Maybe there are healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms and maybe Marlow didn’t choose the best. But one of the things that we love about this series is how real these characters are.
Emotions are messy.
They don’t fit in a neat box we can put a lid on.
Relationships are messy too.
And this one consumed us.
Patrick was so dang charming. And one of our favorite kinds of stories is when the characters find love when they aren’t looking for it. Especially the hero.
Watching him with Blake, the way he navigated the land mine field that Marlow is, and his excitement for Gummy made us fall hard for him. We’re so happy he’s part of the Dixon family. That he found somewhere he belongs.
And don’t you just want to sit on the floor with him?
We realize Patrick and Marlow’s communication style is a little unconventional. It’s rapid fire, whiplash, and so very them. Those conversations just flowed onto the page. These two were so clear on what they wanted to say from beginning to end in a way none of our other characters ever have been.
Even Blake has his own way of talking. He takes his time and says what he wants when he’s ready. We love that Marlow let him. She never tries to push him to develop faster. None of this family does.
While they all want the best for each other, they let one another work things out at their own pace.
Like all of us, each book has its own unique journey. And this one . . . the only way we know how to describe it is special. We’re so privileged to have lived in this world with them.
And we still want an invite to Sunday dinner at Dino’s. Our guess is there will be some fireworks from time to time.
Acknowledgments
We’ll just go ahead and throw this out there.
It’s impossible to properly thank everyone who makes this journey possible. We try, but there truly aren’t words to describe how grateful we are.
We thank our families in the form of cereal for dinner, conserving water (how can we possibly shower when there are words to write?!), and asking their opinion a million times about the same thing. They’re probably somewhere very annoyed right now (or telling anyone who will listen about our books), but they love us unconditionally. And we love them.
The book community is a refuge in this crazy world. We’re so grateful for all the wonderful people who make it up and that we’re fortunate enough to be part of it.
Alessandra Torre, you always make time for us, no matter how busy you are and we will never forget that. Thank you for being there for us from way before the beginning.
Tia Louise, we have more respect for you than you’ll ever know. Thank you for being a shining example for the romance world.
P. Dangelico, you’ve always been so honest and supportive. We can’t thank you enough for that.
Claudia Burgoa, our friendship is no coincidence. It was fated. Thank you for always being there.
Catherine Cowles, we stared at the cursor for a long time in an attempt to come up with just how to say what you mean to us. You cheerlead. You listen to every complaint. You celebrate our joys. And we hope that we’re at least half the friend to you that you are to us.
Emma Renshaw, you inspire us every day. No matter what life throws at you, you never let it get in the way. We are so so lucky to have you as a friend.
Marion Archer, you make editing fun . . . for the most part! If we could only figure out a way for you to live closer. We could meet you half way? Thank you so much for seeing what we don’t and just getting us.
Karen Lawson and Janet Hitchcock, you are some of the kindest women we’ve ever known. It’s a true honor to work with you. Our respect for you goes beyond the books and some day soon, we’re coming to give you giant hugs.
Jenn Watson, thank you so much for your insight and wisdom. You always have the answers we need and the perfect plan.
The Social Butterfly team, thank you for your attention to detail and helping us get our books out into the world.
Catherine Anderson, your enthusiasm for Patrick and Marlow’s story is legendary. It’s encouraged us and we loved every gentle (and not so gentle!) nudge to hurry up and finish.
SueBee, you have been one of our biggest supporters from before we were even sure we’d publish a book. Thank you for your friendship and love.
The fabulous ladies of Grahame Claire Reader Hangout . . . how the heck did we get so lucky to know you? Thank you for the endless answers to our crazy questions. We promise there will be more in the future!
Lyd Boyle and JH Croix, thank you so much for your help with the research for this book. You saved us from making a big boo-boo.
Jessica, Christy, Diane, L. Duarte, Sonia, and Sabrina . . . your never-ending support means everything. Thank you for always being there.
And to you, the most incredible readers in the world . . . you bring us more joy than we ever knew was possible. You appreciate our words and say the kindest things. We don’t know what we did to deserve you, but we’re never letting you go!
Also by Grahame Claire
PATHS TO LOVE SERIES
It’s Not Over
Three Dates
Righting Our Wrongs
Heartbreaker
Dangerous Redemption
Thick As Thieves
FREE SERIES
Free Me
Trust Me
Defend Me
WRITTEN WITH CLAUDIA BURGOA
Holiday With You
About the Author
Grahame Claire is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.
A writer. A blogger. United by our love of stories and all things romance. There was definitely some insta-love. Hello? Books involved. A little courting. A lot of writing. The result . . . Grahame Claire.
Soulmates. Unashamed of our multiple book boyfriends. Especially the ones that rooted in our heads and wouldn’t leave
