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Pine Harbour #3
Love on a Spring Morning
Duplicity. Desire. Denial. They were doomed from the start.
Ryan Howard has zero interest in the movie being filmed in Pine Harbour or the high maintenance stars staying in the cottages at the end of his lane. He's just barely holding on to the raw remains of his life and the fantasy world being concocted around him is, as far as he's concerned, a complete waste of time and energy. The one bright light in his life is an intern on the set, Holly Cresinski, and their quiet conversations at the end of the day on his back porch.
Holly hates her life, too, which is entirely unfair because she’s blessed beyond measure. She’s at the top of her career--as film actress, Hope Creswell--and surrounded by people that mean well. But Ryan makes her laugh, and cry, and before she can find the words to explain her deception, he kisses her.
This is book #3 in the upcoming Pine Harbour series by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York.
Ryan Howard has zero interest in the movie being filmed in Pine Harbour or the high maintenance stars staying in the cottages at the end of his lane. He's just barely holding on to the raw remains of his life and the fantasy world being concocted around him is, as far as he's concerned, a complete waste of time and energy. The one bright light in his life is an intern on the set, Holly Cresinski, and their quiet conversations at the end of the day on his back porch.
Holly hates her life, too, which is entirely unfair because she’s blessed beyond measure. She’s at the top of her career--as film actress, Hope Creswell--and surrounded by people that mean well. But Ryan makes her laugh, and cry, and before she can find the words to explain her deception, he kisses her.
This is book #3 in the upcoming Pine Harbour series by NYT and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York.
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First published March 15, 2015
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About the author
Zoe York
127books1,312followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Zoe York is a busy working mom of two young boys, wife to a very understanding soldier, and creator of modern, sexy, small town contemporary romances.
She lives in London, Ontario and is currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and dreaming of heroes in and out of uniform.
She lives in London, Ontario and is currently chugging Americanos, wiping sticky fingers, and dreaming of heroes in and out of uniform.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
June 17, 2015
3.75 stars
After loving , I'm happy to dive into as I desperately want Ryan to find love again after the death of his wife.
We met Ryan Howard briefly in Book 1 and witnessed the unfortunate tragedy that befall his wife, Lynn. Ryan's life experienced a major shift and now he had to dedicate his time to be a full-time dad to his three growing kids. Three! It sounds seriously overwhelming, no wonder Ryan drove himself to hit the bottle every night.
Holly Cresinki, known by the public as Hope Creswell, is in Pine Harbor for the shooting for her upcoming movie. With her crew renting Ryan's in-laws cottage, she get to know the burly family man who happens to be her new short term neighbor. In order to forge a real friendship with Ryan, she decided to introduce herself as Holly and let him assume she is just a crew staff.
Before starting this, I'm feeling slightly reserved because I worried there will be too much grieving from Ryan's part. It might make it hard for me to believe he can move on if he was too hang up with his wife. I'm glad Zoe manage to convey his love for his wife without having it overshadowing his new feelings for Holly. Though I have to say Ryan was acting like an ass on a few occasion that left me feeling torn whether to smack him because he was so harsh to Holly or to cuddle him because I understand his heart is still a fragile little thing.
I enjoyed seeing how these two individuals who are so different, one a local army guy that looks like a lumberjack and another is a big time celebrity, are able to find solace, acceptance and love in each other.
"Knowing that I'm optional in your life... that's scary."
"You're not optional. I don't know how you'll fit... as a friend or more. But pushing you away hurt me as much as it hurt you."
Holly is a likable heroine, a famous girl who wish she can lead a normal life. I can understand why she was so drawn to Ryan, her cute lumberjack. Hah! I wish I can have a scene with Ryan wielding an axe. Woman should never be afraid of chasing what they want. So even though Ryan seems to have an awful lot of baggage to see what's in front of him, Holly never fail to make him realize she is always there for him.
I felt that most of the book is about them unable to be together due to Ryan's situation and later his hang up about her true identity. Although I enjoyed their stolen moments, when they are away from the kids, I wish we can get more scene of them being together as a family. The epilogue is simply too short for me to understand the full extend of their future life. I hope is not too much for me to wish for a novella to see how's their life few years down the road fare.
After loving , I'm happy to dive into as I desperately want Ryan to find love again after the death of his wife.
We met Ryan Howard briefly in Book 1 and witnessed the unfortunate tragedy that befall his wife, Lynn. Ryan's life experienced a major shift and now he had to dedicate his time to be a full-time dad to his three growing kids. Three! It sounds seriously overwhelming, no wonder Ryan drove himself to hit the bottle every night.
Holly Cresinki, known by the public as Hope Creswell, is in Pine Harbor for the shooting for her upcoming movie. With her crew renting Ryan's in-laws cottage, she get to know the burly family man who happens to be her new short term neighbor. In order to forge a real friendship with Ryan, she decided to introduce herself as Holly and let him assume she is just a crew staff.
Before starting this, I'm feeling slightly reserved because I worried there will be too much grieving from Ryan's part. It might make it hard for me to believe he can move on if he was too hang up with his wife. I'm glad Zoe manage to convey his love for his wife without having it overshadowing his new feelings for Holly. Though I have to say Ryan was acting like an ass on a few occasion that left me feeling torn whether to smack him because he was so harsh to Holly or to cuddle him because I understand his heart is still a fragile little thing.
I enjoyed seeing how these two individuals who are so different, one a local army guy that looks like a lumberjack and another is a big time celebrity, are able to find solace, acceptance and love in each other.
"Knowing that I'm optional in your life... that's scary."
"You're not optional. I don't know how you'll fit... as a friend or more. But pushing you away hurt me as much as it hurt you."
Holly is a likable heroine, a famous girl who wish she can lead a normal life. I can understand why she was so drawn to Ryan, her cute lumberjack. Hah! I wish I can have a scene with Ryan wielding an axe. Woman should never be afraid of chasing what they want. So even though Ryan seems to have an awful lot of baggage to see what's in front of him, Holly never fail to make him realize she is always there for him.
I felt that most of the book is about them unable to be together due to Ryan's situation and later his hang up about her true identity. Although I enjoyed their stolen moments, when they are away from the kids, I wish we can get more scene of them being together as a family. The epilogue is simply too short for me to understand the full extend of their future life. I hope is not too much for me to wish for a novella to see how's their life few years down the road fare.
August 28, 2015
That was painful. Mainly because Ryan was not a very likable character. He was angry all the time. With everyone and everything. Even Holly had to thread carefully not to say/do anything that might trigger his anger.
And lets be honest and just call what they had as a rebound fling. No need to sweeten it all up and call it romance. Because Ryan was clearly not looking for romance/relationship so early after the passing of his wife. From the start everything was about lust with him. He said so himself. To her. Three times.
“I’m a mess, Holly, inside and out. This? Us? We were a vacation from the mess. You don’t want any part of that. I like you. So much. But I’m never going to be able to love you. I want to. God, you have to believe that. You’re the most wonderful person. You’ve brought me back to life. And yet…the tiny bit of my soul that is capable of love is busy being a full-time parent to three kids who half the time just hate me for not being their mom.�
I aint feeling the lurve with this one. A painful 2 STARS.
And lets be honest and just call what they had as a rebound fling. No need to sweeten it all up and call it romance. Because Ryan was clearly not looking for romance/relationship so early after the passing of his wife. From the start everything was about lust with him. He said so himself. To her. Three times.
“I’m a mess, Holly, inside and out. This? Us? We were a vacation from the mess. You don’t want any part of that. I like you. So much. But I’m never going to be able to love you. I want to. God, you have to believe that. You’re the most wonderful person. You’ve brought me back to life. And yet…the tiny bit of my soul that is capable of love is busy being a full-time parent to three kids who half the time just hate me for not being their mom.�
I aint feeling the lurve with this one. A painful 2 STARS.
March 10, 2017
�4 STARS!�
☾omg I was so frustrated with myself when I was reading this book because I kept thinking the main characters name was JACK! it's not. Haha but thinking about it now is funny. Anyways, I usually don't like reading books where either party has children, but this was too cute to pass up.
☾Holly seems like honestly the sweetest person, harmless, and kind of lost. I didn't really get the vibe that she had passion for her job as an actress. So when they had issues due to her being in the spotlight I was having trouble reading those scenes. I mean she didn't say it was really important to her? I felt like it was just used to make the plot more interesting & it already was!
☾Ryan and his kids are adorable! His youngest, Maya is SO CUTE! He calls her "boo" throughout the entire book and it's just cute, idk how else to describe the cuteness. He frustrated me outside of how he behaved with his kids, I feel like he didn't have anything useful to say half the time? Okay that's harsh, I mean he would say something and not have an argument to back it up and it was frustrating.
☾omg I was so frustrated with myself when I was reading this book because I kept thinking the main characters name was JACK! it's not. Haha but thinking about it now is funny. Anyways, I usually don't like reading books where either party has children, but this was too cute to pass up.
☾Holly seems like honestly the sweetest person, harmless, and kind of lost. I didn't really get the vibe that she had passion for her job as an actress. So when they had issues due to her being in the spotlight I was having trouble reading those scenes. I mean she didn't say it was really important to her? I felt like it was just used to make the plot more interesting & it already was!
☾Ryan and his kids are adorable! His youngest, Maya is SO CUTE! He calls her "boo" throughout the entire book and it's just cute, idk how else to describe the cuteness. He frustrated me outside of how he behaved with his kids, I feel like he didn't have anything useful to say half the time? Okay that's harsh, I mean he would say something and not have an argument to back it up and it was frustrating.
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July 12, 2017Excerpt:
Without letting go of her hips, he settled himself on the chair again, and she straddled his lap. In her tight spandex pants, she could feel every inch of how much he wanted her, and she rolled her hips, nestling his cock right at the apex of her heat. “Come here,� she whispered, pulling his face to hers.
This kiss wasn’t like the ones on the deck outside the lake house.
This wasn’t just a kiss. This was heated foreplay and hunger let loose. She took her time, and he let her, but his hands were all over her back and her butt, and beneath her his entire body had turned to granite.
Her mountain man, in every sense of the word.
She pressed his lips open with hers, filled his mouth with her tongue. Slow, seductive strokes. Wet, teasing tastes. Breaths in and out, his air becoming hers and vice versa. All of it quieter than quiet and hotter than hot.
“How short do you want it?� she breathed after a time, as she kissed her way to his ear. She nosed at the yummy spot beneath his jaw, wanting to roll around in the perfection of his warm, tight skin.
“W?�
“Your hair.�
“That wasn’t a ruse for you to get in my pants?�
“Nope.� She pushed back, bracing her hands on his shoulders. “I really want to cut your hair.�
He blinked at her, his face blank with confusion, and she giggled.
“You kiss me like a porn star and then take a break to cut my damn hair?� Pressing his fingers into the small of her back, he urged her closer, and she almost went. Her lips were still wet from his tongue and her mouth was already lonely.
But she had a task, and she really wanted to get it done.
“And just how do you know how a porn star kisses?� She mock frowned at him.
“We have the internet.�
“For that, I’m going to take my time.�
“I take it back. I’m an altar boy. You’re an angel. Come back here with those angelic lips…�
She slipped off his lap, keeping her hands on his bare torso as she swayed around his body. “You look like a ruffian.�
“Okay, let’s go with that. I’m a bad boy.� He reached his long arms behind him and possessively gripped the backs of her thighs, pinning her against the chair. “I’d like to corrupt you, come back to my lap.�
“You’re a reputable community member and a father and a member of the military. You need a haircut.�
Without letting go of her hips, he settled himself on the chair again, and she straddled his lap. In her tight spandex pants, she could feel every inch of how much he wanted her, and she rolled her hips, nestling his cock right at the apex of her heat. “Come here,� she whispered, pulling his face to hers.
This kiss wasn’t like the ones on the deck outside the lake house.
This wasn’t just a kiss. This was heated foreplay and hunger let loose. She took her time, and he let her, but his hands were all over her back and her butt, and beneath her his entire body had turned to granite.
Her mountain man, in every sense of the word.
She pressed his lips open with hers, filled his mouth with her tongue. Slow, seductive strokes. Wet, teasing tastes. Breaths in and out, his air becoming hers and vice versa. All of it quieter than quiet and hotter than hot.
“How short do you want it?� she breathed after a time, as she kissed her way to his ear. She nosed at the yummy spot beneath his jaw, wanting to roll around in the perfection of his warm, tight skin.
“W?�
“Your hair.�
“That wasn’t a ruse for you to get in my pants?�
“Nope.� She pushed back, bracing her hands on his shoulders. “I really want to cut your hair.�
He blinked at her, his face blank with confusion, and she giggled.
“You kiss me like a porn star and then take a break to cut my damn hair?� Pressing his fingers into the small of her back, he urged her closer, and she almost went. Her lips were still wet from his tongue and her mouth was already lonely.
But she had a task, and she really wanted to get it done.
“And just how do you know how a porn star kisses?� She mock frowned at him.
“We have the internet.�
“For that, I’m going to take my time.�
“I take it back. I’m an altar boy. You’re an angel. Come back here with those angelic lips…�
She slipped off his lap, keeping her hands on his bare torso as she swayed around his body. “You look like a ruffian.�
“Okay, let’s go with that. I’m a bad boy.� He reached his long arms behind him and possessively gripped the backs of her thighs, pinning her against the chair. “I’d like to corrupt you, come back to my lap.�
“You’re a reputable community member and a father and a member of the military. You need a haircut.�
May 31, 2015
Ryan Howard is raising his 3 kids alone after his wife died unexpectedly a few months ago. Holly is actress Hope Creswell and she's in town filming a movie, staying at Ryan's in-laws cabin. Ryan can't help noticing Holly, she's beautiful and sweet but he's not ready for a relationship. Plus, he doesn't know that Holly is actually the famous actress in town filming a movie. I really enjoyed the build up between these characters and their relationship. Ryan's kids were really sweet and he was such a good dad. I really enjoyed a lot about this story. There were parts that were sad because Ryan still struggles so much with Lynn's death but overall, this story was very sweet.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
June 3, 2015
ARC kindly provided by for an honest review
is a story of trust. It's a story of forgiveness, growth, friendship, love and acceptance. It's the story of two people, broken from their own life experiences and hiding from life the best that they can. Until they meet.
Hope Creswell needs a break. She's been acting since she was just a small child and has been supporting herself and her mother since she can remember. And she's done. She just needs a break. So when she's driving down the winding road leading to the cottage she is to call home for the next couple of months, she decides to seize the moment and take her break. You see, the movie she's a bout to film in the town of Pine Harbour, doesn't begin shooting for about a week. SO, she has the next couple of days to herself. To be anything she wants to be. And she chooses to be Holly Cresinski, the real girl hiding behind the actress.
Ryan Howard lost his wife to freak accident, but truth be told, he lost her long before she got herself shot and died. He holds a lot of guilt inside, remorse and even anger. And now he's a single dad to three adorable children, all with very distinct and different personalities to match their different methods of coping with the loss of their mother. He's a just a man looking to get thru the day.
The cottages the film crew are renting are on Ryan's property, well, his in-laws, so that makes him the go-to guy if there is an issue with one of them that needs resolving. And that is how Holly and Ryan meet :) The connection they share is instant. Yes, it's physical at first, but it turns into something so much more very quickly. But Holly's got a BIG secret and Ryan doesn't really have anything to give. His emotions are spent. His heart is closed. He's got nothing left for anyone but his kids. Except there's this pull. This connection. That neither one can fight. So under moonlit skies full of stars, a relationship begins to form.... unbeknownst to either of them. But as secrets are exposed and normal drama that follows any celebrity comes crashing down around them, the very fragile connection they share threatens to snap!
Ryan and Holly Hope (as I like to refer to her lol) are what I like to refer to as kismet. Even though Ryan didn't know it, the strength, perseverance, understanding, friendship AND love that Holly Hope gave him is exactly what the doctor ordered for not only himself, but for his children. And it is those exact qualities in Holly Hope herself that is exactly what the doctor ordered for her future happiness. Kismet !
There are quite a few bumps on this road, and you will find yourself smiling, laughing AND crying at any given point in this story but most of all, you will find yourself hoping ... hoping for that connection to not snap, but most of all, you will find yourself BELIEVING ...kismet.
What a beautiful story this was. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't see it wrapping up as well as it did. For this reader, Ryan pushed Holly Hope away from him way too much, and quite honestly, some of the times I even wondered what the heck was going on in his brain when he did! LOL And Holly Hope came running back way too easily. She gave Ryan a lot of rope. And for that he's lucky. My opinion on this does not take away from the pure pleasure I felt while reading this story. Every struggle and every push and every pull had its reason, and made sure to express that in the storyline. She did an exceptional job in taking the story full circle and giving us characters that although I may want to slap around a few times for their harsh judgment decision making, I still felt deeply for them. And in the end, I found myself rooting for that HEA! ..... KISMET
is a story of trust. It's a story of forgiveness, growth, friendship, love and acceptance. It's the story of two people, broken from their own life experiences and hiding from life the best that they can. Until they meet.
Hope Creswell needs a break. She's been acting since she was just a small child and has been supporting herself and her mother since she can remember. And she's done. She just needs a break. So when she's driving down the winding road leading to the cottage she is to call home for the next couple of months, she decides to seize the moment and take her break. You see, the movie she's a bout to film in the town of Pine Harbour, doesn't begin shooting for about a week. SO, she has the next couple of days to herself. To be anything she wants to be. And she chooses to be Holly Cresinski, the real girl hiding behind the actress.
Ryan Howard lost his wife to freak accident, but truth be told, he lost her long before she got herself shot and died. He holds a lot of guilt inside, remorse and even anger. And now he's a single dad to three adorable children, all with very distinct and different personalities to match their different methods of coping with the loss of their mother. He's a just a man looking to get thru the day.
The cottages the film crew are renting are on Ryan's property, well, his in-laws, so that makes him the go-to guy if there is an issue with one of them that needs resolving. And that is how Holly and Ryan meet :) The connection they share is instant. Yes, it's physical at first, but it turns into something so much more very quickly. But Holly's got a BIG secret and Ryan doesn't really have anything to give. His emotions are spent. His heart is closed. He's got nothing left for anyone but his kids. Except there's this pull. This connection. That neither one can fight. So under moonlit skies full of stars, a relationship begins to form.... unbeknownst to either of them. But as secrets are exposed and normal drama that follows any celebrity comes crashing down around them, the very fragile connection they share threatens to snap!
Ryan and Holly Hope (as I like to refer to her lol) are what I like to refer to as kismet. Even though Ryan didn't know it, the strength, perseverance, understanding, friendship AND love that Holly Hope gave him is exactly what the doctor ordered for not only himself, but for his children. And it is those exact qualities in Holly Hope herself that is exactly what the doctor ordered for her future happiness. Kismet !
There are quite a few bumps on this road, and you will find yourself smiling, laughing AND crying at any given point in this story but most of all, you will find yourself hoping ... hoping for that connection to not snap, but most of all, you will find yourself BELIEVING ...kismet.
What a beautiful story this was. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't see it wrapping up as well as it did. For this reader, Ryan pushed Holly Hope away from him way too much, and quite honestly, some of the times I even wondered what the heck was going on in his brain when he did! LOL And Holly Hope came running back way too easily. She gave Ryan a lot of rope. And for that he's lucky. My opinion on this does not take away from the pure pleasure I felt while reading this story. Every struggle and every push and every pull had its reason, and made sure to express that in the storyline. She did an exceptional job in taking the story full circle and giving us characters that although I may want to slap around a few times for their harsh judgment decision making, I still felt deeply for them. And in the end, I found myself rooting for that HEA! ..... KISMET
June 3, 2015
York's writing is as strong as always, which makes for well-crafted characters and emotions that felt so real and true. But that's actually a problem here, as the romance was rather unromantic.
Have you ever seen a relationship where you want to tell one of them, "I'm happy that you're happy but..." ? That's what I wanted to do to Holly; I liked her too much to see her pine endlessly after Ryan and put in so much (ALL the) effort just to be put through the emotional wringer by Ryan's mental state. Yea, I get that surprise-single-parenthood is tough for Ryan, but that just meant I was ready to see him grow, not waddle around, unable to reign in his outbursts until the final moments of the book (where the HEA-switch is flipped, just like that).
The biggest problem of all, though, is how Ryan relates to Holly's past. Holly's background consists of growing up with a selfish mother, having trouble finding true emotional partners, and walking through life with a pervading sense of loneliness. The book's solution for that? A closed-off guy who's more concerned with his own demons than Holly's feelings and who pushes Holly away every time things get tough. PERFECT.
Have you ever seen a relationship where you want to tell one of them, "I'm happy that you're happy but..." ? That's what I wanted to do to Holly; I liked her too much to see her pine endlessly after Ryan and put in so much (ALL the) effort just to be put through the emotional wringer by Ryan's mental state. Yea, I get that surprise-single-parenthood is tough for Ryan, but that just meant I was ready to see him grow, not waddle around, unable to reign in his outbursts until the final moments of the book (where the HEA-switch is flipped, just like that).
The biggest problem of all, though, is how Ryan relates to Holly's past. Holly's background consists of growing up with a selfish mother, having trouble finding true emotional partners, and walking through life with a pervading sense of loneliness. The book's solution for that? A closed-off guy who's more concerned with his own demons than Holly's feelings and who pushes Holly away every time things get tough. PERFECT.
May 29, 2015
A loving 4.5 stars goes to Zoe York's Love on a Spring Morning. Who doesn't love when two people who so desperately need love and affection find one another and fall into each other? That's exactly what happens for Holly and Ryan. Ryan's wife's death has shaken him and his children to the point where even months later they are all still emotional fragile. Holly's career and upbringing have left her feeling lonely and always questioning other's motives for wanting her. When the two meet for the first time there's the physical attraction spark that signals what is meant to follow.
Holly loves the freedom that comes with Ryan not knowing who she is. She can just be herself and not have to worry about any preconceived notions. She's open, as honest as possible, charming, compassionate, sweet, and adoring. Holly is easy to like and relate to. Holly's attraction to Ryan only grows with each of their encounters until they it snowballs and rolls over into feelings .
Ryan is now a single parent with emotional fragile and scarred children to care for and himself. He hasn't so much as looked at a woman in the months since his wife's death but something about Holly calls to him. He struggles to deal with his attraction to her and even further struggles with his growing attachment and feelings. When things get more complicated and he feels betrayed, this happens twice, Ryan takes off and shuts Holly out.
Due to persistence on Holly's end, some meddling friends, and an all consuming passion, Holly and Ryan find one another time and time again to try and make it work. Ryan's children adore Holly and she's wonderful wit them. Holly makes Ryan a better person, saving him from the darkness that has been clouding his eyes and life since his wife's death. Ryan gives Holly things she's always desired and saves her in return. The story really makes you get lost in the characters and dances heavily upon your heartstrings. I really enjoyed it and am now hunting other books to read by Zoe York.
Holly loves the freedom that comes with Ryan not knowing who she is. She can just be herself and not have to worry about any preconceived notions. She's open, as honest as possible, charming, compassionate, sweet, and adoring. Holly is easy to like and relate to. Holly's attraction to Ryan only grows with each of their encounters until they it snowballs and rolls over into feelings .
Ryan is now a single parent with emotional fragile and scarred children to care for and himself. He hasn't so much as looked at a woman in the months since his wife's death but something about Holly calls to him. He struggles to deal with his attraction to her and even further struggles with his growing attachment and feelings. When things get more complicated and he feels betrayed, this happens twice, Ryan takes off and shuts Holly out.
Due to persistence on Holly's end, some meddling friends, and an all consuming passion, Holly and Ryan find one another time and time again to try and make it work. Ryan's children adore Holly and she's wonderful wit them. Holly makes Ryan a better person, saving him from the darkness that has been clouding his eyes and life since his wife's death. Ryan gives Holly things she's always desired and saves her in return. The story really makes you get lost in the characters and dances heavily upon your heartstrings. I really enjoyed it and am now hunting other books to read by Zoe York.
October 12, 2020
she's such a sweet, quiet hurting heroine
a bit broken and a lot lonely
how I wish she loved someone worthy of her
he's an asshole
there's moody and irritable and then there's wretched and churlish
he's all four and every other synonym in this vein
he rejects her THREE times
viciously (and all other synonyms in this vein)
then he reels her in and kicks her curbside, then reels her in again
no groveling, mind you
he's moving on too soon, he hasn't grieved enough, hasn't let go of his dead wife yet
he doesn't change much until his come-to-Jesus moment - cos the book has to end somewhere
thing is, she can handle his shit
it hurts like a bitch but she just wants to be with him and his kids
he'll hurt her, has hurt her, over and over and over again, but she'll take it
he's honest with her about what he can't give her and she's okay with that too
and he indulges her as long as it doesn't interfere with his grief, guilt and his kids
so as long as she loves him, she'll be happy
also, she kind of knows that she will never be "it" for him
of course he cares for her but she's not his beginning and his end
he makes that very very clear right until and including the epilogue
a bit broken and a lot lonely
how I wish she loved someone worthy of her
he's an asshole
there's moody and irritable and then there's wretched and churlish
he's all four and every other synonym in this vein
he rejects her THREE times
viciously (and all other synonyms in this vein)
then he reels her in and kicks her curbside, then reels her in again
no groveling, mind you
he's moving on too soon, he hasn't grieved enough, hasn't let go of his dead wife yet
he doesn't change much until his come-to-Jesus moment - cos the book has to end somewhere
thing is, she can handle his shit
it hurts like a bitch but she just wants to be with him and his kids
he'll hurt her, has hurt her, over and over and over again, but she'll take it
he's honest with her about what he can't give her and she's okay with that too
and he indulges her as long as it doesn't interfere with his grief, guilt and his kids
so as long as she loves him, she'll be happy
also, she kind of knows that she will never be "it" for him
of course he cares for her but she's not his beginning and his end
he makes that very very clear right until and including the epilogue
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2015
I loved this book.
It's the story of Ryan. A single father, raising three young children. After losing his wife, his life has ben dedicated to his kids. He is in pain, he is haunted by the memory of his dead wife.
Everything in his life changes when Holly enters his life. Holly is a famous movie actress and she is immediately drawn to gruff and quiet Ryan. Their relationship is tentative but quickly attraction blooms.
Ryan doesn't want to get attached to Holly because he knows that their relationship is doomed to be quick. Holly wants more but she knows that she shouldn't have any expectations. Will their feelings win the hard reality of their lives? Will Ryan let go of the past and move forward?
I had a great time reading this book. It was emotional and heart-warming. I loved the inner conflict that Ryan went through; it was realistic. The development of their relationship was extremely satisfying.
I simply loved Holly. She was a great person and a very down to earth woman.
The writing was amazing; simply enchanting. Excellent work.
5 Stars from me
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's the story of Ryan. A single father, raising three young children. After losing his wife, his life has ben dedicated to his kids. He is in pain, he is haunted by the memory of his dead wife.
Everything in his life changes when Holly enters his life. Holly is a famous movie actress and she is immediately drawn to gruff and quiet Ryan. Their relationship is tentative but quickly attraction blooms.
Ryan doesn't want to get attached to Holly because he knows that their relationship is doomed to be quick. Holly wants more but she knows that she shouldn't have any expectations. Will their feelings win the hard reality of their lives? Will Ryan let go of the past and move forward?
I had a great time reading this book. It was emotional and heart-warming. I loved the inner conflict that Ryan went through; it was realistic. The development of their relationship was extremely satisfying.
I simply loved Holly. She was a great person and a very down to earth woman.
The writing was amazing; simply enchanting. Excellent work.
5 Stars from me
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2018
Ryan could care less about the movie shooting in his town and the stars overrunning his peaceful home. The only bright spot is an intern named Holly with a dazzling smile and a mind to match. She makes him feel alive again, something he thought he'd never feel after his wife died. But Holly is harboring a secret that has the potential to tear them apart. Can they overcome her deception or is too late?
Love on a Spring Morning is a delightful, heartwarming romance with engaging characters, witty dialogue and a little larceny when it comes to love. York portrays Ryan accurately and I felt an immediate connection with him. My heart broke for him several times as he tries to navigate his new life as a single dad and widower. Really tugged at my heartstrings. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
Love on a Spring Morning is a delightful, heartwarming romance with engaging characters, witty dialogue and a little larceny when it comes to love. York portrays Ryan accurately and I felt an immediate connection with him. My heart broke for him several times as he tries to navigate his new life as a single dad and widower. Really tugged at my heartstrings. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
July 9, 2017
What a nice healing romance, with the bonus of a celebrity/non-celebrity couple. I really found this very sweet.
(I have a minor complaint that a hero who is repeatedly described as a lumberjack does not smell like a tree, but one cannot have everything in life.)
(I have a minor complaint that a hero who is repeatedly described as a lumberjack does not smell like a tree, but one cannot have everything in life.)
Want to read
August 13, 2017Amazon freebie 8/3/17
June 2, 2015
A few tears, a few giggles, a lot of sexual tension! I do love this series and I was happy to see Ryan open to finding happiness again. LOVE the kiddos... kids always make stories a little more interesting don't they?? :)
My heart went out to Ryan as he struggles to take care of his three children on his own. But, he is a wonderful father and wants nothing more than to protect and safeguard his children. The death of his wife is surrounded by unfortunate circumstances that will always haunt him. I love how he always puts the children first, even putting his career on hold to find something that works around his now full time job as a single father.
When Holly strolls into town to work on the movie being filmed, this kind of throws a kink in his plans. She wakes up longings and urges that has him struggling with feelings of guilt and worried about the consequences of bringing a new woman into his children's lives.
Holly is very attracted to this rugged, sexy but simple living mountain man who sees her just as a regular person. Always being the center of attention as a successful actress doesn't always lead to trusting relationships. She sees something potentially real with Ryan for the first time in her life.
What started out as a hello, leads to many nights of getting to know each other on his front porch steps. Except for one thing... Ryan is unaware of her fame. His need to protect his children just might become the one thing that keeps them apart.
I loved the slow pace of this relationship. It made sense considering the emotional struggles of Ryan. It wouldn't be easy to open yourself up to a new relationship when the wounds of his loss were still so fresh. He had to make peace with his feelings of guilt.
I loved the easy way the children accepted Holly. Sometimes we need to look at life through the eyes of a child before we can see what's right in front of us.
Great installment to this series... great couple with great chemistry and of course we get to re-visit the Pine Harbour gang and get an update on how everyone is doing! Lots to look forward to in the future of Pine Harbour.
This is a great series for fans of Small Town Romance who also like a little steam thrown in for good measure. Heartwarming stories that continue to win me over with each installment.
You probably could read this as a stand alone but I would highly recommend starting with book one and going in order so that you know Ryan's back story and the History of his relationship with his wife.
I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!
My heart went out to Ryan as he struggles to take care of his three children on his own. But, he is a wonderful father and wants nothing more than to protect and safeguard his children. The death of his wife is surrounded by unfortunate circumstances that will always haunt him. I love how he always puts the children first, even putting his career on hold to find something that works around his now full time job as a single father.
When Holly strolls into town to work on the movie being filmed, this kind of throws a kink in his plans. She wakes up longings and urges that has him struggling with feelings of guilt and worried about the consequences of bringing a new woman into his children's lives.
Holly is very attracted to this rugged, sexy but simple living mountain man who sees her just as a regular person. Always being the center of attention as a successful actress doesn't always lead to trusting relationships. She sees something potentially real with Ryan for the first time in her life.
What started out as a hello, leads to many nights of getting to know each other on his front porch steps. Except for one thing... Ryan is unaware of her fame. His need to protect his children just might become the one thing that keeps them apart.
I loved the slow pace of this relationship. It made sense considering the emotional struggles of Ryan. It wouldn't be easy to open yourself up to a new relationship when the wounds of his loss were still so fresh. He had to make peace with his feelings of guilt.
I loved the easy way the children accepted Holly. Sometimes we need to look at life through the eyes of a child before we can see what's right in front of us.
Great installment to this series... great couple with great chemistry and of course we get to re-visit the Pine Harbour gang and get an update on how everyone is doing! Lots to look forward to in the future of Pine Harbour.
This is a great series for fans of Small Town Romance who also like a little steam thrown in for good measure. Heartwarming stories that continue to win me over with each installment.
You probably could read this as a stand alone but I would highly recommend starting with book one and going in order so that you know Ryan's back story and the History of his relationship with his wife.
I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!
Read
February 27, 2022DNF 57%
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For all he knew, he might always feel torn between the wife he lost and any other woman he might share a bed with.
What cruel irony that the only man who didn’t want her for anything other than herself was the one man she’d probably never have a chance with.
“This…thing between us. It was a break from reality for me, okay? And if you can’t be on board with that, if you insist on talking about me and my feelings and all the stuff I don’t want to talk about, then I need to ask you not to come over.�
December 3, 2022
This was a really nice book, but also ultimately just wasn't quite a nice book for me. This feels very much like Ryan's book, and I guess it should because so much of it was focused around his grief and how he moves out of it. But this just didn't hit the tone or the balance that I would need for it to have worked for me beyond just having some nice moments. I think maybe this should have been only a grief book, or only a celeb/non-celeb book, so it could have focused on one or the other and given more page space to Holly's own story.
This probably wouldn't have been the next book I picked up in this series, but it was free on Amazon when I bought book four so it was the one I had unread on my Kindle. Jess says these get better as the series progresses so I'm banking on that for when I get there.
The one thing I will say, though, is this is maybe the best and most accurate mention of running I've read in a romance novel. I legitimately went to a full three stars on the running references alone. Minus the mention of her running in sweatpants that one time. But mentions of hill repeats and foam rollers? Be still my heart. (To be clear, be still my heart @ the mention of hill repeats only and not hill repeats themselves.)
This probably wouldn't have been the next book I picked up in this series, but it was free on Amazon when I bought book four so it was the one I had unread on my Kindle. Jess says these get better as the series progresses so I'm banking on that for when I get there.
The one thing I will say, though, is this is maybe the best and most accurate mention of running I've read in a romance novel. I legitimately went to a full three stars on the running references alone. Minus the mention of her running in sweatpants that one time. But mentions of hill repeats and foam rollers? Be still my heart. (To be clear, be still my heart @ the mention of hill repeats only and not hill repeats themselves.)
May 25, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the author for a free and impartial review. Thanks!
I am a big fan of Zoe York and have read her entire Wardham series. The Wardham series is lightly connected to the Pine Harbour series in that Ryan is brother to some of the characters in the Wardham world, but you don’t have to have read that series to read this one. Love on a Spring Morning is also part of a series � the Pine Harbour series and it is book three. You could read the books as standalones, but I definitely wouldn’t and that isn’t because I happen to be quite anal in reading book one before book two but mainly because there is an underlying timeline and connectivity and also characters from the previous books pop up now and again. It is good to know their back story and get a feel for the entire relationship dynamic of the group of friends and family.
OK, so on to the story. In books one and two there were some hints about issues Ryan’s wife had in regards drug taking and it was so typical of small town behaviour, that everyone knew something and yet no-one did anything or talked to Ryan or Lynn and then it was too late.
To complicate matters, Ryan isn’t the only one who has to deal with the loss of Lynn. His kids lives have also been torn apart and he goes from being a working dad to being a stay at home dad learning how to live life and be in charge of and emotionally parent three kids who are each dealing with their loss in different ways.
Ryan is one of those types of guys who keeps his emotions close, almost to the point of not really expressing them and most of the time he comes off as brusque and remote and yet, you can sense that this is because he is processing his grief and he really isn’t sure of what to do or how to do it. I haven’t coped with the loss of a partner, but I have coped with the loss of family and my losses were sort of expected, which doesn’t make them any easier. Ryan’s loss was sudden and abrupt and revealed some secrets Lynn had been keeping from him and he has to deal with her loss, his kids and these secrets and what they say about their relationship and for anyone that is a lot to deal with. He tries and I felt for him when he was trying to be everything his kids needed. He needs to try for himself and this is where he isn’t doing so well.
Into this emotional minefield comes an entire film crew who happen to be renting Ryan’s in laws cottages for some of the stars and staff. Holly arrives early and gets to meet Ryan, designated to be the handyman for the cottages, as plain Holly, instead of the famous actress, Hope Cresswell.
Both Ryan and Holly are looking for connection to someone or something and they first find each other as friends who share time and chamomile tea looking at the stars from the back porch and just talking. Holly knows that Ryan is emotionally damaged in a very serious way and why. She also knows that if anything does happen between them, it has a very definite time limit. Add to that the fact that Ryan doesn’t realize that Holly is Hope. When he does find out he feels betrayed and the emotions unleashed are raw and furious.
There were times when I really felt that Ryan’s friends and family were pussyfooting around the elephant in the room � Lynn and her secrets and while I feel they should have pushed more, they were there supporting Ryan and the fact that some of them were willing to address the issue with him spoke to the depth of their friendship and feelings for Ryan and just wanting to see him heal.
What they didn’t see coming and what Ryan also didn’t see coming was the emotional connection to the most understanding and emotionally balanced Holly. When Ryan does find out that Holly is Hope, everything implodes and he balks at any kind of relationship � not because of Holly’s fame, but because of what that fame might mean to his kids and the events that led up to Lynn’s death and her other secrets. He doesn’t want them exposed to any of this and in that he is the perfect protective father, but it is all at the expense of his relationship with Holly.
These two are like magnets � the attraction cannot be denied and they just can’t be kept apart, so they see each other in secret and when the kids are not around or when they are, they are just friends. The unrequited physical attraction between the two is so well written by Ms. York, that the sexual tension is literally palpable and I could almost feel it through the pages as I was reading. I loved the scene when they first come together and funnily enough it is Ryan, not Holly who has a moment of I don’t look good, I haven’t exercised in months.
I can understand wanting to protect the kids, but how long can you go being someone’s dirty little secret without there being some sort of emotional reaction? When the secret comes out it is enough to tear Holly and Ryan apart. I really felt for Holly because she was just so damm understanding � that isn’t to say that she was weak, but she knew that Ryan had his demons and she also knew that their time was limited, despite her maybe wanting there to be more.
What I loved was that close to the end both Holly and Ryan were willing to do whatever it took to try to work out something. I won’t spoil anything here but it worked even better for me because usually there is only one character who makes the sacrifices and comes back for the other one, but Ms. York changed the playbook and both of them try. What measures do Holly and Ryan take? Will it work out? You will have to read Love on a Spring Morning to find out! Grab yourself a copy of Love on a Spring Morning and you will fall in love with Pine Harbour and its residents like I have! You won’t regret visiting Pine Harbour!
The Pine Harbour series is a great series about living and loving in a small town and I have loved all of these emotionally charged stories and the characters (Love in a Small Town - book 1 - Rafe and Olivia's story, Love in a Snow Storm - book 2 - Jake and Dani's story). Now unfortunately I have to wait for book four in the series which will be about the somewhat mysterious Zander and Faith! Eagerly waiting Ms. York � hint hint!!
I am a big fan of Zoe York and have read her entire Wardham series. The Wardham series is lightly connected to the Pine Harbour series in that Ryan is brother to some of the characters in the Wardham world, but you don’t have to have read that series to read this one. Love on a Spring Morning is also part of a series � the Pine Harbour series and it is book three. You could read the books as standalones, but I definitely wouldn’t and that isn’t because I happen to be quite anal in reading book one before book two but mainly because there is an underlying timeline and connectivity and also characters from the previous books pop up now and again. It is good to know their back story and get a feel for the entire relationship dynamic of the group of friends and family.
OK, so on to the story. In books one and two there were some hints about issues Ryan’s wife had in regards drug taking and it was so typical of small town behaviour, that everyone knew something and yet no-one did anything or talked to Ryan or Lynn and then it was too late.
To complicate matters, Ryan isn’t the only one who has to deal with the loss of Lynn. His kids lives have also been torn apart and he goes from being a working dad to being a stay at home dad learning how to live life and be in charge of and emotionally parent three kids who are each dealing with their loss in different ways.
Ryan is one of those types of guys who keeps his emotions close, almost to the point of not really expressing them and most of the time he comes off as brusque and remote and yet, you can sense that this is because he is processing his grief and he really isn’t sure of what to do or how to do it. I haven’t coped with the loss of a partner, but I have coped with the loss of family and my losses were sort of expected, which doesn’t make them any easier. Ryan’s loss was sudden and abrupt and revealed some secrets Lynn had been keeping from him and he has to deal with her loss, his kids and these secrets and what they say about their relationship and for anyone that is a lot to deal with. He tries and I felt for him when he was trying to be everything his kids needed. He needs to try for himself and this is where he isn’t doing so well.
Into this emotional minefield comes an entire film crew who happen to be renting Ryan’s in laws cottages for some of the stars and staff. Holly arrives early and gets to meet Ryan, designated to be the handyman for the cottages, as plain Holly, instead of the famous actress, Hope Cresswell.
Both Ryan and Holly are looking for connection to someone or something and they first find each other as friends who share time and chamomile tea looking at the stars from the back porch and just talking. Holly knows that Ryan is emotionally damaged in a very serious way and why. She also knows that if anything does happen between them, it has a very definite time limit. Add to that the fact that Ryan doesn’t realize that Holly is Hope. When he does find out he feels betrayed and the emotions unleashed are raw and furious.
There were times when I really felt that Ryan’s friends and family were pussyfooting around the elephant in the room � Lynn and her secrets and while I feel they should have pushed more, they were there supporting Ryan and the fact that some of them were willing to address the issue with him spoke to the depth of their friendship and feelings for Ryan and just wanting to see him heal.
What they didn’t see coming and what Ryan also didn’t see coming was the emotional connection to the most understanding and emotionally balanced Holly. When Ryan does find out that Holly is Hope, everything implodes and he balks at any kind of relationship � not because of Holly’s fame, but because of what that fame might mean to his kids and the events that led up to Lynn’s death and her other secrets. He doesn’t want them exposed to any of this and in that he is the perfect protective father, but it is all at the expense of his relationship with Holly.
These two are like magnets � the attraction cannot be denied and they just can’t be kept apart, so they see each other in secret and when the kids are not around or when they are, they are just friends. The unrequited physical attraction between the two is so well written by Ms. York, that the sexual tension is literally palpable and I could almost feel it through the pages as I was reading. I loved the scene when they first come together and funnily enough it is Ryan, not Holly who has a moment of I don’t look good, I haven’t exercised in months.
I can understand wanting to protect the kids, but how long can you go being someone’s dirty little secret without there being some sort of emotional reaction? When the secret comes out it is enough to tear Holly and Ryan apart. I really felt for Holly because she was just so damm understanding � that isn’t to say that she was weak, but she knew that Ryan had his demons and she also knew that their time was limited, despite her maybe wanting there to be more.
What I loved was that close to the end both Holly and Ryan were willing to do whatever it took to try to work out something. I won’t spoil anything here but it worked even better for me because usually there is only one character who makes the sacrifices and comes back for the other one, but Ms. York changed the playbook and both of them try. What measures do Holly and Ryan take? Will it work out? You will have to read Love on a Spring Morning to find out! Grab yourself a copy of Love on a Spring Morning and you will fall in love with Pine Harbour and its residents like I have! You won’t regret visiting Pine Harbour!
The Pine Harbour series is a great series about living and loving in a small town and I have loved all of these emotionally charged stories and the characters (Love in a Small Town - book 1 - Rafe and Olivia's story, Love in a Snow Storm - book 2 - Jake and Dani's story). Now unfortunately I have to wait for book four in the series which will be about the somewhat mysterious Zander and Faith! Eagerly waiting Ms. York � hint hint!!
June 3, 2015
***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
*4.5 stars*
Love on a Spring Morning Is the third book in the Pine Harbour series by Zoe.
When Ryan Howard’s wife died unexpectedly, he was left to raise his three young children. Life is not easy, he is still stuffing from grief, guilt, anger and regret, but he’s getting on with it for the sake of his children. However, when he meets Holly Cresinski, someone things start looking up.
“Once again, he found himself watching her-and this time, he wasn’t left wondering why�
Holly, who unbeknown to Ryan is a film actress; Hope Creswell is in Pine Harbour filming her latest movie. Her career is going great, but she’s not truly happy something is missing. When she meets Ryan, she thinks she has found what is missing.
“He’s like the town, �..Real normal and unlike anything she’d ever had before.�
I enjoyed the storyline. Ryan and Holly were great characters, and I loved watching their friendship, connection, and attraction between them grow and develop. My heart went out to Ryan as was struggling with his feelings for Holly, and his feeling for his late wife and her death. As a result, things aren’t always smooth sailing for these two especially when Ryan finds out about Holly’s secret. Their lives couldn’t be more different, and I hope they would find a way to make things work even when Ryan was being a stubborn fool.
“I guess it’s not easy to escape my demons�
Overall, I enjoyed the latest edition to the Pine Harbour series. Love on a Spring Morning is a heartfelt romance story about family, friendship, moving on, love, trust, understanding and acceptance. Although there is some sadness, there is also a great mix of laughter and sexy movements. Zoe has done a great job of bringing it all together for an engaging read.
As always I enjoy catching up with the rest of the Pine Harbour characters, and I loved the connection with Zoe’s other series, which is also a favorite of mine The Wardham series.
Fans of Zoe’s and low angst stories will enjoy this one.
*4.5 stars*
Love on a Spring Morning Is the third book in the Pine Harbour series by Zoe.
When Ryan Howard’s wife died unexpectedly, he was left to raise his three young children. Life is not easy, he is still stuffing from grief, guilt, anger and regret, but he’s getting on with it for the sake of his children. However, when he meets Holly Cresinski, someone things start looking up.
“Once again, he found himself watching her-and this time, he wasn’t left wondering why�
Holly, who unbeknown to Ryan is a film actress; Hope Creswell is in Pine Harbour filming her latest movie. Her career is going great, but she’s not truly happy something is missing. When she meets Ryan, she thinks she has found what is missing.
“He’s like the town, �..Real normal and unlike anything she’d ever had before.�
I enjoyed the storyline. Ryan and Holly were great characters, and I loved watching their friendship, connection, and attraction between them grow and develop. My heart went out to Ryan as was struggling with his feelings for Holly, and his feeling for his late wife and her death. As a result, things aren’t always smooth sailing for these two especially when Ryan finds out about Holly’s secret. Their lives couldn’t be more different, and I hope they would find a way to make things work even when Ryan was being a stubborn fool.
“I guess it’s not easy to escape my demons�
Overall, I enjoyed the latest edition to the Pine Harbour series. Love on a Spring Morning is a heartfelt romance story about family, friendship, moving on, love, trust, understanding and acceptance. Although there is some sadness, there is also a great mix of laughter and sexy movements. Zoe has done a great job of bringing it all together for an engaging read.
As always I enjoy catching up with the rest of the Pine Harbour characters, and I loved the connection with Zoe’s other series, which is also a favorite of mine The Wardham series.
Fans of Zoe’s and low angst stories will enjoy this one.
November 28, 2018
There are many reasons why people read romantic stories. The journey into commitment is actually quite fascinating to me, as different couples take different routes, and there are lots of misgivings, misunderstandings and open conflict that needs to be experienced, negotiated and overcome.
At the end of the road, the questions beyond physical attraction are always around “could I be happy with this person?; “are we compatible enough?�; “do we want similar things from life?�, “do I trust myself and this person to be tolerant enough of the other’s flaws?; “can we be respectful of each other even when we don’t agree on something?� and things like that.
The guy in this story has experienced major adversity. That is enough for me to want to cut him some slack. Still, I don’t condone his anger explosions, him blowing hot and cold every couple of days or changing his mind way too often. I think the author did not succeed at sketching a personality for this character.
The heroine is very sweet and kind, but has lots of unresolved childhood issues that perhaps are tipping her too much into being a doormat every time someone is prepared to show her some affection.
I ended up thinking that besides the obvious and instant chemistry, these two people are insufficiently emotionally healthy for this fling to endure. The fact that there are three grieving kids involved, makes this romance even less credible. The author tried hard to give a rationale for a HEA, but she did not convinced me in the least. Besides, it was way too corny for me, and I simply did not buy into this story, and it did not work for me. I would give this couple less than a year.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2018 # 8. A book with a time of the day in the title (morning).
November 8, 2023
An actress-property manager meet cute could have been so good but Ryan is also a single father who is grieving the very recent and traumatic death of his wife. No part of me believed he was ready to be in a relationship again and I therefore struggled with the ups and downs of their relationship. Cishet men can tend to move on quickly after the death of a spouse but Ryan’s character arc did not set him up to be one of those. If he’d been actively in therapy the whole time or even regularly talking to friends, it could have been different but he was almost a martyr to his grief.
Holly deserved so much better than his mercurial treatment and she should not have had to be the one who Their relationship was far too rushed (three months on set, one month apart) for me to believe any declarations of love, given his complex grief. It would have been more believable if a couple of years had gone by before they started anything. Or if they’d had a fling at the start and then a year passed and then the bulk of the book was about them figuring things out.
Additionally, this didn’t stand on its own very well. We never get the full story of how Lynne died, which apparently this happened in book one. Ryan makes oblique references but he doesn’t even tell Holly the whole account. This was a sizable omission. It wasn’t clear what the deal was with Holly’s mother or why she was codependent—thankfully this wasn’t much a part of the story since her mom never appears but I wished someone would have told her she didn’t need to financially support her toxic mother, no matter what.
Note: this was a very white small town. There is an actress in town who seems to be POC based on her name (which is not good representation!) but I don’t recall any other non-white characters. I also want to mention Holly’s movie role is playing a woman who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. There’s no engagement with whether an able-bodied woman should play a disabled role, particularly a movie that is set up as having awards season potential. That left a bad taste in my mouth.
Characters: Ryan is a widowed white property manager, part-time reserve Army, and former paramedic. He has three kids: Jack (9), Gavin (7), and Maya (4). Holly/Hope is a white actress. This is set in Pine Harbour, Ontario.
Content notes: recent death of MMC’s wife (shot 4 months ago; she also had some kind of medical diagnosis), complex grief, possible alcohol dependency (MMC pours a glass of scotch every night as some kind of test; this is not addressed in depth), MMC’s wife purportedly had a marijuana addiction, Hollywood diet, fatphobia (not countered), toxic mother (off page), past childhood emotional neglect, FMC’s movie role is a woman who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, police secondary character, pregnant secondary character, FMC’s assistant and his partner are expecting a baby (unclear if it’s via adoption or surrogacy), family planning discussion, unsafe sex practices (no discussion about STI status), on page sex, public sex, phone sex, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language
Holly deserved so much better than his mercurial treatment and she should not have had to be the one who Their relationship was far too rushed (three months on set, one month apart) for me to believe any declarations of love, given his complex grief. It would have been more believable if a couple of years had gone by before they started anything. Or if they’d had a fling at the start and then a year passed and then the bulk of the book was about them figuring things out.
Additionally, this didn’t stand on its own very well. We never get the full story of how Lynne died, which apparently this happened in book one. Ryan makes oblique references but he doesn’t even tell Holly the whole account. This was a sizable omission. It wasn’t clear what the deal was with Holly’s mother or why she was codependent—thankfully this wasn’t much a part of the story since her mom never appears but I wished someone would have told her she didn’t need to financially support her toxic mother, no matter what.
Note: this was a very white small town. There is an actress in town who seems to be POC based on her name (which is not good representation!) but I don’t recall any other non-white characters. I also want to mention Holly’s movie role is playing a woman who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. There’s no engagement with whether an able-bodied woman should play a disabled role, particularly a movie that is set up as having awards season potential. That left a bad taste in my mouth.
Characters: Ryan is a widowed white property manager, part-time reserve Army, and former paramedic. He has three kids: Jack (9), Gavin (7), and Maya (4). Holly/Hope is a white actress. This is set in Pine Harbour, Ontario.
Content notes: recent death of MMC’s wife (shot 4 months ago; she also had some kind of medical diagnosis), complex grief, possible alcohol dependency (MMC pours a glass of scotch every night as some kind of test; this is not addressed in depth), MMC’s wife purportedly had a marijuana addiction, Hollywood diet, fatphobia (not countered), toxic mother (off page), past childhood emotional neglect, FMC’s movie role is a woman who is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair, police secondary character, pregnant secondary character, FMC’s assistant and his partner are expecting a baby (unclear if it’s via adoption or surrogacy), family planning discussion, unsafe sex practices (no discussion about STI status), on page sex, public sex, phone sex, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language
April 17, 2017
This third book in the Pine Harbour series (easily read as a standalone) is the sexy, heartwarming, and sometimes bittersweet romance between Ryan and Holly. Ryan lost his wife over the past winter and he is still figuring out how to cope as a widower and single parent to three young children. It’s a struggle sometimes just to get through each day, but when he meets film intern Holly who has moved in next door for the movie being made in Pine Harbour, there finally seems to be a bright light at the end of the tunnel. He’s found someone to look forward to sitting on the porch with at the end of a long day, someone to talk with and to temporarily forget his troubles. Only Holly has another persona, as film actress Hope. When Ryan finds out that the ‘girl next door� is really a famous movie actress and the star of the film, will their fledgling relationship falter before it even gets off the ground?
Zoe York writes everything with such candor that you can’t help but empathize with Ryan and his struggles. He has so many self doubts � about the sudden end to his marriage and how to deal with his grief, and whether or not he can raise three kids on his own. He can’t contemplate looking for a new love so when Holly turns up on his doorstep, it’s nothing he’s even remotely prepared for. But something about Holly puts him at ease � when they are together, he doesn’t look forward or backwards, he just enjoys being with her in the present moment. Finding out she’s not who she said she was throws his feelings in disarray and makes him question what it is he really wants from his relationship with her. Friendship is a given � she’s a warm, lovely woman and his kids have taken to her as well. When their relationship starts to heat up, he has second thoughts, though it doesn’t take much for his body to outvote his mind. The scenes between them, like all of Zoe’s fabulously written sex scenes are emotionally honest and super steamy.
'Without letting go of her hips, he settled himself on the chair again and she straddled his lap. In her tight spandex pants, she could feel every inch of how much he wanted her, and she rolled her hips, nestling his cock right at the apex of her heat. “Come here,� she whispered, pulling his face to hers.
This kiss wasn’t like the ones on the deck outside the lake house.
This wasn’t just a kiss. This was heated foreplay and hunger let loose. She took her time, and he let her, but his hands were all over her back and her butt, and beneath her his entire body had turned to granite.
Her mountain man, in every sense of the word.
She pressed his lips open with hers, filled his mouth with her tongue. Slow seductive strokes. Wet, teasing tastes. Breaths in and out, his air becoming hers and vice versa. All of it quieter than quiet and hotter than hot.'
Holly is just as interesting a character as Ryan. She’s the outsider in town as the actress on the film set, and being with Ryan lets her be her true self, under her real name and that’s a huge deal for her. Here she can be the girl next door, falling in love with the man who has no pretensions, no designs on her money and who is just a warmhearted person needing patience and understanding � something she’s more than willing to give. I really liked her character, her selflessness and her willingness to give Ryan time to come to grips with the idea of a new relationship. Despite Ryan’s efforts to push her away, she is steadfast in her belief that he will see how good they can be for each other.
Though children in a romance aren’t always my favourite, these kids act exactly as I expect them to, and they really add to the story. (I’m betting some of how the children act in this novel is based on Zoe’s personal experience � either that or she’s been to my house!) They’ve had a tough go of it, losing their mom and Ryan is rightfully wary of the difficulties in bringing a new woman into their life. Luckily both the kids and Holly form a wonderful and touching relationship too.
Secondary characters add to the story, familiar faces from previous Pine Harbour stories adding to the small town feel. They are friends and family and they all know Ryan and grieve the loss of his wife too. His close friends want what’s best for him, and they think Holly is it, even if it takes Ryan a while to see it. Returning to Pine Harbour is always a treat and with a few tears, some laughs and warm smiles, this book will delight small town romance readers. 5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
Note 2: this review also appears as a blog post at:
Zoe York writes everything with such candor that you can’t help but empathize with Ryan and his struggles. He has so many self doubts � about the sudden end to his marriage and how to deal with his grief, and whether or not he can raise three kids on his own. He can’t contemplate looking for a new love so when Holly turns up on his doorstep, it’s nothing he’s even remotely prepared for. But something about Holly puts him at ease � when they are together, he doesn’t look forward or backwards, he just enjoys being with her in the present moment. Finding out she’s not who she said she was throws his feelings in disarray and makes him question what it is he really wants from his relationship with her. Friendship is a given � she’s a warm, lovely woman and his kids have taken to her as well. When their relationship starts to heat up, he has second thoughts, though it doesn’t take much for his body to outvote his mind. The scenes between them, like all of Zoe’s fabulously written sex scenes are emotionally honest and super steamy.
'Without letting go of her hips, he settled himself on the chair again and she straddled his lap. In her tight spandex pants, she could feel every inch of how much he wanted her, and she rolled her hips, nestling his cock right at the apex of her heat. “Come here,� she whispered, pulling his face to hers.
This kiss wasn’t like the ones on the deck outside the lake house.
This wasn’t just a kiss. This was heated foreplay and hunger let loose. She took her time, and he let her, but his hands were all over her back and her butt, and beneath her his entire body had turned to granite.
Her mountain man, in every sense of the word.
She pressed his lips open with hers, filled his mouth with her tongue. Slow seductive strokes. Wet, teasing tastes. Breaths in and out, his air becoming hers and vice versa. All of it quieter than quiet and hotter than hot.'
Holly is just as interesting a character as Ryan. She’s the outsider in town as the actress on the film set, and being with Ryan lets her be her true self, under her real name and that’s a huge deal for her. Here she can be the girl next door, falling in love with the man who has no pretensions, no designs on her money and who is just a warmhearted person needing patience and understanding � something she’s more than willing to give. I really liked her character, her selflessness and her willingness to give Ryan time to come to grips with the idea of a new relationship. Despite Ryan’s efforts to push her away, she is steadfast in her belief that he will see how good they can be for each other.
Though children in a romance aren’t always my favourite, these kids act exactly as I expect them to, and they really add to the story. (I’m betting some of how the children act in this novel is based on Zoe’s personal experience � either that or she’s been to my house!) They’ve had a tough go of it, losing their mom and Ryan is rightfully wary of the difficulties in bringing a new woman into their life. Luckily both the kids and Holly form a wonderful and touching relationship too.
Secondary characters add to the story, familiar faces from previous Pine Harbour stories adding to the small town feel. They are friends and family and they all know Ryan and grieve the loss of his wife too. His close friends want what’s best for him, and they think Holly is it, even if it takes Ryan a while to see it. Returning to Pine Harbour is always a treat and with a few tears, some laughs and warm smiles, this book will delight small town romance readers. 5 stars.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
Note 2: this review also appears as a blog post at:
June 6, 2015
Zoe York , continually surprises me! I was not expecting her to tackle Ryan's story yet, I new she would but I figured he would be last in the series.
Ryan after all was widowed in book one , left to raise three children alone and we know from previous books that he has pretty much closed himself off and emotionally shuttered himself , he has left work to care for his heartbroken children while barely hanging on himself .
Ryan , has stayed behind in Pine Harbour to act as a caretaker to his in-laws home and bungalows being rented out to the movie crew and actors , not that he has any intrest in the movie , unlike the rest of the Pine Harbour residents.
What does capture Ryan's intrest is the beautiful young women running sprints along his drive; Holly Cresinski as she introduced herself( a small lie) she really is the lead actress in the film Hope Creswell; Holly being her real name and the anonymity a welcome retreat .
Holly has come early to get away from her mother and the continual barrage of the paparazzi , with her own problems to work out ; she finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome shell of a man she sees in Ryan .
Quiet starry nights talking on Ryan's porch and an ever increasing attraction between these two challenge Ryan to allow himself some pleasure , but he knows he is not ready for a relationship . The grief he feels over his sudden loss of Lynn and his own guilty feelings that he could not heel their relationship , that she felt the need to keep secrets , will have him putting up road blocks ; road blocks that sweet Holly will break through a little at a time .
As the relationship between Holly and Ryan gets stronger and the risk of being discovered as Hope not Holly increases she knows she should tell Ryan but fears it will change the budding intimacy , which she has come to love.
Ryan and Holly will be at odds twice in this story but drawn back to each other each time ; both truly needing each other more than they realize .
Zoe York gives us an emotional journey through Ryan's grief , finding love and trust again., that pulls at your heart and allows his freinds , family and the reader to be happy for him .
This story can be read alone, but I would recommend reading the first two in the Pine Harbour series to fully understand the dynamics of Ryan and his family's situation.
Arc graciously provided by author for an honest review .
Ryan after all was widowed in book one , left to raise three children alone and we know from previous books that he has pretty much closed himself off and emotionally shuttered himself , he has left work to care for his heartbroken children while barely hanging on himself .
Ryan , has stayed behind in Pine Harbour to act as a caretaker to his in-laws home and bungalows being rented out to the movie crew and actors , not that he has any intrest in the movie , unlike the rest of the Pine Harbour residents.
What does capture Ryan's intrest is the beautiful young women running sprints along his drive; Holly Cresinski as she introduced herself( a small lie) she really is the lead actress in the film Hope Creswell; Holly being her real name and the anonymity a welcome retreat .
Holly has come early to get away from her mother and the continual barrage of the paparazzi , with her own problems to work out ; she finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome shell of a man she sees in Ryan .
Quiet starry nights talking on Ryan's porch and an ever increasing attraction between these two challenge Ryan to allow himself some pleasure , but he knows he is not ready for a relationship . The grief he feels over his sudden loss of Lynn and his own guilty feelings that he could not heel their relationship , that she felt the need to keep secrets , will have him putting up road blocks ; road blocks that sweet Holly will break through a little at a time .
As the relationship between Holly and Ryan gets stronger and the risk of being discovered as Hope not Holly increases she knows she should tell Ryan but fears it will change the budding intimacy , which she has come to love.
Ryan and Holly will be at odds twice in this story but drawn back to each other each time ; both truly needing each other more than they realize .
Zoe York gives us an emotional journey through Ryan's grief , finding love and trust again., that pulls at your heart and allows his freinds , family and the reader to be happy for him .
This story can be read alone, but I would recommend reading the first two in the Pine Harbour series to fully understand the dynamics of Ryan and his family's situation.
Arc graciously provided by author for an honest review .
September 21, 2017
2.5 stars. This book was just barely good enough to make me want to keep reading. It wasn't horrible or anything. It's just a bit bland. Maybe a bit too ordinary or something. I like a book to be real and relatable, but holly and Ryan are both pretty boring as are their interactions and their happenings. I liked that they were opposites. And holly was nice enough which was good. But Ryan wasn't done quite as well as a character I thought. I feel like the author wasn't quite able to achieve what she wanted to get across from him. Because he was actually pretty annoying most of the book. Instead of coming across as grieve stricken and emotionally troubled, he actually came across kind of whiny and complainy to me. And also more rude and insensitive to others instead of coming across as just broody or gruff due to his emotions, like I think the author meant for him to be. Holly basically had to do all the work in the relationship which bugged me. I really got tired of Ryan. After awhile I wanted to yell at him to man up already. That's what I mean about the author not being able to portray him correctly. Instead of sympathizing with him I'm just annoyed with him. Some of that may have been because of the dual point of view writing, which is rarely successful in my opinion. This was no exception. Especially because I had to listen to both Holly and Ryan monologue constantly about how they needed to keep things casual with eachother and not give in to their desires. Over and over and over and over. It just gets repetitive. Ryan tells us like 3 million times that he isn't ready for a relationship with holly among other things. When authors use a dual point of view writing style it takes away any mystery or intrigue because we know what both characters are thinking and feeling about everything all the time. And when they are both essentially thinking the same type of thing this gets repetitive real fast. Their relationship was very basic. They weren't really that interesting together. Their chemistry was fine, nothing unique. The author acted like holly had become a big part of Ryan's kids lives, but they only really interacted with her a few times. She was always going over to Ryan's house after he kids were asleep so that part wasn't portrayed very well. Overall it was an okay read.
June 7, 2015
Love on a Spring Morning is a really good, touching romance. It is the story of a couple of have reasons to close themselves off from everyone, yet find themselves caring deeply for one another. They have to slowly learn to trust one another and to take time to see if they are ready for a relationship together. The two main characters are very likable, and the storyline is a good one.
Holly is a movie star without many people who truly know her. It isn't easy for her to trust, and when she meets Ryan, she finds someone who has an even more difficult trust issue. Ryan lost his wife a few months prior, and is still reeling, while trying to carry on the best he can for his three young children. When Ryan and Holly meet, they each find someone they can talk with easily, and soon, feelings are developing that neither feel ready for. As they slowly forge their way through a friendship which may be developing into something more, Ryan learns something that destroys his trust in Holly. Holly is devastated and doesn't know if Ryan will ever forgive her.
This was a really good story, and I found it quick and easy to read. It was a tender and sweet romance, but had good chemistry between the main characters too. I thought it was a great addition to the series.
Holly is a movie star without many people who truly know her. It isn't easy for her to trust, and when she meets Ryan, she finds someone who has an even more difficult trust issue. Ryan lost his wife a few months prior, and is still reeling, while trying to carry on the best he can for his three young children. When Ryan and Holly meet, they each find someone they can talk with easily, and soon, feelings are developing that neither feel ready for. As they slowly forge their way through a friendship which may be developing into something more, Ryan learns something that destroys his trust in Holly. Holly is devastated and doesn't know if Ryan will ever forgive her.
This was a really good story, and I found it quick and easy to read. It was a tender and sweet romance, but had good chemistry between the main characters too. I thought it was a great addition to the series.
September 7, 2015
3.5 ปัดขึ้นเป็� 4
เรื่องนี้น่าสนใจตั้งแต่เราอ่านเล่� 2 ล่� เริ่มต้นเล่� 2 เมียพระเอกเล่� 3 ตา� ทำให้พระเอกกลายเป็นคุณพ่อที่ต้องเลี้ยงลูก 3 คนคนเดียว มาเล่มนี้ พระเอกพยายามทุ่มเททุกอย่างไปที่ลูกก่อนอย่างอื่น ชีวิตก็ยังค่อนข้างวุ่นวา� และยังคงแตกสลายหลังจากหลายเดือนผ่านไป นางเอกเป็นนักแสดงที่มาถ่ายทำหนังที่ Pine Harbour โดยเช่� cottage พ่อเมียพระเอกอยู่ซึ่งไม่ได้ไกลไปจากบ้านพระเอก ทั้งนี้พ่อกับแม่เมียเดินทางไปท่องเทียวพระเอกเลยเข้ามาดูแลแทน นางเอกแนะนำตัวเองกับพระเอกด้วยชื่อจริงที่ไม่ได้ใช้ในการแสดงทำให้พระเอกคิดว่านางเอกเป็นทีมงานคนหนึ่ง
เนื้อเรื่องไม่ได้บีบหัวใจอย่างที่คิด แต่ก็สนุกด� พระเอกแรกๆด้วยความรู้สึกผิดถึงเมียก็พยายามปิดตัวเองกับนางเอก ส่วนนางเอกรู้สึกเป็นตัวของตัวเองเมื่ออยู่กับพระเอก เป็นความสัมพันธ์ที่ค่อยๆเกิดแม้จะดึงดูดกันตั้งแต่แรกก็ตาม พระเอกก็พูดตรงๆกับนางเอกนะว่าตัวเองไม่พร้อมที่จะให้อะไรที่มากกว่ากับนางเอกทั้งนั้น ส่วนนางเอกก็มั่นคง สังเกตุว่านางเอกขอ� Zoe นี่เป็นพวกมั่นคงไม่งี่เง่าน� เรื่องไม่ได้ตื่นเต้นตลอดเวล� แต่เราชอบความสัมพันธ์แบบค่อยเป็นค่อยไปของพระเอกนางเอก มันเมคเซ้นต์ที่ว่ามันไม่ช่ายเรื่องง่ายๆที่จะเริ่มต้นความสัมพันธ์กับใครใหม่ในเมื่อตัวเองยังช้ำและยังต้องพยายามเลี้ยงลูกทั้ง 3 คนให้ดีที่สุดอีก
เรื่องนี้น่าสนใจตั้งแต่เราอ่านเล่� 2 ล่� เริ่มต้นเล่� 2 เมียพระเอกเล่� 3 ตา� ทำให้พระเอกกลายเป็นคุณพ่อที่ต้องเลี้ยงลูก 3 คนคนเดียว มาเล่มนี้ พระเอกพยายามทุ่มเททุกอย่างไปที่ลูกก่อนอย่างอื่น ชีวิตก็ยังค่อนข้างวุ่นวา� และยังคงแตกสลายหลังจากหลายเดือนผ่านไป นางเอกเป็นนักแสดงที่มาถ่ายทำหนังที่ Pine Harbour โดยเช่� cottage พ่อเมียพระเอกอยู่ซึ่งไม่ได้ไกลไปจากบ้านพระเอก ทั้งนี้พ่อกับแม่เมียเดินทางไปท่องเทียวพระเอกเลยเข้ามาดูแลแทน นางเอกแนะนำตัวเองกับพระเอกด้วยชื่อจริงที่ไม่ได้ใช้ในการแสดงทำให้พระเอกคิดว่านางเอกเป็นทีมงานคนหนึ่ง
เนื้อเรื่องไม่ได้บีบหัวใจอย่างที่คิด แต่ก็สนุกด� พระเอกแรกๆด้วยความรู้สึกผิดถึงเมียก็พยายามปิดตัวเองกับนางเอก ส่วนนางเอกรู้สึกเป็นตัวของตัวเองเมื่ออยู่กับพระเอก เป็นความสัมพันธ์ที่ค่อยๆเกิดแม้จะดึงดูดกันตั้งแต่แรกก็ตาม พระเอกก็พูดตรงๆกับนางเอกนะว่าตัวเองไม่พร้อมที่จะให้อะไรที่มากกว่ากับนางเอกทั้งนั้น ส่วนนางเอกก็มั่นคง สังเกตุว่านางเอกขอ� Zoe นี่เป็นพวกมั่นคงไม่งี่เง่าน� เรื่องไม่ได้ตื่นเต้นตลอดเวล� แต่เราชอบความสัมพันธ์แบบค่อยเป็นค่อยไปของพระเอกนางเอก มันเมคเซ้นต์ที่ว่ามันไม่ช่ายเรื่องง่ายๆที่จะเริ่มต้นความสัมพันธ์กับใครใหม่ในเมื่อตัวเองยังช้ำและยังต้องพยายามเลี้ยงลูกทั้ง 3 คนให้ดีที่สุดอีก
March 7, 2017
Disappointed in this story.
Really wanted to read Ryan's story and give him a HEA but this was all just too soon after his wife Lynn's death and the fact he treated Holly so abysmally put me right off him.
Sorry to say I was disappointed as this book too and fro-ed with Ryan lusting after Holly then pushing her away with attitude and Holly just kept coming back and allowing his rotten behaviour.
Maybe there should have been more time after Lynn's death or maybe Ryan just needed to not be such an arse. His feelings of guilt, grief and inadequacy as a parent were acceptable, his behaviour was not.
Really wanted to read Ryan's story and give him a HEA but this was all just too soon after his wife Lynn's death and the fact he treated Holly so abysmally put me right off him.
Sorry to say I was disappointed as this book too and fro-ed with Ryan lusting after Holly then pushing her away with attitude and Holly just kept coming back and allowing his rotten behaviour.
Maybe there should have been more time after Lynn's death or maybe Ryan just needed to not be such an arse. His feelings of guilt, grief and inadequacy as a parent were acceptable, his behaviour was not.
August 7, 2017
I've read a lot of books from this author, but this is one of my least favorites. The reason for that lies mostly with Ryan. Obviously, he was still grieving his late wife too much to start a new relationship, even just a fling. He was rude to Holly (and just cruel at times), and I kept thinking, is this the best Holly can do?
Holly seemed like a doormat. I really didn't see what she was getting out of the relationship. Not only did Ryan have emotional problems, but he came with three kids (three!) that had their own problems.
And in the end, it seemed like Holly did all the work and made all the compromises and Ryan reaped all the rewards.
Holly seemed like a doormat. I really didn't see what she was getting out of the relationship. Not only did Ryan have emotional problems, but he came with three kids (three!) that had their own problems.
And in the end, it seemed like Holly did all the work and made all the compromises and Ryan reaped all the rewards.
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July 14, 2018
3.5 stars
This is a wonderful story of loss and redemption in that the setting and characters are authentic and believable. So why the lower rating? This might contain spoilers so continue at own risk if bothered by them!
Ryan is devastated after his wife's murder and is struggling to go on. His behavior and actions are believable. And true for most situations but he is downright cruel when Holly says "I love you".
He is given a complete pass regarding his behavior towards Holly. Yes, there are some moments of self-reflection but Ryan continues to shrug off any remorse because he's a widower and life is hard. Boo boo. I find it hard to believe Holly would continue returning to him after so much emotional cruelty. This is where the story fails to become a really good book. The emotional connection with characters is lost and I found myself scanning the ending.
This is a wonderful story of loss and redemption in that the setting and characters are authentic and believable. So why the lower rating? This might contain spoilers so continue at own risk if bothered by them!
Ryan is devastated after his wife's murder and is struggling to go on. His behavior and actions are believable. And true for most situations but he is downright cruel when Holly says "I love you".
He is given a complete pass regarding his behavior towards Holly. Yes, there are some moments of self-reflection but Ryan continues to shrug off any remorse because he's a widower and life is hard. Boo boo. I find it hard to believe Holly would continue returning to him after so much emotional cruelty. This is where the story fails to become a really good book. The emotional connection with characters is lost and I found myself scanning the ending.
July 16, 2017
4.5 ⭐️'s
LOVED reading Holly and Ryan's story. It's full of heart dropping moments, hurt, love and hope. It's not common to find love after a tragedy, with Ryan's closed off heart finding happiness again was a long shot. The last thing Holly had in mind is to fall in love with a man that was caring for his three young children after their mothers passing, but meeting the man across the way filled the loneliness that was constantly in her heart. There is so many ups and downs, tears and heartbreaks. Even though they tried to stay away, their love and passion filled both of their lives with a happiness that was past due!
LOVED reading Holly and Ryan's story. It's full of heart dropping moments, hurt, love and hope. It's not common to find love after a tragedy, with Ryan's closed off heart finding happiness again was a long shot. The last thing Holly had in mind is to fall in love with a man that was caring for his three young children after their mothers passing, but meeting the man across the way filled the loneliness that was constantly in her heart. There is so many ups and downs, tears and heartbreaks. Even though they tried to stay away, their love and passion filled both of their lives with a happiness that was past due!
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