Former model Kelly Hurley has finally put the ashes of the past behind her. After a passionate but turbulent marriage to rock star Vaughan Hurley that ended in heartbreak and divorce, Kelly rebuilt her life in Portland, where she settled so their two young daughters could be close to their father. Just not so close Kelly couldn’t truly make her own way without interference from the man who shattered her heart. Now Kelly’s finally ready to move on, and she’s planning to marry another man.But not if Vaughan has anything to say about it.Vaughan knows he was a fool all those years ago. A young, selfish—and prideful—fool. Even as he buried himself in the fast, decadent rock star lifestyle, he could never drown out the memory of Kelly’s beauty and love. Or the sweet, searing heat whenever they touched. For years, he’s had to deal with the pain of seeing her only because of their daughters, but it was never enough. Now Vaughan must prove that he’s the only man Kelly needs, before he loses her for good. And there’s only one way to do it….
Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
Published May 26th 2015 by Harlequin HQN
Source: Library
My review…
Loved this one from Lauren Dane! The third book in the Hurley Boys trilogy completes the story of Vaughan Hurley and his ex-wife Kelly. Vaughan has always been a part of his daughters’ lives and Kelly has always supported him in that effort. But now, eight years older and wiser, both of them are mature enough to try to renew their relationship. Ms. Dane knows how to write all the feels.
I really liked how the characters grew. Kelly had been a doormat, going along with whatever Vaughan said in order to keep the peace. Now, after being the hands-on parent, a business owner, a model, she has grown into her skin and knows her worth. She is ready to stand up for herself and is no longer afraid to tell people, “No!” Including Vaughan.
Vaughan was an immature rock star when they were married, with all the groupie baggage that entailed. He really didn’t want to be married. After eight years of the rock star life, Vaughan realizes he misses Kelly, his kids, and the family life he squandered away. He still doesn’t want to own up to his past mistakes, though, he’d rather just give a blanket “I’m sorry” and not have to do any soul-searching. Vaughan comes to stay with the family to help out when their oldest daughter has surgery. And to try to win his wife back. As he sees the day-to-day life of his children and Kelly, he comes to understand just how much he has lost.
My favorite part of this book is how little by little, Vaughan and Kelly dig deeper into themselves and open up to each other. They apologize for their misdeeds, and are forgiven. But the apology is not just an apology – it’s also a promise to try not to do those things again, to trust each other, to grow closer together.
Folks, this is why I read romance novels. The heroines are stand-up, strong characters. The hero and heroine learn the importance of communication – even when it’s painful or embarrassing. They learn the importance of trust, and isn’t that the key to all relationships, even in real life?
This can be read as a stand-alone, but you would miss the stories of the other brothers, and the family is an integral part of the plot here, too. In addition, characters from other series were mentioned in this book. I like the “inside baseball” feeling when there were references to characters from the Brown Siblings and Delicious series. It’s like, Hey, I know them! Book 1 is “The Best Kind of Trouble” and is about brother rocker Paddy and librarian Natalie. Book 2 is “Broken Open” and has the best cover ever to match the picture with the characters described inside, Ezra and Tuesday.
The second-chance love is not usually my thing, but Lauren Dane wrote a winner with this one!
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