For what is supposed to be a "clean romance" line, it was a bit of a surprise to find that Samantha was pregnant when she was sent away by her brothers. There was a slight hint of that earlier in the novel but it wasn't something I expected to be revealed.

Samantha seems to be shutting herself off to avoid the pain of loss. Her mother walked out on the family when Samantha was a baby. It seems that Samantha felt no one really loved her for herself when young. Her father died. Her older sister had some vague problems that aren't discussed in this book. Her three brothers and Remington's grandfather, Gus, made the decision to send the pregnant Samantha away to her Aunt Mavis Remington was sent back to his parents in a big city not knowing about the pregnancy. Aunt Mavis appears to have been more of a condemnation sort than a forgiving sort which probably means Samantha didn't feel much love from her. Samantha's daughter was taken from her shortly after birth and adopted. Quite a bit of loss leading up to her teen years. I don't find it hard to believe that she has trouble letting people in--which surprises me that she became a nurse and feels so deeply for the children--she seems to let the children in to her heart but distrusts the adults.

At one point Samantha comments that Remington sees the possibilities (the positives/optimism) where she tends to see the what ifs (the negatives/cynicism or pessimism).

I like that Remington doesn't give up on her--though sometimes it does seem like he's forcing his way in (even though he keeps saying he's not trying to do that). ( )

Samantha Martin and Remington Jenkins have a history together. A summer romance as teenagers that was serious enough for her brothers to send Remington packing and Sam off to her aunts. Now she’s all grown up and working as a Nurse back in Martin’s Crossing and fixing up a place of her own, she thinks life is pretty good. That is until Remington walks back into her life. He now runs the ranch with his grandfather and is also a part-time preacher at their local church. Rem loved Samantha and wanted to marry her until her brothers sent her away. Now he has a second chance with her and nothing is going to stop him, especially not her overprotective brothers. Sam still feels a connection with Rem but is afraid to open her heart again and what will happen when she shares the secret she’s kept from him all these years?

This was a good addition to the Martin’s Crossing series. I enjoyed seeing all the familiar folks and catching up with how they’re doing. I liked Samantha but I didn’t really connect with her as a character. You could understand why she felt the way she did but I kinda felt like she blamed Remington for something that wasn’t really his fault. Remington was a sweetheart of a guy. Someone you could easily lose your heart to. The connection between Remington and Sam was definitely there but I just felt something was lacking. I appreciated Rem’s strong faith and the difference it made in those around him. It seemed like there was still tension between him and Sam’s brothers which I didn’t really understand. Overall this was a good story of putting your past where it belongs; in the past. It’s part of what shapes who you are but it doesn’t define your future. That’s a great thing to remember. You could read this as a stand alone although it does have family from previous books, but I don’t think you’d feel lost. I’m now looking forward to Kayla’s story.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Some favorite parts:

“I know who I am, Rem. I’m broken. I’m flawed. I couldn’t stand next to you and pretend I’m anything more than a person who has made mistakes. “We’re all broken and flawed, Sam. That’s the beautify of it. We don’t have to be perfect.”

“Church is hard, isn’t it?” Grace said in sympathy. “It’s the place where we should be loved, forgiven, nurtured. It’s a place of mercy. But sometimes it isn’t. We just have to remember that people are human and they bring all of their human frailties with them to church.”

“I’d like to not live in the past,” he ventured with some caution. “The past is always with us. It shapes us.” “Yes, it shapes us. It’s doesn’t have to hold us prisoner.” ( )