Book Description
A Texas detective and his former neighbor reunite in this heartfelt romance novel from New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer
One night in his arms changes everything…
For Amelia Rose Grayson, there was only ever one love: Cal Hollister. When Cal, a police captain, is wounded, she’s there for him and helps nurse him back to health. After he shrugs off their undeniable chemistry, Amelia knows she needs to cut all her old ties. She escapes her small-town life and forges a new path, trying to leave Cal behind. But Amelia can't break free of Cal’s orbit. Emotion—and an unrelenting passion—takes over when they reconnect, sending them both into dangerous territory. Can the two of them move past their previous hurt and make peace? And will they finally face the reason they keep finding each other?
My Review
Amelia lives with her grandfather and gets good grades in school and is friends with Cal. She studies chemicals in college and knows how to use them to blow things up. In the small town of Jacobsville, there are so many ex-Military people, law enforcement and mercenaries that you have to expect people to like shooting guns, making bombs ect. Cal is ex-military and after his last mission, he's pretty messed up mentally but doesn't show it outwardly too much. He and Amelia get closer as they spend time together and he knows it would be a mistake to sleep with her since she's not experienced but it happens anyway. They spend one night together and both of their lives fall apart right after for a lot of different reasons.
Eb Scott is a retired Soldier of Fortune and what I would call mercenary and has a team that he sends out on missions. After Amelia and Cal have a falling out, she goes to Eb Scott and asks to join his team and reluctantly he agrees. Years later she's been trained but is mostly behind the scenes where she can't be hurt or put into danger. Years later Amelia and Cal see each other again and it's bitter sweet after everything they've both been through but Amelia wants nothing to do with him because of how he treated her the last time they spoke.
Cal wasn't the nicest of guys and the way he treated Amelia without even letting her explain anything made me so mad. She was the nicest of people and he knew her, knew her better than to think she would treat him the way he thought she did. Cal in my opinion took advantage of her when she was in emotional pain and then treated her like crap afterwards for no reason. I'm not sure I would have forgiven him as easily as she did in the end even if it was because of other people meddling and spreading lies. He should have at least talked to her like a civil human being instead of his excuse of being in emotional pain because of what he went through during his last mission. That wasn't a good enough excuse for the way he treated her and what she went through.
I've read a lot of Diana Palmer books and I know the men in them are going to be gruff, grumpy and standoffish and I can accept that but Cal was a jerk and Amelia deserved better.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
