Life throws you curve balls, but no parent should ever bury a child. Determined not to make the same mistakes with his son as he made with his daughter, Nic Beuve is single-minded until Hope walks into his life.
Hope Delaney, a woman with a past that almost broke her, tries to keep people at bay for their own protection. Fortunately for her, no one listens when she says she wants to be alone.
Burning desire, a deep need to protect, and a woman who looks like an angel breaks down Nic's defenses until he can’t ignore them. He wants Hope and what Nic wants…
Hope thinks she can walk away at any time she just wasn't counting on a man like Nic to get in the way, or a nosy but loving Cajun Boss. All's fair in love and war and what Maman Rose wants is Nic and Hope together.
Will their relationship survive an ex-wife with an agenda or will her past come between them... or kill them?
Restoring Hope is a story that breaks your heart at how broken Hope is after the pain and suffering that she has endured at the hands of her husband, and the lengths that she goes to in order to merely survive but never be found, because being found means that she will be dead.
"Keep your head down, don't look people in the eyes and they wont remember you. Don't stay long in one place, don't make any friends, and be ready to run at a moment's notice."
This is the motto that Hope has been living by when she arrives in New Orleans, a motto that she intends to stick to as it has been working to keep her alive so far. Little does she know that Maman Rose, that woman who hires her to work in her kitchen even though she has no experience, has other plans for Hope. Nic is suffocating with the grief and guilt of his daughters death that happened over a year ago. Trying to live for his son Nicky, Nic spends his nights away from his son at the bar, drowning his sorrows and the what if's with liquor, that is until Hope walks into his life. Neither Nic or Hope are looking for a relationship, but with Maman Rose pulling the strings, a relationship appears to be inevitable for them.
Nic and Hope are thrown together by a meddling old woman who becomes the heart of this amazing story. Nic starts to have feelings other then grief that were long ago abandoned when his daughter died of a drug overdose. His need to protect Hope is strong and his love for her grows the more time that he spends with her. Hope begins to fall for Nic as well, having feelings that she never knew possible, and realizes that she never had for the husband who abused her for years. Hope is broken byt the fiery girl that lives inside her, that was long forgotten begins to resurface as she lets Nic and her friends in the Bayou break down walls that she carefully erected in order to stay alive.
"They complemented each other, giving each what the other needed, and that was the draw for both of them."
But would their attraction and feelings for each other be enough? Would the secrets that Hope carried with her about her past come between her and Nic? Would Nic's ex-wife Kat finally put the wedge between Hope and Nic that she yearns for in an ill-fated attempt to get him back? The reader is drawn into the story wondering the extent of Hope's secrets, and when finally revealed how Nic would react to them. As I turned each page, I found myself wondering if Nic could give Hope the love, support and protection that she seemed to urgently need in order to finally leave her past where it belonged; in the past.
I would rate this book 4 stars and strongly recommend that others read this story. I fell in love with Nic and his caveman ways right along with Hope and I was rooting for them to make it past all of their issues to make their relationship work.
C.P. Smith is a mother of 5 and stay-at-home mom. The need for more stories featuring older couples is the driving force behind her writing. Love isn't just for the young; it's for everyone. A first kiss at 18 or 50 is still a first kiss--full of wonder and expectation.
Ms. Smith resides in Oklahoma with her kids, husband and 4 dogs.
