Series: Happily Inc (Book 2)
Mathias Mitchell's easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California -- the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his "no promises, no pain" lifestyle. Yet he can't stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.
Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she's not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising -- and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she'll always come first in his heart?
Good book with the added benefit of being a two-for-one romance, as both Carol and her sister Violet find their happy ever afters. Carol is the gamekeeper at the Happily Inc. Animal Preserve. She loves being outdoors and her work with the animals, especially the lonely giraffe, Millie. She's sweet, friendly, and has a big heart. Mathias is her closest neighbor, and she has had quite the crush on him for a long time. But she doesn't believe that the handsome, charming, and sexy Mathias would be interested in the nothing-special her. So she will be content with their friendship.
Mathias is one of the three Mitchell brothers who left Fool's Gold to get away from their horrible father. Like his father and brother Ronan, Mathias is a glass artist. He contents himself with making "useful" art, for reasons that made me ache for him. He's also a bit of a player, hooking up with bridesmaids who are there and gone, therefore not requiring any kind of commitment. His house overlooks the Animal Preserve and he derives a great deal of enjoyment from watching the animals - and Carol.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Carol and Mathias. They are good friends at the beginning. There is some pretty funny teasing back and forth about her herd. Mathias is surprised that he is so comfortable around Carol since she's nothing like the women he is usually interested in. That comfort allows him to relax when he's with her and escape the tension that he lives with every day. That comfort also leads him down an unexpected path of attraction, which disturbs him quite a bit, because he is a "no promises" kind of guy and Carol is a forever type of woman. Carol treasures the friendship between them, even as she sometimes dreams of there being something more. She's wary when Mathias begins spending more time with her, but when he offers to help her raise funds for more giraffes, she can't turn him down. The time they spend together on this project and helping plan his brother Del's wedding draws them even closer, and the sparks between them get hotter. Though their first encounter doesn't go quite as expected, there's no stopping the fire between them.
I also liked the deeper connection that developed between Mathias and Carol. As she gets to know him and learns more about his family dynamics, Carol senses the pain that he is in. I loved her protectiveness toward him; most notably in her conversation with Ronan and how she gave Mathias a sanctuary to escape his family drama. I liked how Mathias was equally protective of Carol. He understood the depth of her need to help Millie and went above and beyond in his efforts to help Carol make it happen. I ached for him as the depth of his growing feelings for Carol collided with his fears, causing him to pull away from her. That ended up reinforcing one of Carol's fears, leaving me wondering how they were going to get past it. Help came from an unexpected source, and one look made Carol realize that she had to fight for what she wanted. I loved their big moment at the end as they faced their fears and realized that they belonged together.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was getting to know Mathias better. His reasons for creating his "practical art" became clear as more of his relationship with his father came out, even as I sensed that he was capable of so much more if he would just believe in himself. I loved seeing how the relationship between Carol and Millie inspired him and was totally fascinated by the process of his project. I ached for him and Ronan as the fallout from their father's revelation has affected their feelings of who they are. I really hope that things will get better for them in Ronan's book. The arrival of the family for Del's wedding was just as stressful as I expected. The confrontation with his parents revealed a lot about why Mathias avoids relationships.
I can't talk about this book and not mention how much I detest Mathias's parents. His father is a selfish, egotistical man who can't stand to see anyone get more attention than he does. I hate the way he treats his sons. Though Carol's fundraiser benefitted from it, Ceallach's intrusion into the art auction was another example of his attitude. His denigration of his sons' artwork and talents was terrible. I also hated the way that their mother never stood up for them against their father. That a mother could stand by and listen to someone verbally abuse her sons, even if he was her husband, is inconceivable to me. Though I liked that she raised Ronan as if he were her own, and feel a bit sorry for her because of the rift, I also understand Ronan's feelings.
The second romance in the book was that of Carol's sister Violet. I love Violet and her unusual career. She is friends with an old lady in England who provides her with a supply of unique and unusual buttons. Unfortunately, the woman's son jumps to an unfounded conclusion about the packages that his mother sends to Violet, and when visiting the States pays a visit to Violet. He acts like a complete jackass and is rightfully told off by Violet. Underneath his anger is also an unexpected attraction. I loved his discovery of how wrong he'd been, and his apology was very well done. I enjoyed seeing the two of them connect, once they got past that issue. Ulrich's reluctance to go back to England was obvious, even though he knew he had responsibilities that required it. I loved the part that Millie had in ensuring he got to stay longer. I loved seeing he and Violet get to know each other and fall for each other. While there were some obstacles to their being together, they weren't insurmountable. I loved Ulrich's big moment at the end. It was romantic and sweet and completely perfect for them.
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