A second chance…with his first love?
New York businessman Connor McCormick's heart was broken
when his sweetheart Jenny Sommers disappeared seven years ago. Now Connor is
unexpectedly reunited with Jenny -- and discovers she's a midwife to pregnant
runaways and a single mother herself. Winning Jenny's trust when she's wary of
depending on anyone and protective of her daughter won't be easy, but Connor
isn't about to walk away when she needs him…
Good story of second chances, secrets, and trust. Seven
years earlier, Connor and Jenny were sweethearts. A misunderstanding, leading
to a foolish act of revenge, ended with Jenny leaving town while Connor was
away. Brokenhearted, Connor buried his pain in his fledgling telephone business
and became very successful. He never expected to find Jenny while knocking on
doors selling his telephones.
Jenny is a survivor. She became pregnant in high school, was
forced into a home for unwed mothers by her mom, fled the cruel treatment she
received there, and found a home helping other young women like herself. Her
daughter, Emily, is the light of her life, and becoming a midwife feeds her
soul. The shock of seeing Connor brought back memories she thought were buried.
I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between
Connor and Jenny. They got off to a rough start with Jenny slamming the door in
his face, and Connor determined to get answers to his questions. I liked
Connor's refusal to give up in the face of Jenny's resistance and how she
finally gave in. I wanted to shake her when she told her story, disgusted that
she hadn't trusted Connor enough to get his side of the events. Even after he
told her the truth, she still jumped to conclusions about other things. Connor
is a good man whose early years of trying to please his father grew into a bit
of a white knight complex. When he sees something wrong, he wants to fix it.
After getting a little too involved in Jenny's business, Connor finds himself
on the receiving end of her temper and told to leave her alone. That comes to a
quick end when Jenny desperately needs his help.
Jenny and her housemate Gretchen secretly help young
women from Albany's home for unwed mothers escape the cruel treatment there.
When Jenny begs for his help, Connor can't say no. What he experiences that
night ignites a need to help Jenny in her mission. Despite some early clashes,
Connor and Jenny find their shared commitment helps bring them closer together.
The revelation of Jenny's final secret causes a bit of a bump, but Connor
realizes his feelings for Jenny outweigh the past events. I love that they
learned to talk about their issues before they become obstacles. I loved the
ending, from the wedding to the epilogue.
One of my favorite things was the relationship between
Connor and Jenny's daughter, Emily. The little girl was adorable and took to
Connor right away. I especially enjoyed the present he bought her and seeing
the bond it built between them. I loved his nervousness when he waited to talk
to her about marrying Jenny, his protectiveness when dealing with the class
bully, and his joy at becoming her father.
Once again, the author made the story come alive with her
attention to detail. I loved the little things like the clothing and slang and
the description of Connor's car. Then there was the information about the
treatment of unwed mothers and its skillful weaving into the story. The pain
and suffering they experienced were vividly portrayed, and I rooted for them in
their fight for better treatment. I also enjoyed Connor's telephone activities.
I didn't know that just anyone could start their own phone company. The
lighthearted banter Connor exchanged with his potential customers was a nice
contrast to some of the darkness of the women's stories.
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