The Long Way Home (Montana Born Homecoming #4) by Kathleen O'brien
Publisher: Tule, 2014
101 pages, kindle edition
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Romance
Sysnopsis:
At eighteen, Abby Foster had been the cutest little rich gal in Marietta, Montana. She could make boys do whatever she wanted—especially sweet, wild, penniless Joe Carlyle, who adored her. But a lot’s changed in the eight years since Abby broke Joe’s heart by marrying the rich guy her domineering father chose for her. Her father has died, and the “perfect” husband has bolted, taking all the money. More importantly, Abby’s grown up. She’s vowed to stop listening to other people and follow her own heart instead.
Right now, her heart tells her to return to Marietta. The wildfire she felt in Joe’s arms has haunted her, and, though she doesn’t expect forgiveness, she hopes maybe he, too, would enjoy a brief, no-strings affair. If they can share just the seventy-two hours of Homecoming weekend…well, maybe then they’ll both find it easier to forgive, forget, and move on.
But when she sees him, she realizes how naive that idea was. The years have changed Joe, too…and the passionate, powerful man he’s become isn’t someone she’ll ever forget. This time the heart she breaks may be her own.
Right now, her heart tells her to return to Marietta. The wildfire she felt in Joe’s arms has haunted her, and, though she doesn’t expect forgiveness, she hopes maybe he, too, would enjoy a brief, no-strings affair. If they can share just the seventy-two hours of Homecoming weekend…well, maybe then they’ll both find it easier to forgive, forget, and move on.
But when she sees him, she realizes how naive that idea was. The years have changed Joe, too…and the passionate, powerful man he’s become isn’t someone she’ll ever forget. This time the heart she breaks may be her own.
My Review:
THE LONG WAY HOME is another opportunity to return to Marietta, Montana. This story is about second chance love. What made it special was it was about first love revisited…a chance to get it right. How many people have fantasized about that? You never really forget your first true love, do you? I think it has an impact because you are so young and innocent when it happens, and you believe it will last forever. Sometimes it does – and sometimes circumstances do not allow it to. That is what happened to Joe Carlyle and Abby Foster.
Joe was totally devastated when Abby agreed to marry an older man. She was only eighteen years old and they were in love. How could she do that? He KNEW she didn’t love Blaine Watts. She knew she didn’t either. Joe knew Abby’s father was to blame. Why didn’t she refuse to go through with it? If she really loved him, she would have.
Abby’s father was dying of cancer, and it was his dying wish to leave Abby in the hands of a good man who could take care of her in the same way that he had. He felt that Blain Watts was that man. Abby went along with it because she could not let her father down. He was dying. This is what he wanted. She HAD to do it. Thousands of dollars had been spent on the wedding. As badly as she wanted to back out, she just couldn’t do it. She knew that she was still in love with Joe, but he was a seventeen-year-old kid with nothing substantial to offer her other than his love. She must do what her father wants. It’s his dying wish.
Fast forward eight years. Abby is back in Marietta. She appears like a ghost during the fall homecoming festivities. Joe cannot believe she is actually there. Why? What does she want? He will NOT act happy to see her. He never really stopped loving Abby. He has tried to forget her and has moved forward with his life – dating almost every available woman in his area of the state. No one has really held his interest. He was engaged twice, but could never see it through. He has slowed down on the dating game and is focusing on the ranch and helping his mom with his younger brother Rafe, a seventeen-year-old, going through his “Carlyle Crazies” – a rite of passage for all the Carlyle boys. He absolutely will not get sucked into the drama that is Abby Foster Watts – no matter why she is back in town.
I loved this book. It was short, and sweet. The secondary characters were developed enough to benefit the story. They were true-to-life, with enough emotional intensity to make the story realistic and believable. THE LONG WAY HOME is well-written, nicely paced and holds your attention to the last page.
Joe was totally devastated when Abby agreed to marry an older man. She was only eighteen years old and they were in love. How could she do that? He KNEW she didn’t love Blaine Watts. She knew she didn’t either. Joe knew Abby’s father was to blame. Why didn’t she refuse to go through with it? If she really loved him, she would have.
Abby’s father was dying of cancer, and it was his dying wish to leave Abby in the hands of a good man who could take care of her in the same way that he had. He felt that Blain Watts was that man. Abby went along with it because she could not let her father down. He was dying. This is what he wanted. She HAD to do it. Thousands of dollars had been spent on the wedding. As badly as she wanted to back out, she just couldn’t do it. She knew that she was still in love with Joe, but he was a seventeen-year-old kid with nothing substantial to offer her other than his love. She must do what her father wants. It’s his dying wish.
Fast forward eight years. Abby is back in Marietta. She appears like a ghost during the fall homecoming festivities. Joe cannot believe she is actually there. Why? What does she want? He will NOT act happy to see her. He never really stopped loving Abby. He has tried to forget her and has moved forward with his life – dating almost every available woman in his area of the state. No one has really held his interest. He was engaged twice, but could never see it through. He has slowed down on the dating game and is focusing on the ranch and helping his mom with his younger brother Rafe, a seventeen-year-old, going through his “Carlyle Crazies” – a rite of passage for all the Carlyle boys. He absolutely will not get sucked into the drama that is Abby Foster Watts – no matter why she is back in town.
I loved this book. It was short, and sweet. The secondary characters were developed enough to benefit the story. They were true-to-life, with enough emotional intensity to make the story realistic and believable. THE LONG WAY HOME is well-written, nicely paced and holds your attention to the last page.
My Rating:
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