Prah, Constantine and Baryeh #Reviews: Love Built to Last by Lisa Ricard Claro

Happy October and welcome to another 3-in-1 review!  Last month we read a Love Built to Last: (Fireflies ~ Book 1) by Lisa Ricard Claro.

The Blurb

She can’t let go of her dead husband… 

Maddie Kinkaid believes her late husband, Jack, gives her advice on everything from ordering a pizza to hiring a carpenter, so when she finds Caleb Walker’s business card on Jack’s desk, she’s convinced that he’s the guy to remodel her kitchen. 

He can’t decide if she’s worth the risk… 

Caleb is a single father, and protecting his young son means avoiding romantic entanglements. But there’s heat in every kitchen, and sparks ignite between Caleb and Maddie—until disaster strikes. When Jack goes silent, Maddie’s guilt consumes her, and it looks as if she and Caleb will never find their happily-ever-after—at least, not without a little help from Jack… 

LOVE BUILT TO LAST began as the award-winning short story Fireflies, and is now the first novel in the Fireflies series. Watch for Book 2 Love to Believe and Book 3 Love to Win, coming soon from Lisa Ricard Claro and Black Opal Books.

My Review

This is a very sweet romance between a widow and a widower. Now I've read romance novels where either the hero or heroine was widowed but never both, so this was definitely an intriguing idea and I was really curious to find out how the author would handle this relatively delicate situation. 

I think Lisa Ricard Claro managed that quite well, so in spite of both having lost a spouse (this was common ground), they had different grieving experiences and family situations.

Maddie has a complicated relationship with her dead husband, Jack, and I enjoyed her conversations with him, her easy interaction with his family and the strength of her decision to move on. 

Caleb also  has a complicated relationship with his dead wife, although his conversations with her are a little more realistic (for want of a better word). His life and possibility of pursuing love is complicated further by the fact that he has an impressionable preschooler and doesn't want to get involved with someone who'd just break their hearts and go on her merry way.

I enjoyed the author's humour as she delivered hot stares and touches and kisses... I was a little disappointed by the closed door sex scenes, but I also thought they were appropriate for the story and the characters involved.

In all, this is definitely one of the most enjoyable books this year, and I'm definitely planning on reading the rest of the series!

Don't forget to head over to read Prah and Constantine's reviews.

I got my copy from Amazon.