There are times you come across an author whose stories touch your heart and stay with you for a very long time. That was the case a few years ago when I came across this author’s book, Worth the Fall and became a fan forever.
Ms. Connor’s books are not the suspense, action packed kind, but rather they are the ones that hook you within the first few lines, gently draw you into the characters and make you experience their feelings.
This time the story belongs to Zach Walker and Nora Sellers. Their trajectory is at times heartbreaking , touching but also heartwarming. There will be moments when you’ll wish you could give them a hug or a good shake !
Nora’s and Zach’s loss of their mothers in their young formative years, has made them who they are today. The feelings of abandonment, loss, and fears of loving and losing stops them from making commitments of any kind.
Somehow fate has her own agenda. But will Nora and Zach embrace the possibility of hope and love or will old fears stop them from finding a happiness in that someone special that has already taken a place in their hearts?
For those that have read the McKinney books, you’ll get a chance to visit with some of the characters, and if you haven’t read them, I highly recommend these wonderful stories.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley . The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Timeline of me and Waiting For You:

Monday, 10PM - check Goodreads before going to bed, see fellow reviewer is "Currently Reading - Waiting For You", comment how jealous I am, ponder how she got a review copy, pop online to see if it was added after I checked NetGalley earlier in the day, see it IS available!!!, request a copy, go to sleep with fingers crossed
Tuesday, 12:05PM - receive ARC approval email from NetGalley, squeal like a teenage girl

4PM - drive home from work like a bat out of a cave, begin reading while putting on comfy clothes, continue reading while heating up leftovers, reluctantly put book down while eating dinner with the family, ignore family for the rest of the night, finish at 1:45AM.

There are very few authors on my drop everything non-essential in life and stay up until 2AM to read her new book list. Claudia Connor is at the top. Every single story Claudia writes grips my heart and doesn’t let go for days, and Waiting For You has done the same. Her heroes are make-your-knees week swoony, and her heroines smart. The stories are heartfelt and compelling, and I LOVE THEM ALL!

Firefighter Zach Walker has spent the past keeping things light and fun, from his friends at work to his relationships with women. After losing his parents at 15, then living through a horrific ordeal with his younger sister, he’s had enough heavy and serious to last a lifetime. Recently though, the revolving door of women has lost its appeal. When he meets nurse Nora Sellers, something inexplicably pulls him to her.

Nora has a new job, an old house, and a 10 month old son. When she gets hurt at work, she manages to attract the attention of Zach. Try as she might to shake him loose, she isn’t able to. Which is a good thing, since her injury makes caring for her son difficult, and also her house is two steps past the fixer upper stage. Thankfully, she’s not too proud to accept the help she desperately needs. (This was SUCH a refreshing change from the status quo heroine of today, a la “she protests, the alpha hero grunts and bulldozes his way in”...and I love that Ms. Connor doesn’t go that route with her characters.)

The more time Zach and Nora spend together, the more their thoughts about their futures are challenged. Zach has never thought of himself as a husband or father, but every second he spends with Nora and Will shows him that could be a possibility. And Nora, who never had someone in her life to show her the love and loyalty she deserves, considers taking a chance on Zach. Watching Zach and Nora fall in love, and learn to have a fuller life than they were expecting, was beautiful and lovely.

I’m always a bit anxious whenever I start a new book by a beloved author. There’s always the chance my expectations will be unmet, that I’ll end up disappointed. But that has never happened with Claudia Connor. Her stories contain just the right amount of conflict to keep things compelling, but never veers into unnecessary angst. Her storytelling pulls me in and captures me, and doesn’t let go until days after I’ve finished. She has the swooniest heroes ever - unbelievably kind, caring and compassionate, yet completely manly and totally macho, and they never veer into alpha male ridiculousness. Her heroines are smart and sweet, but also possess an internal strength despite the hardships they’ve faced.

I could gush on and on about all of Ms. Connor’s books! Instead, I’ll just tell you these are the best kind of romance stories - with enough realism to make things believable, but enough escapism to make you happy sigh, and enough humor sprinkled in to balance out the heavy. I frequently wish Claudia would write faster, publish books more often. But she doesn’t. Instead, I just read her books over and over. And I’m okay with that, too.

* thank you to NetGalley and Claudia Connor for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

WOW!!!!!!! Oh my god! I’m in love with this book, these characters and Claudia. This amazing 6 star story had me hooked with the blurb. A firefighter and a nurse.

Zack has been staying away from commitment and attachement. That is until he meets Nora, an er nurse. But Nora comes with a little baby boy Will. Zack never thought they were his futur. Nora is not ready to commit to another relationship but how can she not fall in love with him.

This story has special meaning for me, first as nurse myself. By the way the medical and nursing knowledge were spot on. Second, I love firefighters, Zack reminded me of Matt Casey in Chicago Fire. This story was written with heart and soul. Her storyline captured my undivided attention all throughout. Beautifully written with an addicting plot. I’ve read every book that this author as ever written so it was nice to see where the other previous characters were at.

What I look for in a story in order for me to love it, are the characters. They were perfectly created for this story. I love Will because children in stories just makes them so much sweeter. Bottomline in this a 2019 must read.

Told in the third person with an amazing HEA. I can’t wait for Luke’s story. I strongly recommend this story. It can safely be read as a standalone.

This was my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it. I adored these characters and the story line. I loved Zach and how he wanted to help take care of Nora and Will. He was always doing things to make their lives better and his interactions with Will were adorable.

I definitely need to go back and read more of this author's books. I enjoyed the author's writing style and found the book to be very engaging. I would definitely recommend this book!