Connor and Ellery Black are finally married, after years of trials and tribulation (documented in the first two books of the trilogy, Forever Black and Forever You), and they have a beautiful new baby daughter, Julia Rose. But their life is not going to be easy or smooth at first; the crises they will face include the trial of Connor’s nasty ex-girlfriend Ashlyn, a stalker who sends Ellery sexy text messages, and a friend’s bout with cancer. Can they manage to get through all of this and find their happy ever after?
The faithful reader of the series will be pleased to see Connor and Ellery finally happy together (mostly). There are some very cute moments, such as the “mystery man on the elevator” bit, which liven up the book. The story actually reads as a succession of episodes, rather than as a single tale, and so can be read in chunks if a reader is pressed for time. The couple’s need to learn trust is presented as a common thread which does help to tie the narrative together.
However, it would make the book much better if Connor and Ellery would ever seem to learn that lesson for any length of time. The amount of time they spend hiding things from each other and being irrationally jealous, to the point of threatening anyone of the opposite sex who so much as looks at their spouse, makes the book feel soap-operaish. Unfortunately, it is a soap opera with wooden characters, whose emotions are more described than shown, and who feel flat and two-dimensional throughout most of the book. Minor characters are stereotypes – the supportive “bestie”, the charming and unthreatening gay male friend, the evil crazy ex, the faithful retainer, the stalker, even the spoiled but lovable “princess” daughter. (And those readers who have joined the 21st century may find Connor a bit exasperating when he rejoices at having a son for his second child, because he can be groomed to take over the company – why precisely is a daughter unfit for that task?)
If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, this is a pleasing conclusion. But problems with character development and a lack of emotional realism prevent it from achieving its full potential.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader