A refreshing take on second-chance love -- and the hilarious hurdles along the way.
Allie Ross is not living the life she once dreamed. Her law career ended before it ever started, her parents landed in jail for running a Ponzi scheme, and she just inherited her grandmother’s B&B -- which is nice, even if it is full of extra-toed cats. As for her love life…she’d rather not talk about it.
When Jack Carpenter reaches out to reconnect with Allie, the girl who broke his heart in college, his plan is to impress her with the adult he’s become. Sure, he was a deadbeat then, but life has forced him to grow up. And it’s a relief to find out that things didn’t necessarily go the way Allie expected either.
As Allie and Jack get reacquainted, they rediscover the things they loved -- and hated -- about each other. But who they are now isn’t who they were then, and secrets -- old and new -- will test whether they have a future together, or if the past is destined to repeat itself.
Fun second chance romance. Jack and Allie had been a couple in college until their differences drove them apart. Allie was the daughter of wealthy parents, accustomed to the better things in life, and on track to become a lawyer. Jack was the son of a single mother, whose father had deserted them, and was so laid-back he was almost asleep. He lacked any kind of drive or sense of responsibility. Though they were engaged, Allie got to the point where she couldn't take it any longer and left. Sixteen years later, Jack has returned to Portland a very different man. He has never forgotten Allie and wants to show her the new him. At the same time, Allie wants to show her best side to Jack, but her life isn't what she had expected it to be.
I liked both Allie and Jack. Though her life hasn't taken the path she thought it would, it hasn't been all bad. She has a job she loves and is good at. Her relationship with her parents is still good, even though they are in prison for running a Ponzi scheme. Plus, her beloved grandmother has recently passed away but left Allie her former B&B, which is now a sanctuary for polydactyl (extra-toed) cats. Allie's biggest issue is that she tends to look for the positive in every situation, to the point of ignoring potential problems and avoiding confrontations. Jack came back to Portland for his college reunion and to show off a bit to Allie. Though it took him a little while, he had pulled himself together and become a successful man. He's a widower with a ten-year-old daughter and determined to be the best father he can be. He has a great relationship with his daughter and his mom, but some lingering issues related to his father.
I enjoyed the rekindling of the relationship between Jack and Allie. Once they got past the first awkward moments, they discovered that the connection they shared was still there. Thanks to their history, there is plenty of familiarity, but because they've been apart for so long, there is also a sense of newness and discovery. I loved the way that Jack was there for Allie as she dealt with her grandmother's B&B and the things she found there. I also loved the way that Allie fit so easily into Jack's life. There were many fun scenes of the two of them together, dealing with what life throws at them. But through it all, there is also the sense that Allie is holding back on something that keeps her from being all in on their relationship. I ached for her when she finally lowered her walls enough to let Jack in, only to find that he couldn't handle the way she had dealt with it. Yes, she should have told him, but I understood why she didn't. Although it was hard on both of them, they needed to confront that part of their relationship before they could have the future they both wanted. I loved Jack's big moment at the end and the perfect way that he and Paige made it happen. The epilogue was great with a terrific twist involving the money and the cats.
The secondary characters were an important part of the story. I loved Allie's best friend, Wade. Their friendship was solid, with an interesting background that added some twists to Allie's relationship with Jack. He seems to be quite the player and I'd love to see him with a book of his own. I had high hopes for a relationship with Skye. I also loved Skye. She was a good-hearted free spirit who became a terrific friend to Allie. I loved the connection she had to Allie's grandmother, and the stories she had that gave Allie a new perspective on her grandmother's life. Allie's parents were very interesting. Their love for each other and for Allie was undeniable, but also showed that it could lead to poor choices. By far, my favorite was Jack's daughter Paige. She was sweet, perceptive, smart, and funny. I loved her curiosity and the paths it led her down. Her relationship with Jack was fantastic and provided a lot of funny moments as well as sweet ones. The scene in the barbershop was hysterical and I give Jack a lot of credit for the way he handled it. The part with Jack's dad was sweet and sad.
The mystery surrounding the contents of the attic was fun. There was one item that was the focus for Allie and Jack, and that became the driving force for their relationship. Allie's reluctance to face the issue head on led to some interesting conversations and revelations with other people. The attic seemed to be full of secrets, all of which exposed unexpected layers to the keepers of those secrets. They also provided some pretty funny moments.
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