I've read Mia Ross before and must have liked those well enough to recognize her name when a friend sent me a box of Love Inspired books. This is the first book in the sub series Oaks Crossing.

The author does a good job creating characters that I care about and pulling me into their story. Lily St. George is a rich girl who wants more out of life than being a trophy wife. She's been burned in the past by others liking her only for what she can give them so she doesn't tell others about her family connection. Mike Kinley is a single parent who's moved back home to help his family keep their family business running after his father passed away. His wife walked out on him and their daughter, Abby, when Abby was very young. For Mike, the life lessons are learning to forgive and learning to trust in love again.

My biggest complaint about the book is one that is common to Love Inspired stories: how short a time the couple has known each other before they end up engaged and married. In this book, they meet in early May and become engaged sometime during Lily's summer break from teaching (a span of at most 3 to 4 months). The epilogue has them getting married--not sure how much time elapsed between the engagement and the marriage but it didn't seem like too long of a time had passed. For real life, I'm not sure such a short time span would lead to the happily ever after romance these books imply. ( )