We expected high passion given the title of the book. We
wanted a romance really large and big. Alas! Our expectations were far from met.
Emily Barnes returns to her old town and school as an
English teacher after having moved away two decades back. Amongst the things
Emily had left behind was her best friend, Sarah. Maybe a little more than just
a best friend, but they were really young at that time. Plus, Emily had ghosted
Sarah after the move. She is both anticipatory and nervous about reconnecting
with her old bestie. She finds she doesn’t have to wait too long because Sarah is
also a teacher in the same school. Emily reaches out and is summarily shut out
by Sarah. The book is about the slow building back towards each other.
We always have a soft corner for characters who go out on a
limb for love. Emily does that. What follows is that we have little patience or
liking for characters who block love or just make the path difficult. Sarah
does that. The author has tried to justify Sarah’s behaviour ascribing it to
past hurt, but Sarah’s righteous anger dragged on too long. Also, their
decision to take it slow and then both being fairly passive and allowing things
to happen, if they will, between them – c’mon that is so not whatever it takes.
However, though this is not the best, it is also not the
worst of second chance romances. And who doesn’t like second chances, eh?
⭐⭐☆
