Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania (population three thousand outside of tourist season). 

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed date, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has rescued: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works. For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. There’s an immediate connection, and it’s more electric than the bond of two people who endured a traumatic event. It’s something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something she is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine...before the spark fades?

Catherine Wright has lived a not-so-charmed life in her twenty four years. A scandal when she was a teenager ruined her reputation and not long after she became a single mother with no support system. But she is a strong, determined woman and with a little help she has managed to survive and somewhat thrive as a single mom working at a diner. She tries to avoid complications, attention, and guards her privacy. She has lost the confidence she had as a youth, and is stuck in a rut.

One night changes everything. She acts as a good samaritan and saves a man's life. She tries to avoid any media attention over the incident. But saving a famous hockey players makes for good press. The mystery and speculation is nerve wracking and people won't rest til the savior is outed. And that brings her right into the path of hockey star Brett Madden and in the spotlight that she just wants to avoid.

Brett is appreciative, concerned, and caring. But he is also suffering pain, loss, and fear of losing his career. But he knows he is lucky and got a second chance to live. He is drawn to Cath and wants to help her, but she is stubborn and resistant. But there is an underlying chemistry there that both are scared to admit.

This is a slow build of two people tied together by tragedy but then forging a friendship and developing feelings. It is the handsome, charming, talented, famous, wealthy "Prince" and the poor, struggling, small town, young mom. The girl who just wants to avoid attention finds herself in the center of a media frenzy, while he was born famous and grew up to gain his own public attention. She is guarded, untrusting, scared, and trying to be smart and not make more poor choices. He is a man with good intentions just fighting for a chance.

But this all shakes up her life in ways she never expected...some good and some bad. It disrupts her normal, controlled life. It pushes her out of her comfort zone. It forces her to face her past. It brings some closure and understanding. Brett is a man who is now struggling, but also wants to make her life better and feels drawn to her. It makes them both realize that life it too short not to go after what they want. But their lives have some challenges. Their futures are uncertain. She can continue to resist. Or she can take what she can get as long as it lasts, but it runs the risk of more heartbreak.

The characters were really likable. I adored Brett, and even though Cath could be bit strong-willed, she had her reasons for her current decisions. Her past was not easy and it really damaged her, so it was understandable. But she also showed growth and acceptance. The side characters really added depth to the story. Her daughter, Brenna was darling. Her friends Keith, Lou, Leroy, and Misty made the town feel real. Her family had some dynamics that added to the drama, and his family was interesting.

This was sweet, flirty, and funny. It was a really slow build, and it was a longer book and with all the details it sometimes it felt slow paced. But it did really show Catherine's struggles and life in depth' and it made sense due to her issues. It was not a steamy or sexy book, but it had some swoon and a couple of surprises. It had some good messages about being brave, taking risks, and living a full life. And also about judgment, tolerance, acceptance, and generosity. It was really Catherine's life journey as she was a woman used to being let down, and then she gets an unexpected chance for love and a life change. But only if she is strong enough and brave enough to take it. Will she get the fairytale or will it fade?

Catherine had a moment of notoriety in high school and still lives with the scars. She strives to keep her head down, raise her daughter, and work hard. On her way home from yet another lackluster attempt at dating, Catherine finds herself acting the good samaritan, saving a man’s life. She doesn’t know who the man is at the time, and she couldn’t predict the ways her actions will change her life.

Brett Madden, a famous hockey star, was lucky to survive the accident. He struggles with the recovery process and just wants to thank the woman who saved him, if he can track her down. She doesn’t want to be found, but he needs to meet her to continue on his road to health.

I loved Catherine’s whole take on learning Brett’s identity. She was so scarred from her previous media attention that she doesn’t want anything to do with the reporters, cameras, and attention that will swarm if her identity is revealed. As readers learn more about her past experience in the media spotlight, her reticence and standing in the community make more sense.

Brett is an interesting mix of confident, caring athlete and wounded, scared victim. He is used to being in control and getting what he wants. He is also one of those guys who is a genuine caretaker. He struggled with the changes and uncertainty he faced due to the accident and I loved watching him find comfort with Catherine and her daughter.

There were times this story felt a little on the long side. But once the two characters had their fateful meeting and Brett’s recovery began, I was hooked on the story. Even once they met, things didn’t move quickly between them. Catherine is much too set in her individual ways to fall for a man, even one with as many resources as Brett. I loved watching as they learned to lean on one another and even turn to the other in crisis situations.

I both loved and loathed certain of the side characters. Each person in Catherine’s life has their own agendas for the way they interact with her, and I couldn’t help but be surprised by some of the things we learn about the surrounding situations and characters. As the story continues to unfold and past scenes paint a better picture of what happened and why, I found myself fully engrossed in Catherine and Brett’s present.

This was a long, slow burn of a book. It pulled me in and kept me chasing after those missing pieces I knew had to be just out of reach. It felt a bit lighter than some of the author’s other works, but part of that was the additional of Brenna to many of the scenes. This was a great piece about moving beyond the past, facing challenges, and learning to trust.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

K.A. Tucker is the author of He Will Be My Ruin and the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series. She currently resides outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and a Chug.