The premise of this book is very different. Alex has a full life as a baker and culinary instructor and is also acting as a surrogate for her sister and brother-in-law. Beth and Logan desperately want a child, but Beth carries the gene for ovarian cancer that killed her mother and elected to have a hysterectomy. This alone had me intrigued, but when coupled with the very talented writing of this author I couldn’t resist getting my hands on an early copy to read.
On the surface, this is a light, easy read with a little heat and laugh-out-loud humor. With a little deeper look, the reader will discover some rare, heartfelt gems and insightful wisdom. Alex is a bit of a complex conundrum. To others it seems that she's doing something generous and selfless by carrying Beth and Logan's baby, but Alex doesn’t see it that way. She and Beth have had a rocky relationship, so not only is Alex hoping this will draw them closer, she just wants to prove something to herself. She comes across as confident and industrious and doesn’t think twice about speaking her mind. She's close to her family and making a success of her baking business, but that little voice inside feeds her insecurities and sense of inadequacy.
Then we have Dylan who seems to be the completely out of Alex’s league. Although he has family money, Dylan has worked hard with his three best friends to build a multi-million dollar investment firm. Neither Dylan nor Alex is looking for a relationship, but we all know love makes its own schedule. Alex is especially apprehensive because, lets face it. It’s a rare species who would be willing to date a pregnant women, especially a surrogate. But once Dylan meets Alex all bets are off. He’s willing to be “just friends" for as long as Alex wants (which thankfully doesn’t last long) but he's under her spell and not letting her go. Not only is Dylan sweet, caring, intelligent and compassionate, but he sees the real Alex. The one beneath the sassy comebacks and behind the attitude she shows the world. He sees the woman who's uncertain and afraid that she isn’t enough.
The larger-than-life, endearing Walker family and the welcoming small town of Freehope is an amazing book world to visit. I love the realness of the Walker family with their entertaining bickering, nosey interference, fierce loyalty and unconditional love. I appreciate that, while there is introspection and internal conflict with the characters, the author doesn’t rely on this for the main tension or crisis at the climax of the story. As a result, the characters come across as intelligent, authentic and immensely likeable. And I love that Dylan is more of a regular guy than an alpha male of superhero proportions. It makes him more genuine, loveable and relatable, and it’s a good reminder that there are a lot of great guys out there and what's really important is finding the “right” one who can see our true self and love us just right.
It was such a delight to read this book! Dylan and Alex together were delicious and definitely tugged at my heartstrings, and the big, messy Walker clan kept me laughing throughout the book. I adored the stoic brother Spenser (can't wait for his book!), Beth's nervous helicopter “sistering" and the brilliant, sixteen-going-on-thirty niece, Jenna. It was great to catch up with characters from the other Freehope books and an extra treat to see Elliot and Julia (one of my all-time favorite heroines) from the Williams Brothers series. If you're looking for a fun, heartfelt romance that will make you laugh, fill your heart and leave you with a happy smile, you can’t go wrong with this compelling, heartwarming, phenomenal read.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.