Just Finished:



Recommended by: No one. I got it on an impulse at the library.

From the Back Cover: A tragic accident took everything that mattered to Rome Matthews - his wife, Diane, and their two little boys. And it robbed Sarah Harper of her best friend. In the two years since the tragedy, Sarah has wanted to reach out to Rome, but she knew she needed to stay away, guarding the secret she had kept from him and Diane all those years - that she was in love with her best friend's husband.

But now Rome needs her. He wants to lose himself in the passion he feels for Sarah. Knowing he is trapped by a grief that won’t let go, and desperate to help him escape his pain, she willingly gives him what he desperately craves. Though another woman will hold his heart forever, Sarah agrees to be his wife, knowing that everything has a price, including love. It is a price she is willing to pay, but one that will demand off of her courage and her heart.

Then something totally unexpected rekindles her hidden hope that a marriage of convenience will become a union of love. Now it all comes down to her husband. Will Rome keep fighting his own growing need for a woman who dares him to believe there are second chances in life or will he give in to the healing power of love and miracles?

What I Liked: In the first interactions between Rome and Sarah, I felt the passion. I felt Sarah’s heartbreak ~ being in love with her best friend’s husband; and grieving the loss she feels since her best friend’s death. I felt Rome’s heartbreak ~ the loss he felt over the death of his wife and his two young sons. And I felt his attraction to Sarah, and how much he fought that. Within the first few pages, I was hooked.

I also liked the secondary characters. Marcie, the property manager, and Derek, Marcie’s teenage son added a great layer to this story. Marcie’s a single mother and a struggling author; her son, Derek ~ well, everyone calls Derek perfect. He’s a good looking boy, who appears much older than his 15/16 years (Derek is also the hero of Bluebird Winter). Sarah’s new boss, Max Conroy (the hero in Almost Forever) befriends both of them ~ initially he’s attracted to Sarah which causes Rome’s possessiveness to shine through.

What I Didn’t Like: Ok, she was a virgin. So after they have sex, he immediately asks her to marry him? Granted, the book was written in 1985 ~ but did that even happen back then? Maybe that’s just because it’s a tad dated, but I laughed at that and thought, “Give me a break.” There also seems to be some development that was dropped. It was hinted that Sarah’s family was cold, but why did it affect Sarah the way it did? I feel that could have been developed better. Rome asked her about it ~ she barely gave an answer, and then the subject was dropped. I also didn’t like the fact that Diane (Rome’s late wife) was Sarah’s best friend, but Sarah told Rome she’d always loved his boys before they were a part of him. Excuse me ~ wasn’t their mother your best friend?!! Why didn’t she love them because they were a part of her best friend? I didn’t get that and it irritated me to no end.

Verdict: I’d say it’s Good. I didn’t waste my time reading it, but I don’t think I’d read it again.

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Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Linda Howard