Loved this!I must admit I'm a sucker for these stories that have children and babies in them.I loved the bickering, kinda reminded me of school children, I was expecting pinching and hair pulling next.I adored all the characters, even Mason who I wanted to punch in the face, came through not so ugly eventually.I also cried some, with one of the issues being very close to home for me which I don't think has ever happened in a book I've read before. First off, I want to give the author kudos for not turning this into a typical redneck, southern book. I am a big fan of the author but I will admit that I put this book off for a bit because of the setting. I live in Mobile (born and raised) and I try really hard to run the other way when I see a book set not only close to my hometown but in my state. It is so rare for an author to get it right when it comes to dialogue and stereotypes... unless they actually live here anyway. The last time I read a book set here I ended up angering the author (I was nice!) when I made a comment in my review in regards to the dialogue. Thankfully Lisa Worrall has nothing to worry about in regards to my review. This was a very good book. No redneck "southern speak" or anything like that. It was written very well. Granted, there are a couple of things that I personally can't see happening any time soon in my state that were mentioned but it is fiction and it actually made the story much better as a result. I won't describe the book in detail as that has already been done and done well. I will say that I really, really enjoyed this story. Ash is a big time reporter in L.A. and is forced to fly to Freedom, Alabama when he gets word of his sister, Annie's, death. His boyfriend is Mason, a high powered attorney. From the introduction of Mason, I was hoping to see something not quite redeeming about him (he was described almost as perfect). Thankfully that happened not long into it. Then there is Kaleb, Annie's best friend in Alabama. Kaleb comes across instantly as a jerk but it is understandable as the story unfolds. Annie had secrets. Kaleb has secrets. Ash is just thrown into it without warning. The love story between Ash and Kaleb isn't "insta love" and for that I am grateful. You are able to watch as they each deal with their own issues before they move into that direction. There is a jerk doctor who is just bad enough to make the story more interesting. The secondary characters are all charming. I got a big kick out of Kaleb's grandparents and best friend. There is only one instance of homophobia and it is resolved quickly. I was expecting a lot of it considering it is set in Small Town, America. I am glad that is not the case. The resolution of the drama is done perfectly. The ending is perfect. Kaleb and Ash are perfect.Overall, another great book by this author.
