Series: Haven Point (Book 9)
It’s a long way from New York to Idaho…but could they have found a home at last?
Dani Capelli has never truly belonged anywhere. And from her earliest days as a foster child in Queens, she would have been lost if it weren’t for her love of animals. Until high school, when she fell hard for the wrong boy, and found herself pregnant -- and married -- by graduation. Two daughters later, Dani realized her mistake and filed for divorce, and with the help of scholarships and loans -- and a lot of macaroni and cheese dinners -- she enrolled in vet school. Things were finally looking up…until her ex-husband became her late husband, in the most notorious way possible.
Now Dani and her daughters need an out-of-town pass more than ever. So when the retiring Haven Point veterinarian offers her a chance to settle in the small Idaho town and take over his practice, she jumps at it. But adjusting to the charming mountain community isn’t easy; thirteen-year-old Silver begins acting out while six-year-old Mia is growing too attached to Haven Point and everything in it, especially their next-door-neighbor, Deputy Sheriff Ruben Morales. And Dani can’t blame her. Ruben is everything she’s secretly wanted -- and everything she can’t bear to risk loving…and losing.
As the holidays draw near, their shared concern for Dani’s daughters brings them closer together, giving Ruben the chance to show this big-city woman just how magical Christmas in Haven Point can be...and that the promise of a home at last is very real in the most wondrous season of the year…
Good story about starting over. Dani moved herself and her two daughters across the country to get away from the mistakes of her past. After she finished veterinary school she was offered an internship in Haven Point, with the possibility of taking over the practice when the current vet retired. She loves her work, but life in a small town is very different than life in Queens and Boston, and all of them have some trouble adjusting. Dani isn't accustomed to the friendliness and interest of the people around her, six-year-old Mia has become shy and withdrawn, and thirteen-year-old Silver is grouchy and defiant. When Silver is caught tagging the next door neighbor's boat, life becomes much more complicated. Ruben is a deputy sheriff and her boss's son. He is kind, compassionate, and sexy. He was intrigued by Dani from the start, but hesitant about getting involved with the single mom. He had a similar relationship go bad, which has left him wary, but resisting Dani and her girls proved to be impossible.
I loved the development of the relationship between Dani and Ruben. He could have been a hard-nose about Silver's vandalism, but instead found a way to work with her to get her back on the right track. This frequently put him and Dani in each other's company. I loved seeing all of them grow closer as the days went on. There's no doubt about the attraction between Ruben and Dani, but she is determined to resist it. I loved Ruben's patience as he found various ways to spend time with her and show her what could be. I ached for Dani, who was so certain that Ruben would hate her if he found out about her past. There are some very sweet scenes between them as Dani let down her walls a little. But Dani's fears about her past came rushing back when there was another problem with Silver, causing her to jump to conclusions and push Ruben away. It took some words from an unexpected source to show Dani that her fears were ungrounded. I loved that Ruben never gave up on Dani, and showed her that he could be trusted to stick with her.
I loved the family theme of the book. Dani's past choices were caused by her desire for a family of her own. Those choices have made her who she is, which is a woman who will do anything to protect that family. Ruben's family is loving, boisterous, and always there for each other. I loved the way that he drew Dani and the girls into his family's life and holiday traditions. I also loved the connection that Ruben had with both Mia and Silver. It was sweet to see little Mia come out of her shell around him. I especially liked the relationship that grew between Ruben and Silver. He had the firmness that she needed, but also an excellent way of making her look at her actions from a different perspective. I loved how he stood by her at the end and discovered the truth of what had really happened. The epilogue was a nice glimpse into the future of the new family.
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