Landon isn't afraid of telling Gaby that he's got it for her bad. The problem is, she seems unwilling to believe it. And though Landon enjoys his reputation as a cool-headed athlete, he hates losing—both on the rink and off. It's his competitiveness that makes him so damn good at what he does . . . but it also makes him just a little bit complicated.
One minute Gaby's tempted to give in; the next, she's getting cold feet. How can she trust a guy who's destined for bigger and better things to stick around? Then again, when Landon pulls her close with those powerful arms, the only thing that matters is right now.
MY REVIEW:
This was a great coming of age story of
Gabriella (Gabby) Bertucci. A young
woman from Detroit, who at 16 had gone to a college party with her brother
Drew, a longtime family friend and a handful of his hockey friends. As most parties it seems these days seem to
have, on college level especially, there was alcohol served. Well, Gabby had drunk before, you know she was
16, duh! So, she thought this night
would be no different but she drunk too many in a shorter period. One of the guys in the group that she came
with was a longtime family friend that was more like a cousin/brother to her.
Now all these years later their family
still does business with his family because both Gabby’s great grandfather and
his came over from the old country together and started their businesses
together. Theirs produces farm and hers
the produce stands in which to sell the produce. No 60 years later is still going strong. But you see at the party this family friend
that she trusted with all her heart raped her.
And by telling cause a riff. She
was called a liar and long short of it never was reported and they still do
business with their family per her grandfather’s instructions. Gabby struggles
with the family's decision with this situation and her feelings on it.
She was working at the new store at 313
Artisans with her father. Not only did
they sell produce but they sold her mother’s eclectic artwork, others from the
community, other merchandise as well and of course produce. On this day the guy that Gabby has had a
crush on forever comes in, Landon Taylor. She knows she would love to be girl that could
talk to him and one day even date him but with what she had been through she
can trust herself or men. Plus, her
family are so overprotective.
Landon Taylor is a defenseman for the
Detroit Pilots Hockey Team. He is one of
four boys in his family and the second born.
Yet, the only of the couples born to them. They adopted the other three. Every weekend they meet as a family by coming
to their fruit stand and buying 5 apples to start their journey through to marketplace
every weekend so they have something to munch on. Every weekend Gabby turns into mush.
The thing is that Gabby doesn’t know is
that Landon has had a crush on her too. Unfortunately,
today would not be the day to tell her because as he was leaving he hears Gabby
make a blood curdling scream. And after
them just having a fun time bantering and her throwing a stuffed animal at his
head this sends an awful chill up his spine. Her father had fallen to the ground. As he ran back he was calling 911. He had planned to close the store for Gabby
but her father made her stay and had her call her mother to meet him at the
hospital. He felt so bad for Gabby she
looked so lost and hurt. She was made to
feel less than. He knew that feeling.
She told him he could leave, he said no,
she said no too because Papa would upset if she let a stranger close. She could see he looked hurt although it
passed over his face in a split second but still it was there. When he drops the bomb saying they’ve known
each other forever saying he knows her.
So she started asking questions about herself she knew he would never
know just to be a pain. Because you see
she knew all things Landon from the internet and from all the years he came in
and watching him and his family. But she
knew for sure there was no such information on her on the internet.
Then he tells her things she shouldn’t
know. Flooring her to the point her
mouth was open like a fish. Then he says
we are not strangers please let me help.
She says how do you know all this stuff about me? I’m a good listener when I come in. But why?
She asked? “Because you were my
first kiss!” Then he leaves…
This was an interesting family
dynamics. I could relate to on so many
levels. This was a lot of the families I
grew up around too. So very believable I
just wish there was an epilogue and a better ending. I feel like we were just left hanging. Like there is no completion. I give this 4 stars.
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