Series:
Spirit of the Shenandoah (Book 1)
When one unforgettable night…
Leads to a whole new life…
When Jared Sotheby arrives in Peak, Virginia, to search
for his identity -- and his Filipino roots -- he doesn't anticipate an instant
connection with a stunning woman he meets on his first night in town. And he
certainly doesn't expect her to be managing the B & B owned by the
biological family he's searching for!
One passionate night aside, Matilda Matthews needs a
cook, and Jared, a chef, needs a way in. She'll give him the job if he keeps
his identity a secret -- for now. Their subterfuge quickly grows complicated as
Jared yearns for a connection -- not only with his family, but also with the
once-bitten Matilda. But first he'll have to convince her to let a younger man
into her heart…
Overall, this was a good book. Jared is the result of a
one-night stand; his father never knew about him. Jared wondered about him but
didn't have much interest in connecting with him until he had a crisis of
identity. Jared is a chef, and devastating criticism of his ethnic cooking sent
him looking for his Filipino roots. He arrives in his family's town with no
plan of action. The first night, he connects with a beautiful woman.
Matilda loves her job managing the B & B. The owner
gave her a job and a chance after Matilda left an unhappy marriage. Her
organizational skills are unparalleled, and she has a finger on every pulse of
the business.
Jared chickens out of confessing who he is when he
arrives in Peak. Instead, he takes a job as a fill-in chef at the family B
& B, using the time to get to know his father's family. He connects easily
with his half-sisters and is sweet with his nephew. He feels guilty about
keeping his identity secret but can't decide the best way/time to come clean.
Meanwhile, he and Matilda continue spending time together.
Matilda is wary of getting involved after losing herself in her marriage. She
doesn't want to risk the same thing happening again. She tends to keep tight
control of her emotions, feeling that is her only way to protect herself. She
is also a bit of a control freak when running the B & B. She, too, begins
to feel guilty about keeping Jared's secret and the effect it could have on her
relationship with the family.
I liked the development of the relationship between Jared
and Matilda. Jared is upfront about his interest in her. Matilda is more
hesitant, as she is bothered by the ten-year age difference between them. I
liked seeing Jared and Matilda spend time together and discover their
compatibility. But when the secret comes out, the reactions are all over the
place, and Matilda and Jared must deal with the fallout. I ached for them all
as everyone came to terms with the revelations. The ending was emotional and
well done, and the epilogue was sweet.
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