough to
remember that event, especially since it happened not far from where I lived. Tori
may be down, but she isn't out. She is determined to write some new songs and restart
her career, even if she has to go back to the beginning to do it.
Both Finn and Tori get a shock when he arrives in Anchorage
to pick up a honeymoon couple. They had had an intense one-night encounter a
year earlier, something that neither of them was able to forget. I enjoyed that
reunion as the sparks flew fast and furious between them. Finn rocked the cocky
pilot attitude, pulling out all the stops in flirting with Tori. Tori can't
deny that the sparks are still there, but she's not in the mood to restart
anything with Finn. I liked how Finn backed off a bit, his protective instincts
coming up when he realizes that she's hurting. I loved the way he looked after
her that first night when he went to check on her and found her somewhat the
worse for champagne.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Finn and Tori. Finn was all for seeing where the sparks would take them, but
Tori wasn't so sure. The depth of the connection she felt during their
one-night encounter had scared her into running. Meeting Finn again stirs up
those same feelings and the same fears. Because of her past, Tori has trouble
believing that love lasts. While Finn started out going for the attraction, it
wasn't long before he realized that there was something more going on. But he
too had some issues believing that love was in the cards for him. It was great
fun to see him call one of his brothers for advice, and have that brother bust
out laughing because he'd done the same thing. Finn also has the problem of Tori not knowing
that he is a billionaire's son and owner of the airline. He knows he has to
tell her but keeps putting it off for the "right time." I ached for
both of them when the truth came out. Finn knows he screwed up, but he isn't
going to give up. Tori rightly felt betrayed, and it only added to her belief
that love never lasts. I liked the lecture she received from her best friend,
and what she did with the advice she got. Tori's big moment was great as she
used her music to tell Finn how she felt.
The central theme that ran through all seven books was
the importance of family. From a collection of brothers that rarely spoke to
each other, much less spent time together at the beginning, to the loving, supportive
brotherhood they became, their journeys were unique and emotional. Though their
father had been an absentee one after their mother's death, with each book the
depth of his love for his sons became more evident. In Finn's case, he had it a
little easier than his brothers because his father spent some quality time with
him on their trip to Alaska. There was also an interesting twist to the Alaska connection
that I didn't see coming, showing that Finn wasn't the only one who had
secrets. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up to the series. The scene in the
library was a moving one, and I loved that Finn was the one to start the new
tradition.
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