Your One True Love
I have to admit, this isn't my favorite of the Bennett books. Although you can see by the almost four-star rating that I think it's great... so that's saying something.
Let me get my issues out of the way up front... and they're not deal-breakers by any means.
There were a few trope-y plot-points in this story. Reunited lovers, Matchmakers (ongoing theme in this series), "I just want you to be happy," Misunderstandings, and of course, the Grand Romantic Gesture - just to name a few. I don't mind this at all, except that a couple of them were just a teeeensy bit contrived. UGH! I hate saying that because I really did like this book!
Here's the deal though, there were some misunderstandings that shouldn't have been issues - at all, and I was really hoping for more tension in the story for all of the elements we were getting. The characters were likeable, and the story was good - I just expected a little bit more.
Let's talk about those characters.
Daniel knew his time under the matchmaking spotlight was coming, but he was kinda looking forward to it. His family, including his meddling sister Pippa, who just happens to be BFFs with his ex, Caroline - know he's never really gotten over her, so he's okay with seeing if they can mend the relationship he let go of several years earlier.
What could go wrong when you let your family get in the middle of your love-life instead of taking care of things on your own anyway, right? **eyeroll**
She sighs against my mouth, and it’s as if my brain short-circuits, leaving only one thought to stand out:
I want this woman.
I need her.
Caroline had her heart broken by Daniel Bennett when he let her go, but she was never out of his life. She was already a part of the "extended" Bennett family, and that meant running into Daniel every now and then. She was proud of the fact that things had never been contentious, and it made things very easy when she spotted him at their family functions.
What Caroline didn't tell anyone is that she didn't really want to be Daniel's friend. She missed him terribly, and still loved him. Every man she dated was compared unfavorably to him, and every sadness she suffered without him made her incredibly lonely and isolated.
“What do you feel when you’re with me, Caroline?”
“I feel that I belong in your arms.”
He exhales, and for a brief second, I wonder if he really thought I feel anything less.
Their love story should be epic, and I would've adored it if it were. As it is, it's lovely, but not quite as good as the books that came before this in the series.
I give Your One True Love 3.5 "fairy-dust" expeditions.