Shayne's Hope: Timberwood Cove Book 12, Liam Kingsley

Shayne gets a raw deal and to find himself with no better choice than to give his precious daughter a chance at a life he knows he can't provide at 17 makes me ache.  His broken heart is beautifully written and I hurt for him and hoped so hard for his future happiness.  (And introducing Hogan as his best friend and ginger brother was a great move because it puts us in an excellent position for Hogan's story next.)  I didn't have any major problems with anything Shayne said or did because all of his actions and hesitations were pretty logical and even though I don't like perpetuating secrets, his concerns were incredibly valid, especially after Vince expressed his insecurity regarding Charlotte's birth family.

So then we get to Vince.  He started out really great and I was so interested in him.  The biggest issue I had with him was his reaction to Shayne's secret.  Knowing he had his own whopper of one that he literally surprised Shayne with with so very little preparation and explanation and then to react as he did in such a brutal fashion was pretty reprehensible.  And then there was so little groveling.  Shayne was so eager to forgive because of his love that the apology was simple and direct but lacked depth and I wasn't exactly impressed by that scene at all.  He did have a ton of heart and was a fantastic father so there was a lot to make up for what bothered me so overall he wasn't so bad.

There was so much unsaid, even when both Charlotte and Vince expressed the desire to know Shayne's story.  I know that we got it because we started with it, but Shayne's intuition, his impression that the unknown-Vince was the man Charlotte needed to go to, his yearning to stay despite Vince's edict for him to leave...there was a lot that I wanted to see from Vince's perspective as Shayne shared his past and all that brought him to Timberwood Cove.  And Dan's not telling Vince Shayne's feeling and intention after their first enlightening scene in the diner when Shayne realized the truth was also a missed opportunity.  I think I wanted Vince to feel a bit more of a knife twist so the big gesture, the groveling, the huge apology could have come more convincingly from Vince rather than a moment of fate that forced Shayne's return.

I truly love this author's writing.  From their first book to now, every book I've read that they published (omitting the co-written ones) has been really good.  I felt for the characters right at the start and rooted for their happiness until the last word on the page.  Shayne's Hope is no different and despite my frustration with Vince and a bit of explanation that doesn't get page space everything else has me sold on Timberwood Cove as a place and a series.

*$4.99 on Amazon

Vince
I’ve been hurt before, but Shayne makes me want to try again …
I haven’t been lucky in romance, and for the past twelve years my daughter Charlotte has been my number one priority. But my senses go crazy every time I’m around Shayne and my inner wolf is convinced he’s my fated mate. He fits right into my family, but he doesn’t know a thing about shifters and I don’t want to scare him away before I find a way to convince him to stay in town. It all seems too good to be true - but maybe this time, love will last.

Shayne
He adopted my daughter and now he’s stealing my heart …
Giving my kid up for adoption twelve years ago was the hardest thing I ever did. I never expected to see her again, and I definitely didn’t think I’d fall for her hot firefighter father. I’m not supposed to stay in Timberwood Cove for long, but when Vince asks for my help, I can’t resist. It doesn’t hurt that his kisses are hotter than the fires he puts out! But he doesn’t know who I really am, and if he finds out, I’m afraid it will ruin everything.