3/5 stars
I love Penelope and she is my favorite Romance author. Her style is unique and she knows how to blend her personal experience with fiction so that a little piece of her remains in the story all the time. I read about her kids and personal life, so I think this book goes home more than it should.
But, for me the story was a little static, it didn’t have the dynamic that I craved and seen in her old books, back when I fell in love with her. This Penelope that we are seeing right now is not very much concentrated on developing a complex plot, but more focused on the feeling and on the message. I am not saying that this is not a fair approach, but it’s not something suitable for me, because I want action and more things to happen when I am reading.
Carly and Josh were a nice couple, who had to face a very delicate situation – taking care of an adult with special needs, Scottie. Scottie is Brad’s brother, Carly’s fiancee who passed away in a car accident. Josh was his best friend. They both had the idea of coming to New Hampshire and staying with Scottie until they could find a group home for him.
Carly and Josh didn’t have a good relationship when Brad was alive and that banter kept on going until they both discovered their real personalities. Not to mention the physical attraction that was blooming. They had to face a huge amount of guilt, because of their connection to Brad and because in their eyes and of their families, a possible love is impossible. So there is also a question of morality here, which made this relationship impossible in their heads.
The message was interesting and the way it described the needs and behavior of a special needs adult with autism. It was very sad to read, but also very eye-opening, because there are so many cases like this in the world and you even didn’t know about it. Seeing 2 adults join forces to help and cope was very heartwarming for me.
But that was just about it, the social message… Besides that, Josh and Carly had a very slow burn, which I think was overshadowed by Scottie’s condition and problems. They were not in the spotlight and I think a lot of questions about them remain unanswered. This is how I see the story… I wanted more from it more plot development and more dynamic.
Ramonisme 