RESERVED (Love Story)

RESERVED                                 TRACY EWENS

If only life were as simple as making a reservation. 

Makenna Rye Conroy was living the dream—with an amazing husband and a beautiful new baby daughter—when one night changed everything. 

Almost six years after Adam’s death, Makenna and her daughter Paige have built a solid, happy life together. Makenna manages her brother’s trendy restaurant, The Yard, and helps out at Ryeland Farms, the family business, all while navigating the world of private school parenting. Sure, being a single mom has its challenges, but she hardly has time to pack her daughter’s lunch in the morning, let alone think about dating. 

Travis McNulty, the middle child and biggest disappointment of the McNulty clan, is a chef at his best friend’s new restaurant. He gave up apologizing for not being the football hero his family wanted a long time ago. In fact, Travis apologizes for very little these days. He loves creating great food—it’s more of a passion than a job—and he lives life on his own terms with few complications. 

For the past couple years, Makenna and Travis have worked side by side at The Yard, bickering, teasing, and never taking each other very seriously. That is until Makenna has her usual reoccurring dream; but this time, instead of her late husband as the featured man, Travis stands in his place. Travis may be attracted to his best friend’s sister, but she’s a widow and a mother, which tops the charts for complicated in his book. 

As the game changes, Makenna and Travis, with a little help from Paige, have to figure out what they are willing to risk to reserve a table for three. 

MY REVIEW:

     Your young off at college and meet the man of your dreams.  You finish college but oh yeah you run off to Vegas first and get married.  Then the next thing you know you are pregnant.  Makenna Rye Conroy and he her husband Adam were young and in love but scared but excited too.  Five weeks after giving birth Adam passes away.  Makenna is left to raise Paige as a single mother.  It was a good thing she had the family she did and the family business to keep her busy too.

     You see she’d already had been living at the farm so she just continued.  Her brother Garrett, was running the farm with her father so that helped.  Jason lived in Seattle with his best friend Travis McNulty.  As for her mother she ran out on them with some rich dude when she was five.  Her brother had decided to open a restaurant using fresh items from the farm and there at the restaurant where they had a garden.  He asked Travis to be a part of it.

     Being that Jason and Travis are great chefs in their own right you can see how it can only stand to reason the success of their restaurant.  The first time Travis meets Kenna he feels a connection but then he thinks it’s due to knowing her brother and her situation.  But then it happens every time he’s around her.  Travis doesn’t do complications due to his family dynamics.  He’s a kiss and run kind of guy but he is up front.

     Kenna is friendly with her brother’s best friend ribs him like her brother’s and Travis likes it until she stops and she won’t make eye contact.  And all he can do is think about her.  On top of that Paige her daughter had already found a place in his heart was now creating a creator.  You see a couple times that they were at the restaurant she forgot her lunch pail.  The next morning when she picked it up in a rush it was filled with a homemade lunch, all Travis.

     Now though at 5 she was sending “My Travis,” as she called notes with XOXO and happy faces and requests for lunch.  Yup he was a goner.  But Kenna also knows Travis is a player.  And When she once again has what she thought would be the same dream she had been having since Adam died should be it isn’t its Travis.  That freaks her out.  That can’t be because although he’s nice he is a manwhore.

     It’s due to family issues he’s running from what he feels for both Kenna and Paige.  One part that’s major is that his ex-married his brother.  Yup!  So against marriage and family in general not at all for him for sure. I can get when that when it happens to you.  Okay, but it’s time to forgive or move on.  As time moves on Travis continues to bond with Paige and with Kenna.  When Kenna stops talking it all of a sudden becomes a huge problem.

     I love Makenna’s daughter, Paige.  She is so sweet and pure in spirit.  She is such an open little thing.  She brings a life and laughter to this story.  There is a lot of emotional issues from their past they need to walk through.  Kenna was the one that runs in this book which was interesting so you will have a good time seeing this through as to how the work it out to get their HEA.  I give this 5++++ stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com.