Series: Three Magic Words (Book 1)Fancy Lynn Sawyer says that before she'll even think about the M word, a man has to say the three magic words, but 'I love you' isn't enough. He has to promise her a forever thing. She intends to find her forever thing in Florida, her home since she was fifteen, so she wasn't even looking for it when she comes to Texas to help her grandmother. With a job at the elementary school lined up, Fancy Lynn moves but she intends to stay only until her grandmother regains her health.
Theron Warren has absolutely no intention of falling in love again. His one failed marriage was painful enough. As an elementary school principal, part-time cop, and full-time ranch owner, he doesn't have time for the sassy woman who suddenly appears in his life: first in the jailhouse, then at his school and soon everywhere he turns.
Fate is trying to tell Fancy Lynn and Theron that they are soul mates, but is having a tough time convincing them.
Good book about two people who strike sparks from each other from the beginning but resist what fate is trying to tell them. Fancy has moved to Texas from Florida to take care of her grandmother. She has a job lined up, and her two childhood best friends are there also. Her stay gets off to a rocky start when a chance encounter with a black cat puts her in direct conflict with Theron, school principal, rancher, and part-time cop.
Theron works multiple jobs to pay the bills and the note on his ranch. He doesn't have the time or inclination to get involved with a woman. He had been briefly married and it was a painful enough experience that he will never do it again. Meeting Fancy throws his well-ordered life into turmoil.
Fancy and Theron's first meeting had me laughing out loud. Her attempt to avoid hitting a black cat ended up with her arrested for underage drinking and reckless driving. No matter how she tried to convince him, Theron refused to believe that she was a thirty-year-old woman with a broken bottle of almond extract in her car. Theron definitely came across as judgmental and rigid, while Fancy was argumentative and snarky. I loved the whole "call your parents" thing and laughed out loud when Theron had to eat his words. They parted ways, hoping to avoid any future contact, but fate had other plans.
Fancy sees Theron again at her final interview for the schoolteacher position, where he is the principal. When that job goes to someone else, Fancy blames him. Then they meet yet again when Fancy is tasked with helping out a Sunday School class, where Theron is also the teacher. Two stubborn people butt heads, and the sparks fly.
I loved the development of Fancy and Theron's relationship, which they fought tooth and nail to the end. I liked the way that Theron found himself offering help and comfort to Fancy as she deals first with her grandmother's hostility, then with her death. He doesn't know why he does it; he simply can't resist the urge. Fancy is equally surprised by how much she wants that comfort. Neither one can deny the attraction that is between them. I liked their openness with each other about their expectations. Fancy wants a "forever thing"; a man that is willing to commit past the simple statement of love. Theron is clear on the fact that he will never marry again having been burned once already. But when Theron is given custody of a three-year-old daughter he didn't know existed, it is Fancy he turns to for help.
I loved the way that Fancy dropped everything to help Theron with little Tina. His determination to do right by the little girl opened Fancy's eyes to a completely different side of Theron. It was sweet to see the way that the two worked together. It didn't take long for the three of them to feel like a family. Fancy realized that she had fallen hard for Theron, but didn't see a future in it because of his attitude toward marrying again. Theron wanted Fancy to stay, but couldn't bring himself to admit his feelings. I ached for them both as it looked as though they were going to throw away a terrific future. I liked how Fancy did some honest soul-searching at the end, discovering that maybe she'd been a bit unbending in her requirements. I loved Theron's big moment as all his practiced speeches went out of his head and he spoke from the heart.
The secondary characters were all very well done. Fancy's grandmother Hattie was a horrible person. I ached for Fancy and her mother Gwen having to deal with the woman all their lives. The things that Hattie told Fancy emphasized just how bad she was. I liked the way that Theron, Sophie, and Kate helped Fancy through the worse of it. I also loved the beauty-shop ladies. They were a fun mix of small-town matriarchs with a variety of attitudes and personalities. I loved the way they came together for Fancy both when Hattie died and when Fancy was taking care of Tina. Fancy's friends Sophie and Kate were terrific also. All three had been good friends as teenagers and stayed in touch as adults. I loved how they could tease each other one minute and provide emotional support the next. It was fun to see how they caught the feelings growing between Theron and Fancy long before the couple did.
I liked how important family was to both Fancy and Theron. Fancy came to Texas to take care of Hattie, even though she knew it would be a thankless task. She did it to make things easier for her mother. I loved the closeness between Fancy and Gwen. Theron's family was also a big part of his life. I loved his care for Uncle Joe, and the Christmas scenes with them were heartfelt and emotional. I also liked Theron's parents and sister. Their immediate acceptance of both Tina and Fancy was great. I also loved the various insights they gave to Fancy about Theron and who he is. I loved the straight talk Theron got from his father and the unexpected news that he got that changed the way he looked at his future.
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