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Review
3.5 stars
A surprise baby romance with strong emotional storyline, this is a story of second chances that is sweet, with just the right amount of drama, and an irresistibly broken hero. I really enjoyed it.
This is my first read by Evan Grace, and I guiltily confess that because I am usually a strict series-in-order reader. I always prefer to read books in a series in order – even inter-connected standalones like these ones – because I enjoy getting the backstory and build-up as the author intended. And this is not only the 5th book in the Love Stings series, but it’s a spin-off/second generation series from the Starting Over series (as I learned after I finished reading the book). So many characters and connections and dynamics! But I was so captivated by the blurb of this book that I just had to dive in.
19-year-old Haddie is a deeply caring soul who is studying for her nursing degree while providing hospice care for end-of-life patients, and her latest patient is the mother of her brother’s best friend. Chris has been a part of Haddie’s life since she was young, but his life has gone way off the tracks. He parties, sleeps around, and is usually lost in a haze of drugs and/or alcohol. But regardless of his bad choices, Haddie is there for him, and when the inevitable happens, and Chris is drowning in grief, she is there for him in other ways. The problem is, he doesn’t remember their night together. And when Haddie discovers that she’s pregnant from their night together, he is devastated at how far he has fallen, and it becomes the wake-up call that he needs to get his life in order.
Chris is away for a full year in treatment and recovery, and in that time, Haddie has graduated and given birth to their daughter, and is thriving in her new role as a working mother to a sweet 4-month old baby girl. Chris’ return is a surprise, but the bigger surprise for Haddie is that he is actually well. He’s clean, he looks healthy, and he’s looking to make amends for his mistakes from the past, and to finally be there for Haddie and their baby.
It’s so freaking sweet! Chris is instantly smitten with little Madison, and I loved seeing him with her, those beautiful moments between daddy and baby, watching him fall deeply in love with the little girl. And Haddie welcomes him to her little family unit with open arms. She’s not a doormat, but she’s got a tender heart, and as they begin to spend time together, with their daughter as their connection, the feelings for each other inevitably begin to change. They see a new side to each other, and soon their attraction becomes impossible to resist.
He cups my face in his hand and I nervously lick my lips. My heart pounds in my chest.
“Tell me not to kiss you,” Chris whispers.
“No,” I whisper back.
The love story develops well. It’s realistic, sweet and sexy, and I could feel the development of their relationship, which was so swoony!
But there are still some hurdles they have to face. Not everybody is happy that Chris is back and becoming such a big part of Haddie’s life, and he is still very much an addict in recovery, fighting to stay well for his family. It’s handled well though, and I enjoyed watching these two work through it all and find their happy ending.
It’s a lovely story, but I found the pacing to be a little off. I thought the whole book moved really quickly, jumping from situation to situation without a lot of build-up, so there wasn’t much opportunity to feel that anticipation or excitement before the moment is over and you’re moving on to the next thing. I probably would have been a whole lot more invested if I had time to marinate in the feels for a bit. So I didn’t feel this one quite as much as I was hoping, but I still enjoyed it.
3.5 stars.
Love Stings
Broken Love (#1) (Ben & Abby)
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Secret Love (#2) (Damien & Carrington)
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Forbidden Love (#3) (Diego & Violet)
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Unexpected Love (#4) (Joe & Chloe)
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Impulsive Love (#5) (Chris & Haddie)
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