Yay libraries!

It has been a MINUTE since I read book 3, and yet, I was right back in this place with these people. Impressive.

Now that I've finished it, I wish it could have been more concise. Overall, very good, and as always I loved the snarky humor. But it drug out some aspects, repeated some things, and felt over-wrought during mundane things. Good, not the best in the series. ( )

Granby, the setting for this amazing series, is a wonderful place. I have longed to get back to reading what looks to be the final instalment (for now) for a while, and yet I have dreaded it at the same time. The ending of the last book, while great for Stanley and Johnny, left me emotionally drained. With Jeremy sacrificing himself to protect his friends, and thinking he deserved being beaten half to death, I knew his story was going to be harrowing – and after reading this book, I have to say I was right. I still loved the novel to pieces, but this happy ending was one of the most hard-won I have ever come across. Bravo, Amy, for making me suffer and work for it this hard. There are very few writers I trust to take me the places you do and know I will survive at the end of it – barely!

Jeremy has been around Granby for a while. His and Aiden’s story began in ‘How to Raise an Honest Rabbit’, and they were secondary characters in the previous book. After how he sacrificed himself to save Stanley at the end, I needed this to be another part of his story. He paid an awful price for saving Stanley, was almost beaten to death, and his body took months to heal – and those were just the physical wounds. His emotional scars are much worse. Jeremy is one of those few people who truly change their lives. He went from being dishonest and a con man (since that was how he was raised) to being brutally honest. Not an easy transition, especially because Jeremy is his own worst enemy. He has turned his life around, but still doesn’t think he deserves another chance, never mind Aiden’s love. Jeremy is so ready to be punished for his sins, he would accept anything being done to him if he could only be forgiven. It is a long, hard road for him to accept that he deserves a happy ever after, and I was with him (sometimes crying) the whole way.

Aiden was determined to make Jeremy see how much he loved him and that they belong together when they first met, and in this story, Aiden’s resolve grows stronger. Yeah, I didn’t think it was possible, but Amy Lane proved me wrong. Aiden knows what he wants, he understands how Jeremy’s mind works, and he pulls out all the stops to make sure Jeremy doesn’t run - or if he does, Aiden is going after him. It isn’t easy financially, emotions run high, and there is more than one crisis. But in the end, all that counts as far as Aiden is concerned is that they belong together, no matter what.

The healing power of wool and knitting has been weaving through all the stories in this series, but its strongest show is in what looks to be the final volume. With all the characters now connected as a family in and around Granby and the yarn store, the picture that emerges is beautiful. Yes, there was pain and heartache along the way, and I am sure there will be more in these characters’ lives, but now that they are together, and have made peace with their pasts, they are much better equipped to deal with anything fate throws at them. A beautiful endpoint for an amazing series. Thank you, Amy, for writing these books. I know I was late reading this last one, and I know trying to “avoid” the end by not acknowledging it is stupid, but these stories are so beautiful, I really, really did not want them to end.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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