Summary
Zachary Caine was content with his bachelor life. He had Rufus, the dog he was fostering for a friend, his “Maine crew” to hang out with, and his work.
But a yowl changed all that. The adorable daughters of his neighbor knocked on his door, begging for help. Their kitten was stranded on Zach’s roof. Of course Zach had to help them!
The last time Zach had talked to the girls’ mother, Jessie, he’d called her “sweetheart,” and she had told him off in no uncertain terms. This interaction was at least civil. And Zach got a kick out of the girls. The kitten on his roof opened up a more neighborly relationship between Zach and Jessie. And that comes in handy when a blizzard hits and they lose power. They pool their resources to wait out the storm together. And while they wait, things begin to thaw between them even more.
Review
In many ways, this series is very different from the Jenn McKinlay cozy mysteries I have enjoyed for years. There’s more language, inuendo, and other mature content in this romance series than you find in the mysteries. But no matter the series, McKinlay writes fantastic characters!
I have loved this whole “Maine crew” from the beginning. I’ve enjoyed the individual stories about the various couples. But I also love how the group operates – the way they show up for one another, the way they care for each other, and their protectiveness for anyone in their circle. As well as those who join the circle along the way.
The little group of Zach, Jessie, and her girls are magic. Zach treats the girls as individuals of value even before he starts to fall for their mother. They are never a means to something else or a hinderance in his mind. He is intentional with them, he responds to their different personalities, and they respond to his love and respect. The loneliness Zach and Jessie have experienced makes them a good fit with potential to “get” one another in ways others can’t. And with the exception of a couple of (reasonable) conflicts and misunderstandings, I loved how honest they were with one another. This is not a plot based on lies and secrets or anything like that where you find yourself thinking, “Just tell them already!” Things are out in the open and mature between them.
This is a great romance series, and I highly recommend it for adults who enjoy the genre! Book 2 is probably my favorite of the three in the series, but this is a close second! Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.
, from the library after eyeing the covers in bookstores over and over. I fell in love with that series, too. There’s a smart, sassy quality to both series that I adore. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is my go-to recommendation when I am talking to people about books for teens.
was probably my first encounter with Kate Messner’s work and it remains my favorite book of hers to this day (although there is stiff competition!). I’ve also loved 
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). I just remember our whole household fell hard for this series about a kid with ADHD who finds out he is the son of the god Poseidon. We have read them multiple times and have the books in multiple formats – physical, audio, graphic novel. We have read Riordan’s Egyptian series (starting with 