Series: Haven Point (Book 5)
There's no place like Haven Point for the holidays, where the snow conspires to bring two wary hearts together for a Christmas to remember
It's been two rough years since Andrea Montgomery lost her husband, and all she wants is for her children to enjoy their first Christmas in Haven Point. But then Andie's friend asks a favor -- to keep an eye on her brother, Sheriff Marshall Bailey, who's recovering from a hit and run. Andie will do anything for Wyn, even park her own misgivings to check on her grouchy, wounded bear of a brother.
Marshall hates feeling defenseless and resents the protective impulses that Andie brings out in him. But when a blizzard forces them together for the holidays, something in Marshall begins to thaw. Andie's gentle nature is a salve, and her kids' excitement for the holidays makes him forget why he never wanted a family. If only he and Andie can admit what they really want -- each other -- their Christmas wishes might come true after all.
This was another great visit to Haven Point, just in time to celebrate Christmas in the small town. Andie is a relative newcomer to Haven Point. She and her children were secondary, yet important, characters in the previous book (Riverbend Road). There we saw that Andie grieved the death of her cop husband, and fled from a dangerous stalker, hoping to start anew in Haven Point. When her stalker followed her to Haven Point, it was her new friend Wyn who stepped between Andie and danger. So when Wyn asked Andie to keep an eye on her brother Marshall, Andie felt she couldn't say no - even though Marshall intimidates the heck out of her.
Sheriff Marshall Bailey was the victim of a hit-and-run driver, leaving him with a badly broken leg and a forced leave of absence from work. He's hurting, hates feeling helpless, and just wants to be left alone. He's also convinced that the hit-and-run was no accident and wants his chance to find out the truth. This makes him quite grumpy and uncooperative when the lovely widow shows up at his door.
I loved Andie's first visit to Marshall. He was rude and recalcitrant, doing his level best to discourage Andie from following through on her promise to Wyn. But Andie had a pretty good stubborn streak herself and refused to be scared away. She didn't yell or threaten; she simply refused to be run off. It was fun to see him realize that he wasn't going to win and finally give in. Over the next few days, Andie and Marshall developed a tentative friendship.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Andie and Marshall. Underneath the growing friendship was also a simmering attraction, something that neither one was happy about. Marshall was convinced that he wasn't cut out for a family of his own. Because of that, he tried to keep his attraction buried. For Andie, having lost her husband in the line of duty, she wasn't interested in taking that risk again. I loved seeing Marshall's crusty exterior soften, especially around Will and Chloe. He was so fantastic with them. I loved Marshall's protectiveness during the tree episode, and how he insisted that Andie and the kids stay with him. It didn't take long for Marshall to discover just how much he yearned for the situation to be permanent. But Andie was still unwilling to risk her heart on another law enforcement officer. I ached for Marshall as he put his heart on the line and Andie pushed him away. Her eyes were opened to her feelings in an unexpected way, and I loved seeing her display the courage she didn't know she had. The epilogue was great and showed just how much all their lives had changed in a year.
During the book, Marshall had to deal with two big issues. First was the hit-and-run attack on him. He was certain it wasn't an accident and believed it had to do with an investigation he was involved in. It was easy to see his frustration at the lack of progress and his own inability to be as involved as he wanted to be. He also had some problems happening inside the department, adding to the possibilities for the attack on him. The resolution of the attack was unexpected and heartbreaking. The second issue involved a secret Marshall had kept for many years. He's haunted by the consequences of his actions, and unsure how to make it right. It was interesting to see how quickly Andie figured it out and tried to help him work through it. That resolution had a much happier ending.
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