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Synopsis

Don’t believe in love at first sight? He’ll make you believe… Come back to Vermont, and to this USA Today bestselling series!

Skye Copeland is on paid leave from her broadcasting job after accidentally drawing a pecker on the traffic map.

Let that sink in. Like it’s her fault the traffic pattern that day created a perfect schlong?

Skye isn’t laughing. She needs this job. And that’s the only reason she’s agreed to chase down a story in her least favorite place–that hell on earth known as Vermont.

A quick trip. In and out. Much like – never mind. Skye can sneak into the town that once tried to break her, get the story and get back into the good graces of her producer. Easy peasy.

Except things go sideways even as she sets foot over the county line. Her step-sister is on the run from a violent drug dealer. And the cop on the case is none other than Benito Rossi, the man who broke her teenage heart.

His dark brown eyes still tear her apart. And even as she steels herself to finally tell him off after twelve years, the old fireworks are still there.

Things are about to go boom.

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Review

4.5 stars!

I love this book! Sarina Bowen has taken us back to Vermont for the sixth book in her True North series and has given us a story of young love and second chances, and a beautifully emotional romance that completely swept me up. Benito Rossi has joined the ranks of the most amazing book boyfriends ever, and I loved his and Skye’s story.

Skye spent her childhood moving around with her broke and mostly-neglectful mother. At 16, they moved to Vermont to live in a trailer with her mother’s ex-husband, an all-round creepy pervert who taunted and terrified Skye regularly. The only peace she found was in the woods with her 18-year-old neighbour, Benito. She loved him deeply, and for a year he was there for her and protected her like nobody in her life ever had. And just when her dreams of young love were about to come true, Sky’s heart was broken, and she ran from town.

It’s now 12 years later and Skye is a reporter in NYC, but she is on her way to Vermont to help her ex-step-sister who has gotten herself into trouble. It’s the first time she’s been back in the state since she left it all those years ago, and she plans to make it a super quick visit. But she becomes stranded, with nowhere else to turn but to the man she has never forgotten about, Benito.

Twelve years ago, I’d never known what I’d done to deserve Benito. He was the greatest gift I’d ever been given.

Benito is the twin sister of Zara (heroine of Book #4, Bountiful) and has appeared in previous books of the series. He is now a detective and is working on a huge drug bust which will mean big things for the county if he can get what he needs to bring down his man. He is dedicated to his job, and he doesn’t really do relationships, and he gets the surprise of his life when the reason why he doesn’t do relationship comes wandering back into his life.

Even though this isn’t what you may call a true second-chance-romance, the feels are all there as Skye and Benito are reunited, and OMG, the angst, the emotion and the chemistry all just sizzles!

Back then, my whole world orbited around this man. Even now I feel my world tilt subtly in his direction. He has his own gravitational pull.

For their year together, Skye meant everything to Benito, though he never acted on it, and now that she’s back, he sees it as his chance to win her once and for all. And when he learns that Skye’s step-sister is tied to his case, he goes all alpha to protect his girl, and it’s all kinds of spine-tinglingly awesome.

When Skye had come into my life, I’d wanted her from the first second. But we can’t always get what we want. I realized right away that Skye hadn’t needed a horny teenage boy trying to get under her skirt. She’d needed a friend and a protector
It had been easy to be her friend, and harder to keep her safe. Ultimately I’d failed at both, and that’s how I lost her. I can’t fail again.
But—Jesus Christ—the love of my life has the worst possible timing.

Benito is a protector through and through, and he’s also a man determined to get his chance with the girl he’s never been able to move on from. Though Skye has a fantastic feisty streak, she is emotionally damaged from all that she endured as a teenager, and his gentle understanding and patience with her is absolutely beautiful! He cares for her, talks to her about her insecurities, and makes an effort to make her feel safe and secure. But at the same time, he’s an alpha who knows what he wants. He doesn’t hide his feelings, putting it all out there and offering himself and his heart to her in no uncertain terms, and it’s sweet, hot, playful, and blessedly functional.

“One chance. One night.”
“One night,” she says slowly. “For…” She doesn’t even finish the sentence. Sixteen-year-old Skye never said the word sex, and couldn’t refer to it without blushing. It appears that twenty eight-year-old Skye is the same.
“Fireworks,” I whisper, trying not to scare her. “With me.”

Between the drama and pain of the past, the emotion of the present, and the highly-tense situation of Benito’s case, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster, but there’s a beautiful easiness about Skye and Benito together. It feels natural and so right, and even with all that they are dealing with, there’s a fantastic sense of fun about them.

“I feel so guilty. She’s out there somewhere, hiding from something, and I’m here…”
“Having really good sex with someone who loves you?”
Skye turns sharply, her blue eyes wide with surprise. “Benny,” she whispers.
“What? I’m not supposed to say that? Sorry, honey. Some things are true whether it’s convenient or not.”

The mystery/suspense part of the story is really well done, but it’s the love story that owned my heart. The feels are intense, and though they have their challenges to face, watching them figure it all out is just gorgeous.

There’s no way I’m letting Skye walk out of my life a second time. It’s not happening.

I missed out on twelve years with my girl, and I don’t want to miss another second.

A beautiful love story with lots of heart, I love this book so much! 4.5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.