Our past. A place of joy for some, a place of pain for others. For most of us it contains a nice mix of both. There are things we would love to change, pieces of it we wouldn’t trade for the world. It can be a nice place to visit but as the saying goes, you wouldn’t want to live there. But every once in while, life just doesn’t give us a choice.

As a fledgling attorney Lauren Matthews had the chance to prosecute the case of a lifetime. That moment catapulted her to the stellar career she has now. But all that changes when the man she prosecuted is discovered to be innocent. As Lauren tries to go on about her life in the present she slowly finds herself beginning to suffer the symptoms of a nervous breakdown. While all others involved assure her that she merely did her job, that any mistakes that occurred were due to the fault of the system, Lauren finds it impossible to move on. She heads to Richmond, VA, home of the wrongly accused Arlen Fieldstone, determined to somehow right this wrong.

Will Farris has been Arlen’s best friend for forever. Now that Arlen is out he has given him a home and a job in his antiques store, hoping that he can somehow help Arlen turn back the clock. That in some way, he can reach his friend and return him to the man he used to be. He is surprised when Lauren Matthews walks through his door. The young attorney was the public face of Arlen’s trial, and an obsession for Will himself. Now she stands before him, ready to apologize for her part in what went wrong. Can Will get Arlen to give her a chance? Is his desire to do so wrapped up in his desire to do good for Arlen? Or is it purely desire for the beautiful, penitent creature that stands before him?

Arlen lost a wife and a life by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He lost himself in prison. He doesn’t know how to come back, but he does know that letting Lauren Matthews apologize is not the way to do it. What is left for him now that all he worked for was obliterated in a trial?

Despite set backs, Lauren decides to stay in Richmond until Arlen will see her. To pass the time, and to ensure his aid in her plans, Lauren goes antique picking with Will, discovering things about herself as she slowly rummages through others’ pasts. And she discovers things about Will, a kind and loyal man who is different from anyone she has been with before. She finds herself slowly drawn into the life of the antique store, drawn into the life that Jim has built for Arlen. Will it be enough for her to prove to Will how sorry she is? Is he her substitute for Arlen – or redemption of a whole other kind?

Central to this story, both the impetus for it and the cog it spins around, is Arlen’s trial and conviction. Lauren alone seems to feel the weight for what went wrong. One thing I appreciated is that the book makes it clear that the whole weight of this is not on her, despite what she thinks. The defense attorney, the judge, the jury, and the district attorney all played roles as well. I appreciated how the story juxtaposed the idea of the system against the perception that Lauren, Arlen, and the public seemed to hold the prosecutor solely responsible. Lauren may have gained from the trial, but she didn’t engineer it, didn’t botch it, and didn’t stoop to illegal action to win. Purely and simply the system failed, and Arlen paid the price for it. That adds a heavy back drop to the story.

Will is the kind of person we all hope to be. He is a self-made man who is moderately successful, close to his family but not living in their pockets, and an attractive and a fabulously loyal friend. When we see him slowly, tentatively reach out for something for himself, we cheer him on. This guy deserves happiness wherever he can find it.

Lauren has done everything right her whole life. She is great at reading people and at picking a jury that will vote her way, but she has no such power when it comes to friends, family, and lovers. The horrible mistake made with Arlen and recent events in her personal life are making her question just what she wants in the future. Slowly, we are shown why Lauren feels such personal responsibility for what happened. If Arlen’s trial sent her life in one direction, she must determine if his acquittal will send it in another.

One of the highlights of the novel is that it does not condemn Eula, the wife who would not stand beside Arlen. It is so easy to understand why a young bride would be confused as to what to do, would wonder just what steps she should take as her husband is accused of a hideous crime. I could relate to Eula. How well can we truly know anyone? How could she be expected to believe in her new husband in the face of all the evidence of his guilt? She tried to make the best decision possible with the evidence she had. As Arlen’s innocence becomes an issue on national television, she finds herself defending her divorce to the very people that encouraged it. This portion of the story is particularly poignant. This is just one way that the book showed the ripple affect of a trial, the many people who were affected by this one event.

This is an interesting story, with two intriguing romances in it. While I found it heartfelt, I have to admit to also finding it a bit lethargic. Everything was introspective and contemplative, and the lazy feeling of a hot Virginia summer just jumped off the page. I recommend it – but with the reservation that you have to be in the mood for a slower, more thoughtful read. I think romance fans will enjoy the story though. For all the angst of the premise this is very much a tale of love lost and found.