Five years ago, I nearly lost everything. But there was a glimmer of hope on that darkest night. There was him—a stranger I could never forget.
Now, I’m finally getting the fresh start I’ve longed for. But when I show up to interview for a nanny position in the small mountain town, the single dad has startlingly familiar blue eyes.
Eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past five years.
Lawson Hartley is everything I know I can’t have. Older, handsome, and my boss. Not to mention the shadows in his eyes that tell me he has demons, too.
Still, he seems to understand me better than anyone I’ve ever met. So gentle and careful of my scars, yet somehow making me believe I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.
And when his lips touch mine, I’m lost.
We find what we’ve been missing in each other. But the terrors of my past aren’t done with me yet, and this time, Lawson might not be able to save me…
Lawson was my favorite Hartley brother throughout the series so I knew this one would be good and it was awesome. I loved everything about Hallie and Law. She was so strong and fearless, determined to take her life back after an ordeal that ended other lives. She was the only one to survive, even if it hasn’t really felt like living since she got away. Her parent’s vacation home in the mountains is where she was taken from, so her family thinks she’s better off at home in Chicago, but Hallie disagrees. Part of facing her fears requires returning to the mountains, since that was her favorite place in the whole world. He took so much from her, she’s not going to let him have this, too.
She enjoyed being a nanny, so Hallie signed up with an agency to find another job and drove west for her interview. She never expected to see him again and Lawson was equally stunned to see her. They already have a powerful connection despite being complete strangers. They shared one of the best moments of her life and have thought of one another often throughout the years. Law knows right away he can trust Hallie with his boys, she’s a perfect fit for his family. Luke is appalled that his father is hiring a nanny, so his already bad behavior worsens at the first sight of her. Charlie and Drew can’t help but like Hallie from the start. She quickly connects with them, getting close to the younger boys and their father as Luke pouts, but even his stony demeanor crumbles eventually as he learns just some of what she’s been through in her young life.
I really enjoyed the way Hallie connected with the boys, each in their own unique way. She was exactly what their family needed and the guys all recognized it early on, even though Luke tried to ignore it at first. I also loved the boys so much. They were all strong characters and so real. Their words and actions were all age appropriate, and they played integral roles in the story. Hallie and Law together were pure fire, and he is already high on the book boyfriend list. He was everything I wanted and more, but most importantly, he was exactly what I wanted for Hallie.
This book is bittersweet since it’s the official end of the series, but the author definitely saved the best for last, which is no small feat in this series. Their epilogue gives us a small jump into their future, including the rest of the Hartley family so we get one last look at everyone’s happily ever afters, which is always nice when a series ends. This was the perfect ending to a lovely series.
