Em & M Books

Thirty-two and finally setting up her veterinary practice in the town she once called home, Emma Burnett is on her own and loving it. Independent and driven, she's not letting any man get in the way of her dreams. Not again.

That's fine with Luke McCormack. Divorced and hardly lacking in female company when he needs it, he's devoted to the only faithful companion in his life--his police dog. Still, there's something about Emma he can't shake.

When a series of local break-ins leaves Emma vulnerable, she seeks help from the first man to spark her desire in years. And now they're giving each other something they thought they'd lost forever...hope.

When the past has left scars so deep that you think nothing will ever be able to heal your heart, sometimes the healing begins without you even realizing it...

Emma and Luke are both trying to put the past behind them and move on with their lives, determined not to make the same mistakes again. Emma is so driven, determined to stand on her own, and never allow herself to be controlled by anyone. Luke is determined to keep his heart safe and keeps any emotional ties superficial and meaningless. But when Emma and Luke begin spending time together, it gets harder and harder to deny the fact that they have found themselves in a relationship together – something neither of them wanted or expected.

I really enjoyed this story and loved the small town setting and all the characters. Emma and Luke were both just regular people and very easy to relate to, and it was fun watching them both try to deny the attraction that they felt for one another. There was just the right mix of sweet and sexy in this story, and it was all wrapped up in the mystery of the break-ins and trouble from the past which kept things interesting and provided a great back-drop for this story. And then when you got to see Luke with his police dog and Emma with her dogs and the animals at the vet and the shelter, it was hard not to fall in love with them as a couple and root for Emma and Luke to find their way into one another’s heart. Their dialogue and banter kept me both laughing and fanning myself, and there was certainly no lack of chemistry between these two! What a great read!

This was my first Jaci Burton book, and it will certainly not be my last. With all the great characters that were introduced in this book, I look forward to the next book in this series and I also can’t wait to go read some of her other works.