February 17, 2014
Higgins revisits Manningsport, N.Y., and its large, sometimes confusing cast of characters in her satisfying third Blue Heron title (after The Perfect Match). Colleen O'Rourke runs a tavern with her twin brother, Connor, where she manages to be a matchmaker for everyone but herself. She's not prepared to see Lucas Campbell when he suddenly reappears, as he's the match who not only got away but also stomped so hard on her heart that it's still bruised. Lucas still carries a torch for Colleen, but youthful drama led to obligations that kept him away from her for 10 years. When Lucas is pulled back home by a family emergency, he and Colleen feel the old sparks immediately roar into flame, but the years apart have created wariness in each of them. Colleen's feelings of abandonment and Lucas's unstable early years offer compelling character traits that keep the pages turning despite a thin plot. Agent: Maria Carvainis, Maria Carvainis Agency.
Starred review from March 1, 2014
Since Lucas Campbell broke Colleen O'Rourke's heart 10 years ago, she's become a star matchmaker while avoiding romantic entanglements herself, which suits her just fine--until Lucas comes back to town. Colleen has been in love with Lucas ever since the first time she laid eyes on him, and for a time she thought they would be together forever. But after an argument led to a breakup, there were unexpected consequences on both sides. Lucas wound up in Chicago married to someone else, then divorced, and Colleen hid her broken heart behind a flirtatious, lighthearted attitude. Now, 10 years later, while his Uncle Joe lies dying and his cousin Bryce is in denial, Lucas is back in Manningsport to help navigate the situation. Lucas' family relationships are nothing if not complicated, and stepping back into the dynamics after 10 years of separation have only made them worse. At first he's determined to avoid Colleen, but they find themselves thrown together by other people and external circumstances, and he decides she's worth pursuing. Again. They have a decade of hurt and misunderstandings to overcome, but as they start to heal from the past, there are some explosive secrets that could blow them apart again. Romance star Higgins continues the Blue Heron series with her signature combination of wit, humor and soul-jarring emotional depth. Colleen and Lucas travel a bumpy road to their happy ending, replete with misunderstandings and catastrophically bad timing. Occasionally, their inability to communicate the most basic insecurities is annoying, and a couple of jaw-dropping missteps are hard to believe, though they do leaven the characters' flawed authenticity. At times their imperfections can almost make them unlikable, but their ability to forgive each other's worst aspects makes their ultimate reconciliation especially gratifying. Higgins' talent shines, as does her inimitable ability to hit romantic highs, make readers laugh and express heart-wrenching emotion.
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