Bringing Delaney Home

Cates Brothers #2

by Lee Kilraine

A Modern Reverse Beauty & the Beast romance.

Quinn Cates:
Crush on his best friend’s sister…check.
Five years later: totally over it… check.
Only his best friend says her sister’s in trouble & needs Quinn to bring her home.
Yeah, so now Delaney’s back and that lie he told himself…the one about being over her?
Not. Even. Close.


Delaney Lyons:
Tour in Afghanistan as an Army nurse…check.
Five years later: a Purple Heart, survivor’s guilt, and a drunk pity party for one on the kitchen floor…check, check aaand check.
Only her little sister’s best friend comes barging into Delaney’s life & drags her home.
Yeah, so now she’s back and the lie she tells herself…the one about not being attracted to Quinn?
Not. Even. Close.

Second chances don’t come around often…
Delaney gets a second chance at life and love… but is she strong enough to take it?
Quinn gets a second chance at the girl who got away… but is he strong enough to handle the woman she’s become?

Still Crushing on His Best Friend’s Older Sister is a full-length small-town romance featuring a hot cop, a wounded nurse, an old high school rival that makes the bachelorettes on The Bachelor look tame, an in-your-face teenager who sort of helps rescue a cranky princess, and a grapevine that never heard a rumor they couldn’t make better. No cheating. No cliffhanger. A love story with a little heat, a lot of heart, humor and a sigh-worthy HEA.

Previously published as Bringing Delaney Home

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Sports

222 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2016

About the author

Lee Kilraine lives in the pine woods of North Carolina. When she isn't typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley, destroying something at her feet, you might find her on her front porch swing plotting her next book while guarding her garden from the local gang of deer. She has a weakness for dogs, bacon cheeseburgers, red wine and Alpha heroes. She loves reading and writing stories with a HEA and if they make her laugh...well, that's perfect.

Reviews

[BookLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC requested through Netgalley, and kindly provided by Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

Bringing Delaney Home is my first read by Lee Kilraine. Quinn has brought Delaney back to their hometown of Climax after a mysterious accident. Quinn has always had a thing for Delaney and now that she is back, he is determined to make her see how good they would be together.

I liked this book, but there were several things that kept me from loving it.

I liked Delaney's quirky personality and Quinn's devotion to her.

I’m not sure if this is because it was an ARC, but I felt like chunks of the story were missing. Each time the scene changed, I would be left thinking “That scene felt incomplete or ended rather abruptly” or “Did I miss the first few paragraphs of this new scene because I have no idea what the heck is happening”. I had a hard time piecing the story together and felt like I was missing important information that would bring me up to speed.

Overall, I felt the characters to be underdeveloped. This can often happen when a book is written in the third person and tries to cover both POV’s. Unless the book is on the longer side, it can be difficult to really get into the character’s heads. This story seemed to jump from scene to scene, landing in the middle of a piece of plot, leaving me with no extra insight into Delaney or Quinn. I was meant to believe Quinn carried a serious torch for Delaney but was not given any real insight into Quinn’s past or mind to support this. I was meant to understand that Delaney was acting out as a result of a difficult and painful rehabilitation, but again, there was no backstory to make me understand where her behaviour came from. I was meant to believe that Delaney and Greer were close but there weren’t a lot of scenes depicting this. I guess it boils down to this… I didn’t feel immersed in the story, but rather felt like it was being told to me, in point form.

Much the same as the two main characters, I felt the secondary characters were two dimensional and didn’t provide a proper backdrop for Climax or what the community was really like.

[Alyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried with this book. I really did. But it was a STRUGGLE to finish. At about 54%, I just started skimming/skipping pages at a time. I just couldn't get into it. I couldn't connect with the story at all. I didn't feel ANY connection (friendship or romantic) between Quinn and Delaney. And I didn't particularity like Quinn and his "effort" to help Delaney. It didn't feel authentic or genuine to me as an outsider.

I was just bored.

The highlight for me was Quinn's mother. I really liked her and her take-no-prisoners attitude (which helps with her 5 boys).

Rating: 2 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

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[Bette Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that's difficult to review. Could the story and characters have been a bit more developed?? Could there have been a bit more backstory to help us understand the characters a little better? A big YES to both those questions. Even with both of those points though, I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the fact that Quinn is the younger brother and fell for his sister's best friend. I loved his dog Snot! I thought Quinn's devotion to Delaney was wonderful and was her saving grace. So with that said, would I recommend this to family and friends? Yes! Yes I would. It's fun, entertaining, and a nice relaxing read.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

2.5 stars

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is February 2nd.

I will begin with the highlights of this story.

1. Snot the dog. Although he really only made a brief appearance in the story he really captured my heart. A dog that gets super excited around humans however cannot control his coordination resulting in numberous collisions with the wall? priceless. Also a face only a mother could love, I had one of those once and I thought she was the most beautiful creature.

2. Marcus. I loved how he was the only one who did not put up with Delaney's crap. When everyone else was coddling her he was challenging her. Sometimes the honesty of teenagers is priceless.

3. Quinn's mother. Her presence and family devotion was heartwarming.

Now for the not so great aspects of the book.

I could not really get Delaney to grow on me. I realize that she was in a dark place after a traumatic event however I just wanted to slap her. Maybe if the story showed what she used to be like I would have been more in tune with her. Since it did not all I saw was a mouthy person who was feeling sorry for herself more than she needed to. She was harboring some emotional baggage not related to her accident that I felt should have been resolved years earlier.

At the end of the day I really wanted to like this story however it fell short for me. Perhaps if more of the characters I mentioned as highlights were present in greater quantity I would have enjoyed it better.

[Vfc · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Second chances don’t come around often…
Delaney gets a second chance at life and love…but is she strong enough to take it?

Delaney is an Army amputee with dissociative amnesia, ornery, snarky, cantankerous, irritable, cranky, contrary, intractable, mulish, and grumpy.

Quinn gets a second chance at the girl who got away…but is he strong enough to manage the woman she’s become? Crushing on his best friend, Greer’s older sister in a small-town setting featuring a man with handcuffs, a wounded nurse, an old-high school rival (Barbara) that makes the bachelorettes on The Bachelor look tame in comparison.

Delaney Lyons:
Tour in Afghanistan as an Army nurse…check
Eight years later: a Purple Heart, survivor’s guilt, and a drunk pity party for one on the kitchen floor…check, check aaand check.
Trying to make it through each day, alone in her flat with a bottle of cabernet and Sesame Street to keep her company. When the stress, failures, pain, and nightmares become overwhelming, she withdrew into herself.

Scenes from the last nine months of her life, her amputation, multiple surgeries, endless hours spent in a hospital corridor in her wheelchair, her first ungainly steps with her temporary prosthesis. There was no way someone like Quinn would understand her broken life.

Her little sister’s best friend comes barging into Delaney’s life & drags her home. Drunk and morose, Quinn is persuaded by his best friend Greer to abduct her sister Delaney from D.C. where he finds her three sheets to the wind.

Quinn Cates:
Five years later after crushing on her, he’s convinced himself he’s no longer under her spell.

She vaguely recalls that less than twenty-four hours ago she’d been carried out of her flat, been driven five hours to her hometown of Climax, North Carolina, force-fed water and aspirin, and shoved into a bed to sleep it off. A few hours after she’d fallen into a restless sleep in Quinn Cates’s guest bedroom, the nightmares had her wide awake and out of the house, driving to the only place open in Climax: a twenty-four hour gym.

That’s where a fight had broken out. Well, a verbal scuffle, so she’d left at the strong recommendation of the muscle-bound desk attendant. In trying to avoid going to her childhood home, she’d stopped at the library as it opened for the day. Turned out she wasn’t very popular at the library either. It seemed she’d lost her civilized polish along with her left foot.

“Tell me you didn’t!” Greer yelled before Delaney even heard the front door slam shut behind her. Delaney covered her ears, trying to stop Greer’s voice from performing the rest of the lobotomy she herself had started yesterday. She’d known the story would get back to her sister; she thought she’d at least get to say hello before the reckoning. What a lousy bunch of tattletales those muscle-bound gym rats were. Ever since the explosion, she was unable to filter her thoughts and impulses. She had spent her whole life protecting Greer, for Greer, she would paste on a smile and extract vestiges of the positive attitude she’d initially had in the beginning, back when she’d attacked her rehabilitation each day. Before the anxiety had started. Before the nightmares had arrived and sleep had vanished.

“Congratulations. You’ve already been kicked out of the gym and the library, upset the sweet little old Simon sisters, gotten a parking ticket, and reignited the old rivalry with your arch nemesis. You’ve been in Climax less than twenty-four hours!”
“I’m out of bed. That’s more than I managed the last three weeks in D.C. See, you’re helping me already.” Delaney picked up the newspaper sitting in front of her.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about getting you whole again.”
Delaney dragged her eyes up from the paper, gazing at Greer with a cocked eyebrow.
“Sorry. That was a poor choice of words. You know what I mean. Healthy again. I can’t stand how much weight you’ve lost. You need to eat more.”
“What do you want from me?” Delaney snapped, tossing the newspaper on the table.
“I want you to fight harder, like you did when we were growing up.”
“Well, I’m not sure I have it in me anymore.”
“I can’t accept that. You just need to stop trying to do it alone.”
“You’re my hero, Del.”
“Don’t say that. I don’t want the pressure anymore. I just want to be left alone.”
“I can’t do that, I love you and I’m so scared for you.”
“Join the club. Nine months ago I knew who I was. I was a nurse and I was a runner. I had a purpose. My life had a path.”

With dissociative amnesia, the memories are there, she’s unable to recall the weeks around the explosion and her doctors said her memories would probably return, but a part of her was afraid to find out what was so bad that her brain shut it out. As a nurse, she knew all about the side effects and she’d wanted them out of her system to try to stop the nightmares. But the nightmares hadn’t stopped.
“I’ve got a rule of my own . . . no telling anyone about losing my foot or Afghanistan. I don’t need the pity and I don’t need the gossip. I had enough of that growing up in this town.”
“If you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything . . .”
“Fine. Against my better judgment, I won’t say anything. You will be nice to people.”
Delaney snorted. “You know, if you’re going to ask for miracles, why not just ask for my foot to grow back?”
“Gym. Two times a week to begin with.”
“Please tell me there is another gym in town. I can’t keep running into Barbie and her posse and keep your rule about being nice too.”
“No, it’s the only gym, but I can get you a buddy whenever Barbie or her posse is there. Quinn would’ve been there to run interference this morning, but he had to work an accident out on Highway 62.”
“A buddy? You mean a babysitter don’t you?”
“Mentor, parole officer—whatever it takes to keep you honest.”
“Honest I got in spades. It’s nice that’s in short supply,” Delaney grumbled.”
“I’ve noticed. I heard the Simon sisters were ready to stab you with their knitting needles at the library this morning.”
“I would like to remind a particular buttinski that it was not my brilliant idea to unleash me on an unsuspecting public, it is also not my fault the Simon sisters asked me what I thought about their hats.”
“Did you have to tell them they looked like nipples?” Greer couldn’t help the laughter in her voice. “That when they stood next to each other they look like a pair of—”
“Okay. I’ll try nice. I used to be nice. How hard can it be?”

“Hey, good morning!” some muscle-bound guy at the front desk called to her.
“Bite me,” Delaney said, not even turning her head. “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

The arresting officer, Rojas sat opposite Barbara with Delaney between the two of them. Since Delaney sat to the side, he could only see the left side of her face. Barbara sat closest to Quinn. She was facing the table with her back toward him and she appeared to be . . . handcuffed to her chair?
“Everything okay here? Barbara?”
“Quinn! It’s about time you got here. No, everything isn’t okay. Look at me! Delaney cuffed me to the chair! I want you to arrest her right now!”
“Hey there, Laney. Where’d you get the cuffs?” He glanced down at the cuffs again and realized they were police issue. Delaney cuffed her? Oh, hell, that had to be a scuffle the whole cop shop would’ve paid to see.
“Uh, Rafe? How’d she get your cuffs?”
“She’s quick, is all. And a little scary. She said she’d gut me and use my intestine to make strings for miniature guitars and sell them all over the world if I got up and freed Barbie—I mean, Ms. Jewel.”
“You let her intimidate you? Hell, Rojas, she’s just a little thing.”
“She’s got a big temper, and I figured you’d be pissed if I hurt her trying to struggle with her, so instead I called you in for backup.”
 
Amazing she isn’t a drinker, between her pain, guilt and the gnawing sound of her father’s voice—telling her she wasn’t worth all the effort. That if she’d never been born, life would have been easier for everyone. Growing up, she’d had so many questions and so much confusion about how love worked. She could never understand how it was possible for a parent not to love their child. For years, she had been sure it was her fault. She’d pushed all her hopes and wishes and needs deep into the dark empty spaces of her heart and gotten on with life. By the time high school arrived, she was focused on two things: protecting and raising Greer and finding a way out once Greer was out of their dad’s reach.

People witnessing Delaney run in high school would swear she ran as a fierce competitor who hated to lose, the facts were she’d run because in every race came a moment of freedom. When the pressure of her father’s hatred and animosity, of taking care of Greer, of living with the whispers behind her back started crowding in on her, she ran and ran and ran. Escape was her goal and reward, not the medal. Being fast had helped her pay for college. Working as a part-time track coach allowed her to send a little extra money to Greer.

The by-product of a dysfunctional home, her father’s violent outbursts, her mother cowering in a corner sacrificing her daughters to his wrath, forcing Delaney to shield and protect themselves from physical and verbal abuse.

Delaney suffered anguish, neglect, abuse and loneliness. The loss of a limb, the war in Afghanistan, loss of friends and unbeknownst to her a town of well-meaning busybodies, that sought to protect her...not withstanding the ‘Barbie posse’.

She was Greer’s strongest support and ally assuming the role as protector and cheerleader at her own expense.

[KL Cassanello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delaney's life has bottomed out. Her sister, Greer, talks her best friend, Quinn, into picking up her up and driving her back to Climax, NC. Laney was his high school crush (she was a senior when he was a freshman), and he's still hot for her. Never able to completely move past her, he sets out to make her want to kiss him. Laney has secrets that no one knows about except Greer. They're deep and dark, keeping her from moving on with her life. But it gets worse... Someone wants her out of Climax, and the threats are escalating.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is, of course, the romance. But also a little suspense, and a lot of healing, both physical and spiritual. There are so many wonderful characters in this book. Laney - not sure if I would act any differently than she does in similar circumstances. She's always been the strong one, there to protect and defend Greer, and doesn't know how to ask for help. Quinn - love this man; he's kind and caring, and so patient with Laney, Their banter is lol-funny most of the time, and their chemistry is undeniable, even when Laney tries to deny it. Mama Cates - Quinn's mother - realizes that while their home was a haven for Greer growing up, they never knew Laney, but she welcomes her just the same, into not just her home, but her heart. Marcus - the high school boy who meets Laney one day at the track, they inspire each other to take just one more step. Snot the dog - lesson learned, don't let your friend's kid name your dog. This is my first read from this author - looking forward to more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anaïs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Fifty Shades of Books

5 out of 5 Stars

Delaney Lyons has hit rock bottom. After being victim to an explosion in Afghanistan, her life has been turned upside down and she can’t seem to grasp a meaning to her life anymore. Her sister therefore send Quinlan Cates to rescue her from Washington D.C. and bring her back to her North Carolina hometown.

While Quinn sees the obvious change in Delaney, there is one thing that hasn’t changed a bit. The feelings he has for her – and tried so hard to suppress – are still present, and despite Laney being so moody, they are growing even fonder. But he has no idea what happened to her, and just how hurt she really is…

I don’t know what it was with Bringing Delaney Home , but I discovered this while browsing Amazon, saw the cover and the blurb, and just knew I had to buy pre-order it. I have to admit, it took me a while to actually pick it up when it was released, but I do not regret it at all.

Bringing Delaney Home was definitely something. It was different, and wonderfully refreshing. I enjoyed it so much that I managed to finish it in a go on one Sunday morning. What I enjoyed most was the fact that the story was unexpected: not just the plot, but the people and their reactions. It was also great to see so many side characters come to life in this book, and every single one of them played a distinct role. Being able to have such a variety and unexpectedness in a book without making it confusing is a great gift.

It definitely also tugged on my heartstrings: the story/plot felt so true and so real that it was easy to bond with the characters. Delaney was extremely mean, stubborn and hot-headed, but it was easy for me to relate why she was that way, and even easier to see that this was just a façade.

And Quinn – don’t get me started on Quinn. If you want a perfect book boyfriend, he’s the man. He’s sweet, caring, a tad clumsy but also quite protective in a non-annoying way. I loved him. And his mama. And his brothers. And holy moly, don’t you just love series about brothers? Reminds me a bit of the Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid: delectable, and totally makes you crave the next hit book.

On the “quality of writing”, I do have to admit that there were a couple of odd things that made reading the book a bit uncomfortable. It was written in 3rd person POV (not a bad thing per se) and alternating between Quinn and Laney’s POV (a great thing) – but what was annoying about it was that the point of view would switch from one to another within the same paragraph, and that could be sometimes confusing. What’s more, there would be no visual separator (or sometime not even a proper line break) between two distinct scenes: one phrase they are sitting in a car, and the next they are somewhere else, and the story is told from the other POV – confusing!

But in summary, this book was a great success, which I would definitely recommend!

   



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[Kari Lemor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading new author, Lee Kilraine's first book, Bringing Delaney Home. This book had so many great things going for it. It was extremely well written and nice and long like I prefer. It gave me a chance to get to know the characters and their extended family. Which is great since I understand this is the first in a series. Can't wait for the next one!

The injured, angry military person was the main character but it was the heroine this time which was a nice change of pace. I also loved the fact that the hero came from a loving solid family and wasn't also surrounded by major angst. This allowed him to concentrate on Delaney and helping her get past her injury and the explosion that had caused it. You saw a man who truly cared for her and how he stayed true even when she treated him poorly and tried to drive him away due to her circumstances and feeling bad for herself.

The story had a nice mixture of sweet caring, witty banter and sexy situations. The couple steamed up the pages a few times but the book wasn't inundated with page after page of nothing but sex like so many books. The storyline was simple yet the emotion ran through the entire book. I read this in two days and didn't want to put it down. I'm looking for ward to the next installment of this author's series.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

So this is my first book by this author and it is her first release which I cannot believe because she did a phenomenal job. I loved the story in this book, I loved the characters and the way in which it was written. I found the characters (both main and supporting) to be engaging even the "bad guys" in the story, I actually ended up wondering what we will see Barbara (aka Barbie) finally get a happy ever after (I doubt with one the Cates brother) but maybe as a secondary story within one of the brothers stories. I also hope we get Hawk and Gage's stories and maybe even Greer's. I thought the concept of the whole story was great especially considering usually the person that has come back from serving in the armed forces is usually the man in this story it was Delaney and I loved her snarky character that is hiding a caring person who loves her sister. I loved Quinn and the whole younger man unrequited love from high school aspect of this story and he was sweet and never gave up just chipped away at Delaney's walls. I would suggest if you like a romance that is sweet with a little drama, a snarky heroine and a tiny little bit of suspense (drama really) then this is the book for you.

[Medavis66 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinch me!

Sweet story that takes place in a small location in North Carolina. Officer Cates (Quinn) agrees to help his best friend, Greer, with her older sister. This is a problem for him, as she was his high school crush, but he can't say no. Delaney is in Washington, D.C., and is in trouble. She has been missing doctor appointments and withdrawing further into herself ever since her accident. Getting to know what is going on with Delaney will be no easy feat. She isn't the same girl that left years ago and trouble seems to find her. As before, the gossip mill loves to talk about her as it did earlier in her life. He childhood wasn't an easy one, but she was able to protect Greer from most of that same fate. Discovering what happened to Delaney and helping her out will take the whole town. Ty, Quinn's brother, tells him he has to be all in or walk away. He has always lusted after Delaney, but can he be all she needs? Good story that deals with childhood abuse and neglect, war-time military service and injury, PTSD, and love. The entire Cates family gets in on this recovery.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

[Ani Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful heartfelt read with a fabulous hero. This book is sweet and heartrending at the same time. Delaney's struggles will truly break your heart. She's a great heroine, so brave and so broken at the same time. Quinn is a fantastic hero, sweet and strong, and both of their families (the main supporting characters) are great. I loved Climax, NC and the Coates brothers. Highly recommend.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this heroine, who is down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, and makes no excuses. Loved the hero, too, who has to work hard to help the heroine to a place where she can believe in and accept his love. The community Lee Kilraine created is special, and when the heroine realizes just HOW special, it's lovely. The book contains a lot of subtle, witty humor.

[⚓ Basil ⚓ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow burn. 3.5 stars.

[Kassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww such a sweet story <3 I loved it!

[Laurie Cota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Strong women and smart, understanding, accepting men are the best combination as far as I am concerned. Will get the next in series for certain.

[Carol and Gary Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a lovely book. The author provided great insight into the two lead characters. The plot involving a damaged Army vet was excellent. I enjoyed the " hell" out of this book. One of a series.

[marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.

This was a very predictable book, not particularly well written. I had to force myself to read it to the end.

[Kate Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recovery in a Small Town

I liked the idea of this book because it had the whole small town thing going for it (what can I say I like drama), but also because it had the heroine going through some personal hardship and I love stories where woman overcome the obstacles in their paths.
Delaney is a veteran (I don’t really think this is a spoiler since it’s only a secret to the other characters in the book) and she’s recovering from an explosion. When we first meet her, she’s in a seriously bad place, she has amnesia around the explosion, she’s in pain, and she’s isolated herself completely and stopped going to the doctor. She agrees to go back to her small town only because her sister is worried for her. Honestly, I didn’t mind that wanting to not stress her sister out was her reason for coming home, but I really started to dislike how people, particularly Quinn would just say think about Greer in order to get Delaney to do whatever they wanted. I liked the evolution of Delaney, of her trying to get her head right after a seriously traumatic event. Not only that but also her dealing with the issues of her past and how she grew up.
As for our hero, he was okay. I liked him with her for the most part. He had this idealized version of Delaney from when they were younger and he was in love with her, and more than sometimes I felt he was pushing in a way I didn’t like, particularly when he invaded her space. I do think he was trying his best for her and he obviously wanted her to be happy and healthy, and that made him likable to me.
The overall story was good, there were some little things here and there that didn’t work for me. For instance there is kind of a stalkerish subplot going on, that ended up being completely unnecessary to the story and was wrapped up super quick in a way that almost made it feel like an afterthought. I did love the whole small town in peoples business aspect of it all. I even liked Delaney’s nemesis. Overall, it was a decent quick read for me.

[Yvonne Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a heartbreaking but also heartwarming story about Delaney Lyons, and Quinn Cates.
Quinn was a friend of Delaney’s younger sister since childhood and since then, Quinn has had a crush for her. But Delaney’s and her sister’s life was not idilic .Their mother was weak, and their father was abusive physically and verbally. Delaney’s goal was always was always to protect her sister and avoid the gossip that surrounded them. Or so she thought.
Fast forward to adulthood and eight years after she left town. Delaney, an Army nurse that suffered a horrendous injury, suffers from PTSD , has panic attacks and has hit bottom. That’s when Greer, Delaney’s sister, asks Quinn, now a cop, to get Delaney in DC , and bring her home .
The author reminds us of the physical, emotional and psychological price the men and women who serve our country pay in the name of freedom. A reminder that we need to help them as much as we can when they return. As well as give each and everyone of them our support.
This was a story of misunderstandings, old hurts, painful experiences, as well as losses. But it’s also a story about hope, new beginnings , support and love.
Was everything perfect with the plot? No. I think some of the dialogue got a little choppy and 20+ pages could have been eliminated, but the essence of the story, still makes it a worthwhile story. For that , I give it a 4 star.
I was gifted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book and was not required to give a favorable review. This is a beautiful book of how 2 sisters lean so much on each other. Delaney is the oldest and took the time to make sure her sister never had to take any of the verbal or physical abuse of their father. She dealt with a lot of things by running and won a scholarship to college. She ran for the Army but made the choice to go into a combat zone to nurse soldiers. While they she lost her foot and two friends. She was having problems with remembering what happened. She was in DC get physical therapy and after 9 months just went into hiding which concerned her sister Greer. She sent Quinn to bring Delaney home. He has always had a thing for her, but she didn't know. She had to learn how to deal with people, a doctor who cared for her came through town and that started the memories to come back more. But she was fighting all the way the feelings she had for Quinn. This is a beautiful story when you have support of family, friends and a whole town you can overcome anything. I loved it. I look forward to reading more books from Lee.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading something by Ms. Kilraine and I really enjoyed it. This book not only had romance, but there was the added element of suspense which made this quite the page-turner. Laney is a strong woman, always ready to protect and help those she cares a about. When she needs help, she doesn't know how to ask for it. Back in high school, Quinn had a big crush on Laney. Seeing her again, all those feelings come back and he knows he hasn't gotten over her. When she needs help, he is there for, with patience and kindness. The storyline was such an emotional one that really pulls at your heartstrings. I really couldn't put this book down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town grapevines can run rampant. Delaney is broken in so many ways. In some ways she has been broken since she was a child. When her sister Greer sends her own best friend Quinn to bring her home to try to heal her, the madness ensues. I love the small town feel. I love the dynamic between Greer and Delaney and between Greer and Quinn and between Delaney and Quinn. I love the feel of the story. I love all of the people. I love the storylines. I love that the way Barbara and Delaney deal with each other. I love Quinn's brothers and his mom and his dad and the Simon sisters. The writing is fun and light and deep. I read the second book before this one but it does not matter. They are both great and work no matter the order I read them in. 4.5 Stars!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

when i picked up this book i figured light hearted romance, instead it was so much more. the back story could have been a little more developed, there where a lot of characters and since it's the first in a series i'm guessing we will learn more about many later but it was well written and touched on some real issues, hard ones. I applaud the author on not just skimming over the harder aspects of the book, touching on real issues and hopefully making it so people aren't so quick to judge, deleve deeper and shows just how complex life can be....war vets who's careers end before they are ready, ptsd, loosing limbs, and none of it's pretty but it's becoming more and common thank you for humanizing it

[Britt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad character development, zero chemistry between the main characters, the antagonists are unrealistic, the setting is unrealistic. Like, I'm supposed to believe this is a sleepy small town in North Carolina where overnight police patrol only have to deal with stuff like loose cows and people say "Heck" and "Darn" to start every sentence, but they also have a Macy's? Come on. Still, it tried. There was a bit where the main dude declares that "Princesses these days save themselves" which was nice. But it was still very solidly Not Good, I skimmed the last half of the book, and will definitely not be bothering to read the other half a dozen books in this series.

[Tracy Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.Totally fell in love with Quinn(Quinlan) Cates and Delaney Lyon's story. Quinn is a never give up, hard working cop that is madly in love with his high school crush Laney (Delaney). When tragedy strikes Laney's life and puts Quinn back in her path, things begin to change. Laney is incredibly stubborn, and is suffering with the aftermath of her accident. Shes unaware of what her future holds. Quinn enlists the help of his Mom, and family to help her with her recovery, and moving on with her life. Absolutely LOVED this story!

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small town read was good. Delaney and Greer were sisters and Quinn was Greer’s best friend. Delaney was in a bad place and Greer sent Quinn to get her. Quinn has always loved her. At first Delaney tried to keep away from Quinn because he was her younger sister’s best friend and she had too much baggage. The journey they travel is filled with danger, emotional and spiritual enlightenment as well as their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leyns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice.

I decided to give this book a try based on a review I read, and I'm glad I did. The book flowed well. I enjoyed the witty banter and snarky humour. The hero's devotion was really sweet too. The secondary characters were pretty cool too. Most of the story is told from the heroine and the hero's POV, but there was occasional stuff from other characters POV as well, which was surprising, but I didn't mind it.

[Sara Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 2 in the The Cates Brothers Series is well-written story about a younger man and slightly older lady whose brother is his friend. These characters are well constructed. Is she strong enough to take a second chance and is he willing to be with her and who she is now.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melinda Swaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I have to say I’m completely hooked. I loved every minute of it. I laughed, I smile the whole way through and cannot wait to dive into other titles by this amazing author. I’ve even pre-order the next book and going to buy the first one too. That’s how much I enjoyed reading this book. Happy reading everyone!!

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!! What else is there to say. This was a really HOT story, and you will be missing out if you do not read it. I could not put it down it was that good!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.