Sweet Water

Destination Billionaire Romance #5

by Laurie L.C. Lewis

Love and money don’t mix when three college friends launch a fledgling business, and two impulsively elope. When Hudson Bauer hears the wedding news he leaves town, along with the company's first big contract and Olivia and Jeff's dreams.

Olivia McAllister has spent eight years blaming Hudson for all her losses, including her anemic marriage to Jeff and a recent, tragic accident that leaves her body battered and her dreams of a family shattered.

Widowed, and in desperate straits, she is forced to accept Hudson’s offer to recuperate at his parents’ empty house on Oregon’s Cannon Beach, but her return to the place where the three friends once summered casts new light on her hasty marriage and on the enemy she once called friend.

When Hudson offers Olivia a job doing humanitarian work, something hopeful and familiar awakens in Olivia, giving rise to long-denied feelings for Hudson. Stuck between grief and the memory of what she and Hudson almost had, Olivia must make peace with her confusing past, and forgive the man she once hated, before Hudson walks away again, closing the door on their possibilities forever.

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Family Drama, Clean Romance, Friendship, Fiction

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 4, 2017

About the author

Laurie (L.C.) Lewis will always be a Marylander at heart—a weather-whining lover of crabs, American history, and the sea. She admits to being craft-challenged, and particularly lethal with a glue gun, which is why she set her creative juices on writing which was less likely to burn her fingers. She's also a devotee of sappy movies, fried chicken, and twinkle lights.

She writes women’s fiction/romance novels as Laurie Lewis. They include The Better Man (2024) Revenge Never Rests (2022) Cross-Country Christmas (2021), Secrets Never Die, (2019) Love on the Line (2019), Awakening Avery (2018), Love on a Limb (2017), Sweet Water (2017), The Dragons of Alsace Farm (2016), and Unspoken (2004). Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, she wrote her national and international award-winning WWII drama based on the life of a survivor of the occupation of France, The Letter Carrier (2022), and the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical romance series, set against the backdrop of the War of 1812: Dark Sky at Dawn (2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).

Laurie Lewis is a two-time 2023 Whitney Award winner for Novel of the Year and Best Historical Fiction (The Letter Carrier). That same year, she was also awarded The Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal for Inspirational Fiction, also for The Letter Carrier. In 2016-17 she was awarded a RONE Award, a New Apple Literary Award, and Readers Favorite award, and a Whitney finalist award (The Dragons of Alsace Farm). In 2018, she won New Apple Literary’s Best New Fiction Award (Love on a Limb.) She is also a BRAGG Medallion honoree, and a USA Best Books Awards finalist.

Laurie is currently working on additional books in the Silver Buckle Brides Series.

Laurie loves to hear from readers, and she invites you to join her VIP Readers’ Club or contact her at any of these locations.

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Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the first half of this, I thought I was in for a second-chance love story with mildly wooden characters who would eventually get to the heart of their past miscommunication. And then the horror grew. And grew. And then I couldn't stop reading because I was morbidly curious to see if any good could be salvaged from the horror. (answer: no).

In order to accept this story as given, you have to believe that two emotionally stunted idiots and a short-sighted and selfish jerk invented a company that formed the kernel that would grow into a huge humanitarian empire in less than a decade. Oh, and then the selfish jerk pulled an evil mind-trick worthy of a Sith Lord (which only worked because of the weak-minded fools he was duping) and made off with the girl.

I kept waiting to learn something good about any of these people from their past only to be continually disappointed as each revelation doubled-down on the idiocy. Look, I know nerds. And I know nerds in love (intimately). And yes, they can be clueless and miss cues and all of that. But working closely together, sharing ideas and dreams and family spaces and vacations for four years running and to the extent that they built a solid foundation for those dreams together? I don't think so. And to go from pining after one for all of those years only to lose herself to the other in approximately 24 hours puts the pathetic in unsympathetic.

So yeah, this is a train wreck. And that's before we get to using third-world poverty for emotional manipulation...

A note about Chaste: Don't read this story. It's chaste, but so what?

[Sara Oxton]

Sweet Water by Laurie L.C. Lewis a fab five-star read. This is a book in the Destination Billionaire Romance series, but they are standalone books all wrote by different authors, and the first book by this author I have read, and it won’t be the last. The more I read about the author herself as well the more intrigued I am, she just sounds like an amazing woman and I love a good author as much as I love a good story. I enjoy their history as I feel if you know about the mind it comes from then you can understand the story more, it gives it more depth in my eyes.
We meet Olivia McAlister as she is waking up in a drug addled fog in a hospital bed, her husband and unborn child are sadly passed in the same tragic accident that left Olivia bruised and battered and in that same bed. It starts us on a journey that will have your feels out in the buckets full. We watch Olivia as she grieves and feels guilt for the circumstances around the accident. When an old college friend pops up in the hospital room, he just adds more guilt and confusion to Olivia, but he may also be able to give her the salvation she needs.
That college friend in question is Hudson Bauer a billionaire philanthropist with a story all of his own to tell us. Hudson was a character that I could get behind so far, he was someone that you wanted to read so more about, his story was one I could get behind and would happily want to find out more about.
I don’t want to tell you the story as I couldn’t do it justice, but Sweet water is a book you need to read, the destination Billionaire books are all wrote by different authors and this is the only one I have read so far, but I may give the others a go if they are half as good as this one.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.
Quick story and cute read. I liked how they got over the problems and the ending was sweet.

Nice to read a clean billionaire story.

[Katie Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis is the Fifth book in the Destination Billionaire Romance series. In this book, you Follow the heartbreaking Story of three college friends Hudson, Olivia and Jeff. This book is set in both main characters points of view insuring you get both sides of the story for more details.
Hudson’s made quite the name for himself but always thinks about the one who got away and the betrayal that came with that loss. But comes running the minute he’s needed. Olivia spends her days blaming Hudson for how wrong her life has gone. Now she’s faced with not only a new life but also being near Hudson after years of unhappiness. Jeff lived his life for him and didn’t always care who was hurt in the end of him getting his way. Faced with an uncertain future Olivia has no choice but to turn to Hudson. With many unanswered questions, they know the past will never be truly in the past without answering them all. Can they move forward?
This story has a nice flow of events that to me are well timed you’re never left feeling like the scene isn’t finished and could have used more details. I give this story 5 stars because she pulled at my heart with the emotions in this story. You feel each moment from the highs of happiness to the lows of devastation. Even with this being book five I feel it can be read as a standalone without feeling lost.

[The Flipped Page (Susan K) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance, clean, mild faith elements
This was a lovely read. Hudson and Olivia's friendship and hurts as they were exposed after Olivia's accident, and Hudson's help, made for a touching, healing romantic read. Hudson's courage, his determination, his help that he offered to Olivia and with the charitable gifts and efforts he makes was a lovely read. Olivia's uncovering of the past, of her dead husband's part in derailing Hudson's plans to woo Olivia more openly, Olivia realizing how Hudson had 'shown' his love for her in the past, and the misunderstandings that kept them apart, all made a beautiful fall again romantic read. Olivia healing from her physical wounds, and both their wounded hearts healing, with these two honest hurting hearts made for the perfect HEA for me as a reader. Quick, fun, and beautifully crafted story.
Will look forward to reading more by this author.

[Danielle Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read by this Author. Sweet Water : Destination Billionaire romance is written by Laurie Lewis. This is filled with with many different emotions. Olivia, Jeff McAllister, and Hudson Bauer are friends. They are developing a business. But Olivia and Jeff wanted to make the world better. On Hudson's big night, Olivia and Jeff elope. Hudson feels betrayed, so he ends their partnership. He'll make his own big break. He doesn't need Olivia and Jeff. But there is a horrible tragic accident and Jeff is killed. That leaves Olivia devastated, her heart and body is battered. The dream that Olivia had for a family is gone. Olivia ends up having to take help from Hudson. In time, the more Olivia starts working with Hudson. She starts opening her eyes, realizing that she has feelings for Hudson. Olivia and Hudson work great together. Great pair. But Olivia is having mix feelings, she is feeling guilty. Olivia feels like she would be betraying Jeff, if she gives in to her feelings for Hudson. Hudson has strong feelings for Olivia, always has. Olivia and Hudson have great chemistry. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, so you'll just have to read this story. I recommend it. It is a great story. I really enjoyed it. Laurie Lewis did a great job on this book. The story is well written. It's a great read. I am looking forward to reading more from this Author. Thank you, Laurie Lewis. Great work on this book. :)

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis- 4 stars
Hudson Bauer is the man that every woman dreams about. He is handsome, honorable, smart and last but not least, a billionaire. His entire life he was always considered a geek or an outcast and often found himself bending his accomplishments to help others. Hudson Bauer has also only been in love once in his entire life, her name was Olivia McAllister. Olivia was part of the trio he hung out with most in College and they, along with Jeff McAllister, built a company that they thought would become their dream. He thought they had it all and were headed for great success until the night everything changed. Olivia and Jeff ran off together, abandoned the meeting for their big sponsorship and left Hudson completely alone. Right then and there he decided to wash his hands clean of their project and that included Olivia as well. This was his version of the story.
Olivia seems to remember things completely different. Olivia had always been the shy and nerdy girl, always trying to change herself to see if she could get the attention of a man, more importantly Hudson. However, it seemed that whatever she did he had no interest in and still viewed her as just a friend. One night, Jeff swooped in and took her off her feet convincing her that they had been in love all along and that he was the best choice for her. They both ran off together and eloped and upon their return found a letter from Hudson that Jeff read out loud. According to Jeff, the letter stated that he was done and couldn’t do their project anymore or their friendship. From that day forward, Olivia cursed Hudson’s name. Cursed him for not trying to fight for her, not being happy for her and most importantly cutting her out of a project that she felt was her baby. This was her side of the story.
Fast forward 8 years and these two former friends could not be further apart in life from each other. Olivia is miserable in her loveless marriage with Jeff and hating her job, where Hudson is literally changing the world into a better place while making tons of money. An unspeakable tragedy brings Hudson back into Olivia’s life and he finds himself dropping whatever he has going on to once again come to her rescue. He would do anything for her and stops at nothing to make sure she has everything she could possibly need. It is not as easy for Olivia to open her heart or life back to Hudson and finds herself trying to fight him on everything he is doing for her and wants out from under his watchful eye as soon as she is better.
With all of the tension between them, it does not take long for these two to begin to dig up the painful memories of the past with both of them trying to use their pain as defense mechanisms. However, to their surprise they find out that there may be more to the story than they both ever knew and the man that they both once trusted could have been hiding a secret so big that neither of them could handle it. Hudson and Olivia are both faced with painful truths, mistakes and memories that send them both down memory lane- but can they ever find common ground to be friends again? Or has the damage of all of their bad decisions completely destroyed their one chance at true love and happiness?
This story was a constant roller coaster of emotions and crazy surprises. I found myself guessing at every page and I didn’t come anywhere close to guessing what the big secret was at the end of the book. This novel read very quickly, kept my attention and drew me to the characters. Although Olivia and Hudson were the main characters, I found myself equally drawn to the sub-characters and loved their interactions, input and history with all of the characters. This novel was a great read about self-discovery, overcoming a past of mistakes and most importantly putting yourself and life on the line to show the other person how much trust and love it takes to build a friendship.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis is from the Destination Billionaire Romance series and each book is written by a different author. Sweet Water is a standalone.

Having known Jeff since high school, Hudson trusts his friend completely and after introducing Olivia to their group, the three begin to develop a sports program. All seems to be going well and just as their vision is about to become a reality, Olivia and Jeff take steps that devastates Hudson and ruins the trio. Hudson leaves to continue building the company alone, and Olivia and Jeff move on to hopefully create and build their own vision. However, several years later, events take place that brings Hudson back into Olivia’s life and both are unsure if they can move forward and forget about the past. Will secrets be exposed and can they move past the heartache and disappointment caused by the decisions each of the trio made.

Olivia was always determined not to make the same choices as her mother did and she felt she had achieved this by marrying Jeff who would be able to give her everything she needed. However, her dreams are shattered and she's left emotionally and physically battered when life changing events take place. Without anyone or anything left, she has no choice but to accept help from Hudson who she blames for the struggles she's suffered. Hudson then provides Olivia with the opportunity to rebuild her life and rediscover herself after spending so many years putting Jeff first.

“Hudson had done it. He had followed through on his dreams. He was a Doer. What had happened to her? She wondered if it was too late to find herself again.” - Olivia

Hudson never expected Olivia and Jeff to betray him and even though he was left heartbroken, he managed to achieve the dreams he had for his professional future. However, he’s become ‘mistrustful and solitary’ as he's unsure who can be trusted and lets very few people into his circle of trust. Despite what Olivia and Jeff did to him, Hudson doesn't hesitate to offer help to Olivia when she needs it but leaves when he feels he's done enough and tries to focus on continuing to make a success out of the many projects his company is running. What he doesn't expect is to feel a pull towards Olivia and as a consequence of giving her the freedom she needs, he suffers and waits in silence to see if Olivia makes the decisions he hopes.

“You'll be a new you. Hopefully, a happy you again, but your life has changed.” - Hudson

Laurie Lewis has created a love story that leaves you wanting more. The story kept me gripped throughout and although I enjoyed the alternating POVs of Olivia and Hudson, I sometimes felt Hudson was closed off and didn't show much passion despite his feelings for Olivia. We see Olivia’s struggle and I felt the hurt, frustration, hope and many other emotions along with her. This wasn't always the case with Hudson’s POVs. I loved this story though and there was an opportunity for it to be more had the author had the chance to write a longer story.

This is the first book written by Laurie Lewis that I've read and I would recommend the book as it's a fantastic love story with some twists that you don't see coming until they happen.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, I so need a Hudson in my life <3

Second chance story that really caught me. The main characters are just children when misunderstandings happen but somehow faith has other plans for them 8 years later. And maybe how everything went south it might make you roll your eyes but bare in mind that we all see things 10 times worse than they are when we are younger. I kept reading and reading because Hudson is everything in this story. The perfect hero and for him alone this short book is so worth it!!

[Smutty~ Vibes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis was my first book by Laurie. I wasn't disappointed at all. This Was A wonderful Read. Once i started reading i really couldn't put the book down. Although i haven't read any of the other books in this series, you can read as a stand alone and not be disappointed. Reading this book made me fall in love with Hudson and Olivia. Reading this will put you in your feels :) Im going to have to go back and read more of her books.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Sweet Water is a beautiful romance by Laurie Lewis. It is one of the stories in the Destination Billionaire Romance Collection. I really enjoyed this lovely story.
Hudson, Olivia, and Jeff were the best of friends. They met as freshmen on the first day and became firm friends. They all had their own strengths that they brought to the table and they made a great team. The three of them started a business, building a company they had worked hard to get off the ground. But when Jeff and Olivia sneak off and get married, Hudson feels betrayed, so he ends their business partnership- leaving his friends behind as he made his own fortune.
Jumping forward eight years, a devastating accident occurs that brings Olivia back into Hudson’s life. She has been badly injured, but it’s not just her body that has been harmed. Waking up in the hospital, now a widow with her hopes for a family destroyed. Her sister in law has taken time off work to be at the hospital for her. But her time is running out and will need to head home soon. Olivia will need to stay until she is fully recovered and then attend physical therapy and counselling sessions locally. Knowing that Olivia has no one she can rely on, her sister in law contacts Hudson, who kindly offers to help her.
But Olivia is angry and hurt- and doesn’t want anything to do with Hudson. But, she soon comes to realise that she has no other option but to accept his help. Hudson organises for her to stay at his family beach house with a nurse to help with her recovery. He is kind and generous and the familiar spark that they used to have still burns. But the betrayal they both feel still causes them pain, added to that is all the guilt, secrets, miscommunication and subterfuge that they will now need to navigate their way through.
As Olivia recovers, she starts work on a new project- a job she hopes will enable her to get a fresh start and to gain her independence, for the first time in years. But to embrace the future, Olivia will need to unravel everything that led to this point in her life and make peace with the past. Will she acknowledge what she and Hudson share? Can she forgive him? Will Hudson finally confess the feelings he has carried all these years? Can both put their pain aside and find a way to be together, or has too much happened for that to be possible?
I really loved this book. It is such a sweet, tender and beautiful story. Ms. Lewis really has a way with words and a talent for drawing her reader into the story- she had me invested in the story and the wonderful characters. I didn’t just read the story, I experienced it. Every. Single. Word. Of. It.
I really can’t wait to read more from this talented author!

Thank you Ms. Lewis!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a fatal accident Olivia McAllister awakens in a hospital room with an unfamiliar doctor, a woman whom she has only met once and little to no memory of how she got there. But then she hears a voice that she does remember, her once best friend, Hudson Bauer, the person who let her down the most in her life. This is how Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis begins.
Once upon a time Olivia, Hudson and their friend Jeff were best friends and partners in a start-up company they formed in college. That is until Olivia and Jeff eloped and came back to find that Hudson had moved out and took everything with him leaving nothing of what they helped build. For the next eight years Olivia and Jeff lead a nomadic life going from city to city working with small companies and living hand to mouth and blaming Hudson for his deceit. This was never the way they meant things to happen, Olivia is miserable and wants to settle down and start her family but Jeff is too busy chasing his dreams to settle down. After an argument Jeff is fatally injured in a car accident leaving Olivia alone and desolate.
Hudson Bauer, billionaire philanthropist and head of the Bauer Group, is seeing Olivia McAllister for the first time in eight years. The only woman he ever loved has been severely injured and is treating him like the bad guy when she and Jeff were the ones that turned on him. Hudson has a heart of gold and only wants to help Olivia so he sets her up to recuperate in his family home. Because of everything that has gone on in the past Hudson leaves her in order to keep his feelings private, he feels that this is the best he can do.
Olivia is having a hard time relegating this Hudson to the Hudson she has been thinking he was for the past eight years. This Hudson is beyond generous, asking for nothing in return, he is nothing like the Hudson that Jeff led her to believe he was. The Hudson of her past was not interested in prestige or money so the fact that he would just leave her high and dry didn’t mesh, now she sees that maybe Jeff was lying. During her recuperation period Olivia begins to question the relationship she had with her husband, why did she never meet his family? Why was she never allowed to read the letter Hudson left for her when he abandoned him? Why was his proposal so out of left field all those years ago? Olivia eventually finds out the truth of what happened and it is nothing like what she thinks.
I truly enjoyed this book. While I was hesitant to read a “Billionaire” romance because I thought it might be too filled with fluff I am glad I read this one. There was so much more to this story than you would think. Nice job Ms. Lewis, I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water: Destination Billionaire Romance
By Laurie Lewis
4 Stars!!!!

This is my first book by Laurie, and I really liked it. It is written in third person, and we see the story from both Hudson’s and Olivia’s POV. Olivia, Hudson, and Jeff all meet in college and become a close-knit group that develops a sports program that they all think will make them rich! Thing are falling into place and everything is going smoothly until Olivia and Jeff make a decision that ruins the three amigos. Hudson goes one way while Olivia and Jeff go the other. Believing that Hudson had gone ahead and pitched their plans and company without them, Jeff and Olivia made their own way in life. Several years down the line Hudson is a very successful billionaire and has a hand in many different projects that might change the world. Olivia and Jeff on the other hand haven’t made it big anywhere and only have a thousand dollars to their names and are struggling every day. Tragedy strikes and somehow Hudson and Olivia’s life are thrown back together again. Olivia wakes up in the hospital bruised and broken, only to find that the one person that she has resented for the last few years is here to try and help her heal and get back on her feet again. Hudson arranges for Olivia to stay in his parent’s beach house and without anywhere else to go she agrees. Seeing each other again has brought up some extreme heartache for the two, but it has also brought up many questions that were left unanswered all those years ago. Hudson shows extreme kindness towards her and Olivia can’t help but wonder how this man was the one that betrayed her all those years ago. During that time Olivia find outs that Jeff isn’t the man she thought he was and that he had some very dark secrets that he had tried desperately to keep hidden. When everything if forced out in the open, Will Olivia and Hudson realize that they should be together, even with all of the crazy miscommunications and heartbreak they have given each other over the years? Or will they finally move on from each other and decide that too much has happened for them to even try to be together?
This book is part of the Destination Billionaire Romances, but it is a standalone. If you need a good read to pass the time I suggest going to pick this one up!! Take a chance on this one, You will not be disappointed!!

Review by Anastasia D.

[Penny Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEET WATER: DESTINATION BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE
AUTHOR: LAURIE LEWIS

FIVE STARS

SWEET WATER is a part of the Destination Billionaire Romance collection by Laurie Lewis. This series is a little different because each book in the series is written by a different author. This is the only one I have read so far, but I am very interested in reading the others. SWEET WATER can also be read as a stand alone. Romance is a new genre for Laurie and she nailed it. I hope she decides she likes it because she has a knack for it. It is a very short, charming love story that will have you feeling lots of different emotions. Second chance romances tug at my heartstrings because I am a true romantic at heart and a sucker for happily ever after. Goodbye’s break my heart and I never feel like the heart truly heals. Laurie does a brilliant job drawing you into the book and making you feel the emotions the characters go through.

Olivia, Jeff, and Hudson were the three musketeers with a vision. They were great friends that decided to start a sports business, but they soon discovered that their goals for the business were different. Olivia and Jeff wanted to help people and Hunter wanted financial success. Olivia and Jeff elope and when Hunter finds out he is broken hearted, so Hunter left the business and ventured out on his own. He worked very hard and achieved his success.

A tragic accident occurs and Olivia and Hunter are once again in each other’s lives. Will they be able to overcome the hard feelings they both have? What else will they discover?

This is a must read! Great book!

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hudson has always been considered a geek but is every women wants or dream about a man like him, he's good-looking, intelligent, compassionate and the one thing the really get them going is that he's a billionaire. Hudson has only ever been in love once many years ago to Olivia, she, Hudson and there other close friend Jeff they were building a company together following there dreams making something of themselves but as a team well that's what Hudson thought after one night everything changed and he decided to wash his hands of everything including the women he was desperately in love with. Olivia was always shy and a nerd but she would always try and change herself to get male attention but the one man who she really wanted attention of he never seemed to see her more than a friend which hurt her so when Jeff opens up to her making her feel loved and wanted she grabs it with both hands even if he isn't really who she wants. Can after everything Olivia and Hudson been through together and apart bring them close once again years later? Will they be able to move on from the past? Wow what a novel it had me hooked right from the start and took me on one major emotional roller-coaster which I didn't want to end. This is a beautifully written love story but with twists and turns along the way. I highly recommend this novel it was very enjoyable and left me wanting more. Happy reading!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…In an hour, the trajectory of my entire life changed.”

“There had been an accident. A terrible accident.” Olivia McAllister comes to in a hospital room with the one thought she knows is a positive. There was an accident and her husband, Jeff, was no longer alive, and she was not okay either. “Flashes, like lightning, followed. A checkered table cloth. A bag of orange slices. Happy faces. A kind woman. A small child. Laughing men tossing a football. The football wilted in midair as she watched herself and Jeff enter their extravagant Lexus sedan to drive away. An icy spray of fear dismissed the images as the doctor called her name again…”

It isn’t only the doctors voice she hears but also that of her long lost best friend and crush, Hudson Bauer. “Olivia tensed. The male voice was familiar, yet strange. Eight years and unimaginable wealth had added an air of poise and confidence the owner lacked in his youth. He had been her best friend, her confidante, but now, now he was the enemy. The man responsible for destroying her family.”

Oliva and Hudson went to college together and the two of them along with Olivia’s now deceased husband were a trio of best friends. It wasn’t always an equal footing and certain times it seemed as if Jeff didn’t mesh as well with Olivia. “Jeff had no interest in Liv beyond what tutoring help she could give, but Hudson clearly remembered how quickly she morphed from a geeky scholar who was more comfortable writing HTML code than love letters, to a shy beauty. Soon after he inserted her into the odd friendship he enjoyed with his high school jock friend, Jeff. He felt like a harness over the next four years, stabilizing two very different members of the trio while maintaining a healthy separation between Liv and Jeff. He told himself it was for the good of the work, but he knew it was more Even though the pair showed and outward indifference to one another Hudson knew Liv turned herself inside out to impress Jeff.”

Together they worked though and came up with a company that would change the futures of all their lives in so many ways. The day that they are supposed to sign the papers making the company legit gets all messed up. Jeff felt as if his friend was going to steal all the thunder and money. So, he stole the girl of his dreams. Now eight years later they are thrust into each other’s lives again through this accident. “I wish I could do more. I planned to stay right there in her room and relieve you, but… I’m the last person she wants to see. Just promise to call me if you or she need anything. I mean it.”

Recovering from her injuries and trying to establish a new life without being Jeff’s wife is not an easy task. Especially since the only place she has to do this at is the home of Hudson. It does manage to be a gateway to solving many unanswered questions and helping to heal dreams. It isn’t right away though that Olivia really sees what all went down and how much Hudson ended up the one hurt the most. “I know we hurt you and ruined the team. I’m sorry. However naïve it sounds, it never occurred to me that you would leave. It just happened. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but it’s the truth. I knew how Jeff treated me up to then, just tolerating me. But on the night, he told me he loved me; it was different. No one had ever kissed me or told me they loved me before. I got caught up in the magic of being wanted.”

When she does find out will it be too late to fix the past so the future will be one she has always dreamed of? “I’m sorry. I can’t go to her anymore. Olivia has lived her entire life by other people’s expectations. I’m not going to impose mine on her. She deserves the opportunity to become her own person. If that journey brings her back to me, I’ll be the happiest man alive.”

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis is a romance novel that is part of the Destination Billionaire Romance series. It is the story of a woman named Olivia McAllistar, who when we first meet her is hospitalized because she was in a terrible accident in which her husband, Jeff McAllistar was killed. Olivia and Jeff met in college at the University of Washington's Seattle campus, which they attended with their best friend, Hudson Bauer, who introduced the pair. Just before the accident occurred, Olivia had told Jeff that she was pregnant which she was very happy about, but Jeff had not been happy when he heard the news, in fact he was angered by it. Right after Olivia shared the news with Jeff, he started walking across four lanes of traffic on a mountain road, when a truck started coming around the bend. The truck swerved to try to avoid hitting Jeff, then clipped the couple's Lexus sedan that was parked on the shoulder of the road, which Olivia had been leaning against, causing her to be thrown about twenty feet landing her in a ravine. Olivia suffered a miscarriage due to the accident, besides having injured her shoulder and knee, and losing a lot of blood. Jeff's sister, Susan, came to the hospital after the accident, and not knowing who else to call, she contacted Hudson Bauer since the three had been very close friends.

Olivia and Hudson had been very close during their four years at the university, working closely together as computer science majors and spending much of their free time together as best friends. Even though it'd been eight years since Olivia and Jeff had eloped and since Hudson had last seen them, as soon as Susan called him and he learned of the tragedy, Hudson dropped everything to get to Olivia, flying halfway around the world. Hudson had loved Olivia since the first time he had laid eyes on her twelve years earlier when they were freshmen. That's why he was so shocked when Olivia screamed at him to leave her room when he had just arrived there. Hudson had been the person who had had his heart broken by Olivia when she and Jeff had eloped. Even so Hudson allows Olivia to recuperate in his parents' old cabin, so that she can be close by the hospital for her extended rehabilitation, for as long as is needed. What Hudson doesn't know is that Olivia has blamed him for all of the financial problems that she and Jeff had over most of the years of their marriage. Hudson is now a very rich business man, which Olivia feels that she and Jeff helped him to become. She never understood how Hudson could be so angry with them after they eloped, never compensating them financially for their share of the business that they all started together. Will Olivia and Hudson ever get over this terrible misunderstanding and get a second chance at love?

I really enjoyed this second chance romance novel by Laurie Lewis. Laurie Lewis has made all of the characters interesting and complex, while she has allowed us to fall in love with them, too. She's weaved a unique love story that also reveals a complicated answer to what happened between the main characters so many years before this story even begins. This is a book that I definitely can recommend for lovers of a good romance novel!

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis is a Destination Billionaire Romance.

Have you ever started reading a book and just knew from page one that you were gonna love it? It usually takes me a few pages to know but this one just grabbed me and it physically hurt when I would have to put it down to do things like breathe or fix supper and tend to my family.

This is a story about Hudson, Olivia, and Jeff, three best friends that launched a company together. The friendship and the company was strong until one day Hudson finds out that Olivia and Jeff had eloped, shattering Hudson's heart and all the plans he had. He took this pain and worked extremely hard with the company the three of them were to share and made billions.

Years later there is a tragic accident that has Olivia waking up in the hospital with so many questions and not enough answers. The only thing she is completely aware of is that she is now a widow. A familiar voice awakens her in her hospital room and when she opens her eyes she immediately recognizes Hudson, who has come to offer her help and his home nearby for her to stay in while she gets better. A home she had spent time in years ago when her, Jeff, and Hudson were still close. Her anger bubbles up the minute she sees him telling him to get out! She blames him for everything that was wrong in her life, he stole the company from her and Jeff which caused her marriage to always be strained leading to an accident leaving her a widow and ruining her chances of being the family she always dreamed of.

After conversations with her sister in law she realized she had no choice but to take Hudson up on his offer. Going back to this house brought back so many memories and Hudson wanting to help her confused her. He offered her a job making a real paycheck and she accepted. Little things Hudson had said to her on the few times they spoke had her tied up in knots. So many questions started popping up in her head. Memories that she tried to organize and explain, right down to Jeff's hasty marriage proposal and their marriage that always seemed to lack any kind of feeling.

Her new job and her new quest for answers opens feelings for Olivia that she had pushed aside and buried, things start coming together in her mind. Long ago events that she always wondered about start making sense. She needs to make things right, she needs to face the feelings she's had all these years for the man she thought she hated. Can she fix what's gone wrong in time? Will Hudson be able to see around his hurt and listen to Olivia as she explains all the pieces to the puzzle that led them all to where they are today?

I can't put into words how much I loved this book, Laurie Lewis has a way with a story and the way she tells it that just grabs a hold and won't let go. I felt every emotion known to man while reading this book. Do yourself a favor and carve out some time and read this book!! I'm giving it 5 stars only because that's all there are to give. Loved loved loved it!!!

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Romance Is Ageless

Hudson, Olivia, Jeff. Three friends, one man’s action and betrayal will change their lives forever.

Sweet Water grabbed my emotions from the first page and never let go until the ending. The raw emotions that came through the page still has a lingering effect. Eight years ago Olivia made a choice. One she regretted almost immediately but with her background it was one she would stand by and try to make work. It’s ironic that what you once believed as solid, irrefutable truth can change when you have all of the information. And those choices come back to haunt you. When Jeff died Olivia’s life took a turn that she never expected. The one man who she believed had betrayed them was the only man who could start to put her world back together again. Slowly, painstakingly Liv will discover the depths of deception, lies and half-truths that she’d lived with for so long.. She had to heal, Hudson had the means to help that happen and eventually they would have their final standoff. Would there be victors? Probably not, but the truth might finally set her free to do what she’d always wanted, to be with the man she’d always loved. But first she has to uncover the clues of her husband’s actions and discover what truth is.

Often the reader knows information that the characters do not. That’s a bit different in Sweet Water. Yes, we know there are explanations, things that Liv wasn’t privy to but we are uncovering those things at the same moments she is. Hudson’s character is very closed mouthed. We can assume from his actions and the deception that Olivia is going through what some things truly are, but I wasn’t prepared for all of it combined. There are such layers in this story, and each one draws you in a bit deeper. My heart broke for these characters, and yes, in someways even for Jeff. I was completely caught up in this story. And I believe you would be as well.

Sometimes I get fortunate enough to run across a story by an author who is unknown to me and I am so thankful for coincidence, or fate or simply dumb luck that put her book in the search bar for me at Amazon’s Kindle books. Sweet Water touched me on so many levels, I really hope you’ll give it a read soon. I would not hesitate to recommend this story to any Romance reader. It’s deep, it’s touching and in many ways it’s real life. Choices matter, but if we’re lucky we get a second chance to make a different choice. Take a chance on this story, I believe you’ll be touched and your time will be well spent.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

[Lorraine Seville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water by Laurie Lewis is a standalone novel in the Destination Billionaire series and is the first novel I have read by this author.
The story centres around 3 main characters, Olivia, Jeff and Hudson. Beginning with Olivia waking up in hospital as a result of an accident in which her husband Jeff and unborn child were killed. In college Olivia, Hudson and Jeff were best friends with dreams, hopes and a plan in place for setting up their own company (Arena Corp) between the three of them. That changed the night that Jeff and Olivia eloped one night and found Hudson gone when they returned the following morning. Believing that Hudson had gone ahead and pitched their plans and company without them, Jeff and Olivia made their own way in life. Hudson became extremely successful and a billionaire whilst Jeff and Olivia struggled to make a living. When Olivia wakes up in hospital to find Hudson there she is upset and angry, believing him to have betrayed her and Jeff eight years previously.
Hudson arranges for Olivia to stay at his parent’s old house once out of hospital whilst she recuperates and reluctantly Olivia agrees. She finds herself oddly in conflict due to Hudson’s behaviour as he is extremely solicitous and thoughtful, conflicting with Olivia’s memories of how he betrayed herself and Jeff. Olivia’s and Jeff’s marriage had been a strange one and as she recuperates she learns more about herself, about Hudson and about the man she had been married to for 8 years and yet knew so little about. Can Hudson and Olivia put their past behind them? Did Hudson betray them all those years previously? Was Jeff really the man he appeared to be or had he hidden a dark secret for all those years?
At first, I found the character of Olivia to be a tad annoying as I thought her to be a little shallow. As the story progressed however, I did find myself warming to her though I still found myself at odds with her sometimes due to some of her (inner) reasons for acting the way she did. Although the story flowed well I didn’t really feel that the main characters had much depth to them until quite late in the story. As their characters developed I did warm to them more so it’s quite probable that this was a deliberate development/ploy by the author. The secondary characters, Lauren (wife of an old friend 4 star

of Jeff’s), Susan (Jeff’s sister), Pepper (a psychologist friend of Hudson’s) and Alejandro (Hudson’s most prized employee and old friend) were all dealt with admirably though I would have liked to have known even more about them, Pepper especially.
All in all though a very enjoyable read and I rate this book

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water ( Destination Billionaire Romance Book #4)
By: Laurie Lewis
4 out of 5 stars.

Sweet Waters is the fourth book in the Destination Billionaire Series but it can be read as a stand along. This is my first book by Laurie Lewis. I enjoyed Sweet Water it was refreshing, heartfelt and entertaining. I am determined to backtrack and read the other books in this series. A delicate approach to an another chance at love if we allow the heart to heal. This book captured my interest and held it throughout until the end.
Hudson, Jeff and Olivia were once best friends that took a chance and started a business together. When Jeff and Olivia decide to elope Jeff is left feeling betrayed. Which causes him to end his business deal with them and move on and have great success. Eight years have passed and Olivia wakes up in the hospital after a tragic accident badly injured . An accident that makes her a widow and physically and mentally hurt. Her sister in law helps her as much as she can but it’s a temporary arrangement. She will not be able to assist with the care that’s needed for her to heal completely. So she reaches out to the one person she knows can help Olivia and the one person Olivia would not want to help.
Hudson! The man who Olivia believes betrayed her and Jeff is the last person she expects or want to help her….. but what other choice does she have. Hudson is kind, and generous he offers Olivia a place to go to heal physically and mental. Hudson supplies a nurse to help Olivia. Olivia starts to heal and also start a new project. Betrayal still stands between Hudson and Olivia. Actions on both ends have them not to trust one another. Miscommunication causes more hurt and pain. Secrets are never good when trying to move forward. Sweet Water is a sweet and moving tale of staring over, letting go and trusting. Will Olivia and Hudson be able to move forward and leave the past behind? Or will they chose to hide behind the hurt and allow the past to win. Laurie has written a story that will pull at your heart strings. I so enjoyed the pace of the story and touching and memorable characters. I highly recommend you read Sweet Waters such a touching and moving story.

[Angela Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water is a story involving Olivia and Hudson and the history they are trying to overcome but will this be enough for them to realise they were destine to be together from the beginning.

Olivia suddenly wakes up thinking she has had a bad dream but unfortunately the reality of the situation hits her head on, he has gone. Her husband Jeff has died and she is recovering in the hospital with Jeff’s sister. The only problem is that Olivia has only ever met his family a handful of times and Susan is less than happy to be the only point of contact for a sister in law she doesn’t really know. Until all of a sudden a voice Olivia has not heard for years pushes past the memories and there stands the guy who was her best friend for so long until that fateful day her and Jeff left for good.

Still bitter Olivia first tries to shut Hudson out but eventually she starts to let him help her in her recovery. He sets up help in Laurel, a friend of her husband and who they were with just before the fateful accident. So Hudson sets her up in his beach house and tries to recover the friendship they had for some many years until Jeff stole his dream.

Hudson tries to stave off his feelings for Olivia as she has just recently become a widow but as the months go on he becomes more involved in her life, he offers her a job within his business and she feels that she is starting to repay back all the money and kindness he has shown over the many months, until one day she discovers a key in her late husband’s wallet which belongs to a safety deposit box. With her and Laurel’s investigating they locate where the bank is that holds the secret but will Olivia’s memories be ruined with a turn of a key.

The story goes through the turmoil of the breakdown of her marriage until the finally realisation that maybe her relationship was not real and that her husband stole the idea from their best friend. Although there are some hard truths in this story it flows into a great love story and that if you have a soulmate they will always be there no matter what. This is the first story I have read by this author and will like to read more in the future.

[Brigitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Water is a poignant romance about first love and second chance. Although it's part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Olivia, Jeff and Hudson have been good friends since College. Jeff was the popular guy surrounded by beautiful girls. Hudson was a geek and knew where he wanted to go. Olivia considered herself to be plain and was shy and quiet. She shared Hudson's dreams and they were inseparable. They were like minded and worked on projects together. The three of them started a business which was going in the right direction, until everything changed eight years ago.

The story kicks off with Olivia being in a hospital bed after a tragic accident. Having led an isolated life with Jeff, she doesn’t have anyone close to support her. Now that Jeff is no longer here, his sister Susan makes the effort to ensure that Olivia gets the care that she requires. She calls on Hudson who is a billionnaire working in the humanitarian field. He drops everything to come to Olivia's bedside, only to be shunned.

Even though she blames him for what happened eight years ago, he doesn't hesitate to arrange whatever is necessary for her comfort. Their reunion is awkward, but being a caring and loyal person, Hudson grins and bears it.

As the story unfolds, they both realise that they have been betrayed. Olivia was misled and her whole life has been a lie. The truth gradually unfolds and Olivia is shocked and heartbroken by each discovery. Everything she thought about Jeff and Hudson were lies. Can she recover from such a betrayal and have her dream life?

Despite Jeff's selfish actions, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Hudson is loyal and dedicated to his cause. The depth of his love for Olivia is examplary. Olivia is no longer naïve and after being dependent on others for so long, she wants her independence. This story is full of twists and turns. The intricate plot is beautifully executed. The characters are convincing and the emotions are profound. It has a consistent flow which leads to a sensational conclusion.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from author and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia is in tremendous pain, battered and bruised but alive after a tragic accident has left her with nothing. After losing the only family she had and her future she is left to put her life back together how she doesn’t know.

Hudson has come face to face with his lost love, the woman that was his life until she was stolen away from him by one of his best friends. He will do anything for this woman but at what cost to himself?

Olivia has lost her husband, can not care for herself, has nowhere to live and now has to deal with the man who ruined her life. Hudson has offered his parents beach house for her to recuperate and heal. The one place she always felt at home and provides comfort. As Olivia is healing she starts to find information that leads her to find that her life as she knew it was a lie. The one person she blamed for stealing what should have been hers, who was her enemy is the one person she must learn to trust and make amends.

Olivia believes that working helps her get her life back on track. Hudson offers Olivia a job and she helping him and his staff with humanitarian work, something they dreamed about when they were younger. Olivia finds herself looking back at those dreams and finds she wants more but in order to fully heal she must make peace with the past, and to make peace with the past she must forgive the man who was once her best friend.

Can Olivia make peace with the past and the men she has learned the truth about? Can Olivia forgive the man who kept her away. Will Olivia find the secrets the man she thought she knew has kept from her? Will Hudson be able to walk away again and leave the woman he loves? Will there be a future for Hudson and Olivia? What will bring them together or tear them apart? Will Hudson make his dreams come true and do what he wants so badly, what he has been spending his life trying to achieve?

This is a sad but sweet story and one you will enjoy.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Water: Destination Billionaire Romance is by Laurie Lewis. It is one of several Destination romances. They are all excellent and well worth reading. They are short so can be read in a couple of hours which is fun.
Olivia, Jeff, and Hudson had been friends in college. They worked together on a computer program that worked with players and stats which worked well for coaches. Just as the software program was sold, the group split up. Olivia and Jeff ran off and got married. Hudson who had been in love with Olivia for years and was ready to propose, left a letter telling them that he would give them the company. He would run it for a year since he owed the customers that but in a year, would sign it over to them. Olivia couldn’t bring herself to read the letter as she had been in love with Hudson and had married Jeff because he was the first one who offered her love and acceptance. Jeff read the letter but didn’t tell Olivia what it said. Thus, they went on with their life and Olivia believed Hudson had cut them out of the business. While Hudson went on to found a multibillion dollar business, Jeff and Olivia scrimped by. Their lives came to an abrupt end when Jeff was killed in a bizarre accident which also put Olivia in the hospital.
Knowing nowhere else to turn, Jeff’s sister contacted Hudson when she needed help with Olivia. She had no idea where any of Olivia’s family was and she was needed to help her own family with Jeff’s death. Hudson stepped in and provided a place for Olivia to stay and paid for a night nurse and day help while she recovered. Olivia had no other recourse but to accept his help but fully intended to replay him. Then he left.
Olivia has to come to grips with her feelings for Hudson as well as find a way to support herself. She also has to deal with the guilt she has over her marriage. Will things ever work out?

[Tracy Wilkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water is a story about friends to reluctant strangers, to lovers. Olivia and Hudson have known each other since they were in school. With stars in their eyes, they thought they had their future all mapped out. But nothing turned out like they expected.

Olivia was a hard character for me to warm up to. I just thought she was a little self centered and lacked depth. She was so busy trying not to follow in her mother's footsteps, she never realised she was doing exactly that. I believe she was also extremely naive and really just hid her own weakness by blaming it all on Hudson. She had her own battles to fight and I was relieved to find that what she convinced herself occurred, did not happen. I was so glad to be finally connecting with her.

Hudson did not have the same effect on me as Olivia, but i think, he lacked courage to fight for what he really wanted. His love was so unselfish, he was prepared to step aside and sacrifice his own happiness for Olivia’s. But he could only be expected to take so much before he cracked. Distance seemed the only way for him to live and complete what he set out to do. He does grow a backbone and realises he deserves his own shot at happiness.

While connecting to these characters took a little longer than I expected, by the end of the book they had won my heart and I was hooked. I was really happy with the story and it's conclusion. In no way did my struggle to connect with Olivia and Hudson take away from the quality of the story or the style which it was written. I still turned the pages like a madwoman and could not wait to find out how it all unfolded. Secret Water grew like a slow burning flame, just waiting for that pivotal moment to ignite.

4 stars for Sweet Water and Laurie Lewis. This may be the first book i have read by thos author, but it certainly won't be the last.

[Lynn Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweetwater
by:Laurie Lewis
4 Stars
This is my first book by this author and what a book it was. It has all the components that make it a good book.
Friendship was how it started between Hudson, Jeff, and Olivia. Hudson and Olivia were book nerds and Jeff was a player. Olivia decided she wanted to get Jeff's attention even though she loved Hudson so she learned how to dress and put makeup on. Then jealousy reared its ugly head, the three of them were working on. building a company that was gonna change the world. Hudson had all the mettings set up he just needed Jeff to show up and charm them and close the deals. But Jeff decided he would take the idea and Olivia for himself even though he knew Hudson was going to propose to her. He asked Olivia to marry him and she said yes. When Hudson found out he was devastated and packed up all his things and took the idea for the company for himself since in his eyes they double crossed him and he built it into a million dollar company.
After an accident that leaves Olivia widowed and childless, Hudson rushes back to be by her side. He offers her his parents house to help her heal and recover from her loss. There are lots of memories at their home when she stayed there during college.
Olivia feels useless and needs to work to keep her mind off her grief so when Hudson offers her a job at his company. She has so many questions like why her and Jeff stayed married the last eight years, but there some answers she may never get now. Will she be able to move on with her life. Hudson has never stopped loving her will she realize she too still has feelings for him before he makes a clean break and walks away doing what he thinks is right for her. Will they be able to put the past behind them and have a future.

[Lucy Berson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 4.5 star read for Sweet Water : Destination Billionaire Romance by Laurie Lewis. This is a new to me author. I have been so excited to read her work.
Hudson, Olivia and Jeff were a magical, business trio, through college. Hudson and Olivia were the business and the brains while Jeff was the perfect sale pitcher. While Hudson and Olivia were thinking of all the people that they could be able to help, all Jeff saw were dollar signs. Hudson confided in Jeff but Jeff took everything from him that he truly cared about. Feeling betrayed by the both of them, Hudson ended their business relationship and severed ties completely. Years later after a tragic accident, he comes face to face with Olivia. Olivia’s heart and body are both broken. When Hudson gives her his home to use while she recuperates, she is forced to remember all of the good times and question what had become of her life. Not only did he give her a safe place to get her body better, he also gave her an employment opportunity. How can she hate someone so much that has done so much to help her. When she starts working for him, doing humanitarian work, she feels alive again. When her feelings start coming back and she remembers exactly how much she cared and loved him, she starts feeling like she is betraying her marriage. When the truth comes out about their pasts, she isn't sure what to do or feel. Can she open her heart again and trust that Hudson truly does love her?

I enjoyed this book so much! The love that Hudson had/has for Olivia, has never gone away. This book definitely shows that true love does in fact conquer all. I hope you take the time and read this book and enjoy it as much as I have.

[Naomi Valkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water is part of the Destination Billionaire Romance series, but it can be read as a standalone. There is no cliffhanger.

This story is filled with both tragedy and sweetness. In the beginning, I felt like Olivia was somewhat slow on the uptake because of the way she handled the men in her life. And Jeff comes off as a colossal jerk. Still, the latter part of the book turns a lot of it around.

Sweet Water is a great illustration of just how much one ill-thought-out decision, and jumping to conclusions can affect the future path of your life. Olivia wasted years of her life based off of one split second decision and her choice to believe the worst without investigating the facts. It is also a great illustration of why friends should never go into business together.

After a serious accident, Olivia has to face the future without her husband. She finds herself uncertain as to how her life will progress because she doesn’t really have any support. She is estranged from her mother, and she never got to know her in-laws. The only person she can lean on is a man from her past, but she’s got no interest in seeing him.

As far as she is concerned, Hudson is the enemy. He is the reason she never had the life she dreamed of. Olivia is not ready to accept any other viewpoint, until she has no choice. With secrets from the past coming to light, Olivia has to face the fact that she never really knew her husband at all. As new information surfaces, it takes her on a journey into what could have been, but it also frees her up to create the future on her terms…something she never felt like she could do before. The question she has to answer is, is Hudson a part of that future?

[Lisette Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Water (Destination Billionaire Romance Book #4)
By Laurie L.C. Lewis
4 Stars

Sweet Water by Laurie L.C. Lewis is the 4th installment of the Destination Billionaire Romance Series). It is a beautiful second chance romance and can be read as a standalone. Hudson, Olivia, and Jeff met as college freshman and became the best of friends, which later became business partners. Sometime during their business partnership, Jeff and Olivia run off and get married, which causes Hudson to end their business relationship and becomes a millionaire. The story begins 8 years later with Olivia in the hospital after a horrific accident that took Jeff’s life. Olivia is now a widow and with extensive injuries that will need recovery and physical therapy. Her sister in law is here for a short period of time but contacts Hudson, which happily obliges to help Olivia. When Olivia sees Hudson arrive at the hospital, she kicks him out as she doesn’t not anything to do with him. But seeing that she won’t have any other person to help, she decides to accept Hudson’s help and stay at his family’s beach house with a live in nurse that will help her through her recovery. They both feel betrayal but how will they both react when they find out the truth that they were both played? Trying to move forward with her life, Olivia tries to make peace with her past. Will Hudson give in and confess to Olivia that he still has feelings for her for all those years? Will they be able to set aside their differences and realize that both want to be with each other? I truly enjoyed this story and they way the author created characters that have dealt with so much pain to later forgive and love. I look forward to reading more of Laurie Lewis’ work.