Synopsis

Like his brothers Zach and Zane, Trey Barnes thought he had found the love of his life. But fate had other plans. A widower who’s had to raise his five-year-old son on his own, Trey has not allowed himself to be with another woman. Until he meets Ressa Bliss at—of all places—a children’s library program. The beautiful librarian is wonderful with his son, Clay, but every time Trey even considers asking her out, he is tortured by guilt.

Fate is indeed fickle. When the two meet again at a conference, this time the attraction is too powerful to resist. But is their connection and passion strong enough to survive Trey’s deep inner torment?

Review

After reading and enjoying Zane's story in Razed (my review), I was very much intrigued by Trey. He is a writer, single dad to a young son - practically a catnip for me in romance. 

I expected a somewhat lighter and more easy going read but was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the story. The slightly darker elements that pop up here and there worked well for and added yet another dimenstion to the romance. 

It's a multicultural romance, the heroine is African-American and the hero is white and I think their enthic differences were handled really well in th story - they didn't overshadow the romance but not swept under the carpet either. 

Trey was a very interesting character and I liked him from the start. I found it easy to relate to him - the sorrow of the loss of his wife, the difficulties of raising his son alone, the slow return to being a popular writer - all were skilfully presented and felt very real. His issues with romance and intimacy were well grounded, though they seemed to disappear overnight when he met Ressa. It was a case of instalust/love and I never really understood what made Ressa so different (at first sight) from all the other women Trey tried to date previously. 

I wasn't so much a fan of Ressa. She was full of life, very strong and independant, just like Trey raising a kid on (her niece) her own. I liked them as a couple and the sex scenes were intense and very, very hot. Yet I found her reasons for not wanting a relationship with Trey too contrived, if not downright silly. Her unwillingness to open up to him, to at least give them a chance to be in a relationship really annoyed me. Her big secret was aslo sort of a letdown. I understand her insecurities and fears, yet she kept pushing Trey away and became annoying.

The whole drama with Tessa's cousin and later with Trey's neighbiur seemed over the top and not really necessary. It added some suspense to the plot but I could have done away without it. 

I loved Travis, Trey's twin and I'm excited about his story. Of the other Barnes brothers Sebastian also made an appearence, short but memorable one. The almost supernatural connection between the two twins was very interesting to read and very much liked its role in the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable romance with some dark overtones, likable characters and little drama. Fans of the series will definitely fell in love with Trey and Ressa's story.

Purchase links: Amazon | BN | iBooks | Kobo

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My reviews of other books by Shiloh Walker:

The Virgin's Night Out - 2 Stars

You Own Me - 3.5 stars

Darker Than Desire - 4 stars

Sweeter Than Sin - 4 stars