A Safe Place by Margaret Watson
The Devereux Family #1

Frankie Devereux has set up a safe place for at-risk youth to go after school. This place is in a bad part of town and much needed in the community. She has some donors to assist a bit with finances but provides most of the funds to keep the place going by working in a bakery – she is often tired and stressed and seems to be burning her candle at both ends. When Frankie finds out that super-jock Cal Stewart has been assigned to work with her in the youth program as his community service punishment instead of going to jail she is less than thrilled. She doesn’t need a selfish guy hanging out bringing newshounds around to stir up trouble. Cal has a bum knee that he is sure will get better in time for another year of playing football. He is rather self absorbed and selfish until he spends a bit of time working with the youth at Frankie’s center and then he becomes a much more well rounded person or perhaps lets others see his true self. Of course there will be a romance and it is a good one BUT this story also provides side stories of youth in the program and what they are facing, big life decisions for Cal and Frankie to make and also a scuzzy guy who really needs to be taken down before he hurts others. Within the first few pages of this book I was hooked and could not put it down till the story ended. I am eager to read more in this series and wonder who will have his story told next.

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )