Josey St. John and Nate Bennington had become fast friends after he crashed into her apartment wielding a baseball bat. He had thought she was being attacked and was ready to rescue her, but in reality, she had just been getting into the football game a bit too much. Ever since that day, however, they had been practically inseparable. One day, though, Josey's biological clock began to tick, and she was determined to find a husband and to settle down to raise a family. She's sure that Nate is the perfect man to screen her dates to make sure that they're marriage material, but as she commences on her quest, Josey begins to think that maybe Nate is the perfect man for her!
Nate is a quiet, serious lawyer hiding from the pain of an abusive childhood. He's managed to make something of himself despite all of the obstacles in his life, but he believes that he's unable to be a loving father and husband, sure that his father's abusive tendencies are lurking somewhere beneath the surface. So when Josey wants him to help her find Mr. Right, he can't understand why he's so jealous of Josey's dates - surely he can't be falling for her?
When I bought this book, I thought it was going to be a cute little story about two best friends falling in love with one another. Before I read three pages, though, I knew that it was going to be much more than that. Even though the author states pretty early that Nate had been abused as a child, I knew that as soon as he began to think his neighbor was being attacked. I knew because I overreact the same way, and I've had a similar childhood as Nate. Once I knew for sure that my suspicions had been correct, I knew that this book was going to be unlike anything I`ve read before.
Don't get me wrong, there is a sweet love story in this book. The conversation between the two characters was amazingly smooth and realistic, almost as if the reader is actually peering into the life of two real people. There are plenty of funny moments, misunderstandings, and romantic tension between the two main characters, too. The story itself, without the element of child abuse added into it, would definitely rate at least a four in my opinion.
The real gem of this book, however, is the fact that it does deal with the touchy and painful subject of child abuse. This book really shows the effects of child abuse on adults - happy, normal, and successful people on the outside, who are still too often burdened with the guilt, shame, and hurt from their pasts. Through the character of Nate, we see the importance of letting go the past as much as we can so we can have a future, perhaps a future that even includes a family.
Overall, this book was absolutely wonderful. I rarely cry when reading books, but this one had me pulling out the tissues. Once I finished the book, I had a deep sense of peace and satisfaction, definitely time well-spent. The author managed to combine a sweet romantic story with a serious issue, which was just phenomenal. I am looking forward to reading more from this author, and am hoping that perhaps she'll write a book about Derek (Nate's older brother). This book is an excellent read and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good love story.
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2004
