I LOVED THIS BOOK. I think that successfully pulling off a romance that's about people getting back together is always difficult, in my mind it requires three things:1. you need to convince me there was a valid reason the couple split up in the first place2. you need to convince me that these two people are better together than they are separatelyand, most importantly,3. you need to convince me that they've grown and changed enough as people that it's going to be different this timeThis book pulled off all three of these effortlessly. The third installment in the Crooked Creek Ranch series can be read as a standalone book, but takes the character of ice hockey player Billy (friend to Luc, the hero of book 1) and re-introduces him to us in his own right as a man dealing with anger issues who is trying to forget his past - until a chance encounter with Maddy, his ex-wife of 10 years past reminds him of what he has lost. Maddy has put Billy and their failed marriage behind her, or so she thinks, until his re-appearance cracks open the shell she has placed around her heart. Thrown together by circumstance, they must decide whether risking their hearts again will be worth it.As second chance type romances go, this was a wonderfully written story full of emotion, sexual chemistry and heartwarming moments. I love how Molly is able to put us inside the characters' shoes with alternating points of view, making us feel their joy, their pain, their every conflict. It is the sign of a true storyteller that the reader follows laughter with tears and can't put down the book until they know what has happened next. I really enjoyed the flashbacks inserted into the story periodically, showing the backwards progression of Maddy and Billy's friends to lovers relationship. The strong ties of that time in their lives have never really been forgotten and enable them to find their way back to each other. The maturing of their feelings and characters happens in a way that feels believable to the reader. 5 stars for this well crafted, emotionally uplifting contemporary romance!Note: This book has been nominated for a 2013 RITA contemporary romance award - and is well deserving of this nomination!
What do You think about Crazy Thing Called Love (2013)?
More like 4.5 Really well done, super engaging book. Nice depth. Great romance. Yay.
—Sam
