Big-city free spirit meets small-town cop.
And a symphony begins…
A homestay in Oak Hollow is Alexandra Roth's final
excursion before settling in to her big-city career. Officer Luke Walker, her
not-so-welcoming host, isn't sure about the "crunchy" music
therapist. Yet his recently orphaned nephew with autism instantly grooves to
the beat of Alex's drum. Together, this trio really strikes a chord. But is
love enough to keep Alex from returning to her solo act?
Wonderful story about love and family. Officer Luke
Walker used to live the bachelor life with plenty of attention from the ladies.
That came to an end when his older sister died, leaving Luke as guardian of his
autistic nephew. Luke turned his life completely around, making Cody his number
one priority. He forgot that, before Cody came to live with him, he'd arranged
to rent out his extra bedroom for a month to Alex Roth. He received quite a
shock when Alexandra Roth showed up.
Alex is a multi-talented young woman whose greatest
passions are music and art. She came to Oak Hollow to visit the town her mother
talked about fondly and see what she can find out about her father's family. For
a girl from Manhattan, the small town was like something from a tv show -
including the hot cowboy who nearly flattened her as he came out of the diner.
Imagine her surprise when he turned out to be her landlord.
I loved Alex's arrival at Luke's house. The first person
she encountered was Cody, who let her in then retreated to his safe space
behind the sofa. I liked how she joined him there for a few minutes before Luke
showed up. He didn't make the best impression, between forgetting that he'd
rented the room and later being judgmental about her plans. Alex's anger with him
was understandable, but it didn't stop her from interacting with Cody in a sweet
bedtime scene.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Alex
and Luke. Sparks flew between them from the beginning though both tried to
resist. Alex knows she's only staying for a month, so a relationship wouldn't
be wise. Besides, his initial attitude reminded her too much of her previous
boyfriend. Luke can't deny his attraction to Alex, but Cody is his priority.
Getting involved with her would be a distraction and could hurt Cody if he became
attached. Luke finds himself antagonizing her on purpose as a way to keep her
at a distance but also wanting to keep her closer.
Over the next few days, Luke and Alex find it hard to
keep their attraction at bay. Steamy kisses tempt them into more, but common
sense and self-preservation lead to a "friend zone" agreement. Luke
also discovers that he likes having Alex in their lives as she brings light
back into those lives. It doesn't take long for "friends" to turn
into "friends with benefits" and emotions that cannot be denied. Just
as Alex considers an alteration to her plans for the future, Luke misinterprets
something he sees and jumps to conclusions. I ached for Alex and her feelings
of betrayal over the things he accused her of. I understood her need to get
away and wanted to shake Luke for being such an idiot. I loved the advice he
got on gaining her forgiveness and what he did with that advice. His big moment
was incredible. I liked that Luke had to work for Alex's forgiveness.
Like the first book in the series,
A Sheriff's Star, a
big part of the story was a child with special needs. As in that book, the challenges
and joys were realistic and believable. I enjoyed how both Alex and Luke made
Cody's needs a big part of their relationship.
The other part of the story was Alex's need to know about
her father's family. I could feel her excitement and nervousness as she met various
members without giving herself away. Luke's support made it a little easier for
her. An unexpected twist threw her plans into turmoil. I loved watching
everything unfold.
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