Will a first love get a second chance?
Zane Cates has fallen in love twice—once with flying, and once with Tori Rollins, the girl who stole his heart in high school. For a brief, shining moment, their future looked bright. Then the offer of a place at the Air Force Academy got between Zane and his beautiful young wife, and he found his marriage over as abruptly as a wave washing back to sea. After taking comfort in the wide open skies, he’s ready to return to the sunlit beach town of Barefoot William—and the woman he never wanted to leave behind. Starting over with Tori is the plan—if only his stubborn ex will have him . . .
A vagabond childhood left Tori shy and withdrawn, but after her family arrived in the pretty resort town, she made the first real friend she ever had—Zane. Opening up to him was a risk she didn’t regret taking, but she never looked back once she decided to end their brief marriage. Seeing him again now is a startling shock—and an irresistible temptation. Can she let him back into her life—and finally find joy in their love?
This was my first book by Kate Angell, but it definitely won't be the last. I've already put the first six books on my TBR list. The setup of the book was interesting. I expected, from the blurb, that the early part of Tori and Zane's romance would be covered in a chapter or two, with the larger part of the book devoted to them getting back together. Instead, it was evenly divided between the two. While I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them fall in love, I would have liked a bit more time and depth to their reconciliation. This was especially noticeable because Zane and Tori shared page time with their friends Race and Blu.
Be that as it may, I loved the relationship between the young Zane and Tori. He is practically town royalty, descended from the town's founders. He's handsome, charming, and a really nice guy. He has big plans for his life - go to the Air Force Academy, become a fighter pilot, then a hurricane hunter, before retiring back to Barefoot William. Tori is new to town, the daughter of vagabond parents, with big dreams of her own. She wants to be an interior designer and works hard to earn both the grades and the money needed to attend the school of her choice. Their meeting was adorable, facilitated by a mischievous dalmatian dog who stole Tori's bikini top while she snoozed on the beach. Zane was cute with his teasing as he returned it, and flirted with the girl he'd noticed in school but hadn't yet met. I loved his pursuit of her, as he hung out at the pizza place where she worked, just to be close to her. Their connection was quick and deep; they could and did talk about anything and everything. Zane's big heart was also obvious in the way he acted toward Tori's grandmother. I loved watching her bloom under his attention.
Zane and Tori's lives were turned upside down at the end of their senior year when Tori's parents were killed in a plane crash, leaving her alone except for her grandmother. I cried for Tori as she gave up her dreams to stay home and care for her grandmother. I loved how Zane was there for her, a rock she could lean on. Zane's own dreams were falling apart as he waited in vain for his appointment to the Academy. Instead, he takes a different path, marrying Tori and providing a home for her and her grandmother. I smiled at their sweet, young love as they settled into married life. But fate wasn't done with them. One short week into their marriage, a late acceptance arrives for Zane. But cadets can't be married, leaving Zane and Tori with a difficult decision to make. I ached for them both. Zane doesn't want to leave Tori, but he's spent his whole life dreaming of that moment. Tori doesn't want to let him go, but she can't stand the idea of killing his dreams. So they divorced, with Zane having every intention of remarrying Tori after graduation.
Fast forward eighteen years. Tori still works at the pizza place, takes care of her grandmother, and barely makes ends meet. She's bitter about the way her life has turned out. She has seen Zane occasionally on his visits home but wants nothing to do with him. Then Zane returns to Barefoot William for good. He's retired from the Air Force and is ready for the next stage of his life. And part of that stage is trying to win back Tori. He has never stopped loving her. I ached for him as he tried and tried to get her to talk to him. He could see the changes in her, and they made his heart hurt. I ached for Tori also. She had never forgotten Zane, but she has spent years nursing her anger and hurt. Having him back in town scares her because she can tell that her feelings for him are still there, but she won't risk trusting him with her heart again. It's harder and harder for her to resist him, as he tries to show her that he never stopped loving her.
Zane's last ditch effort was a suggestion for counseling. I ached for him on the drive there, as Tori's attitude was so negative. I wanted to shake her because of it, and tell her to open her eyes and see how much he cared. I felt like the attempt could go either way. I loved seeing them open up to each other, with Zane finally seeing just how much he had hurt Tori. I also loved seeing Tori finally let go of the past and consider the future. That scene between Zane and Tori was heart-wrenching, but also sweet as Zane helped Tori through it. I loved seeing them actually communicate with each other about their hopes and dreams for the future. The final scene of the book was sweet, romantic, and very satisfying.
A big part of the book was also spent on the relationship between Zane's cousin and friend, Race, and Tori's friend, Blu. In the first half of the book, we saw the young Race - handsome, charming, flirtatious, and determined to pursue Blu. He's quite brash in his attitude, and he treats her as if a relationship is a matter of when not if. Blu is two years older than Race and recovering from another relationship. She isn't about to get involved with a flirt like Race. Their relationship is pretty funny, as Blu shoots down every attempt that Race makes to get to know her and Race refuses to be discouraged. This adversarial relationship continues for years, as Race pursues Blu whenever he comes home on leave. In the second half of the book, their relationship begins to change. Blu's reasons for resisting come out, as do Race's motivations for some of his actions. It was interesting to see Blu finally say yes to a date with him, then panic and sabotage the date. I ached for Race at that point, because he was truly into her and didn't understand what was happening. I loved the aftermath of that date and seeing them make progress in understanding each other.
I also loved the dog, Ozzie. His mischievousness brought Tori and Zane together. I also loved the way the dog took to Tori's grandmother. His protectiveness and devotion to her were awesome. I was amazed by the way he brought her out of her shell. I loved how Zane was sweet enough to leave Ozzie with Tori and her grandmother when he left, and laughed at his "visitations" when he was home on leave.
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