A heartwarming story of love and second chances.A broken-hearted widow, a man discouraged by love, and the neglected cat that brings them together.Alone since her husband died, with only the company of online friends and long-distance phone calls, Sylvia yearns to rediscover life’s joys. Convinced exercise will help, she reluctantly ventures out to the local park. There in the shrubbery, she … ventures out to the local park. There in the shrubbery, she discovers Angel, a skinny feral cat that needs someone to care.
Jack has been blindsided. After a lifetime of working toward a comfortable retirement, he was hit with a double whammy. A heart attack forced him to stop work early and his wife left just as he was getting back on his feet. Now his life is empty and his future uncertain until he meets Sylvia in the park trying to befriend a cat.
Can these two lonely souls find each other?
Or are they destined to be alone?
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Worried about the possibility of rain and the chill in the air, Sylvia Tremblay is trying to figure out why she decided to walk to the park today. The death of her husband two years ago has kept her grieving and house-bound for some time now. Her doctor wants her out, even for a walk, to get a little exercise since nothing else is working to bring her out of her depression. Hoping to enjoy the park’s garden, something caught her eye and made her smile… for the first time in a long time. A little black cat was napping in the sun. It startled awake and ran from her, but a voice behind her said that cat would never approach her. It has been out here alone for years. He told her she was owned by an older couple across the street who died in a fire. The cat never left. But it avoided people. Somehow, Sylvia could relate to that, their old life taken and struggling to find a new one. The man continued to tell her a train runs here for children in the summer and he drives it and maintains it. She responded to him, wondering why she kept talking when she wanted to be alone. He told her his name was Jack Robertson, and she thought for a moment she saw pain in his eyes. Was he alone too?
When she left the park to go home, she thought of spending that lonely time in grief chat rooms. So instead she went to a small grocery store to shop for a few things – maybe some cat food? It was difficult to be out like this, but she could do it. She bought a few items, but the cat food aisle overwhelmed her until she thought of how thin the cat was and it needed food. It was a small but important victory when she grabbed four cans, paid, and got on the bus.
Jack had seen the pain in Sylvia’s eyes too. Maybe like him, she was searching for something. His wife had walked out on him two years ago. Now he watched the cat try to catch a robin which flew up to a branch. He wished Sylvia was here so he could share his thoughts with her. But he probably would never see her again. Returning home for dinner, his daughter who had moved in to take care of him, again mentioned she needed to go back to college to finish her degree. Jack was sure she would leave and never come back. He was afraid of being forgotten and alone, the same way his wife had broken his heart when she left. Now he was forcing his daughter to be his nursemaid and give up her own dreams. But he was afraid to be alone. But when he saw her again, it made all the difference. He invited her for the first ride on the train. And the cat had eaten the food she left in a little dish. And the healing for all had begun.
The cat had been the focal point of Jack and Sylvia’s first and subsequent meetings. When Sylvia wanted to lay in bed and do nothing, the thought of the cat needing her or going hungry made her get up and gave her purpose. With Jack’s daughter going back to college, his thoughts of Sylvia kept his hope up as he checked and re-checked the park for her. Perhaps now that they have been getting to know each other, they can get beyond grief and sorrow over the past. Can they consider starting a new life with each other as they continue to heal and fall in love?
The book is a good sweet romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. The story is an enjoyable second chance romance read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sylvia had lost her husband two years ago. She had pretty much been a recluse since his death. She finally started venturing out and wet to the park hoping she wouldn’t run into anybody. While she was trying to coax a cat out of the bushes, she heard a man’s voice behind her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book two in The Sunshine Bay Series and it is Sylvia and Jack’s story. Sylvia was in the park walking for the first time after her husband Mark died two years ago as she suffered from panic attacks and anxiety but she felt a sense of pride for doing this. Mark loved driving the train’s as it gave him a sense of purpose after having a heart attack and then his wife left him as she had been having an affair with her boss for a while and that had left him hollow and the only shining light in his life was his daughter Cassie but even then he still felt like something was missing. Sylvia and Jack met in the park and struck up a conversation and soon became friends and went out for meals together but will it turn into anything more for them. I really enjoyed this story about a more mature couple and the characters and storyline pulled you in right from the first page. This book has many emotional parts and you could feel there grief as if you are going through it yourself with them. Jeanine Lauren is a brilliant author and writer and I definitely recommend her books as they are definitely worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.