Series:
Apple Grove (Book 2)
Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (pop. 597), a small town
with a big heart.
Caitlin Mulcahy loves her family. She really does. But
sometimes they can drive her to her last shred of sanity -- from her dad
("I'm not meddling, I just want what's best for you") to her
eight-months-pregnant older sister to her younger sister, who will do just
about anything to avoid real work. Cait just needs to get away, even if for
only an hour.
When she sees someone in need of help on the side of the
road, of course she's going to pull over. She might even be able to fix his
engine -- after all, the Mulcahy family is a handy bunch. She's not expecting
that former Navy medic Jack Gannon and a little black puppy named Jameson will
be the ones who end up rescuing her.
I enjoyed my trip back to Apple Grove and catching up
with Caitlin, the middle Mulcahy sister. She works in the family handyman
business and is especially busy because her very pregnant older sister isn't
able to do much. She'd love more time to spend on her true calling - carpentry
and furniture making. Sometimes, she just needs a minute or two to reset
herself. She'd also like to have a marriage like her sister's, but in a town as
small as Apple Grove, eligible bachelors are few and far between.
Jack Gannon is Apple Grove's hometown hero. He joined the
Navy and became a corpsman, attached to a Marine unit in Iraq. After being
injured by an IED, he left the Navy, went to medical school, and is now back in
Apple Grove to take over his retired father's practice. He is scarred,
physically and emotionally, but doesn't let anyone close enough to see it.
Besides PTSD from the attack, he also has some survivor's guilt from his final
mission, where he wasn't able to save one of the men.
Caitlin and Jack have known each other all their lives, but
when Caitlin encounters Jack and a puppy along the side of the road, she looks
at him in a new light. The two bond over caring for the puppy, whom they name
Jamie, growing closer as they spend time together caring for him. Jamie
provides plenty of lighthearted moments to balance the complex subjects of
Jack's injuries and PTSD. I liked their ability to talk about almost anything,
though it takes time and persistence on Caitlin's part to break through Jack's
reluctance to talk about his past. With a little helpful intervention from
their fathers, Jack finds himself on the road to healing. His big moment at the
end was terrific.
I enjoyed the small-town setting. Apple Grove is tiny, so
everyone knows everyone else. It's not unusual to have friends or family up in
your business - for your own good, of course. The characters were realistic,
with relatable attitudes, fears, and actions.
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