Series: Return to Haven (Book 2)
Three best friends are starting over in the cozy town of Haven, Georgia, where revamping the local airport brings dreams of love and family within reach...
Since moving to Haven to help out her closest friends, Melanie Ramsey has begun to reclaim her strength after a difficult divorce. Through Mel’s Motivational Blog, she’s inspiring other women too. Then a wild, one-night fling with Haven’s gorgeous deputy leaves her shaken, stirred -- and pregnant. But Melanie’s not giving up her newfound independence for another powerful man. Not even one as upstanding and intriguing as Tanner Roark...
What matters most to Tanner: defending the weak, seeking justice, and protecting his heart after a tragic loss. Random hookups have been working out just fine until he and Melanie collide. Despite her domineering ex’s best efforts to rattle her, she’s still kind and resilient. Not to mention witty, straight-talking, and sexy as hell. Chemistry is easy. Trust, not so much. But when you find the one who sends your heart soaring, what can you do except buckle up and hold on tight?
Good book. Melanie came to Haven with her two best friends, Olivia and Jade. She has been putting her life back together after escaping from an abusive marriage. She now has a successful motivational blog where she helps other women and is settling comfortably in Haven. Determined to avoid putting herself in that position ever again, Melanie has pretty much cut men out of her life.
Tanner is a police officer in Haven and very protective of the town and its people. Besides his work as a cop, he is also part of a group that helps rescue abused women. He likes women but avoids relationships having lost his fiancée and baby years earlier.
I loved the development of the relationship between Tanner and Melanie. It didn't start well, as Tanner gave Melanie a speeding ticket when she first came to town (Stay With Me), something she still hasn't forgiven him for. In the seven months since then, they have seen each other often and continue to bicker and argue. One night, while out with their friends, all those sparks take a different direction and they have a steamy, intense encounter. Six weeks later, Melanie discovers that she's pregnant. She knows she needs to tell him, but she's been so shaken by the feelings he stirred up that she has been avoiding him. Meanwhile, Tanner hasn't been able to forget that night either, something that has never happened to him before. To say that he is stunned by her news would be putting it mildly, but he immediately makes it clear that he will be involved in the baby's life.
I loved seeing Melanie and Tanner's determination to give their baby a good life. Tanner is quick to realize that he wants Melanie in his life permanently, but also smart enough to see that it's going to take some convincing. I loved his sensitivity to her past, knowing that it's going to take some time and effort to get her to trust him. Tanner also has to fight his own fears for her and the baby's safety. It was sweet to see all the little things that Tanner did to show Melanie that he was nothing like her ex. I especially loved the scene where he went to the doctor's appointment with her. Melanie was a harder nut to crack. She was certainly attracted to him, but trusting him is another matter entirely, especially with her ex making a nuisance of himself. I wanted to shake her a few times for not telling Tanner about Neville's actions. In spite of the progress she has made in regaining her strength of will, she did a couple of pretty stupid things at the end. I really liked Tanner's reaction and the steps he took to protect her. I liked their big moment at the end - it was fun, sweet, and romantic.
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