Posted: July 14, 2014
Prepare to be swept away by a talented debut author with a passionate, powerful story to tell.They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.
They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.
But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.
MY REVIEW:
Sometimes when we’ve been hurt and our hearts have been injured our
spirits broken, we can close ourselves up.
That is exactly what Abby Davis has done her whole life or at least
since the age of five.
She has been let down, left behind, and made to feel like she’s just not
enough to be loved and be around for.
She ended up married to Josh an older man who came family less like
herself. He was so wrapped up in making
a buck he never noticed she would gladly give it all up to have him around for
her and the family they had. Four
beautiful children later and one on the way he dies in a plane crash when her
lawyer husband who would jet set off to work with the rich and famous clients
he had.
Seven months later it was summer and best friends Angie and Joe had
bailed on coming with her and the kids to the beach resort they had made plans
for with all their kids. She, Annie her
eldest, Gracie, 3 ½ and Charlie 2 ½ were all building a sand castle or at least trying. Not Jack, he was going to be able to play
football this year so he timed out of castle making to throw the football
around alone. At the same time out
swimming to let off some steam is Matt McKinney, 34, a bachelor and a Navy
SEAL. As he is swimming, Jack, beans him
square on the back, a total lucky shot.
Good shot thought Matt, Jack looking unsure waits to see what Matt will
do.
Matt gets out walks over to Jack and tosses him the ball. It hits him in the chest and drops. Matt thinks, “Butterfingers.” Then gets mad at himself for thinking that
but all the brothers he has it is natural to jab one another and throw out
barbs. When Jack looks up and says he
can’t catch. Matt says that’s okay his
dad will teach him to throw and catch not to worry too much. Jack looks up at him again and says, he can’t
throw either he’s dead.
Now Matt feels horrible so he says he’ll work with him for a little
while and he tosses back and forth with Jack.
He is really bad at both throwing and catching but Matt loves that he’s
got all heart for it. Jack’s so excited
that he yells to his mom to see she waves at him and Matt. Matt waves at her but can’t really make her
out for she is kneeing in the sand with her back to them but it’s weird he
feels a spark. He is caught off guard no
one has ever given him that feeling.
Then she comes over to chit chat and he gets this overwhelming calm he
has not had in almost two years. He had
only a week left on leave and planned on leaving but now he didn’t think so
with her alone with the kids and this feeling of calm with her and the kids…
I totally enjoyed this story. The
children steal your heart from the get go.
You will feel the anguish that little Annie feels from your heart to
your toes and back again. Jack was such
a little GI Joe spirit who looks up to this hero from the sea he found. Then there’s Gracie the free spirited love
child who just tugs at your heart. Matt
is just this man that wants to love and be loved and this story tells that
simple story of two people who find it when they were not looking and the
pureness of it.
The relationship between Matt and Abby was an interesting mix of trust
issues, fear, unbelievable soul binding love, and friendship. Promises made and promises broken. I give this 5+ stars. Provided by net galley.
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Wow. I just stumbled upon your review on Goodreads and had to pop over to check out your blog. What an awesome thing you do here! And thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your review means the world to me. You nailed it wow did you nail each child. Thinking about Annie still brings tears to my eyes. Thank you again so very much!!
ReplyDeleteClaudia
Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out. I feel very honored. Your book had so much heart and I meant every word. There is so much I could say but do not want to give anything away. Just know you did a real special job of making this one solid family even before they figured it out. Thank you for the fun in reading it.
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