This is the last in the author’s Mirabelle Island series. I enjoyed it overall, despite featuring one of my least favorite plot devices: A romance between a career woman who doesn’t want children and a single father. While not without flaws, this story of two troubled adults and two decidedly troubled children held my interest throughout.

Adam Harding hasn’t recovered from his wife’s death three years earlier and avoids contact with family and friends. He and his young children move from location to location for his company, a construction business that deals with tornado aftermaths. He is currently cleaning up damage on the fictional island of Mirabelle, off the coast of Wisconsin. Adam works non-stop. He’s distanced from his children and his emotions and both he and his children are suffering.

Marin Camden is on Mirabelle to recover from the twin blows of an unfaithful fiancé and a corrupt work place. Marin’s mother and her U.S. Senator father have recently separated and her mother came with Marin to Mirabelle. Marin’s sister and family live on the island, giving the three a chance to reconnect.

There’s a strong sexual attraction between Adam and Marin when they meet, but they don’t like each other. Marin wants nothing to do with any men, especially men with children. Adam thinks Marin is whining about her problems when the people in Mirabelle are dealing with true devastation.

When Adam’s nanny has to leave, Marin’s mother – at loose ends on the island – volunteers to care for the children until a replacement is found. Of course, this leads to numerous interactions between Marin and Adam. This wasn’t an immediate love affair; there’s a lot of push and pull. While realistic given their experiences and personalities, I found it tiring late in the book.

The author added many touches that flesh out Adam and Marin. We see Adam work and deal with clients and his employees. We see Marin struggle with her future, and begin to take up painting after years away. One of the more fun things for me was when Marin’s sister handed her a romance novel and suggested that she read it. Marin was scornful at first but was quickly sucked in, and subsequently spent a lot of her time on the island reading romances.

While Marin’s conversion from Wall Street businesswoman to artist came about a bit quickly, I found it believable. However, I would have liked more explanation as to why she became a workaholic and gave up painting in the first place. I warmed to Adam more quickly than Marin. Initially I thought that Marin was prickly and at times unlikeable. As she grew and developed I liked her more.

I liked the subplot featuring Marin’s mother and father and appreciated how they changed and compromised. But even more, I found the story of Adam’s children touched me as they tried to deal with their own grief in the face of a distant father.

The book takes place over four months, and Marin’s change with regards to children occurred slowly. She also never seemed to warm to her own nephews, and didn’t care for children en mass. It was Adam’s specific children that she loved.

The author has written some of my favorite category romances of the last few years. While this wasn’t one of my favorites, I enjoyed it, and will definitely pick up her next book.