First time reading this author for me, but the cover and title and sample chapter all got my attention so had to go for it! This book also strongly reminded me of Tammy Gray's Mercy's Fight (tough guy with motorcycle who falls for a woman completely different from him and also a Christian read except both characters were believers there, but powerful storytelling just like this one), which I also LOVED!
Tessa is 25 and living with her brother, Dominic, who is a police officer. Tessa used to be a lawyer, but her heart wasn't in it so now she dreams of opening a Bed & Breakfast. Out of the blue, Dominic calls and warns her that his friend, Gunnar Mason, is coming to stay with them and make sure she's comfortable with this arrangement. Tessa is such an amazing character and when she is stressed, she finds something around the house to fix or clean. She is also a prayer warrior, doesn't enjoy being with her mom because of the criticism she gets, is straight-forward, and very polite yet also feisty when need be. I really enjoyed her relationship with Dominic.
Fave characters in this one were easily Aunt Elaine and Pastor Bob, they were both perfectly written and true enhancements to the story :)
Then there's Gunnar......tough guy with tattoos who drives a motorcycle and owns a business building custom made motorcycles. I'm NOT a fan of motorcycles, but even THAT part of the story was well written and well described. You can tangibly sense the tension and attraction between Gunnar and Tessa from the first moment they meet. I really DID NOT enjoy how cruel and manipulative Gunnar is with Tessa, but wow, she gets him immediately and despite being intimidated by him at first, she stands her ground with him and loved her for that. He hates Christians and has some serious anger issues with life. After learning more about him in the plot, it becomes easier to have sympathy towards him recognizing his attitude as a hurting man.
Turns out Gunnar is a decent man in spite of his flaws and bad attitude, he struggles to do the right thing and be an honorable guy even though he has a short fuse. He learns to respect Tessa, even admire her, before he ever makes his move. They share many heart stopping kisses and they discuss the confusion of their feelings, him being in disbelief that she doesn't run the other way and he discovers she prays for him which really throws him! Pastor Bob has a few talks with Gunnar and is part of his healing process with regrets Gunnar has from his past.
My favorite part of the story, despite the intense drama and spiritual conflicts both Tessa and Gunnar go through, is the transformation Gunnar experiences. Pratola is very specific in describing what a jerk Gunnar is from the start and he almost has "Get out of my way" stamped on his forehead. It's amazing such a tormented guy can have any softening of the heart, but that's exactly what happens after he meets Tessa. He is desperate for answers, absolution and peace and ultimately that's what he gets.
I really enjoyed the story and had trouble putting it away; there are so many GOOD dialogue scenes, so many misunderstandings that make the story interesting, and after we get past Gunnar's initial nightmares it's great to see how he reacts every time he enters the room, which also has Tessa cautious and wanting to explain herself to him every time even though she does nothing wrong.
I also loved that the author doesn't end the story abruptly after we get the results we want at the end. There's a THREE YEARS LATER bit that really seals the deal, it's like the author KNEW how the drama and tension of the story wore us out (in a good way) and wanted to reward us with more joy from all the characters have been through! That's a rare thing to find and even though I didn't consider this a five star read, I still loved how things turn out until the last page. I was pleasantly surprised by this one and even encouraged by it.
With thanks to NetGalley and White Rose Publishing for the review ecopy received, all thoughts expressed are my own.
