The Loner

Deciding on a New Future Brings its Own Issues from the Past

This is book two of the Small Town Bachelors series and the main characters are Gloria Danvers and Reid Chance. Gloria moved to Inheritance Bay, whilst taking an absence of leave from her work in finance, after a personal tragedy. Her former partner Davis, who she broke up with some three years ago, but still worked with side by side, couldn’t seem to understand why she wouldn’t continue working and has made it impossible for her to access her investments, held jointly with him, as he wants her back in Boston and is holding them over her head. He has frozen her accounts and now that she is thinking of starting a yoga school for children, he won’t let her access the funds, preferring her to be back in the city under his control! She has done her training as a yoga instructor and is ready to move onto the next stage in her life, but her past is still tying her up in knots. Her new best friend Portia had an idea to help her raise the funds and had her meet with Grayson, who is newly engaged to Rose Swallow and learning how to be a full time dad to her twins Hanna and Anna.
Grayson is too busy now to cope with his brother Reid Chance, who lives life as if there may be no tomorrow, doing risky adventures and going to adrenaline highs. As well as that, Reid and his sister Kathy Ellis, work on funding start-ups and are very successful at it. Reid tries out the products and his reclusive sister Kathy helps out when any of the companies are struggling and always manages to turn them around. Reid usually had Grayson look out for his finances, but Reid is far too busy now and he will pay Gloria to check out his brother’s latest two investments and his other finances, leaving them in an organised manner for Reid to cope with himself. Gloria wants to refuse to ever have anything to do with finance ever again, but the money Grayson will pay, will allow her to set up her new business and make them a success. Reid can’t believe his brother arranged a woman to sort his investments, especially since he isn’t keen on women or relationships. His and Kathy’s mother left them both in foster care when she found a new man to give her a better life, and his ex-girlfriend loved Reid’s money more than him and wasn’t happy he wasn’t going into the family business. Kathy didn’t have a nice time in foster care and it has scarred her life. She relies on Reid, but also wants him to find his own happiness. Reid and Kathy were adopted into the Chance family by Grayson and Vincent’s Mamma Patti. Vincent is a bit more wary of people and wants a full background check done on anyone that gets close to the family!
Reid soon starts to wonder if love could really happen to him and if he needs all the dangerous adrenaline highs he usually fills his life with, once he has met Gloria. He finds her intriguing and even though both have been scarred by relationships in the past and are adamant they aren’t interested in one, the attraction between them can’t be ignored forever. Gloria tries to be all business and numbers, but Reid refuses to part from his light hearted role of only being interested in flirting or going on adventures. He is so much more than that, but hides most of it from most. He deeply cares for his sister Kathy and doesn’t know all that happened to her whilst she was in care, only recently finding her himself and giving her a home and a job. Both Gloria and Reid must get past what has happening in their lives up to this date and push past what is stopping them from having a relationship, especially with someone so well suited to them. The usual problems occur, as in any relationship and sometimes it is friends and family that have to give that final push to make them grab happiness and love with both hands, before they lose it forever. A nice read with two damaged souls finding respite with each other and finally being able to be themselves and look to the future. Kathy may think this means Reid is abandoning her, but nothing is farther from the truth. I received an ARC copy of this book form BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.