Fierce at Heart

I loved Adam and Ilsa ... even though she's older than him, they just seemed perfect together. The banter between the characters is very realistic and had me laughing out loud. This book has a bit of everything in it ... humor, small town drama, sadness, lots of swooning and it will melt your heart. A great addition to the series and I can't wait for all the other brother's stories.

Ilsa was Adam's commanding officer when they were in the army together. But now, Ilsa has left the army, went to culinary school and is now testing her treats at a farmer's market. She'd love to open her own bakery, but after her divorce, she was left with nothing. When Ilsa and Adam meet accidentally at the farmer's market in the city, she realizes that he's not the young kid she once knew. No, no, no ... he's a handsome man with muscles all over! And after a few drinks, they fall into bed together. The next morning, they agree it was a one-time thing and they are better off as friends.

Adam is the youngest of the Kincaid brothers and after the army, he went to school so he could become a firefighter in his home town. A few days after meeting Ilsa again, he returns home and tries to prove himself as not being the "kid" anymore by buying a house. But when he overhears that one of the restaurants in Pine Harbor is for sale ... and for the price of $1 with very specific stipulations, the first person he thinks of is Ilsa. Now if he can only get her to agree to marry him, he can help make their dreams come true ... she gets her bakery and he gets to be a grown-up in his brothers' eyes. Will they be able to keep this marriage of convenience platonic or will lust get in the way?

I received a copy courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is book 2 in the Kincaids of Pine Harbour. It is a standalone. If you have not read book 1 I would encourage you to do so, it is a really good story. Book 2 finds us with Adan and Isla who meet by accident 4 years having served together in the army, both of them are on new paths now and soon become good friends. Adam returns home to start a new career and we see this through his POV. New job but perhaps the same old misconceptions about him swirl around in his home town. Soon, Isla is joining him and a plan is put in place to help both of them navigate their new normal. Is is a very emotional story. Both of them have a lot of baggage and the story moves a long at a good pace while they find the strength to unpack it and put it away. I enjoyed reading about their journey. It has friends, family, funny moments, tender ones and romance.

P.S not sure that the secondary storyline surrounding Isla and her ex was necessary to move the story along and I had more questions. that answers when that sub storyline wrapped up.