Nobody said a fresh start would be easy
A clean slate is exactly what Katie Gallagher needs, and
Bar Harbor, Maine, is the best place to get it. Except the cottage her
grandmother left her is overrun with woodland creatures, and the police chief,
Aiden Cavanaugh, seems determined to arrest her! Katie had no idea she'd broken
his heart fifteen years ago…
Terrific story about trust, letting go of the past, and
new beginnings. I loved the characters, the emotional angst, and the humor that
balanced it out.
Katie spent her summers in Maine with her grandparents. She
was full of energy and had the reputation as a hellion, thanks to actions that "seemed like a
good idea at the time." When she grew up, the man she married turned out
to be a cheating, controlling nightmare. Nothing Katie did was ever right or
good enough. He even withheld the news of her grandmother's death, so she
didn't go to the funeral. Now, she is in the midst of divorcing him, and she
sets out for a fresh start in Maine in the house her grandmother left to her. She
runs afoul of the police chief, Aiden, on her way into town in a hilarious
encounter that has his head spinning.
Aiden grew up in their town but left for college and some
time with the Boston police department before returning home. Now, he is the
police chief. Aiden was dumped by his fiancée the day before their wedding and
is still bitter about it a year later. He is convinced women can't be trusted
and refuses to get involved with anyone. The last person he expects to see is
Katie, the girl he crushed on as a teenager.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Katie and
Aiden develop. Both have been hurt in the past, so neither wants to admit the
attraction. Their interactions are frequently hilarious. Aiden is determined to
keep his distance but can't ignore his need to watch over her. Katie's house is
a critter-infested mess, and watching her try to deal with it provides some of
the funniest moments in the book. Every time they encounter each other, the
sparks fly. Katie begins to accept her growing feelings for him, but whenever
Aiden gives in to his attraction, his insecurities send him running. His
hot-and-cold attitude stirred up Katie's insecurities. Sometimes, I wanted to
shake both of them and lock them in a room until they got past their hangups.
Matters come to a head when Katie finally has enough of Aiden's waffling and
calls him out. He deserved some suffering after realizing what an idiot he'd
been, so I was happy to see that Katie didn't give in too quickly. I loved the
epilogue.
Supporting characters: I loved Bear, the handyman. He
wanted sparks between him and Katie, and they just weren't there. But he turned
out to be a good friend. Aiden's grandfather, Conner, was sweet once they got
past their initial meeting. I loved his support of Katie. I also enjoyed the
relationship between him and Aiden. He won my heart when he helped make Katie's
dream come true. And I can't finish the review without mentioning Katie's dog,
a Newfoundland named Chaucer. He was a big ol' goofball, and I loved how he was
always there when Katie needed him.
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