FIRST LOVE...ONLY LOVE
Eight years ago, Glory Parsons had said goodbye to her
first love, Jesse Bainbridge. She'd been forced to flee her hometown--and leave
behind the man who'd stolen her heart. But he would never know about the
heartbreaking price she'd paid--or about the child born of their fiery
union...the child she so desperately longed to find.
Jesse had once wanted Glory with all the passion in his
soul. She'd been his whole world--until she walked out on him and their dreams
without a backward glance. Now she was back with shocking news that would
change his life forever. Could he trust the only woman who'd betrayed him--the
only woman he could ever love?
Oldie but goodie, and highly emotional. Glory is
returning to Pearl River for the first time since her brother's funeral eight
years earlier. She'd been forced to leave, breaking her heart and her
boyfriend's, but given no choice. She's back for a brief visit, to see her
mother married, then moving on from a new heartbreak. But there's one thing she
wants to find out before she leaves - what happened to the baby girl she had
and gave up for adoption.
She didn't expect Jesse to be the first person she saw
when she arrived back in town, or the sparks that flew between them. Likewise,
Jesse was stunned to see Glory, and not happy to see the woman who had broken
his heart. A heated confrontation ends in a scorching kiss that shows them both
that the past is still alive and well.
Then Glory makes the startling discovery that her baby
girl had been adopted by Jesse's older brother and his wife. They were recently
killed in an airplane crash, leaving Liza in Jesse's custody. Glory is
convinced that Jesse was in on his grandfather's scheme the whole time, while
Jesse is stunned to discover that he isn't just Liza's uncle, he's also her
father. Glory decides then and there that she isn't going to leave Pearl River
again, she'll get a job locally and get to know her daughter. Jesse is equally
determined at the time to keep them apart.
This begins an emotional roller coaster of a story. I
spent the last third of the book in almost constant tears, aching for Glory,
who wants to get to know her daughter. I was also equally mad at and aching for
Jesse. I loved watching Glory get to know Liza, being excruciatingly careful
not to give away the truth, while desperately wanting to do so. The two of them
bonded quickly, aided by Jesse's cousin Ilene. I loved the part where Glory was
helping Liza with an angel costume. She is so happy just spending time with
Liza, but is also determined not to give up hope of eventually telling her the
truth. I got a bit frustrated with her when she started to cave in to the
pressure to leave Liza alone.
Jesse is torn
between allowing Glory to spend time with Liza and wanting her gone from Pearl
River entirely. He has moments of being so understanding, like when he brought
Glory the pictures of Liza from when she was small. He also has his moments of
being a real butt-head, such as when he told Glory she needed to stay away for
awhile. Jesse tells himself he is protecting Liza from being hurt by a woman he
doesn't trust to stick around, but he is also protecting his own heart. Jesse
was so inconsistent with his behavior toward Glory that I really wanted to grab
him and shake him. And knowing his grandfather as well as he does, it bugged me
that he had listened to and believed what the old man had told him ten years
earlier. I loved what happened when he discovered the truth and how he admitted
his idiocy. His big moment at the end was good, and I especially loved Glory's
response.
Liza was a big part of the story of course, and I really
liked that she played an active part. She's smart and sweet and her
relationship with Jesse is already good, so she doesn't have any trouble
accepting that he's her father too. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her get to know
Glory and figure out the truth there.
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