#oppositesattract #firefighter #equinevet #unrequitedcrush
A perfectionistic equine vet. A gorgeous fireman. An unrequited high school crush blazes hot twelve years later.
Reliable Amanda McNeillβs world toppled last summer when Hollywood invaded her familyβs horse breeding ranch. Now sheβs in a massive rut. She yearns to be impulsive, even wild, and a hot fling with Jake Cruz might be the sizzle she needs to jumpstart her life.
When firefighter Jake Cruz comes face to face with his former crush Amanda, her charming blushes and heated glances tell him she notices him this time around. While Jake longs to discover if this Amanda matches the girl who starred in his adolescent fantasies, his desire to become fire captain, and earn his family’s pride, requires he focus on work, not passion.
Could his dream woman become his real love or will his professional ambitions extinguish their chances? Once the smoke clears, will Amanda realize Jake isnβt a fling but her hero after all?
Buy The Very Thought Of You:
Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback)
As much as I love the heat from an enemies-to-lovers or instalove/lust storyline, the slow burn of passion can be exactly what I need at times — and this book completely filled that need!
Amanda lost her mother during her teen years, critically wounding her ability to let people close to her. But she’s never let it sway her from being kind, compassionate, and sweet. Going all the way back to high school when she helped tutor Jake to now as a vet, it’s clear that she has a love language for giving and helping others in need.
Jake has spent a lot of his life letting a learning disability hold him back in who he is beyond what numbers and test scores say on paper. But when he needs some help climbing the ladder again, I love that he turns to Amanda again. This time, he has a little more confidence in that regard and seeing it unfold is a sizzling fire that ends up burning hot!
In addition to seeing more of Amanda’s family dynamics, I enjoyed getting to see Jake’s as well. His relationship with his father was strained as he was constantly trying to impress him. And understandably, he felt a bit envious of his brother because of his lack of struggles. To me, it made Jake an even more admirable man that he could face his insecurities and strive to do something about them.
About Claire Marti
Claire Marti is an award winning and USA Today Bestselling author of emotional, funny, and swoonworthy Contemporary Romance novels set in Southern California, including the Pacific Vista Ranch series and the spin-off California Suits series. She lives in San Diego with her husband, silly dog, and three clever cats.
Claire started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress. When Claire’s not writing, she’s teaching yoga.
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