His homecoming was temporary.
Until he met the woman who changed everything.
Captain Collin Waldon is on leave from the military,
tending to his ailing father in his final days. Knowing his stay in Rambling
Rose will be short, Collin is not looking for romantic entanglements --
especially not with Nicole Fortune, the beautiful, free-spirited executive chef
of Roja Restaurant in the struggling Hotel Fortune. Yet these two unlikely
lovers seem perfect for each other, until Collin's reassignment threatens their
newfound bliss…
Excellent book. Nicole Fortune is the head chef of the
restaurant Roja in the family's hotel. The story opens as she shops at the
local farmers' market, looking for fresh ingredients for the restaurant and
contemplating ideas for new dishes. While there, she notices a handsome man who
is also picking out fresh herbs and veggies. After a brief conversation, Nicole
invites him to Roja to sample the dish she's experimenting with.
Collin is an army officer home on leave to care for his
terminally ill father. Matters are tense between the two men, and cooking is
one way that Collin destresses. Encountering the beautiful Nicole proves to be
another. The last thing he expected or wanted was to get involved with a woman
in his hometown when he's only there for a short time.
I loved watching the relationship develop between Collin
and Nicole. Neither is looking for a relationship. Nicole is too busy with her
restaurant, and Collin's experience with long-distance relationships holds him
back. I loved how the two of them connected over food. Their lunch together as
Collin sampled Nicole's new dish only deepened their connection while exchanging
stories about their foodie experiences. Nicole, who has been struggling with
her upcoming summer menu, invited Collin to help her develop the recipes. I
enjoyed watching them cook together, beautifully matched in skill and enthusiasm.
Collin needs this time away from his dad as they butt
heads over Sam's upcoming move to assisted living. I ached for Collin, who
wants these weeks with Sam to be a return to the closeness of his youth. It's evident
that something deeper bothers Sam, and he takes it out on Collin. I loved seeing
Nicole reach out to help Collin deal with his problems with Sam. Her insight goes
a long way toward assisting Collin and Sam regain their closeness. I loved the
depth of emotion displayed as Collin and Sam find their way back to each other.
I loved the sweet reminisces expressed by Sam.
Meanwhile, the attraction between Collin and Nicole
continues to grow. Though they know there is an expiration date, eventually,
they can no longer resist the pull. Neither one expects the attraction to
deepen into more. Both dream of a future together, but neither can see a way to
make it happen. I ached for them both as they struggled to find a way to turn
"for now" into "forever." I loved Collin's big moment at
the end and the epilogue that hinted at their future.
Throughout this series, the Hotel Fortune has struggled with
suspicious accidents and other strange happenings that impact the business. In
this book, someone sabotaged the hotel's big fundraiser for community charities.
They messed with the foods that Nicole worked so hard to provide, making them
not only inedible but, in one case, dangerous to consume. I ached for Nicole
and the devasting blow this was to her professionally and personally. This was
on top of a local diner using questionable tactics to entice patrons and staff
away from Roja. I've had my suspicions about the culprit, which strengthened in
this book. I look forward to the next book, which should reveal whether I am
right. 
Until he met the woman who changed everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment