From USA Today Bestselling Author Kim Bailey comes a steamy, heartfelt novel about finding love where you least expect it.Can a lost soul be saved with a kiss?Jamie ran.Her lone goal was to get as far from the pain in her past as possible. Struggling as a single mom was an improvement above being trapped in a life she loathed. But now, family obligations are calling her back to her hometown where … now, family obligations are calling her back to her hometown where she will have no choice but to face painful truths she can’t escape.
Eric stayed.
Abandoning his hopes and dreams for the future, he stood by his brother’s side to help him through a debilitating illness anyway he could. Knowing every day they had together was a gift, Eric made the most of every moment and held out hope for a miracle.
Thrown together by fate, Jamie and Eric indulge in their undeniable chemistry as a welcome reprieve from their complex lives. One that leaves Eric longing for more and Jamie no longer satisfied with solitude. But with Jamie’s habit of running from the past and Eric focused on the here and now, they might miss out on a chance at a beautiful future.
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I loved this first book by Kim Bailey. I was given this novel to read as an ARC, and I feel so privileged to have been able to read it before it is made available for purchase. <3
This book is about a young woman named Jamie, who has come back to her small hometown in Canada after 10 years, because her father is in the hospital, on his death bed, dying from cancer. Jamie has been living in Toronto for the last 10 years because when she was 17 years old, she became pregnant with her son, Hunter, who is now 9 years old. When Jamie found out that she was pregnant, her high school boyfriend, Dylan, and Dylan's mother, both wanted Jamie to have an abortion. Dylan even gave Jamie an ultimatum, that if she didn't have the abortion, that she couldn't be with him any more. That decision came easy for Jamie, since she had no intention of getting an abortion. Jamie went to her father to tell him about the pregnancy, her intention to have the baby, and to ask him for his help. Jamie and her father had been living alone together for about 4 to 5 years, ever since Jamie's mother and younger sister were killed in a car accident. Jamie's father, who had been a devoted and loving father before the accident, had become an angry alcoholic after. When Jamie told him she was pregnant and that Dylan wanted her to have an abortion, Jamie's father started cursing at Jamie, told her that her mother would be ashamed of her if she were still alive, and then slapped her hard across the face. Jamie was so hurt and felt so alone that she decided to steal her father's car and credit card and leave for Toronto. She has been raising Hunter on her own since his birth, and has not seen her father since that day.
One afternoon while Jamie is sitting in the cafeteria, a young teenage boy named, Caleb, introduces himself, sits down at the table with Jamie, and begins flirting with her. He is only about 14 or 15 years old, but he is telling her that she is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He tells her that she looks sad, and then offers her his chocolate pudding to eat to get her to smile. At about this time, Caleb's older brother, Eric, comes on the scene. Jamie is immediately infatuated with him, and it turns out that Eric is equally as infatuated with Jamie. It turns out that Caleb is also a cancer patient at that hospital, and his room is just down the hall from Jamie's father's room. Caleb has been fighting a type of Hodgkin's Disease that until now has not responded to chemotherapy, and he is in the hospital now to receive a bone marrow transplant, after he undergoes intense chemotherapy and begin the fight of his life, seven days before the bone marrow transplant occurs.
During this unbelievably stressful time for both Jamie and Eric, the two spend lots of time together, obviously very attracted to one another. They make a pact to be totally honest with one another, admitting that at the very least they will remain friends when all of these horrible things are finally over. Jamie and Eric become romantically involved, quickly allowing their intense attraction to one another to distract them from the intense stress that they are going through with their relatives and the effects of cancer.
I do not want to go into any more detail about this story so that you can experience Jamie's and Eric's incredible romance for yourselves. I will just tell you that I really enjoyed this book - A LOT!!! The characters' personalities and story-lines are very realistic and believable, so much so that I had to take a short break from reading this story because it was Christmastime when I was reading it. You see, my father died 8 years ago at hospice, one week before Christmas Day. Reading this book reminded so much of that time, when I would be in his hospice room sitting in a chair next to his bed, when I knew that he was down to his last hours left on this Earth. It doesn't matter how old you are, it's always hard to lose your father, and luckily, I had my husband and three children to come home to. I ended up going back to the book after a few hours which allowed me to get through the most difficult parts for me, and I was able to move on to all of the other parts of this wonderful story. I love the way that Kim Bailey told this story from Jamie, Eric, and even Caleb's point of view. I cannot wait to read Caleb's story, which is one of the next books that Kim Bailey will be publishing. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend
While this story deals with some weighty, real and sad issues, Ms. Bailey sprinkles in moments of sweet, sexy, funny and downright ‘sigh out loud’ moments. The writing is effortless, making for a fast and engrossing read. Can’t wait for the next book!
Jamie is a character you want to finally get a break. She had an awful childhood, tough life as a single mum and now dealing with her sick father. The book touches on some very difficult topics and handles them well. In walks Eric, he could be just what Jamie needs but nothing is simple for them and their love story is a bumpy one… I don’t want to give anything away but will say you get plenty of chemistry, a touch of sweet and the book ends on a HEA that Jamie deserves.
This was a fairly emotional book. I really love how Eric and Jamie met. I think that Caleb was the perfect match maker!
Caleb is a teenage cancer patient at the hospital. He finds Jamie sitting alone and feels the need to try to cheer her up. Jamie is at the hospital because her father, who she hasn’t seen in 10 years, is dying of cancer. As Caleb is talking to Jamie and making her smile by hitting on her, Eric walks up. He can see why his brother was drawn to her.
Eric and Jamie basically try to become a distraction to each other. But then as they begin to share more about themselves with each other they start to develop more feelings. While neither one of them want to think too far into the future, they cant help but fall in love.
Jamie not only has her dying father to deal with, but she also has a 9 year old son that she has left at home because she was not sure how he would handle a dying grandfather that he has never met. She also has too deal with her son’s father, who does not seem to get the message that Jamie doesnt want a relationship with him other than as co-parents. Eric tries to help her on all fronts, but then she feels like she is taking him away from his family when they need him.
This is a great story about how people can fall in love under the oddest of circumstances. Eric and Jamie show how strangers can come together and help each other out.
A great debut novel from author Kim Bailey. I enjoyed this thoughtful, well-paced romance. I liked both the characters, their love evolved quickly but naturally so it was believable. I like the underlying message of forgiveness and lost time. She made what could of have been a maudlin tale of illness, death and sacrifice an uplifting love story. I’m looking forward to her next book.