Good book. The matchmaking mamas are at it again. Their friend Connie wants their help finding someone for her daughter. Ellie's husband had been killed two years earlier and she feels that Ellie is just going through the motions of living. Maizie and company come up with the who, and fate drops the how into their laps. I loved Maizie's conversation with the station manager. What she doesn't know is that there is already a connection between Ellie and Colin. When Ellie arrives to interview Colin, she recognizes him as the officer who had been first on the scene at the robbery. She still feels guilty that she had never thanked him for all he did, but during the interview isn't the time to do it. She doesn't expect the first spark of feeling she's had since her husband's death to happen when talking to Colin.

Colin is a great guy. He used to be quite a ladies man, then his brother and sister-in-law were killed in an accident, making him the guardian of his ten year old niece, Heather. He never hesitated, but changed his entire life in order to be what she needed. He's also pretty humble, and isn't all that thrilled to be the center of attention in Ellie's story. He is intrigued by her, plus there is something about her that keeps picking at his brain. I loved the way that he indulged Heather by setting up a chance for her to meet Ellie. It turned out way differently than he expected, especially when he was called into work and Ellie offered to stay with Heather.

This was the beginning of a pretty sweet relationship. There were a few bumps at the beginning as Ellie keeps putting off telling Colin about their connection, until such time as Colin figured it out himself. He didn't take it all that well, as he still feels guilty for not being able to save her husband, and thinks she hid the connection until she could get even with him. I ached for Colin and how he is still haunted by that night. Ellie is suffering from some guilt of her own. First, that she blames herself for what happened to him, something that she has been suppressing for way too long. I loved Colin's tenderness and kindness when she finally fell apart. She's also feeling some guilt over the feelings that are growing for Colin. I really enjoyed the slow and steady growth of their feelings for each other. There were some marvelous scenes that showed just how right they were for each other. I loved Ellie's arrival with the puppy for Heather, and how Colin used that as a way to keep Ellie in their lives. Ellie's nurturing heart was shown in the way she loved to cook for them. The Thanksgiving scene was great, especially her horror that they were going to go to a restaurant to eat. As they grew closer, Ellie's biggest fear was that she would lose Colin the way she lost her husband. I ached for her at the end, when she had to face her fears, and loved the strength of will she showed. The ending was a heartfelt expression of emotions on both their parts and I loved the honesty between them.

I also adored young Heather. Her love for her Uncle Colin was obvious, as was her appreciation of all that he had changed for her. He is equally smitten with her, and I loved his struggles with finding the balance between being the fun uncle and the responsible dad. I enjoyed her quick connection with Ellie and how much fun the two had together. She was also pretty realistic, with her occasional sadness over the loss of her parents, mixed with the natural resilience of being a kid. The scenes with her and the puppy were fantastic, and I could see how perfect they were together. I loved the story the author told at the beginning of how Pancakes came to be part of the story. ( )