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Blurb
Happily married to her college sweetheart, Poppy lived a blessed life with the husband of her dreams. Then everything changed. She is no longer a wife. She is no longer the envy of her single friends. Now, people look at her with pity as they whisper a single word behind her back.
Widow.
Years after her husband’s tragic death, years of pain and sorrow and wishing for the life she’ll never get back, Poppy decides to finish Jamie’s birthday list. She’ll do the things he wanted to most. Because maybe, just maybe, if she can complete his list, she can start to live again.
Poppy expects going through the birthday list will be hard. She expects it to hurt. But what she doesn’t expect is Cole. Could the man who delivered the news of her husband’s death and shattered her heart be the one to help her put it back together again?
Review
5 “minute by minute” stars
OMG, what a beautiful, beautiful story! An emotional story of love after loss that is simple in its storyline, but perfect in its execution to bring us a sweet, sexy, heartwarming and emotional romance that is angst-free yet spine-tinglingly gorgeous, and a beautifully written story of a woman reclaiming her life after tragedy.
Poppy Maysen’s life came crashing down around her when she received the news that her husband had been killed. Jamie was her college sweetheart and the love of her life, and after only one year of marriage, they had only just begun their life together when it was tragically ripped from them. Five years later, and Poppy is still struggling to deal with her grief, when she gets the idea to live out Jamie’s birthday list – his bucket list of items that he would complete by each of his birthdays – as a way to say goodbye. But she never counted on having somebody to help her along the way.
Detective Cole Goodman was the man who had to tell Poppy that her husband had died. On the worst night of her life, he stayed by her side offering his strong, silent support. He’s never forgotten about Poppy or the strength that she showed in her heartbreak, and when they unexpectedly run into each other again, seeing her rocks him in more ways that one. He is instantly drawn to her, even though she still carries the haunted look of grief, but he can’t ignore their sizzling chemistry and he knows he wants to be the one to help bring a smile back to her face.
That’s the story in a nutshell. Poppy and Cole begin to spend time together and she slowly lets him into her life, and I was absolutely captivated as everything began to change for them.
“Minute by minute.”
Poppy’s grief, even so many years, after her husband’s death was absolutely realistic. It was no longer the fierce, burning pain of immediate loss, but it was still very much a part of her, and watching her finally start to climb out of that grief was beautifully written. She is not only finally letting her husband go, but she is also coming to terms with being attracted to another man, coming to accept her growing feelings for Cole and starting to live again. I could feel her confusion and guilt tinged with excitement, and I could absolutely empathise with what she was feeling.
We were getting closer and closer to that invisible line in the sand. The line that, when crossed, meant I’d no longer be Jamie Maysen’s wife. I’d be some other man’s girlfriend.
A part of me wanted to run away from that line. Another wanted to take a flying leap to the other side. As it was, I was just standing with my toes on its edge. Frozen.
Because I knew the man who’d pull me across was Cole.
… He was the man of the future, patiently waiting on the other side of the line. I could imagine him standing there, holding out his hand.
I wanted to take Cole’s hand.
Is there a more perfect man in the world than Cole? *dreamy sigh*. Caring, patient, understanding, loving, affectionate and seriously sexy, he is there by Poppy’s side, loving and supporting her through her journey, and making my heart melt with every moment. He is respectful of her, and her feelings for Jamie, and he handles it all so perfectly, being careful of Poppy’s heart, where she was at and what she was ready for, and he unquestionably has her back through it all.
I looked up into his eyes, so kind and compassionate, and nearly cried again. He was a dream. How had I found a man who was so understanding and patient, who saw me so clearly? It was nothing short of a miracle.
“I’m not trying to take Jamie’s place or erase his memory or make you forget that you loved him. I’m just trying to explore this thing between us.”
And the love story that develops is just perfect! Slow-building, sweet, full of emotion and sizzling (hot) chemistry, I could feel everything that builds between them, and I was swept up into everything they were feeling, and I fell in love right along with them.
“I’m as sure as I’ve ever been. This. Us. I want this. I want you.”
Poppy’s journey is so beautifully written. At the heart of this book is a gorgeous love story, but it’s also about her finding her way back to herself, and leaning on her friends and family to do it. And she’s got a great bunch of people around her. Each of the side characters bring so much to Poppy’s life, and to the story, and I loved seeing all of the dynamics at play. And each of those steps on the birthday list is a huge milestone and add to the depth of the story, but also bring lots of fun and entertaining moments, which I loved. And of course, Poppy herself shows incredible strength as she fights to reclaim her life and has the courage to open up her heart once again and embrace it all.
The rest is still unwritten.
This is a gorgeous journey and it’s written just beautifully, without any unnecessary angst and drama, just a heartfelt story that captivated me from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it!
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Maysen Jar
The Birthday List (#1)
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Letters to Molly (#2)
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The Dandelion Diary (A Maysen Jar novella)
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Excerpt
Turning to the door, I smiled, ready to greet my late-evening customer, but faltered as the door closed behind him.
Cole Goodman was walking my way.
My belly dipped as I took him in. His aviator sunglasses were perched on top of his chocolate-brown hair. A black polo stretched across his broad shoulders and pulled tight across his muscled arms. His pale-blue jeans molded to his Herculean thighs before draping down to his black, square-toed boots. The leather belt on Cole’s trim waist held both a shining badge and a holstered gun.
Cole smiled and locked his light-green eyes on mine as he crossed the room.
His straight, white teeth made my breath hitch—something that had happened last night more times than I wanted to admit.
Molly, who had turned around from her seat to greet our customer, spun around so her back was to Cole. Her cheeks flushed as she whispered, “Wow.”
Wow was right.
Cole Goodman was—simply put—gorgeous.
He could give a woman a speeding ticket and get a thank-you in return. He inspired women to attempt push-ups in a karate class just for the chance to watch him sweat through his gi. Cole made grown women blush like teenagers and giggle in corners, like those girls at the dojo last night.
About the Author
Devney lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories.
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