Tracy Madison

Good book. It opens with a scary and intense scene. Andrea is working as a trauma nurse when a gunman enters the ER and begins shooting. A doctor friend is shot and as she rushes to help him she gets shot also. She has to decide whether to continue toward him or find her way to a safe spot where she can call for help. The next chapter starts six months later. Andrea is recovering from her injuries, but needs an escape from the memories, people who are too curious for her comfort, and her hovering family. So she has come to stay with her aunt and uncle in Steamboat Springs. There she will continue her physical therapy and hopefully escape the memories that won't let her sleep. Her new physical therapist is Ryan.

Ryan is relatively new to Steamboat Springs. His parents live there and he recently relocated from Denver and opened his own practice. Besides leaving a failed relationship behind, he's also escaping an occasional feeling of burnout. In Steamboat Springs he finds a less hectic lifestyle, activities that feed his soul, and a revitalization of his love for his career.

When he meets Andrea he is struck by a sense of fragility under the strength and stubbornness she shows him. They butt heads a bit during the first appointment, as he wants more than just physical information. He's of the firm opinion that mental and emotional condition also contribute to progress. Andrea may agree with him, but she's not ready to share that info and digs in her heels. I loved that he backs off but lets her know he isn't going to give up. There is also an instant connection between them, one that surprises Ryan but intrigues him, and one that Andrea does her best to ignore.

I loved the development of their relationship. Ryan uses sensitivity and patience to help her, both physically and mentally. There's a wonderful scene at the fair where he pushes her a little bit out of her comfort zone and later helps her through a flashback/panic attack. Andrea is independent and stubborn and determined to work through her issues herself, but finds herself leaning on Ryan more than she expects. I loved seeing them grow closer, with Ryan falling hard and fast for the woman he sees beneath the trauma. Andrea is far more wary, worried that what she feels is just gratitude of a patient for a caregiver (she's been on the receiving end of some of that before) and doesn't want to risk hurting both of them. Just as things are moving along nicely, something Ryan says brings back all her insecurities and she pushes him away. It isn't until she faces her demons in a very emotional scene that she can see the truth. I loved her big moment at the end, as she showed Ryan just how she feels.… (mais)

Very good book. On her first night back in Steamboat Springs Anna met Logan. Both were feeling a bit lonely and dealt with that loneliness in the most basic of ways. Neither expected anything else from the other, but the memory of that night lingered. So did something else. When Anna realized she was pregnant, she knew she had to tell Logan.

Logan has few memories of his father, who had been a married man when Logan was born. He is determined that no child of his will ever grow up with the same questions he'd had. So he proposes to Anna that they marry for the baby's sake, staying together for at least a year after the child is born. This will give them a chance to form a solid parenting unit. It will be a marriage in name only, with the understanding that neither has expectations of love.

Anna had lost her mother when she was a child, and her father hadn't coped well. He became a harsh and unreasonable man, making her life miserable until her aunt took her to live with her. Her experiences have left her believing that romance and happy ever afters are very rare occurrences. When Logan proposes, she can see the benefits for the welfare of their baby, so she agrees.

I loved the way they started everything out so logically. They talked about what they expected from each other, what they didn't want, and where they saw themselves further down the road. It was fun to see how easily they were able to mesh their lives. I loved seeing how hard Logan tried to be everything that Anna needed him to be. Like most men, Anna's pregnancy induced emotions freaked him out a bit, but he really did a good job of coping. Things started to get complicated when their "hands off" intentions started to fray around the edges. Logan knew what he had promised, so when it became increasingly hard to follow the rules, he started to pull back from the friendship and closeness that had started to develop between them. This reminded Anna too much of her father, and it took her a little while to overcome old habits and confront Logan about it. I loved that conversation, especially the threat of the frying to the head. But that talk helped get back some of their ease together. By that time, Anna was also feeling the attraction. She didn't want to scare him away by making him think she wanted to change things emotionally, so she convinced herself and him that they could keep it just physical.

Of course, that doesn't last. Both of them discover that their feelings have indeed gotten involved, but neither is willing to admit it to the other. Logan is afraid of following in his father's footsteps, and not being the man that Anna needs. I loved seeing him falling deeper in love with Anna and struggling to figure out how to let her know what he needs. I loved his romantic gestures, though he didn't necessarily see them that way. His design of the baby's nursery was a prime example of just how well he understood her. Anna knew that she had fallen for Logan, but she was afraid of driving him away if he knew that she loved him. I really liked the way that she learned how to get him talking when something was bothering him.

A crisis came when his grandfather had a heart attack at the same time that Anna went into labor. Logan was so torn up about the right thing to do that he almost made the wrong decision. I loved seeing his thought processes as he struggled with his options. Once the baby was born, both Logan and Anna had to face their fears in order to get the life they both wanted. Logan especially had a lot to face, and I loved seeing him finally open himself up completely to Anna. The epilogue was especially sweet, and I loved the description of Logan's grandfather with the baby.

The story was very emotional and had me in tears in several places. There were also some pretty funny scenes, my favorite being the discussion between Gavin and Logan regarding the "rules" of Logan and Anna's marriage. It was fun to see the things that Gavin said come to pass and seeing Logan try to handle them.… (mais)

Terrific story about two emotionally wary people brought together by their need to care for a little boy. Chelsea has hit rock bottom in her life. She and her son came to Steamboat Springs for a job that fell through, leaving her with little money and a car on its last legs. It has been just her and her son since before he was born. Henry's father deserted her as soon as he found out she was pregnant. Her parents disowned her when she refused to give the baby to them to raise (her childhood had been terrible). Her apartment burned and her sister's husband threw them out after a short time staying with them. She has learned the hard way that the only person she can depend on is herself.

Dylan saw Chelsea and Henry come into the pub and had a feeling from the beginning that something wasn't right. He wasn't going to get involved, as the last time he got involved with a woman in trouble it didn't turn out well for him. He got burned and now he takes a rather cynical look at women. But when he finds Chelsea and Henry sleeping in their car, he can't just walk away. So he talks her into staying the night in the apartment over the pub, intending to send them on their way in the morning. But by that time, his protective instincts have kicked in, and he's unable to resist trying to help.

Chelsea finds it very difficult to believe that Dylan is offering his help without expecting something in return. She's even more surprised the next day, when his family arrives with plans to help her. She wants to believe that they are sincere, but she's never experienced anything like it. She's desperate enough that, for Henry's sake, she'll swallow her pride, but risking her heart isn't something she's willing to do.

I loved seeing them get to know each other thanks to trying to make things okay for Henry. Dylan finds himself spending more time with them, fighting his urge to try to fix everything for her. He starts to find her independence rather frustrating, and his growing need to help her worries him. He's also becoming really fond of Henry. I really liked seeing how good he was with the little boy. He's also falling for Chelsea, but senses that she's hiding things, which plays on his fears. Before he can ask her to reveal her secrets, he has to face his own. Chelsea is falling for Dylan, but having been hurt so much in the past she has trouble trusting what she feels. She's sure that once her "problems" are fixed, Dylan will move on to the next damsel in distress.

It was wonderful to see the trust that developed between them. Just as things were really looking up for them, Chelsea's past came back to haunt her. It was wonderful to see Dylan's unquestioning support for her and the difference it made to what happened. It also gave Chelsea the courage to open up to Dylan about the rest of her past, in spite of her fears.

Henry was an adorable little kid. It was fun seeing him wiggle his way into Dylan's heart. He has some pretty interesting views on things, such as twin babies and the noise they make, and the importance of root beer in his life. He also loves his mom very much and is aware of the things that make her happy. He's determined to make Dylan a real part of their lives. I loved seeing what he did at Hayley and Gavin's wedding. It was sweet and hilarious all at the same time.… (mais)