Ignore the cover. As pretty as it is, it has nothing to do with the story or characters…
Starting Over
by Barbie Bohrman
Synopsis:
Single mom Vanessa Holt has a daughter she loves, a supportive family, and her art. Having given up on finding true love—if that even exists, which she doubts—she’s content to put romance on the back burner. But not everyone agrees. Those nearest and dearest are ready to see Vanessa let down her long blonde hair and have some fun.
To put their grumbling to rest, Vanessa agrees to go on a date with the next man who asks. Luckily for her, that man is Cameron Thomas, her daughter’s extremely handsome science teacher. She’d felt a spark of chemistry the first time she’d laid eyes on him. Now she’s ready to lay a whole lot more on the sexy bachelor.
But just as things get hot, they also get heavy. When the man who broke Vanessa’s heart reappears, her old doubts and fears about love rush to the surface. Will her fresh start with Cameron be over before it’s barely begun?
Review:
I so enjoyed reading Starting Over by Barbie Bohrman. The characters and storyline were refreshingly different–a single mother of an eighth grade girl, starting to date for the first time since her boyfriend dumped her while pregnant, a bit unsure if she should start off doing so with her daughter’s science teacher.
But he’s got a whole “Professor Indiana Jones” vibe going on, and she has a really hard time resisting. As well she should–I mean, Professor Jones! Plus, he wears absolutely adorkable science-themed t-shirts in his downtime. And loves Star Wars. Really, how could any woman resist?
Though Vanessa tries. And tries. And tries some more. It did get a bit frustrating at times–honestly, Cameron’s a saint to have persevered. Vanessa has all kinds of reasons why she can’t give her burgeoning relationship with Cameron a fighting chance–fortunately, he manages to counter most of them, refusing to give up, and Vanessa herself does take one giant step forward at one point, which results in a memorable night together.
Unfortunately, it’s at this point that her ex decides to try and get to know his daughter–finally. Vanessa doesn’t take the stress of the situation well, and in fact hides the whole thing from her daughter Josie, Cameron, and even her own parents. Clearly, this method isn’t going to be effective, but Vanessa just can’t see it until it all blows up in her face, and her new relationship ends up being a casualty. Fortunately, she does finally find the strength to deal with what’s going on and start making choices for herself as a woman and not just as a parent–it was a long time coming, to be sure.
It all leads to an HEA at last and an adorable epilogue, which goes a far way toward making up for any aggravation that went before 🙂
This was my first book from this author, but I’ll definitely be reading more from her in the future.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy inn exchange for an honest review.
