Book Blurb:
I've been running toward burning buildings for a decade. Then my best friend's widow smiled at me for the first time in two years, and I knew right then I was in trouble.
After Caleb died, I made a promise—I’d take care of his wife. Keep an eye on her. Check in on her. Make sure she kept on living.
Collins insists she’s fine. She’s not.
So when she finally agrees to let me help pull her out of her grief, I vow to stand beside her however long she needs me, no matter how much it costs me.
Collins isn’t supposed to smile at me like she does. She’s not supposed to let me in. And she definitely isn’t supposed to be the best part of my day.
She was Caleb’s. I know that.
The problem is, I can't stop wondering what it would be like if Collins wasn't just someone I was meant to protect.
But mine.
Tropes:
*Hambright PR ALC/ARC *Small town romance *Firefighter MMC *Best Friend's Widow
*Forbidden romance *Friends --> More *Spice *Slow Burn *He Falls First
*Grief/loss *Secrets revealed *Green flag MMC
Thoughts:
Collins (FMC) has been going through the motions of life but has not been living for the past few years ever since she got a knock on the door from her husband's best friend Ansel telling her the worst news her husband wasn't coming home to her rushing to the hospital she didn't make it in time to say goodbye and now she's in their home the one that she thought they would grow old in and raise their children in but it's just her and her memories.
Ansel has been dealing with grief in his own way his child hood best friend Caleb passed away in the line of duty and he wonders all the ways that things could have gone differently. There is someone he knows who is grieving as well and he knows his friend wouldn't want Collins living the way she has been, she hasn't been the same since he's been gone and he wants to help her get out and start living again.
This is a sweet small town, slow burn romance I loved how patient Ansel was with Collins showing up regularly and they honestly did start out as just friends he wanted to help her find herself again and have some fun again but over time things just progressed naturally, the pacing went well as Collins worked through stages of grief and along the way she discovers that maybe she didn't know everything about her husband this totally rocks her world and now on top of grief she is dealing with anger that will remain partially unresolved because the person she's mad at isn't here anymore... how can she move forward when she's now questioning her whole relationship.
Ansel and Collins the more time they spend together the more it just feels natural for them to be actually together... but they know that people will judge them, it's a small town and along with it will be the rumors of when their relationship actually started... even though it's no one's business and these feelings didn't come until recently.
I appreciated that Collins while she did want to move forward with Ansel recognized that she needed to work on herself and be ready for this relationship before moving forward she wasn't the same person she used to be and wanted to be able to be in the right space mentally to move forward with a new partner, her grief was so real and heartbreaking but so was her journey of self discovery and growth.
Ansel was so sweet, he was willing to wait for Collins to be ready to move forward with him and never pressured her to move faster than she was ready he was on her time all while he deals with his own thoughts of knowing it's wrong to want to be with his best friend's widow... but if it's wrong why does everything with her feel so right?
This is a full cast narration and they did an amazing job with this story: Maxine Mitchell, Connor Crais, Jason Clarke, Callie Dalton, JF Harding, Aaron Shedlock, Stephen Dexter and Jill Smith --> if you love audio books and want to check out this book do yourself a favor and grab the audio book.
This story had me invested in Collins finding herself again and being able to not forget the past but be able to move forward and live in the present, and I loved Ansel he's such a sweetheart. Ansel and Collins slow burn, friends to more relationship was everything!
There were some things that left me wondering what ended up happening so I'm hoping we will find out more in the next book, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Have you read this one? What did you think?
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