Ana is standing in the lobby of the Seaborne Country Club, watching all the wealthy people look down on each other and scowl at Ana as if she is the only speck of dirt in the place. The staff at the front desk completely ignored her. The dirty tennis outfit from Walmart and sneakers are not making a great impression. She quietly asks where she would find the dining room, since she is looking for her brother, Trent Bellamy. The woman repeats his name loudly, as if surprised she knows the man, and all heads turn toward her. Even her grade school enemy, Sandra Brighton, spotted her and walked over – reminding her she had to be a member to eat there. When Sandra heard Trent was back, meeting Ana for lunch, and a recent member of the Country Club, she prodded Ana for information on where he was at the moment, just as he walked up behind them. Sandra gushed about her husband owning two of the guitars Trent’s company had made, and told him her husband would love to play golf with him. Ana was furious since they had always treated him as a gutter punk. Now he wore fancy suits and had lots of money and all that disdain went away.
Ana and Trent move to the dining room and her brother tells the host he has a reservation for three. She can hardly breathe as he tells her Dalton Ward, his best friend and business partner, is joining them. Dalton was always late and still hadn’t arrived, so Trent didn’t wait to announce he was moving back to the East Coast. Ana had been on her own and struggling for 10 years while her brother became a success. Now he was opening an East Coast manufacturing headquarters for KillBuzz Guitars. He told her Dalton would stay in town through the summer, then return to California.
Having had the biggest crush on Dalton as a teen, Ana excused herself to the restroom to clean up and at least brush her neglected hair. But as she hurries out, she runs right into a tall handsome man and hears him say, “Ana?” He was the one who had kissed her for the first time when she was a teen – her dreams coming alive as she felt his tongue -- and then he was leaving for the Navy and she didn’t see him again … until now! That crush was still strong enough to give her a melt-down. Did she have any chance that he would now be willing to start a relationship with her? Or was it too late for them now that he was a billionaire and still her brother’s best friend?
This was a good book to read. It touched so many emotions, and the author makes it feel so real, something the reader can relate to. The story line was good and moved at a good pace to keep the reader connected. The characters were fully developed, likable and had a strong presence. Ana’s obvious sacrifice for the happiness and success of her brother makes the reader respect her and want to see her find her own dream. I definitely recommend this book.