Come Home Again: The Donovans Book 1, Nana Malone

Delilah and the man that was hers to save.  Except fate and family both have a funny way of separating and bringing people together.  Nate was sure that he cut ties with the people that mattered most to him seven years ago, except he just walked into a conference room where his biggest regret is staring at him with a mixture of shock, confusion, fury, and desire.  Neither of them are sure what to do with all the feelings their unexpected encounter is bringing out but the one thing they can't seem to do is keep their lips off of one another.

Nate is a reformed hacker, a good man with a past.  He's got a lot of baggage he's erased from everywhere but the hearts and minds of the people that matter.  The Donovans took him in when he was at his lowest and gave him the home he had always craved but never thought he deserved.  His brother Trent is bad news and his appearances always spell disaster.  While he thought he lost him years ago it's clear that the necessary media coverage of his new job description has brought him out of the shadows and back into his life.  He's got to rely on the fixer but he obstinately refuses out of pride, fear, and stubbornness.

Delilah is the fixer hired by his friend's company to cover for the CEO's absence.  She once fancied herself in love with Nate but his disappearance quashed both any notion she had of his affection and her young heart.  She's no longer the naive young girl out to save everyone, she's a savvy woman who is extremely good at her job keeping the right kind of press involved in her client's life.  When the Nate/Manning assignment is given to her she knows she's faced with a choice.  Her career or her heart.  She can't bear to lose either and she knows one, or more likely both, will be the fallout if she helps Nate.

But neither of them can break away from one another.  They don't actually want to.  As they navigate the media, vindictive clients and board members, reconciliations, demons from the past, and seriously sexy bedroom/garage/storage closet romps, their connection deepens, strengthens, and they're well on their way to their own version of a happily ever after.  Except the past can never stay buried for long and Nate's poor communication and secrets are spelling disaster for everything tender and lasting they're building.

I really enjoyed this story.  Delilah was feisty, strong, capable, intelligent, fierce, motivated, and the hints of vulnerability and fear made her human and likable.  She was multi-faceted and believable.  She was more than a good match for Nate.  I do wish that some of her direct, blunt, eager manner from childhood stayed with her but I didn't dislike the way pain, abandonment, and her pluck turned her into the woman she became.

As for Nate, he kind of stalled from the scared teenager that ran but I didn't dislike him at all.  He was so lovable, so kind, generous, and vulnerable.  Not to mention sexy, intelligent, capable, and his own man.  When he finally stood up to the aggressors with more than his fists I wanted to cheer for him.  Being cowed by his fear became a thing of the past.  And the confession to Delilah during their own reconciliation was sweet.  They make a really great pair and I'm really going to enjoy seeing them again on the periphery of the rest of the Donovan's stories.

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*Did you like the little glimpse you got of the sassy Mia?

Read her story in Love Reality...

A romantic who believes in love...

Walking love disaster, Mia Donovan, is a reality television production assistant by day, secret dating blogger, Lonely Girl, by night. All she has to do to get the job of a lifetime is face her fears and step in front of the camera. Unfortunately that also means dating her nemesis, Single Guy, for the entire world to see.

A cynic giving love advice...

Reluctant, dating columnists, Ryan Matthews, otherwise known as Single Guy, thinks reality-dating shows are soul-sucking endeavors that have more to do with selling unrealistic expectations than love.  But for a shot at writing serious stories, he's willing to go undercover on Love Reality to do an exposé on the dating competition.  What he doesn't count on is falling in love.