READY TO LOVE AGAIN Review & giveaway

Ready to Love Again

by Annalyse Knight

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Genre: Romance/Contemporary

ISBN e-book:  978-1-61213-321-8

Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH

 “You’ve already lost one love in your lifetime — don’t let Katie be the second.”

Summary:

After a bitter divorce, Katie Rodriquez moves with her nine-year-old son, Shawn, to California to take a job at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A fresh start is exactly what she and her son need. However, a fateful stroll on a Carmel beach turns her world upside down when she meets a handsome doctor who is struggling with his own past.

Dr. Chase O’Donnell had everything a man could ask for when a tragic accident changed his life forever. Tortured by his memories, he locks away his grief to care for his two children, refusing to face what his loss has done to him and the people he loves most.

Katie’s son is a rowdy child with a good heart, so it is a bit of a surprise when Shawn befriends the quiet and thoughtful Tony O’Donnell. Tony’s love for baseball draws Shawn into his world, and from then on, they are inseparable. It is only a matter of time before they bring their parents together again in a surprising twist of fate. However, Tony’s older sister, Liz, doesn’t like the new boy who is prone to catching critters and teasing girls. Liz isn’t very happy with the idea of her father having a new girlfriend, either. Loyal to a fault and haunted by the fear of abandonment, she lashes out and refuses to accept the new woman in her father’s life.

Katie and Chase must find the strength to rebuild their lives while juggling the demands of careers and single parenthood. When Chase’s daughter lashes out, they soon discover that the price of their romance is too high. To heal his family’s pain, they both must risk losing each other. Facing unresolved guilt and anger, will they have the courage to learn to love again?

My thoughts 

Seeking a fresh start for herself and her nine year old son, Shawn, Katie Rodriguez accepts a job at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Chase O’Donnell, a surgeon at the local hospital, believes he’s handled the death of his wife three years prior.  With the help of his sister, Gina, he’s buried his grief in work and his children, nine year old Anthony (Tony) and eleven year old Elizabeth (Liz).

Katie and Chase’s chance meeting on a Carmel beach sets the stage for these two wounded hearts’ second chance at love.

Ms. Knight has written a realistic second chance love story that doesn’t gloss over or trivialize the challenging and emotional aspects of Chase and Katie’s situations: sudden death of a spouse and divorce.  Katie and Chase’s courtship depiction rings true, reflecting the actions of parents who put their children first.  The focus is on the characters, their emotional state and growth rather than the sexual aspect so there are no blow by blow pages of long love scenes.

Unlike many books featuring children, Liz, Tony, and Shawn aren’t window dressing or added simply for the cute factor.  Their problems are as important as the adults and, in many ways, mirror them.  The only slightly off note is everyone’s physicality and the fact that Chase is, of course, rich.  However, this is set in Carmel so the fact that almost everyone is beautiful and most have money isn’t so hard to believe.

Though the issues Chase and Katie face are difficult and tragic, READY TO LOVE AGAIN is far from being a downer.  Thanks to the genuineness of the characters and their circumstances, like life, their story is filled with humor, hope, and heart.

If you’re looking for a second chance love story that will put you through your emotional paces, look no further than READY TO LOVE AGAIN.

4 stars

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About the Author:

Annalyse Knight is a recovering craft addict. She spent many years jumping from one hobby to another until she discovered that writing satisfied all her creative cravings.

A stay-at-home mom, Annalyse raised her three children on California’s Monterey Peninsula. Although she and her family later moved to the Sacramento area, the beach, the quiet community, and the beauty of the California coast continue to inspire her writing.

She spent several years writing with an online community, and she loved the direct interaction with her readers. Her online participation eventually led to her volunteer at The Writers’ Collective, an online writing workshop group founded to create a supportive community for writers. With her children almost grown, Annalyse decided to take her hobby to the next level and become a published author. Ready to Love Again is her first novel with The Writer’s Coffee Shop.

Connect with the Author:

Twitter * Facebook * Website

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Praise for Ready to Love Again

“If you’re looking for a beautiful love story with a bit of heartache, fun banter, and beautiful relationships this book is for you. Ready to Love Again is brilliantly written and has believable characters that make you fall in love with them from the very beginning.”  – Rhiannon Overby Goodreads Review