Carol Marinelli

Good book about two people whose pasts have caused them to put up walls around their hearts. The book opens with a prologue in which Pippa seeks peace from her family circumstances in the school library. Her older sister is dying of cystic fibrosis, and her parents spend all of their time and emotional energy on Julia, all but ignoring Pippa. She felt overlooked, unloved, and like an outsider, causing her to erect walls and depend only on herself. When she was sixteen, she had a brief respite from those feelings during a one-hour conversation with Luke Harris, the school's head boy. Handsome, charming, and the subject of many crushes, Luke listened to Pippa and shared some of his own trials, making a lasting impression on her.

Fourteen years later, Pippa works as a pediatric nurse and is stunned to find that Luke is the new temporary trauma surgeon. He is the subject of a lot of gossip surrounding his time at another London hospital where he is believed to have had an affair with a married nurse. Luke is drawn to Pippa from the moment he meets her. She seems familiar, but he can't figure out why. I ached for Pippa and how it made her feel overlooked again.

Luke has a reputation for having frequent, short-term affairs. Because of his father's infidelities, Luke doesn't believe that love lasts. At the same time, Pippa has never had a successful, long-term relationship. Unable to deny their attraction, Luke and Pippa agree to a month-long fling. Neither expects the closeness that grows between them as their walls slowly begin to crumble. I liked how Luke started understanding what makes Pippa tick and is there for her during tough times. He is also surprised to find himself telling her things he's never shared with anyone else. But can either of them let down their walls far enough to believe they have a chance together? Luke's big moment at the end was terrific.

One of the medical cases that Luke and Pippa are involved with goes a long way to helping Luke and Pippa see their lives from a different perspective. I ached for this family and what they went through. I also loved the example they set, especially for Pippa. She has a brief confrontation with her mother, but we never see anything come of it. I'm still pretty disgusted with Luke's father, too.

#netgalley… (altro)

Despite the horrible title, this book was a great example of why the Harlequin Presents line is so popular. The story is over-the-top, yes, but it features an alpha hero who straddles the line between bully and arrogant male. He's the kind of guy you want to punch in the nose... and then take to bed. (Or do things in the reverse order; that works, too.) The heroine falls for him much too quickly, and his behavior borders on irrational at times, but the writing is good, the emotional connection between these two is intense, and it kept my attention throughout.… (altro)