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To Protect and Serve, Heroes in Uniform #1
An Igniting Attraction
Fireman Tony Cruz faces the charred ruins of his life. Burned by his adulteress wife, Tony just lost his precious step-daughter in the resulting divorce.
Across the street, Natalie Goodwin is enjoying her empty nest. The ink dry on her divorce papers and her daughter now in college, Natalie is realizing her dream: opening her very own flower shop. Life is finally going right, until Tony Cruz walks in the door.
Now sparks of desire are flying everywhere, each one threatening to ignite Natalie's own fire. But falling for a hunky fireman nine years her junior is not part of the plan.
Previously Titled: Leaving Normal
Across the street, Natalie Goodwin is enjoying her empty nest. The ink dry on her divorce papers and her daughter now in college, Natalie is realizing her dream: opening her very own flower shop. Life is finally going right, until Tony Cruz walks in the door.
Now sparks of desire are flying everywhere, each one threatening to ignite Natalie's own fire. But falling for a hunky fireman nine years her junior is not part of the plan.
Previously Titled: Leaving Normal
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
63 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
Stef Ann Holm
41 books64 followersStef Ann Holm was born in Southern California near Hollywood. With the fantasy worlds of Disneyland and Universal Studios at her doorstep, her imagination was stimulated at an early age. She attended Chatsworth High where Kevin Spacey, Mare Winningham and Val Kilmer entertained on the school's stage. As a semester elective, Stef Ann enrolled in drama and played a Fandango hostess in the chorus of Sweet Charity. It was the beginning and the end of her acting and singing career. She got a "C" in Drama and an "A" in Creative Writing.
She sold her first romance in 1987. While waiting for a load of laundry to complete at the laundromat, Stef Ann made up the name for her heroine, Camry, when she saw a Toyota Camry parked outside in the lot. Who knew that model would end up being so popular, making her in-depth research seem so shallow. Stef Ann has had twenty-three novels and one novella published. Her editor calls her contemporary romances, "Slices of life stories about real people."
Stef Ann lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, extended family and beloved Beagle.
She sold her first romance in 1987. While waiting for a load of laundry to complete at the laundromat, Stef Ann made up the name for her heroine, Camry, when she saw a Toyota Camry parked outside in the lot. Who knew that model would end up being so popular, making her in-depth research seem so shallow. Stef Ann has had twenty-three novels and one novella published. Her editor calls her contemporary romances, "Slices of life stories about real people."
Stef Ann lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, extended family and beloved Beagle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
March 19, 2010
Ah Tony, how i love thee!
While Natalie was not a bad heroine, it was Tony who made this book perfect for me. I was a little taken at back when i started reading the story and we find out Tony is married with a child. I took it in strides though trying to figure out where the author was going with this, and am glad i did. We begin to learn the reasons why he's married and how much he loves his step daughter. I was moved by how hard he was trying in his relationship, how dedicated he was to stay true to the person he married and how he didn't care one little bit that the child was not his by blood. It was a bit heartbreaking to see him struggle through the separation. I liked how he understood that his pain came more from the loss of a family and his step daughter than his wife. He was not blinded and he made no excuses for his own mistakes in the relationship. *sigh* The man is just totally fantastic with his drool worthy body, unconceited attitude, friendliness and bravery. His romanticism and attentiveness was like a cherry on top, i swear he made me want to go to every fire station to see if i could find me one just like him. :laughs:
Ah yes, the heroine was also a great person. Though i thought it was quite ridiculous that she didn't just grab Tony with both hands from the very beginning. I understood that due to her past relationship experiences; and the age gap it was hard for her to adjust and just let go. I was glad she finally saw the light towards the end. That epilogue was truly sigh worthy, it had me smiling like a loon.
I'm not sure about the author's earlier works but so far the books i've read i have not been disappointed. I will be buying her next book for sure!
While Natalie was not a bad heroine, it was Tony who made this book perfect for me. I was a little taken at back when i started reading the story and we find out Tony is married with a child. I took it in strides though trying to figure out where the author was going with this, and am glad i did. We begin to learn the reasons why he's married and how much he loves his step daughter. I was moved by how hard he was trying in his relationship, how dedicated he was to stay true to the person he married and how he didn't care one little bit that the child was not his by blood. It was a bit heartbreaking to see him struggle through the separation. I liked how he understood that his pain came more from the loss of a family and his step daughter than his wife. He was not blinded and he made no excuses for his own mistakes in the relationship. *sigh* The man is just totally fantastic with his drool worthy body, unconceited attitude, friendliness and bravery. His romanticism and attentiveness was like a cherry on top, i swear he made me want to go to every fire station to see if i could find me one just like him. :laughs:
Ah yes, the heroine was also a great person. Though i thought it was quite ridiculous that she didn't just grab Tony with both hands from the very beginning. I understood that due to her past relationship experiences; and the age gap it was hard for her to adjust and just let go. I was glad she finally saw the light towards the end. That epilogue was truly sigh worthy, it had me smiling like a loon.
I'm not sure about the author's earlier works but so far the books i've read i have not been disappointed. I will be buying her next book for sure!
February 21, 2012
2* first half
4* second half
C+/B- overall
*****Possible spoilers ahead!*****
The first half of Leaving Normal is women's fiction with a few hot fireman sightings. The second half of the book is a more typical hot-fireman-romance, although this fireman is a beta instead of an alpha. I have to admit to enjoying the second half of the book much more than the first. I wasn't really excited about Natalie's ups-and-downs with business or her botched date (the weird date added nothing to the story). Since I didn't find her a sympathetic character (see below), I wasn't as moved about the health scare as the author might have hoped.
The book starts off on the wrong foot for me when the main reason given for Natalie's divorce two years earlier was that her husband was unexciting. As the book progresses the author includes little snippets about how Natalie had "lived without love" in her marriage, but honestly, the fact that she got bored is the only real reason given. I was also disappointed that while the character of Natalie is careful to say it wasn't her husband's fault, the author continues to throw subtle and not so subtle barbs at the ex, such as he's balding and boring, and Natalie is so hot and exciting. Why do this? If you want to give Natalie a reason for a divorce, then make a good reason the readers can accept and get beyond, instead of something as nebulous as "vaguely dissatisfied." If the main character had been a woman whose husband had left her after 21 years of marriage because she wasn't exciting or pretty anymore, the readers would be full of sympathy and outrage, especially if the husband had gone on to marry a really hot swimsuit model or something. That one fact colored my opinion of Natalie for the whole book. My first impression is she's shallow and self-centered (breaking apart a marriage while her daughter is a junior in high school).
Tony's character was much more interesting to me. His loyalty and his compassion. I do wish the author hadn't made him so unbelievably handsome. Good looking is one thing, but drop-dead gorgeous seems unnecessary and less believable. I also thought the fact that Natalie didn't look her age and was so beautiful was also too bad, since it felt like the author was trying to rationalize Tony's attraction to Natalie (given their age difference). If Natalie had been a "normal" looking 43 yr old, would Tony have been attracted? Was it only because she didn't look her age? If you're going to do the December-May romance, then be brave and do it! Don't back-pedal with, "See, it's believable because she doesn't look 9 years older!"
But...while I had to suspend disbelief somewhat to accept Tony was attracted to Natalie, I will say the romance in the second half of the book was sweet and moving, and the love scenes very well written.
4* second half
C+/B- overall
*****Possible spoilers ahead!*****
The first half of Leaving Normal is women's fiction with a few hot fireman sightings. The second half of the book is a more typical hot-fireman-romance, although this fireman is a beta instead of an alpha. I have to admit to enjoying the second half of the book much more than the first. I wasn't really excited about Natalie's ups-and-downs with business or her botched date (the weird date added nothing to the story). Since I didn't find her a sympathetic character (see below), I wasn't as moved about the health scare as the author might have hoped.
The book starts off on the wrong foot for me when the main reason given for Natalie's divorce two years earlier was that her husband was unexciting. As the book progresses the author includes little snippets about how Natalie had "lived without love" in her marriage, but honestly, the fact that she got bored is the only real reason given. I was also disappointed that while the character of Natalie is careful to say it wasn't her husband's fault, the author continues to throw subtle and not so subtle barbs at the ex, such as he's balding and boring, and Natalie is so hot and exciting. Why do this? If you want to give Natalie a reason for a divorce, then make a good reason the readers can accept and get beyond, instead of something as nebulous as "vaguely dissatisfied." If the main character had been a woman whose husband had left her after 21 years of marriage because she wasn't exciting or pretty anymore, the readers would be full of sympathy and outrage, especially if the husband had gone on to marry a really hot swimsuit model or something. That one fact colored my opinion of Natalie for the whole book. My first impression is she's shallow and self-centered (breaking apart a marriage while her daughter is a junior in high school).
Tony's character was much more interesting to me. His loyalty and his compassion. I do wish the author hadn't made him so unbelievably handsome. Good looking is one thing, but drop-dead gorgeous seems unnecessary and less believable. I also thought the fact that Natalie didn't look her age and was so beautiful was also too bad, since it felt like the author was trying to rationalize Tony's attraction to Natalie (given their age difference). If Natalie had been a "normal" looking 43 yr old, would Tony have been attracted? Was it only because she didn't look her age? If you're going to do the December-May romance, then be brave and do it! Don't back-pedal with, "See, it's believable because she doesn't look 9 years older!"
But...while I had to suspend disbelief somewhat to accept Tony was attracted to Natalie, I will say the romance in the second half of the book was sweet and moving, and the love scenes very well written.
September 7, 2016
What a mess! The heroine is bored with her married life, so she divorces her husband. She begins an affair with her younger, hot fireman neighbor. Then, for the rest of the book, the heroine complains about the HUGE age difference of a whopping NINE years. Oh, my! Gasp!! Then, you can throw in completely unnecessary secondary romances involving all her other relatives into the pile of mess. Finally, top this mess with the cherry of a medical scare. Just awful.
September 29, 2018
I liked Tony and Natalie was a decent character but she was so very timid. That got old quickly.
March 5, 2015
I hate giving less than stellar reviews but this book dragged for me from the first chapter.
The relationship between these characters is very drawn out. Very frustratingly so, in my opinion. This book needed an editor. I didn't need to read about the teddy bear and flower arrangements in every room in her shop.
While I liked most of the characters, it felt like the author was more interested in describing every moment of a "year in the life" of every character, than moving the story forward but when it did, it was in leaps. You knew about every moment of every day then all of a sudden weeks would have passed.
The hero was still married to someone else when this book began, which should have been a warning that this book was going to be slow.
I did like the ending, although it felt rushed after the author had taken everything else so slowly. What should have been more closure, was in fact an epilogue several years later and the HEA.
I just didn't connect with this author's style. I won't be reading anything more by Stef Ann Holm.
The relationship between these characters is very drawn out. Very frustratingly so, in my opinion. This book needed an editor. I didn't need to read about the teddy bear and flower arrangements in every room in her shop.
While I liked most of the characters, it felt like the author was more interested in describing every moment of a "year in the life" of every character, than moving the story forward but when it did, it was in leaps. You knew about every moment of every day then all of a sudden weeks would have passed.
The hero was still married to someone else when this book began, which should have been a warning that this book was going to be slow.
I did like the ending, although it felt rushed after the author had taken everything else so slowly. What should have been more closure, was in fact an epilogue several years later and the HEA.
I just didn't connect with this author's style. I won't be reading anything more by Stef Ann Holm.
September 11, 2009
I really enjoyed this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Natalie Goodwin thinks she has everything she needs in life as she opens up her florist shop in Boise, Idaho. She is single again after divorcing her husband, and her daughter has started her first year of college in Chicago. So she is proud of her florist shop. After all, she dropped out of college for marriage and family. As she starts living life on her own terms, however, Natalie discovers that she is a bit lonely, but the dating scene turns out to be a disaster. The only man who interests Natalie is her neighbor, Tony Cruz, a hunk featured on the firefighter's calendar. But he is nine years younger than Natalie, so she believes they're destined for friendship until Tony sets out to prove her wrong. Holm's delightful romance not only shows that that you are never too young or too old for romance, it also celebrates the firefighting profession and the tremendous sacrifices firefighters make.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Natalie Goodwin thinks she has everything she needs in life as she opens up her florist shop in Boise, Idaho. She is single again after divorcing her husband, and her daughter has started her first year of college in Chicago. So she is proud of her florist shop. After all, she dropped out of college for marriage and family. As she starts living life on her own terms, however, Natalie discovers that she is a bit lonely, but the dating scene turns out to be a disaster. The only man who interests Natalie is her neighbor, Tony Cruz, a hunk featured on the firefighter's calendar. But he is nine years younger than Natalie, so she believes they're destined for friendship until Tony sets out to prove her wrong. Holm's delightful romance not only shows that that you are never too young or too old for romance, it also celebrates the firefighting profession and the tremendous sacrifices firefighters make.
March 8, 2011
I have to say I didn't enjoy this book. The main character internalized and over-thought things far too much (even more than I do!) I caught myself rolling my eyes multiple times while listening to this book; the plot progression and relationship development just didn't gel for me. I'm sure others enjoyed it, but it didn't do anything for me.
An additional distraction was the narrator - she read sooooo slooooooow, and portrayed little variation between character voices.
An additional distraction was the narrator - she read sooooo slooooooow, and portrayed little variation between character voices.
June 10, 2015
DNF @ 39% The story line was too slow to keep my interest. I skimmed several pages just to get as far as I did. :( Disappointed because I was really looking forward to a Hot Firefighter romance.
June 25, 2020
Ok, but Nathalie made this a struggle to read. She's overthinks everything and is incredibly judgmental. Every character is introduced by their full name even though we met them several chapters ago. Unnecessary details, constantly being reminded of the age gap, Nat's back and forth, and the constant reminder of how big, strong, muscular (and any other synonym for those words) Troy is made this a LONG read. We get it, he has a sexy mile and is built like a tank. I don't need to be reminded every chapter. Troy was the best part, and probably the only part I liked. I knew what he wanted, had faith things would work in favor, and fought had for what he wanted in life. I love and respect that. The author should cut out some filler, I'm sure it would help the pace and quality of the story.
December 8, 2016
Too drawn out and angsty for me to enjoy.
Not keen on Natalie and her nebulous reason for divorcing her husband. She also carried on too much about the age difference. it was hardly a huge gap, ( years).
Liked Tony and thought he seemed to be a decent chap who at least tried hard to save his marriage for his stepdaughters sake.
Could have been so much better if about a third of the book was cleared of all the trivial information in it.
Not keen on Natalie and her nebulous reason for divorcing her husband. She also carried on too much about the age difference. it was hardly a huge gap, ( years).
Liked Tony and thought he seemed to be a decent chap who at least tried hard to save his marriage for his stepdaughters sake.
Could have been so much better if about a third of the book was cleared of all the trivial information in it.
May 25, 2022
Picked this up in a train stop in Illinois.
Sweet heavens this book is just plain bad. The main character spends too much time complaining about a 9 year age gap with her firefighter neighbor. She assumes, because she is 46, that she is not able to have children. Guess what, she has a baby in the last 3 pages of the book. He should have died in the fire, that would have been way more interesting.
I am annoyed I read this. I want my time back.
Sweet heavens this book is just plain bad. The main character spends too much time complaining about a 9 year age gap with her firefighter neighbor. She assumes, because she is 46, that she is not able to have children. Guess what, she has a baby in the last 3 pages of the book. He should have died in the fire, that would have been way more interesting.
I am annoyed I read this. I want my time back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2018
I really wasn't interested in the plot of Natalie and Tony. I felt like the plot was kind of weird and predictable. The subplot of Natalie's father, though, I found hysterical. I REALLY like his character as well as the character of Iris. I wish the entire book would have been about them. Their personalities were less cookie cutter and more interesting than that of the main characters.
March 12, 2020
Fun and engaging story of a woman finding her stride after a divorce and empty nest and a man who has just discovered what he wants...even if she's not interested in falling in love.
May 8, 2020
good beach read short and sweet
Read
March 6, 2022Entertaining read, especially with the references to Boise
July 12, 2023
This amounted to a cross between a harlequin romance and a hallmark movie. Won’t be reading anything else by this author.
May 29, 2024
A very cute romance. It’s pretty slow but it’s a good non stressful read!
June 17, 2024
if your into romance novels, this one's for you.
September 20, 2024
I enjoyed this book
January 26, 2025
Typical romance with some "steam" thrown in. Very predictable.
November 2, 2018
Found it boring and couldn’t finish it.
March 19, 2017
Exciting and hot!!
I really enjoyed the attraction between Tony and Natalie. Some of those scenes had me on the edge of my seat! I loved the age difference. I would definitely recommend this book.
I really enjoyed the attraction between Tony and Natalie. Some of those scenes had me on the edge of my seat! I loved the age difference. I would definitely recommend this book.
October 12, 2016
I liked the book and how the relationship between Natalie and Tony developed. I could see myself in Natalie, wondering why a younger man would be interested, but the heart doesn't see age, and the book shows that in the end there is the HEA.
June 12, 2019
Natalie Goodwin is emerging from two years full of changes. She has emerged from a divorce, opened her dream shop (a floral store) and her daughter is a freshman at college in Chicago. Now is Natalie's time for herself. She's not looking for love.
Across the street is eye candy, Tony Cruz. He's married and step-father to a young girl, Parker. However, Tony's wife has found someone else and soon dumps Tony. Although Tony is 9 years younger, he soon notices his neighbor. As they get to know one another, they learn that Tony wants a child and Natalie has no interest in being a mother again.
This story is about multi-generational angst when moving out one's comfort zone and attempting to love another.
Across the street is eye candy, Tony Cruz. He's married and step-father to a young girl, Parker. However, Tony's wife has found someone else and soon dumps Tony. Although Tony is 9 years younger, he soon notices his neighbor. As they get to know one another, they learn that Tony wants a child and Natalie has no interest in being a mother again.
This story is about multi-generational angst when moving out one's comfort zone and attempting to love another.
March 21, 2016
Natalie is a divorced mother of a college freshman. She has just opened her own flower and gift shop and her life is fulfilling. She has a loving family around her and that has been enough.
Tony is a handsome fireman who lives across the street from Natalie. He finds that his wife has been having an affair. When she leaves and takes his young step-daughter away, it leaves Tony with an empty spot in his life.
This book is about family and life.
Both Natalie and Tony are caring and connected people. Tony is close to his fellow fireman because they are like a family. The reader learns a great deal about how the fire station works.
Natalie is a conscientious mother, daughter, sister and business owner. She works at being a good citizen in the world.
The story is about real life with the good and the not so good included. The plot is filled with events that affect nearly every family. There is a health scare, a teenager who wants to spread her wings and older people finding new paths in life. In other words, this is about life the way it is.
I enjoyed the story. I liked Natalie and Tony as well as the secondary characters. There is a humor in the relationships, just as there is in the real world. It appears that each person is emotionally committed to the people around them.
The only thing I did not care for was the on and off feelings from Natalie. I felt that if she were as strong a person as described, she would not have spent so much time waffling about her true feelings.
Ms Holm is a talented author who knows about real life and writes it very well.
Tony is a handsome fireman who lives across the street from Natalie. He finds that his wife has been having an affair. When she leaves and takes his young step-daughter away, it leaves Tony with an empty spot in his life.
This book is about family and life.
Both Natalie and Tony are caring and connected people. Tony is close to his fellow fireman because they are like a family. The reader learns a great deal about how the fire station works.
Natalie is a conscientious mother, daughter, sister and business owner. She works at being a good citizen in the world.
The story is about real life with the good and the not so good included. The plot is filled with events that affect nearly every family. There is a health scare, a teenager who wants to spread her wings and older people finding new paths in life. In other words, this is about life the way it is.
I enjoyed the story. I liked Natalie and Tony as well as the secondary characters. There is a humor in the relationships, just as there is in the real world. It appears that each person is emotionally committed to the people around them.
The only thing I did not care for was the on and off feelings from Natalie. I felt that if she were as strong a person as described, she would not have spent so much time waffling about her true feelings.
Ms Holm is a talented author who knows about real life and writes it very well.
March 6, 2014
Nah!
BBC blurb - Sammi and Luke are an unconventional, metropolitan, out-there gay couple. Emma and Jason are traumatised kids from deepest, darkest and straightest suburbia.
When the recently orphaned kids are forced to live with the couple, nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Emma becomes reclusive. Jason becomes Christian. Sammi starts to pull away. While Luke tries to pull it all together.
And then, just as this unlikely family start to find their balance, the men's mums get involved and everything starts to unravel once more.
This is a new spin on a family comedy series. But it's also a poignant culture-clash story about a group of people who come together to form a household in the most painful of circumstances.
In the first episode, Sammi and Luke are celebrating their anniversary. Luke's intolerant mother Nicky is there reluctantly as is a sexy Brazilian waiter whom Sammi is eyeing, much to Luke's chagrin. And then, suddenly, tragedy strikes.
Written and directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid.
Luke ..... Paul Nicholls
Dolly ..... Meera Syal
Sammi ..... Nikesh Patel
Sarah ..... Niamh Cusack
Emma ..... Klariza Clayton
Jason ..... Harry Manton
Nicki ..... Imelda Staunton
Hairdresser/Waiter/Nicky/Ricky ..... Sebastien Torkia
Producer: Clive Brill
Broadcast on:
BBC Radio 4, 10:45a
BBC blurb - Sammi and Luke are an unconventional, metropolitan, out-there gay couple. Emma and Jason are traumatised kids from deepest, darkest and straightest suburbia.
When the recently orphaned kids are forced to live with the couple, nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Emma becomes reclusive. Jason becomes Christian. Sammi starts to pull away. While Luke tries to pull it all together.
And then, just as this unlikely family start to find their balance, the men's mums get involved and everything starts to unravel once more.
This is a new spin on a family comedy series. But it's also a poignant culture-clash story about a group of people who come together to form a household in the most painful of circumstances.
In the first episode, Sammi and Luke are celebrating their anniversary. Luke's intolerant mother Nicky is there reluctantly as is a sexy Brazilian waiter whom Sammi is eyeing, much to Luke's chagrin. And then, suddenly, tragedy strikes.
Written and directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid.
Luke ..... Paul Nicholls
Dolly ..... Meera Syal
Sammi ..... Nikesh Patel
Sarah ..... Niamh Cusack
Emma ..... Klariza Clayton
Jason ..... Harry Manton
Nicki ..... Imelda Staunton
Hairdresser/Waiter/Nicky/Ricky ..... Sebastien Torkia
Producer: Clive Brill
Broadcast on:
BBC Radio 4, 10:45a
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2011
This was a normal book meaning it offered nothing new. Not at least to me. Rather, it was perhaps way too unrealistic for my taste. I have read books where above forty women falls for someone like a decade younger and I never really liked them much. I just bought it for a chicklit read on a boring day but Leaving Normal bored me.
I get the need for a tall, dark and handsome hero in a chicklit but lately I think the boundary line's blurring way too much. I should never feel that the world is full of men with an average height of 6 feet! But, unfortunately the world of chicklit believes that and as much as I like chicklit, I just didn't like this one. I mean it was more of a cougar chicklit if you get my drift. Stef Ann Holm may very well get lost in the sea of average or rather, below average authors.
The story would have been worthwhile if not for the unnecessary inclusion of scenes involving Natalie's daughter, Cassie and father, Fred. And why in the hell didn't Natalie change her name back to her maiden's name? Very ironic considering she initiated the divorce. There should have been more of a story behind Tony and Kim and well, I wished the hero's name wasn't Tony at all. It was targeted to be an emotional read but I just didn't find it much emotional and the end was too clichéd.
I get the need for a tall, dark and handsome hero in a chicklit but lately I think the boundary line's blurring way too much. I should never feel that the world is full of men with an average height of 6 feet! But, unfortunately the world of chicklit believes that and as much as I like chicklit, I just didn't like this one. I mean it was more of a cougar chicklit if you get my drift. Stef Ann Holm may very well get lost in the sea of average or rather, below average authors.
The story would have been worthwhile if not for the unnecessary inclusion of scenes involving Natalie's daughter, Cassie and father, Fred. And why in the hell didn't Natalie change her name back to her maiden's name? Very ironic considering she initiated the divorce. There should have been more of a story behind Tony and Kim and well, I wished the hero's name wasn't Tony at all. It was targeted to be an emotional read but I just didn't find it much emotional and the end was too clichéd.
February 16, 2017
Rather predictable love story, where all obstacles are overcome once the main character realizes that life is short ....and yet it took two times for her to get this lesson, once for herself and once for her smokin' hot fireman.
December 28, 2014
This was a wonderful book. There was the sweet romance between Fred and Iris--Natalie's father and Tony's mother--in addition to the romance that developed between Natalie and Tony.
Tony was a firefighter; Natalie had opened her own flower business. Tony was married and had a stepdaughter when he and Natalie met, but he felt his life was incomplete. Natalie was looking to have a relationship with someone. While she was several years older than Tony, he tried desperately to get her to understand that age was relative and Natalie should live her life and not be worried about what others thought.
There were periods where you just had to chuckle as you read the text. The characters captured my attention. As I read the book I felt like this could be any couple on the planet. There are definitely older women out there who happen to get involved with a younger man and many times those relationships work. It was refreshing to read how Natalie opened up to Tony and let him know that while Tony wanted a wife and child, she did not think it fair that he become attached to her because she would not be able to give him what he wants most. Eventually something happens that makes them both realize what's important.
I would definitely read this book again.
Tony was a firefighter; Natalie had opened her own flower business. Tony was married and had a stepdaughter when he and Natalie met, but he felt his life was incomplete. Natalie was looking to have a relationship with someone. While she was several years older than Tony, he tried desperately to get her to understand that age was relative and Natalie should live her life and not be worried about what others thought.
There were periods where you just had to chuckle as you read the text. The characters captured my attention. As I read the book I felt like this could be any couple on the planet. There are definitely older women out there who happen to get involved with a younger man and many times those relationships work. It was refreshing to read how Natalie opened up to Tony and let him know that while Tony wanted a wife and child, she did not think it fair that he become attached to her because she would not be able to give him what he wants most. Eventually something happens that makes them both realize what's important.
I would definitely read this book again.
November 6, 2011
I can't remember if I've read and enjoyed Stef Ann Holm before but I certainly enjoyed this book. It was not the whirlwind romance you read in most of the books in this genre. Instead, it's rather drawn out, a romance that happens over the course of several months.
Actually, at the beginning of the book our hero, Tony (a firefighter, rawr), is married to another woman. Luckily, she's cheating on him to free him up for Natalie, who divorce her husband over two years ago. That was a marriage that died from lack of attention. Several times Natalie mentions that her husband never changed, it was her. She grew and he couldn't. It seemed a little sad but also a little arrogant when I read it.
The big issue in this book is that Natalie is nine years older than Tony and somewhat uncomfortable with it. Especially since he wants kids and she's pretty sure she's going through perimenopause.
Actually, at the beginning of the book our hero, Tony (a firefighter, rawr), is married to another woman. Luckily, she's cheating on him to free him up for Natalie, who divorce her husband over two years ago. That was a marriage that died from lack of attention. Several times Natalie mentions that her husband never changed, it was her. She grew and he couldn't. It seemed a little sad but also a little arrogant when I read it.
The big issue in this book is that Natalie is nine years older than Tony and somewhat uncomfortable with it. Especially since he wants kids and she's pretty sure she's going through perimenopause.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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