Series: Those Engaging Garretts (Book 11)
The start of a new chapter?
Braden Garrett felt blessed the instant his adopted baby girl was laid in his arms. Fifteen months later, the widowed CEO feels out of place as the only man at the local library's toddler music class! Until his gaze falls on the librarian. Beautiful Cassie MacKinnon sparks a desire he'd long forgotten…but why can't he convince her to go out with him?
After a disastrous broken engagement, Cassie's given up her dreams of white picket fences. That is, until tall, dark and sexy Mr. Garrett sparks fantasies of a different kind! Tempting as Braden is, though, Cassie is afraid the single dad only sees her as a substitute mommy. Or is the dedicated daddy offering everything she's ever wanted -- true love and family -- in one perfect package?
Good book. Braden is a widower, raising his little girl with the help of his family. He adores little Saige and will do anything for her, even take her to storytime at the library. He feels a little awkward, but the librarian soon puts him at ease. She also sparks an interest he hasn't felt in a long time. Cassie is attracted to Braden also, but after the end of her engagement, she is wary of getting involved again.
I enjoyed the first meeting between Braden and Cassie. Braden is adorably awkward in the storytime setting, but his love for little Saige is obvious. Cassie is moved by his involvement, which only adds to his appeal. But Braden puts his foot in his mouth when he makes an offensive comment about her job, and she turns down his invitation to meet for coffee. But neither one can forget about the other. A little well-meaning interference from Braden's mother keeps bringing them together.
Braden wants to find a mother for Saige, but he isn't interested in falling in love again. There had been some problems in his marriage at the end and he doesn't want to risk being hurt again. He also has some guilty feelings because Saige's birth mother had made it plain that she wanted two loving parents for her baby and he is now a single father. He also misses the companionship of having someone to come home to. Cassie has given up on her dreams of a family of her own after she realized her fiancé was trying to turn her into a clone of his ex-wife. On top of her experiences with her own family, she has decided that she is better off alone. She plans to content herself with her work and her friends.
I liked the development of the relationship between Braden and Cassie. It starts out a bit rough because of the things that Braden said, but he redeems himself with a sincere apology. I liked seeing them get to know each other, both with Saige and without her. It doesn't take long for Cassie to fall for both Saige and Braden and start to believe that happiness is once again within her grasp. It's pretty clear that Braden is falling for Cassie too, but he refuses to admit it, determined to protect his heart. He talks a good game though and soon has Cassie believing that they have a future together. I ached for her when she discovered the truth. I loved seeing her stand up for herself and let Braden know that she deserved more than he was offering. Fortunately, Braden did realize that he loved her. I liked his determination to win her back and also appreciated that Cassie made him work for it.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Saige, of course, was adorable. I loved the way that she had Braden wrapped around her little fingers. I loved Braden's mother and her attempts to get him to see that he needed a love of his own. She also has a big heart, and I liked how she pulled Cassie into the family. My favorite character was the retired librarian, Miss Houlahan. I thoroughly enjoyed Braden's memories of her, and how his opinion of her changed as he got to know more about her. I loved the influence she'd had on Cassie when she was a kid, and how she impacted Cassie's life when she was most needed. It was really sweet to see her interactions with Mr. Riordan.
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