Jenna Hardy was married for three years to an abusive husband, but finally got the courage to leave. Now, she’s making a life of her own, but when a one-night stand at her friend Josie’s wedding leaves her unexpectedly pregnant, she finds herself wondering what to do.
The father is Josie’s husband’s bandmate, Jimmy Davis, who is known for his one-night-stands – lots of them. Since he caught his ex in bed on their anniversary with two men at once, he’s had trouble trusting women. But when he finds out about the baby, he’s bound and determined to be there for Jenna and his kid, as the faithful and loving husband she deserves. Both of them are willing to give marriage a try, and maybe even fall in love – but when his ex shows up pregnant, and hers shows up with a gun, can their new love survive?
This is a truly sweet love story, with a hero and heroine that the reader can genuinely enjoy reading about. Both are uncertain in some ways about falling in love, and Jenna for a time (unfairly) tries to keep Jimmy from knowing about his child, but in the long run, they can end up behaving like adults, talking to each other like adults, and even trusting each other. Jimmy manages to go from rock star to family man without losing his sex appeal, and watching Jenna learn to accept and return his love is heartwarming.
The trouble, however, with romantic leads who talk to each other and behave like adults, is that it cuts down a bit on the story’s emotional conflict and thus on the erotic tension. Once the two of them start letting go of their fears, there isn’t much left that can come between them, except by force. Granted, there are enough outside events to move the plot, even drastic ones, but there’s never that seed of doubt in the reader’s mind that the core relationship will end up working. The book also needs a bit of an edit, particularly for commas, which tend to go missing at various points.
If what you want is a nice romantic love story, this will fill the bill quite well. It’s a charming and life-affirming tale with which to brighten up a bad day or a dull afternoon.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader