Kelly Shannon is an honest and hardworking woman who loves her job as a police officer. But a call about a DUI changes her life when the said car crashes and the driver, Danny, dies on the scene. Even though Kelly has followed all the protocols, in the aftermath of the trauma, she still feels somehow responsible. Especially because Danny left a wife and two really young kids behind. Mick Mizzoni, a journalist, has spent most of his adult life trying to keep his brother out of trouble. The loss of his brother hits him hard, but he has no time to grieve as his sister-in-law spirals and he becomes the temporary guardian of his niece and nephew. Trying to hold down a job while helping his nice and nephew to grieve and transition into a new life was a bit more than he could handle on his own. And so he turns to Kelly for help.
Kelly and Mick have had completely different life growing up. Their backgrounds are as different as it could be. Yet, they are both honest and loving and their dreams for their futures are also very similar. Add some physical attraction and chemistry - it is indeed a recipe for a HEA. As the protagonists, they both are characters that are easy to like. But this book is more than about a romance between them. The story tells us about loss, grief and growing with it all. We see Mick, a boy who barely had any responsible adults around, saw alcoholism and had no love growing up. Mick is also someone who turned out very different from his brother Danny - responsible, caring and ambitious in the sense that he wanted a career and a loving family. Then there is Kelly, who is dealing with her own trauma of seeing a car crash and not being able to save Danny; continuously questioning her own role and faults. But the saddest story is that of Billy and Mandy, Danny's children, who are suffering due to the poor choices made by their parents. Seeing Billy care for Mandy as her big brother and Mandy coiling into herself and refusing to speak was heartbreaking. At the same time it was a delight watching them come out of their shells as they realize that they are safe with Mick and Kelly around. Seeing that kind of effect of love is something else on the whole.
I do wish that the book was a bit longer so that I could spend a little more time with Mick, Kelly, Billy and Mandy.
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