Synopsis

A Caribbean cruise opens a widow’s heart to a love she never expected in a breathtaking novel about second chances by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. Not once in the ten years since she became a widow has Mari considered another love of her own. Until she sets sail on a singles cruise to placate her recently divorced best friend. Then James comes crashing into Mari’s world.

Charming, witty, and with two daughters of his own, James isn’t looking for love either. But Mari is as irresistible as she is beautiful. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. She promised her beloved late husband she’d find someone new. Maybe that impossible day has come.

Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret. After all, there is no reason for her family to know about James if their relationship doesn’t work out. It’s up to James to prove he can be trusted with the heart of a woman he’s come to cherish. But without her family’s approval, their love doesn’t stand a chance.

Read the first four books in the series– When It Falls Apart, Be Your Everything, Beginning of Forever, and The Whole Time. Read for free via Kindle Unlimited.

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Review

While I have read most of the books in this series, this one is my favorite. It is probably because Mari is older and closer to my age than the previous books. I resonated with her, trying to honor her husband, Paulo, while also moving on with her life. It has been ten years after all.

James isn’t expecting to find love either when he joins a singles group for a cruise. He wants his daughters to head off to college so they won’t have to worry about him alone in their home.

I enjoyed watching Mari and James’ relationship grow. While I didn’t think they should keep it a secret, I could understand her reasoning, given her sons’ actions. It is nice that they are protective, but she isn’t a teenager; she is a grown woman and their mother! And it isn’t like she is going crazy or disrespecting the memory of their father, who passed away ten years prior. It was more than time for her to move forward with her life outside of her family.

I got a kick out of James’ twin daughters. They weren’t beyond snooping to figure out what their dad was keeping from them. There is even a scene that brings their families together.

This is a sweet romance with only one somewhat steamy scene. I loved this book, and gave it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written over forty-five beloved books that have collectively sold more than 11 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned The Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, The Most Likely To series, and The First Wives series.

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