When her surly teenage son moves back to live with ER physician Naomi Waters unexpectedly, her motherly instincts go on high alert. Nothing could’ve prepared her for the wave of trouble that follows him back into her life.
Sheriff Joe Morris blew his chance with Naomi a few years back when he’d moved faster than his own past allowed. At the first opportunity to get his foot back in the door, he … the door, he takes it and risks everything to keep her and her son safe.
But working for a future isn’t easy when you’re fighting to survive your past.
Due to content of a sexually explicit nature, this book is recommended for a mature audience only.
(Over 90,000 words included)
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Can I just say that I am a complete sucker for second chance romance, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. We learned through the previous books that there was a history with Joe and Naomi, albeit brief and unresolved.
However when danger lands on her doorstep, as well as her teenage son, Joe is quickly transformed into protective mode. I loved the banter between these two, and seriously Joe’s got a filthy, hot mouth on him. Probably my favorite of the series… so far.
Freya has a talent for giving us strong heroines, dirty talking alpha heroes and a plot with so many twists and turns, you are really thrown for a loop.
Kudos to you Freya, just keep writing and I’ll keep one-clicking!
Clean Lines is my favorite in the series so far. I’m a sucker for a single parent trope, and I loved everything about Joe. The way he never gave up on Naomi, even though it was his mis-communication that had her running. He was great with her son. I also enjoyed his few moments of jealousy behavior he displayed. And last but not least, his protectiveness.
Naomi was that strong heroine this author is known to give her audience. She had a few issues she had to get over to really accept Joe, but I never felt like it was too much. Fox, her son, wasn’t the most lovable kid but he had his own issues that stemmed from a not-so-great father. You do get to see him soften with Naomi’s mothering touch.
Loved seeing all the gang from previous books. On to the next in the series.
Just when I thought I had read the best book Freya Barker had written so far in the series, she proved me wrong. The fictional town of Cedar Tree has really grown on me and I hope to see more books in the series. The first three books were awesome stories but somehow in this book the author seems to really have hit her stride. I love romantic suspense stories and Ms. Barker is a master at spinning them well. Her characters are down to earth and well developed. Her plot is well paced and suspenseful, and by the way the sex scenes are sizzling.
In the first three books I wasn’t a huge fan of Sheriff Joe, especially the animosity he showed Naomi. I knew there was a backstory there and Ms. Barker lays it all out. Joe is human and made mistakes, which he takes full ownership of. However, even when he tried to be cantankerous with Naomi, he still was attracted to her. Once the backstory is revealed and some nasty ex husband issues are brought to light. Naomi and Joe form a mutual loving bond that gets them through some really deep crap. Poor Naomi isn’t just saddled with a passion for Joe, she also has a teenage son that was returned unexpectedly by his father. There are plot twists that I didn’t see coming, which for me is the mark of a well crafted story.
I live in a small town and have similar relationships with my friends. We always support each other and are never afraid to give someone a good swift kick in the rear when they need it. The same is true in Cedar Tree. All of the past characters pop in and out of Clean Lines. Here’s hoping for another Cedar Tree book soon.
The wonderful Freya has done it yet again. I have fallen completely in love with Joe, Naomi and Fox while feeling like I was one of the Cedar Tree crew. She has this way of drawing you right in her books so you feel like you are at home.
Joe has been a staple in the Cedar Tree series as the Sheriff who has helped with all their issues over the past few years, Gus’s best friend keeps him in close contact. He is a stand up guy who is willing to do all that he can for his friends. Years ago when a new nurse came to town she caught his eye. One bad experience left a bad taste and Joe and Naomi have stayed clear of each other while keeping an eye from affar.
Naomi settled into Cedar Tree with the notion of getting her life back together while giving her son Fox a stable environment to grow up in. When he is sent back to her by his father with no explanation things slowly spin out of control. Before she knows it she is dealing quite a bit with one handsome sheriff. A reminder that sometimes the truth is shaded and we don’t always take time to see the truth in a situation.
Can Joe and Naomi move past that one date gone bad? Is there a way for these two very loving, caring individuals to find peace in each other?
Can’t wait for some more Cedar Tree activity.
Audiobook: Narrators – Tanya Eby and Noel Harrison
Wonderful job by both narrators. I felt completely pulled into the story and loved how they both performed both the hero and heroine.
I listened to this one out of order but it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the story and other than knowing the happy ever after of the previous couple, I didn’t feel as if I were missing anything. I loved both Naomi and Joe as well as Naomi’s son Fox. Their relationship started with some ups and downs but when Joe was able to get his foot in Naomi’s door, he pushed it wide and wasn’t going to let her close him out again.
This is layered with plot after plot, twist after twist, all wrapped up in so much deliciousness that is Joe and Naomi together. He was so protective of her and when he wanted to block her out completely, he recognized that she would never stand for it. The chemistry between them was amazing and holy heck…if only my mid-life life was like that! Well, minus the bad guys.