Loving Irish (The Summerhaven Trio #3)
Katy Regnery
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Expected June 11, 2018

Ian Haven and Halcyon Gilbert haven't seen each other since Hallie's 17th birthday...

...the same day Hallie pledged she would never, ever speak to Ian again as long as she lived.

Hallie Gilbert has had an especially awful year. When her husband of five years left town with his receptionist, Hallie’s 4-year-old daughter, Jenny, essentially stopped speaking. Add to this, Chef Hallie’s cable television show was canceled, and she had to sell her parent's Boston house to pay her husband’s exorbitant credit card bills. What Hallie needs is an uncomplicated autumn at Colby Cottage, her family’s summer home in Sandwich, NH, where she and Jenny can re-group and figure out what happens next.

But Colby Cottage, located adjacent to the Summerhaven Camp has been used (and abused) without permission as a lover’s nest and midnight party spot by campers. It's in such disrepair, it's almost unlivable. When camp owner, Rory Haven, arranges for his brother—local handyman, Ian Haven—to handle improvements for Hallie, her plans for an uncomplicated autumn suddenly get a lot more challenging.

This is Ian Haven's story. He is the triplet that has struggled the most. Ten years ago something happened that cost him his first love and sent him on a spiral of self loathing and self destruction. He has been in recovery for over six months and with the help of his siblings, work, structure, and AA is getting his life back on track. But he is still broken, damaged, lonely, and lives with regret and pain over what happened. 

Halcyon "Hallie" Gilbert got her heart broken by Ian at seventeen years old and never spoke to him again. She ended up married and had a child, but is now going through a divorce. She is untrusting and seems to be betrayed by men. And now due to circumstances, she is forced to move to a small family cabin near Ian's family's camp where they fell in love as teens. Unfortunately, the cabin needs work. She is angry, stubborn, independent, fearful, and still hurt. And she does not want anything to do with Ian, but he might be her only option for help. And Ian strongly feels he needs to make amends to her at the bare minimum, but in his wildest dreams he hopes to win her back. But it will not be easy. 

This is a story about truth, trust, fate, love, and second chances. They both need to forgive themselves and each other to move on. Sometimes situations are not exactly what they seem and reactions can cause long standing consequences. They both have a lot of healing to do, but part of that involves letting go of the past while also figuring out who they are in the present. I felt so bad for Ian and how much he hurt and struggled. He really had such a big, loving heart and was just as devastated as she was, but he blamed himself. Hallie was a bit frustrating, but I could also understand why she needed to be guarded. I felt like they really did deserve to find some true happiness and real support. But they definitely had some baggage to deal with. 

This brings back his siblings, Rory and Tierney and their significant others. Rory's fiancee, Britt is also Hallie's best friend, so their lives are pretty intertwined.  It also brings in the girls' other friend, Tate, and the triplets' cousin, Finian. Hallie's daughter Jenny was totally adorable.  I really like this group of characters and the whole setting for this series, so I am glad the author is going to give us another novella, featuring Finian. 

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Hallie and Ian met as kids at camp. Hallie was a camper, while Ian worked at his family’s camp. It was first love, young love, until a mistake was made that caused Hallie to leave camp vowing never to see Ian again, and Ian to turn to a bottle to hide from his pain and regret.

Ten years later, Ian is in recovery, working his steps and active in several local AA groups. He is working to make amends to everyone he hurt with his addiction. While Ian is getting his life back in order, Hallie’s has spun out of order more recently. She returns to her family’s nearby cabin as a last resort after a divorce that left her with a 4 year old daughter who refuses to speak and little resources of her own.

I loved these two from the beginning. Hallie has so much going on and is protective of her heart, not only because of the history between them but also the hurt she is dealing with due to her failed marriage. Ian just wants to make up for the hurt he caused so many years ago and wants to help any way he can. There is still a spark between them, but that pain is still raw despite the passage of time.

Hallie’s daughter added a sweet aspect to the story. I loved watching Ian bond with her and the way she opened up again so quickly when she met him.

I loved the flashback scenes and they way they unfold throughout the present day sequences. My heart broke right along with Hallie’s as the scenes progressed, but by the end, the story had put my heart back together again along with Ian and Hallie’s.

Returning to Summerhaven also means running into Rory and Brittney, and Tierney and Burr. I love the way this family rallies around each other, but also how the friendships forged during summer camp have remained despite the times and circumstances changing.

Katy is so good at writing these sweet, easy reading romances. Ian and Hallie’s second chance is a magical summer read with all the ups and downs one would expect from a first love reconnecting after 10 years and lots of hard living in between.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Fighting Irish (The Summerhaven Trio #1)
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