I became a fan of Melanie Moreland’s writing when I read book one of the Vested Interest series at the recommendation of friend. I then binge read the entire series and fell in love with each couple. Naturally, I was drawn to read the Contract which features Richard VanRyan as our leading man, and was thrilled that his friends from the previous books made appearances.
The Amendment can be read as a standalone, but I do encourage you to first read the Contract, which is free on kindle unlimited if you subscribe, then the Baby Clause which is a novella, and then the Amendment. By doing so, you will come to know how Richard first met Katy, and the rocky road that they endured and the realizations that they came to before they wed. I so love a book that takes you on a journey and gets you totally invested in a story and that is what Melanie does with her writing. The pages flow effortlessly and you will find yourself feeling every emotion as you turn the pages. Their wit and banter was also very fun to read!
I did write a review for the Contract and basically stated how much I admired and respected the heroine. She didn’t have it easy growing up yet remained honest, loyal, hardworking, and humble. She was gracious and kind, but absolutely no pushover, and did whatever it took to be independent and survive. I loved how she handled herself and would be proud to have her as a friend.
She helped Richard become a better man, as did his work mentor, Graham, whom I highly respected. He is featured in each of the three books in this series, and was the type of person anyone would want to emulate. I truly was in awe of how he led his life and the trust, advice, and support he selflessly gave to his family and employees, especially Richard.
Katy and Richard were living the dream. They had a family they adored, had embraced their past, and looked forward to their future. But then life happens and our hero and heroine were faced with one of life’s greatest challenges. Melanie writes about situations that we can all relate to, and you will feel all of their joy, heartache, and sorrow in this beautifully written story. But more importantly, you will find yourself routing for them every step of the way.
I love how supportive their friends and extended family are, and how honest, raw, and emotional this book is. The character development is evident on every page and I love how nothing was sugarcoated. This book is about loving unconditionally, tough love, and weathering life’s storms. It’s about standing by people when they are hurting, encouraging but not enabling, and forgiveness. It’s about remaining positive and reminding people that the sun is shinning behind every raincloud.
This book features so many wonderful secondary characters which makes the book so interesting, including their funny and spirited toddler, Gracie; Graham’s wife and children; the men and their lady loves from BAM; and a new character, a young man that Richard is charged with mentoring.
If you have read Melanie before, her last few chapters are magical, always end with a HEA, and the reason I read romance! Well done!