26y.o. preschool teacher is hesitant about letting her ex-boyfriend Navy SEALs Hero get to know their 5y.o. daughter now.

He publicly abandoned her 5 ½ years ago when she told him she was pregnant and she hadn’t heard from him until now. He’s apologetic for what he did to her and wants to atone for his abandonment of her and their daughter. Her resistance crumbles away when faced with their strong mutual attraction to each other. But her mistrust that he may leave them again and his war trauma may prevent him from having a life with heroine and their daughter.

It looked like Hero groveled but it wasn’t sufficient nor was it due to his love for heroine. His groveling was out of convenience, his need for companionship now that he’s disabled and no longer part of his SEALS team, and his desire to have a relationship with their daughter. I didn’t at all see any of his groveling as having any roots in his love for her. She was the mother of his child and she was available and willing. She was a bonus with his daughter. She was a doormat for giving in to him so easily. And he was a selfish and passive man, who knew he did wrong but pushed it aside to seek his own pleasures at his convenience. Not my kind of Hero. This book was emotionally pulling and the writing was good. Too bad I didn’t like the romance, which still has a likelihood of an HEA(happy ever after). But not a healthy one if they don’t change for the better.

Limitedly recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.

28y.o. fashion designer wants to resist her one-time lover and brother’s college best friend from 10 years ago so she can fully focus on her new fashion line.

But she’s still very attracted to 30y.o. hockey player Hero who agreed to be 1 of her male models. And he’s decided to pursue a 2nd chance with her. Their affair fulfills their passion for each other and heroine doesn’t expect anything long term from it, knowing his dating history. However, Hero hints at more. Yet, when she really needs him to be there for her, he shuns her. What caused Hero’s change of heart?

I love second-chance romances and this one was fair. I liked that Hero apologized for his mistreatment of heroine 10 years ago & tried to be a better person with her now. But I didn’t like the emotional imbalance between them. Heroine was always the one who cared more. And Hero knew it and was cocky about how she wanted him, especially when she tried to fight it. His decision to pursue her now was more out of convenience than it was because he loved her. Heroine had her good and bad moments too. I liked her independence and focus. But I did not like her fickleness and playing coy with Hero. It made her seem weak. The steam factor was hot and sex scenes were explicit and plentiful. Emotional tone was middling overall but it did get a bit angsty when Hero had a change of heart.**

Moderately recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.