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Review

3.5 sweet but traumatic stars

After falling in mad love with Claudia Connor’s debut, Worth the Fall, earlier this year, I have been beyond excited to get my hands on this, the next book in the series. This book has a really different feel to it than the first one, with a definite darker edge, but still with a gorgeous romance, and a fantastic cast of characters.

The darkness comes into the story as both the hero and heroine have demons in their pasts. They have both experienced horrifically violent trauma, and it is something that continues to haunt them, hugely impacting who they are and how they have chosen to live their lives.

Stephen is the enigmatic younger brother of Matt (hero of book 1). Confident, sexy and powerful, he holds himself back emotionally and has coped with his past by throwing himself into his real estate investment business and sleeping with random women, making him a millionaire playboy who has recently been labelled the city’s most eligible bachelor.

Hannah’s dark days saw her retreat from the world (and understandably so), but after experiencing both physical and emotional healing through riding horses, she has opened a riding school for disabled children, providing physical therapy with her horses. She is shy and innocent but has proven herself to be incredibly resilient, and she has a huge heart.

When Stephen meets Hannah, she is nothing like the women he is usually drawn to, but there is something about her that attracts him. And Hannah, for the first time in her life, decides to come out of her shell and take a chance with the dangerously handsome man. It’s an awkward beginning for them as they explore something that is so new to both of them, but as they start to figure things out, the slow and tentative way that things develop for them creates a beautiful build up.

Stephen leaned in. Closer and closer as if in slow motion, until his lips hovered a breath from hers. His fingers slid through the hair at the side of her face
“Hannah”
Just her name, and it was terrifying and magical, and before she had time to process the enormity of it, he kissed her. His lips were soft and firm and every cell in her body tuned in to that single spot where their lips met. She didn’t know what to do next, but it didn’t matter.

I love a smutty book as much as the next girl, but I loved that this book was a change of pace. There was no overtly sexual flirting or banter, no jumping into bed, no games or kinky goings on. This was slow and sweet. It was courting. That’s not to say that there is no sex, because there is. But there is a deliciously slow build up to it. And instead of it being gratuitous, overly descriptive smut, it’s passionate, tender and emotive and it suits the story really well.

I love the way that Hannah starts to open up to Stephen. She has a lot of issues, but he treats her so beautifully – respectful, protective and so gentle – it is just what she needs, and I enjoyed watching her learn to love him and trust in him. Stephen’s journey was also very heartfelt. After what he has been through he is terrified of his dark side – the hatred that he has been nursing that still burns deep – and as much as he cares for Hannah, he lives in fear of being consumed by his anger so is reluctant to completely let go, not wanting to hurt her.

So there is some angst as they battle their way forward, and things going on in other areas of their lives also impact on what is developing between them. There is a bit of a mystery element woven through the ending of the book as a bad guy emerges, and there are all kinds of misunderstandings with both Hannah and Stephen being hurt because of it. And then there is a big climax just came out of nowhere. Honestly, it felt a bit over the top for me. I was reading it thinking ‘really?’. I mean, after the unimaginably appalling and seemingly random violence they have dealt with in their pasts, how much more do these people have to endure?

But it all ends beautifully, if a little bit rushed. Once again, I was left thinking ‘really? That’s it???’. I wanted more!!! Specifically, more time after everything is resolved – we deserve it after all of the drama. But thankfully there is a fantastic epilogue which gives us a glimpse into the future and left me smiling

Fans of Worth the Fall will be thrilled to know that there is a nice amount of time spent with Matt and Abby and their brood, with some great progression for their story together. I loved getting the chance to check in with them. And the extended family all gets a look in as well, including Hannah’s older brothers – I’m hoping we get to see those big, strong alphas again, especially with a story already nicely set up for Nick.

Overall, I really liked this book. I didn’t feel is as much as I did the first book, and I’m thinking that may be due to the slow pacing, and some of the OTT elements , but I enjoyed Stephen and Hannah as characters, and their love story which was beautifully sweet. I’m looking forward to more from this series.

3.5 stars.

An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

The McKinney Brothers series

And the spin-off series…

McKinney/Walker