One Season of Sunshine

Cedar Springs #2

by Julia London

Should some questions be left unanswered?

Adopted as an infant, Jane Aaron longs to know the identity of her birth mother and why she gave her up. Her only clue is the name of the small Texas town where she was born, so she’s come to Cedar Springs for answers.

Handsome ad executive Asher Price lost his wife, the beautiful, mysterious Susanna, in a terrible car crash eighteen months ago. When he hires Jane as the nanny for his two children, sparks fly. Jane finds herself falling in love with both Asher and his children, but begins to suspect that Susanna was not the perfect mother and wife the family portrays her to have been.

As Jane gets closer and closer to finding out the truth about both her own and Susanna’s past, devastating secrets begin to emerge that may be more than anyone can bear. Will the truth bring Jane and Asher closer together or tear them apart forever?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Womens Fiction

392 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of more than two dozen romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular historical romance series, the Cabot Sisters, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch, and The Perfect Homecoming.

Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. To keep up with all the Julia London news, please visit http://www.julialondon.com. Follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/julialondon

Reviews

[Katie(babs) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elementary school teacher Jane Aaron has a loving family and a boyfriend who wants to marry her. But Jane wants to find out who she really is since she's adopted. Jane has decided she'll quit teaching and more to Cedar Springs, the small town where she was born. She hopes to find the answers she's looking for and hopefully the mother who gave her away.

Jane finds work as a live-in nanny, or rather a temporary babysitter for Asher Price. Asher travels a great deal and works long hours as an ad executive ever since his managing partner was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His twelve-year old daughter Riley and five-year old son Adam are without a mother. A year and a half ago, Asher's wife Susanna died in a car accident. Asher loves his children dearly, but with Riley acting out and Adam wetting his bed, he feels he's failing as a father. He hopes Jane will be the answer to all his problems.

As Jane investigates her adoption, she has to put up with an angry Riley, and Asher who doesn't want Jane to be too heavy handed with his children. They argue about what's best but soon come to an agreement. Asher then begins to sees Jane in a different light and Jane longs to be part of a family like the Prices. But then she finds a shocking fact about her birth, it may not just destroy her entire world, but Asher's also.

One Season of Sunshine is more women's fiction than romance, but readers won't be disappointed. Julia London has written a heartbreaking tale filled with secrets, lies and the aftermath of a death that can almost ruin a family. Jane is very down to earth, but feels that she hasn't really belonged with her adopted family even though they give her a great deal of love and support. She doesn't expect to find a kindred soul in Asher, who at first rubs her the wrong way. Asher is close to having a break down because of the stress of work, his childrens' emotional issues and the untimely death of his wife. Not until Jane comes into his life does Asher begin to live for himself again.

Many secrets are brought out into the open from both Jane and Asher that must be torn apart and discussed. Julia almost went somewhere in regards to Jane's possible biological mother that made my mouth drop, but she quickly nipped that in the bud. These are some emotional encounters where the reader's heart will ache over what Jane and Asher are going through. Watching Jane and Asher connect makes for some nice moments, including those tender scenes where Jane interacts with Riley and Adam. The love scenes are subtle and this is one book that would be a good read for teens and those readers who enjoy more of the emotional drama rather than the romantic interludes between the two main characters.

Julia London has proven once again that she's an author to rely on to write a touching story, about real people and real problems that makes you anxious for her next release.

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Aaron has been struggling with her sense of identity and belonging for a few years now. So she takes a break from her teaching job, farewells her loving family and her adoring boyfriend moves to Cedar Springs for the summer to discover her birth mother's identity and hopefully herself in the process.

Asher Price has his own struggles following the death of his wife 2 years earlier - balancing single parenthood with the demands of his highly successful advertising company, for which he is a partner and more recently also CEO. He regretfully travels a lot in his job and is desperate for a new nanny for his children after the sudden departure of the previous one while he is overseas. Jane Aaron's application and her teaching qualifications are God-sent and she is hired by Asher's assistant in his stead.

They butt heads even before they meet. His children - a lively 5 year old son and sullen almost 13 year old daughter - provide instant challenges to Jane and Asher disagree on her methods of dealing with these challenges. She in turn has him pegged as an uncaring absentee father. He returns and there is an immediate inconvenient attraction between them. They slowly acquaint themselves with one another and partner up to support the children, who in their own ways have been struggling emotionally with the ramifications of losing their mother suddenly, a mother who turns out to have been not so sunny and perfect as portrayed in the many family photos displayed around the vast opulent mansion.

Good story-telling with slow burn romance. Kids well depicted and true to their age. Likeable Asher who has been trying so hard for so many years to be a doting and involved father for his children and to protect his children against the truth. I understand Jane's struggles to find herself and her place in the world and her conduct with the children are commendable. Nice chemistry between the leads but she just took too long to finally end it with her boyfriend.

[Angelc · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Jane Aaron left her adoptive family behind in order to find her birth mother. Jobs are scarce in her new town, so she takes a position as a nanny to two children who have run off anyone else who dared attempt the job. Jane butts heads with their father, Asher Price-mostly over the fact that he's not around much due to work. While at the Price's, Jane discovers secrets not only about her birth mother, but also about Asher's deceased wife-who may not be as perfect as she seems.

This was an enjoyable summer read. Nothing too heavy here. i'd recommend it to someone who loves a romance that involves family. It's a story we've seen before in The Sound of Music-rich dad who's wife passed away falls for his children's nanny and so do his kids.

There was a lot going on in this one. I really didn't care for the birth mother storyline. Jane had such a great, loving adoptive family, I didn't really understand why she would leave everything behind to obsessively look for her birth mother. I also felt like her old relationship was unneccessary and ended to easily.

I liked Asher's children a lot and Asher himself was an admirable character. Especially for standing by his first wife even through the worst of her mental illness.

I enjoyed this book and probably liked it better than the historical romances I've read by this author (crazy, since I'm such a HR addict!).


this book was sent for review by the publisher

reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! Jane is struggling to find herself, and her birth mother. For the summer, she moves to the town where she was born so she can find her mother. In the process she takes a job as a nanny for a handsome widower who has 2 kids. Things tend to get a bit complicated the longer Jane stays there, thus giving you the can't-put-it-down syndrome.

While I give it 5 stars, and I think it is worthy of the 5, I do have 2 small complaints. I expected more on the issue of her trying to find her birth mother sooner. I was halfway through the book when I stopped and asked myelf, "when do we get to the part where she starts really looking for her?" It's more geared toward her life as the nanny. Also, and this isn't a big deal at all, but what is the deal with the band T-shirts? I'm all for detail, but I could care less if someone came down for breakfast in pj pants and a My Chemical Romance T-shirt. I found myself rolling my eyes everytime I read that someone was wearing some kind of band T-shirt. But all in all, what a great book!!

[미셸 (Undeniably Book Nerdy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the author's historical romances before but this is my first contemporary by her and I was curious. To me One Season of Sunshine is more women's fiction than romance but I liked it nonetheless. It tells the story of Jane Aaron who was adopted when she was only a few days old. She has a great life: a loving family, great friends, a nice boyfriend and a job as a second grade teacher. But she had always felt that she's missing something in her life and yearns to meet her birth mother. So, she goes to Cedar Springs where she was born to search for answers and there, she ends up working for single dad Asher Price as a nanny to his two children--prickly teenager Riley and energetic 5-year-old Levi. Asher's wife, Susanna, died in a terrible car accident over a year ago but the family is still not over her death and their house is very Manderley-esque shrine to Susanna Price. As Jane gets to know the family, she begins to suspect that Susanna might not be the perfect wife and mother everyone says she was. A growing attraction between Jane and Asher develops but as Jane gets closer to finding out the identity of her birth mother, secrets are exposed that may ruin any future Jane and Asher might have.

Throughout the whole book, I wasn't sure how I feel about Jane. I thought she was a bit selfish and insensitive in how she just packs up and leaves, first with her family and then later with Asher and the children. It's like she doesn't think about the impact of her decisions and what her leaving has on them. I also didn't like how she just kept stringing along her boyfriend for most of the book when she couldn't make a decision as to what to do with him. She describes herself as being a flake and she is that but her character does grow. On the other hand, I really liked how she was firm but sweet to Asher's difficult children and wasn't intimidated by them, especially Riley. I liked Asher right away though--he's trying his hardest to juggle a demanding career and still be a father his children who just lost their mother. As we learn more about Susanna, I really felt for him and was happy when he got his second chance with Jane--I thought the romance between them was sweet.

As the story went on, it became less about finding Jane's birth mother and more about Jane becoming a vital part of the Price family. That's fine with me as I was more interested in Jane, Asher and the children and I thought the scenes where Jane was looking for her birth mom slowed the story down a bit. I liked that the issues weren't all tied up in a nice happily ever after bow but the ending is satisfying. Overall, this book is an easy read and, like in her historical novels, I like the author's voice. I enjoyed this book--I recommend it as a nice beach or a book club read.

[Julie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first published on my blog at: http://jewelknits.blogspot.com/2010/0...

Jane Aaron, a teacher with a wonderful, warm, adoptive family and a loving boyfriend, Jonathan, who is just waiting for her to say "yes" to his proposal, feels, like many adopted children, that to know herself better, she must learn where she came from.

In her search for answers, she takes a leave from her job, her family, and her boyfriend to move to the town of her birth, Cedar Springs, where she hopes to learn who her birth mother is and hopefully, still the restlessness and vague dissatisfaction that has crept into her life. She also hopes that this respite from her everyday life will give her the time to finish her graduate thesis.

Jane, whose teacher's salary only allowed for a small amount of savings, takes a job as a nanny to Asher Price's children, Levi and Riley, who are still recovering from the sudden death of their mother, Susanna, in a terrible car accident a year-and-a-half ago. She moves into the guest house of their lavish property and promptly finds herself in the midst of pre-teen angst (Riley), and toddler rebellion (Levi), in a home where the only surviving parent spends most of his time away, even out of the country, on business.

On her voyage of discovery, she runs into many pitfalls in her search for her birth mother as well as in her relationship with her new charges and their seemingly self-absorbed father.

As her friendship with both the children and Asher begins to bloom, she unearths the story of what happened to her birth mother - and it is a shocker - one that rocks her to her core and causes her to suddenly veer off course yet again.

I was drawn into this story by the believability of the characters. They are fully-fleshed and drawn-to-life with a well-paced evolution throughout the story. I understood and empathized with Jane's dilemmas. The depicted romance was sweet - not overblown and dramatic - the sort of easing into that often happens in everyone's life.

I enjoyed reading this story, It touched on many items: adoption, the struggle of getting back to life after the loss of a parent and spouse, how someone adapts to suddenly becoming a single parent, the ravaging effects of bipolar disorder on the family of the person who suffers the disorder .. if you haven't experienced any of these situations, you won't come out with a deep understanding, but you will definitely come out with a better understanding of these issues.

Sensitive Reader: Due to some intimately drawn romantic scenes, this book may not be for you.

[Purple Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off okay, but then got super cheesy. Plus inconsistencies that felt like no editor was involved. Asher telling Jane the background Susanna info twice like it's new. A character with a name "Jill Smith" having something happen to her (I'm trying not to be spoilery), then years later meeting and marrying "Mr. Bob Smith." WTF? Unless they both had the last name, that makes zero sense. But still better than the first entry in this series. I couldn't force myself to make it past the first couple of chapters of that one. I could have sworn I read a contemporary series by Julia London a few years back and loved it, though.

[elstaffe]

Pull quotes/notes
"'But I would like to have some information about my ancestry, and medical history, and...and talents. I want to know what my talents are. I'm only trying to understand.'" (20)

"Beside the picture frame was a smooth rock, polished and buffed by the waters of Lake Del Lago that lapped the shore just below his house." (25)

"Matt and Eric both had a talent for music, but Jane could scarcely carry a tune. Most of her family wore contacts or glasses, but Jane's sight was very good She was good at science and math and considered herself to be a fairly good teacher. Now, Jane had wanted to know what other natural talents she might have had that she hadn't even been aware of." (35)

"Jane bolted upright, wide awake, her heart pounding, her body inflamed. Jesus, Mary and Joseph. What in the hell was going on with her?" (186) sex dreams, Jane. That's what.

"This place was his now, his retreat, the one place he could escape Susanna in this damn house. His clothes were draped over a chair. His basketball sat on the floor next to the wardrobe. The bed coverings were muted and suitable for a man." 217 suitable for a man

"It irked her that she couldn't get through to him without going through Tara. This man was such an enigma! He'd been warm and charming and fun Friday, so much so that she'd believed that, at the very least, they could be friends. More than friends. Not that she wanted to be more than friends, but what did it matter? He had completely closed her off." (223) enigma (he's working)

"'Eric—he's with someone else.'
Eric stared at her a moment, then sat heavily on his bed. 'God, I feel so used.'" (261) your sister's boyfriend my dude

"At Summer's End, she punched the code and waited for the gates to swing open, nervous about what she'd find." (281) why tho

"'I admire you for even trying.' He leaned down and kissed her. "And I will help you in any way that I can.'
'Ah,' she said, and cupped his face and looked into his eyes. 'That's so sweet.'" (306)

""'Who else could it be? If my birth mother died in a traffic accident in the last two years out here, it had to be Susanna, because it couldn't have been anyone else.'" (344) yes that notorious one car collision with itself

"'Yes, I know, Mom, I thought about that, too, but a woman in her thirties would not have to sneak around to give a child up for adoption. That makes no sense.'" (362) sneak around

"He hated Summer's End now. Maybe Jane was right. Maybe he and the kids were living with Susanna's ghost here...although since the exterminator had come and rid the house of the raccoons that had taken up residence, Levi had stopped talking about hearing his mother in the attic at night." (366)

"Debbie was kind enough to call the hospital and persuade Brenda to look in the records of the recorded births for April 25, 1980." (370) records of the recorded births wait that's all it took

"'Asher stood up. He walked to where Riley sat and ran his hand over her head. Riley flinched. "You will always be my baby girl. You will always come first and you always have.'
...It would take time with Riley—the girl had been through so much. But she would come around; he had faith in her." (381)

"'He tried, but I ran away, and I lost my shoe and my iPhone,'" (389)

[Bnice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a joy to read. I was browsing in Target and saw that they were having a big sale on all Romance Novels and since I'm a new convert to the books, I decided to take a peek. Well that peek turned into me purchasing 10 books not on the same day but within the time limit to take advantage of the sale indeed. The cover of the book caught my eye and I must admit that the covers of books are pretty much what sway me to it and then I turn it around and take a read of the brief explanation. If it captures my attention then its gonna be a definite purchase. So that is my explanation of how I bought "One Season of Sunshine" by Julia London. I must admit that this is the first book of hers that I've read and I wasn't disappointed.
Characters:
Susanna Price- wife and mother of 2 children
Asher Price- husband of Susanna
Riley Price- 13 year old daughter of the Prices
Levi Price- 5 year old son of the Prices
Jane Aaron- nanny for the Price kids
Jane Aaron a 2nd grade teacher and graduate student working on her masters. Jane was brought up in a home with 2 brothers, loving parents who owned a local restaurant in Houston, called The Garden. The family would have their dinner in one of the rooms of the restaurant every night before they opened up for business. What a nice family tradition, to have dinner together the old fashioned way. I always say a family that prays and EATS together, stays together haha~ Jane had black hair and could not cook a meal if her life depended on it, but her brothers were very good cooks like their parents. Jane wasn't athletic, but her brothers were tall, slender, blonde hair and blue eyes. Jane loved her family to death and wouldn't trade them for the world, but something was missing and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. As time passes on, Jane begins to feel uneasy not knowing who her real birth mother was and the question always lingered in her mind, why did my birth mother give me away? Why didn't she love me? Jane was adopted and it didn't bother her until recently. She felt an emptiness that wouldn't stop bothering her until she was able to answer those questions of who she was, what natiionality was she, is her mother still alive? So many questions needed to be answered.
Jane was born September 1980 in Cedar Springs, and that's all she knew. Summer came around and Jane made up her mind, she was going to move to Cedar Springs and get some answers however she could. Her family was not happy about her move and Jane reassured them she would be back before the start of the new school year. She also had a steady boyfriend for 3 years who loved her and wanted to marry her, but when he proposed on that day, Jane didn't say no and she didn't say yes. Time is what she needed to straighten things out in her life right now. He (Johnathan) adored her and loved her more than anythng, but at this point and time in Janes life, she wasn't ready to committ, not just yet. She wanted to know who she was, etc. So she broke his heart and was still friends with Johnathan. I was king of mad at Jane at this point, I mean come on 3 years in a relationship, the guy loves you and proposes and you just let him go , whoa that is alot to take in for a guy. poor Johnathan. Jane told him she was just being honest and the truth hurts almost all the time.
Before Jane sets out to leave from Cedar Springs her mom tells her, Jane God has put is in our care and you're right where you're suppose to be. You might go and not find what you're looking for or get disappointed, whatever it is, remember we are here and we are your family, we love you Jane and you are my daughter! Jane shed some tears and told her that she is her mother and loves her very much, this is just something she has to do for herself. She said her good byes and left for her journey to Cedar Springs.
Jane got a job as a live in nanny for Asher Prices kids. Their mother Sussana Price passed away in a car accident about 2 years ago and frankly Asher Price was desperate for a nanny. He was partner in an advertising firm which needed his attention and required that he would travel for weeks at a time out of state. His home was lavished with fine paintings and art work and photos of his late wife hanging everywhere. Jane was hired and settled into the guest house which was beautiful and right by the pool. As time progresses she sees how much the kids love their father and are often anxiously awaiting for their father to return from his trips. Asher Price absolutely loved his kids and there was nothing more that he loved to come home to then the sound of his kids sweet voices when they would greet him from a trip.
I admired Asher Price for raising his 2 kids the best way he knew how. Cedar Springs was a small town and everyone knew everyone in town. He adored his kids and they were his first priority in life and then his work which had taken him away from his kids so many times. His family was a sweet one and his wifes death came as a tragic shock to all of his family and his wifes. He had to adjust his life and make sure the kids were taken care of, that he could work for the things they needed in life. But it wasn't all about money, in this book, we see that money comes and goes, but the genuine time needed to be with family is priceless. He watched his little 13 year old Riley bloom into a beautiful young woman. His 5 year old son Levi loved to blurt out things and watch movies and play board games with his dad, what a pleasant family pass time. Their little Price family had gone thru many ups and downs and his children did not fully understand the extent of their mothers accident and lifestyle.
Jane the nanny was able to connect with Riley and Levi and she grew to love them as her own. It's funny how Jane is adopted and her mother she was raised by was able to love her, nurture her even though she was not her birth mother. And here Jane comes and begins to love these 2 kids who are not hers, as her very own. Very interesting indeed~As Jane becomes closer to the kids and their father, she realizes that there is more to their little happy family than what Asher portrays. Susanna his late wife was stunningly beautiful and always looked prestige and glamorous, yet there bits and pieces that Jane couldn't put together about Susanna's life with her family. Pictures of Asher looked as if he were so lonely in his marriage to Susanna. Jane didn't have all the answers and quite friankly she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. As her mother told her before she left Houston, some things are better left alone..hmm.
As the story progresses, Jane and Asher have this attration and they both sense the feeling. Both of them are in the laundry room and Asher is frustrated that Levi wet in his bed and he's complaining to Jane and then he just reaches out and plants a big one on her..the forbidden kiss~
Do things work out between them? Does Jane get to find out who her birth mother is? Does she find out what kind of family and lifestyle the Prices lived, was it a happily ever after family or a family of deep secrets? You can find out when you read the book and find the answers.
This book when I read it, was one of those you just can't put it down and had to find out what happened next. I found myself in between the lights on my way to work, reading and I could see the cars next to me looking over, but I didn't care, those fricken stoplights take forever ugh~ I really enjoyed reading this book. But, I did feel like the author kind of described Susanna a little too much in the book for me even thought she was a main character. In this book, my heart went out to ASHER PRICE-SUPER DAD~He just loved his kids to pieces and at the same time was in love with Jane Aaron. He needed to find a place for all of them to fit perfectly in his life. FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A PERFECT FIT~
Big ups to Julia London for a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to reading your other novels.. Another fine author to add the list of great writers. THANK YOU~

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabbed this book from a library book sale last summer and just got around to reading it. Found it surprisingly interesting. Jane's relationship with Riley and Levi was sweet. You can tell that despite being a "flake" and clearly trouble with committing (her thesis!), she has a good heart.

I can say, what bothered me most about it, was how put off the people in Jane's life were about her wanting to find out who her birth mother was, and hopefully gain the reason as to why her birth mother didn't want to keep her. Or that she felt like because she was adopted, given up for another family to raise, she felt like she didn't know who she was, what she wanted, and that a piece of her was missing. I believe because of the reactions from those around her, is part of the reason why she didn't just let the fiance go. She felt she was disappointing them enough by wanting to find out who she was, who her birth mother was, not to mention the lack of finishing her thesis, by completely rejecting Jonathan, she would completely be a failure, so she held on a lot longer than she should have (his "tone" with her was a little off putting too). It seems like they were all verbally supportive, but their actions were far from it. I feel like the Price family were FAR more supportive of Jane's search.

I guess my view of that part of the story is skewed by having friends who were adopted and either did search, or are currently searching for their birth parents.

[Katrina Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't a bad book, but I felt like the pacing was off. The middle of the book dragged a little while the main character went through 100 pages (I'm exaggerating a little) of self-recrimination. The author seemed to be working on a research paper about bipolar disorder because so many pages were devoted to the topic. This would've been more relevant if the main character was bipolar, but instead, it was the dead wife. The ending was rushed and some issues seemed unresolved. Despite these shortcomings, I gave it 3 stars because I liked the main characters, and I was rooting for them the whole time!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. This is the story of Jane Aaron who has known her whole life she was adopted and felt like she didn't belong in the family. She didn't lool lke her adopted family, she didn't have any of the same traits. She has felt like she was missing a piece of herself. The only thing she knew was she was from Cedar Springs. She decided to spend one summer there looking for information. Jane takes a nanny job for two kids while she searches. She finds out along the way things don't always go the way you think. Good, fast enjoyable read.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more but found it odd that the main character would cut her school year short and could not wait until summer break to get some of her questions answered. And why take a leave of absence from one job just to take another job that still did not give her much time to work on her thesis. I also felt that the research into finding her birth parents was not well thought out. I felt that some of the decisions that the character made were just to create drama but were not realistic.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book refreshing and captivating! I had just finished a 4 book series and this was the perfect palette cleanser. I love when a novel isn't all about the romance but mixed with spices of mystery. What I loved best was the family focus, the author never lost sight how the most important thing was family. It takes many forms and shapes but at the end of the day family is what centre's us.

[penelopewanders]

I have to say I was somewhat disappointed by the first in this series (not least because I had been expecting a historical...).
I enjoyed this one a lot more, especially appreciating the heroine and her forthrightness, even in stating her uncertainty.
There was a fair amount of metaphorical hand wringing with her elusive search for answers, but fair enough. I did find the nanny/boss aspect very cringey, to put it mildly.
Ah well.
Nonetheless an entertaining read for a cold day.

[Diana Lepine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this beautiful and meaningful love story that featured wonderful characters and a brutal look at bipolar disorder. Jane Aaron is also adopted and is looking for her birth mother although her adopted family is quite wonderful. The age old question of “Who am I, where do I come from?” stops Jane from moving on in her love relationships. This is a wonderful book, well written and edited!

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I couldn’t put this book down. It was very interesting and with a twist at the end, without giving it away. I really enjoyed reading it and it warmed my heart as I got attached to Jane especially. It’s one of those feel good books.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book long ago, and i really enjoyed every little detail in it. Though the ending could’ve been a bit more detailed and extended, it was a pretty good book and i enjoyed the purpose of family reunion and storyline and the undeniable chemistry between the characters.

[Maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average melodrama with a few typos (Vickie? Vicki?) thrown in. It's interesting to see how stigmatized bipolar seems to have been, even only 10 years ago. And the "all adoptions start as a loss" phase hadn't been invented yet.

[Maggie Shanley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jane is having a fine life with a supportive adoptive family, a comfortable staid fiance, almost a psychology degree and two jobs. However, she feels like something is missing and decides she must move to Cedar Springs Texas to find her birth mother.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. A bit slow going researching for her mother but I liked the storyline. Very Good

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard romance novel. I appreciate that they did not overdue the angst caused by different difficulties in this story.

[Joan Horkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me interested.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read this author before, will be looking for more of her contemporary books!!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book by this author, likeable characters but the twist was expected before revealed....still it was an enjoyable beach type read during the winter months..

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good palette-cleanser with a somewhat predictable romance. The adoption part of the story was more interesting to me.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Easy read. Well written. A little predictable.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a romance novel when I started it, but stuck with it. It was fairly predictable and not very interesting, unfortunately.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read. It portrayed life with addiction, mental health issues and a family destroyed with reckless behavior. It also addressed the reality of adoption.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5