carolesrandomlife

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I liked this romance quite a bit. I decided to read this book because I was in the mood for a romance even though I was in the middle of two mysteries. I really didn't know a lot about the book but it ended up being one of those books that I didn't want to put down. It is the third book in the Champion Valley series but I read it as a stand alone without any difficulty. I am really glad that I stumbled upon this sweet romantic story.

I loved the characters in this story. Audrey and Cameron were both wonderful on their own and even better together. They both have had some things to deal with in their past which really still affects the way that they approach relationships. I thought that the chemistry between was very well done. Piper was such a fun kid and incredibly resilient. I thought that the Bee Hive gang were all great characters that added just a touch of humor at just the right times.

The story starts with Audrey bringing Piper to her new guardian. Audrey's best friend and Piper's mother recently died and Piper's uncle is to be her new guardian. Cameron was not close to his sister and the idea of becoming the guardian of a 6 year old girl is more than frightening for him. Audrey is fiercely protective of Piper and plans to stick around until everyone is comfortable with the situation. 

I really enjoyed watching this trio figure things out. Cameron didn't know his niece until everything happened but he seemed to be a natural with her right from the start. Audrey has a hard time letting others take control but she is willing to try things Cameron's way at times. Cameron and Audrey had a ton of chemistry from the start but they are both very focused on putting Piper's needs first.

My biggest issue with the story was the whole guardianship issue. In this story, Piper's mother knows she is dying and has time to make plans. It didn't make sense that she would leave her daughter with a brother she really didn't know over a best friend that has been there with her every step of the way. I also had a few moments in the story where I wanted to tell the adults to stop talking about certain issues in front of the child. Young kids are sponges and will pick up every little thing you say whether you want them to or not. I had no problem putting those issues aside and just rolling with the story so it really is a very minor issue.

I would recommend this book to others. This was a really sweet romantic story with very limited heat. There are some adorable moments in the story, some great chemistry, and a few laughs. This was my first experience reading any of Erin Kern's work and I do hope to read more in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing).

Initial Thoughts
I liked this one. Cameron and Audrey were great together and Piper was adorable. This was a really sweet romance with characters that have had a lot to overcome.