And Then Forever

Darcy Williams made some hard decisions seven years ago that resulted in her breaking off her relationship with Kincaid Foster without explanation. Darcy believed that she was doing the right thing, although it broke her heart. Now a single mom raising her daughter on Fortune's Island, she is stunned to see Kincaid once again on the island. Kincaid unknowingly puts everything Darcy values at risk, and she is hopeful that her secret will remain uncovered. Against what she knows is best, she can't resist the feelings that remain between she and Kincaid. I loved this 2nd chance romance between two great characters. I loved both Darcy and Kincaid, and Emma was precious and added a great deal to the story. The story kept me interested throughout the book, and Fortune's Island was a wonderful setting. I felt very badly for Foster about the secret Darcy kept from him for years, but I understood her reasoning. I liked the way Foster didn't hold it against her, and I thought that Darcy was a good and fiercely protective mother. The relationship and chemistry between Darcy and Foster was great! I'm looking forward to more in this series. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was recommended to me and not having read a Shirley Jump novel before, I was curious. The author does not disappoint. This is a wonderful story of a first love reunited, with a delightful twist of an unknown daughter. The author creates wonderful suspense by not introducing the "secret" daughter for a good bit of time, enabling us to get to know Darcy and Kincaid as the individuals, and former lovers that they are, without introducing the complexity of a sweet, bubbly six year old child. I love how Kincaid struggles with wanting, and desperating NEEDING his father's love, and wanting the life and love that he wants for himself, and the fact that these are disparate objectives. He realized as a teen that he couldn't get one while having the other, and after being pushed away from Darcy, he leaves, seeking for his father's love and approval by achieving the goals his father has set for him. When he returns to the island, he is confronted with old friends, old loves, and old feelings, and his deeply held desires for his life come bubbling back up to the surface. And as Kincaid finds himself caring for an old, lost dog and nurturing a fresh life for "Mooch", he is also nurturing the deeply-held desires for his life and does some soul-searching of his own. In true romance novel fashion, the author throws a few twists and turns at the couple, inevitably forcing them apart until one, or both of them, realize that their love is more important and stronger than anything trying to force them apart. We also get a nice introduction to Fortune's Island and the wonderful inhabitants there and the author introduces us to some other delightful characters that we KNOW we'll be reading more about in future books from Fortune's Island. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.