Series:
Catalina Cove (Book 6)
The biggest mistake of Jaye Colfax's life was letting
Velvet Spencer leave him. For three years, they were together exclusively --
and it was great. But Jaye wouldn't commit to anything more. He just didn't
believe in falling in love or marriage. When Velvet left him without so much as
a goodbye, Jaye realized he'd been too foolish to see he loved her. But it was
too late. His stubbornness had cost him the love of his life.
It took Jaye two years to find where Velvet had gone. Now
he's come to Catalina Cove to prove his love and win back her heart -- but will
Velvet have him?
Terrific second chance love story. Jaye and Velvet knew
each other very well back in Phoenix. They were in a three-year relationship
there, where Jaye was upfront about his unwillingness to commit to anything
more than a physical relationship. Despite his frequent reminders of that
position, Velvet fell in love with him anyway, hoping he would change. When she
finally realized it wasn't going to happen, she left him and left Phoenix
without telling him where she was going.
I cheered for Velvet, happy to see her stand up for her
needs and dreams. She moved to Catalina Cove at the invitation of a family
friend and became a ninth-grade algebra teacher. She has good friends and is
content with her life now that she's gotten over her love for Jaye. The last
thing she expected was to have him show up in the Cove as the bank's new owner.
It didn't take long after Velvet left him for Jaye to
realize that he'd made a huge mistake. He had allowed his past to color his
beliefs, but it was too late. However, Jaye is a stubborn and resourceful man,
and though it took two years and the help of a private investigator, he finally
found her. Now he must prove his love and win back her heart and trust.
I loved watching the rekindling of the relationship
between Jaye and Velvet. Jaye has his plans all set. He's bought the bank,
which will keep him in town for at least six months. He's arranged to rent the
other part of the duplex she lives in, and he is determined to convince her of
his love. One thing in his favor is the attraction that is still as strong as
ever, but he wants more than that. Meanwhile, Velvet decides that since she
doesn't love him any longer, that leaves the door open to resume their sex-only
relationship. It was undoubtedly karma-like for Jaye to be on the other side of
that coin and see him realize that he didn't like it.
Most of the attention is on Jaye's attempts to show Velvet
that he's changed. In their previous relationship, he kept her at a distance,
separating their relationship from his personal and professional lives. They
rarely did anything together outside of the bedroom. Now, he waits for her to
initiate any intimacy, asks her to jog with him in the mornings (previously his
"alone" time), talks about his day at work and asks about hers, and
involves her in his life in a myriad of ways. I especially liked the rocking
chairs on the back deck and their quiet time together. His favorite thing to
tell her was, “Whatever you want, Velvet, I will give it to you. No matter what
it is.”
Velvet fights hard against the realization that she still
loves Jaye. Her constant reminders to herself that she doesn't love him any
longer feel like a case of protesting too much. Her friends Ruthie and Sierra
try to convince her, but Velvet has a strong streak of stubbornness. When Jaye
finally comes clean about his feelings, Velvet refuses to believe him. She
accuses him of everything from lying to manipulation and pushes him away. I
liked that Jaye gave her the space to come to terms with what he said, but I
could also feel his frustration.
Velvet has a lot to think about, and I was happy to see
that she calmed down enough to look at his actions and see them for what they
were. Matters became complicated when a surprise he planned for her came to the
attention of a scorned wannabe boyfriend, who attempted to use it against her.
Being called before the school board is no small matter, especially when someone
has it out for you. What made it particularly tricky/amusing was that this guy
has no idea of Velvet's background. I loved Velvet's coolness under fire, her
calm responses to the accusations, and the support shown by her friends. Jaye's
arrival was the icing on the cake, as was town patriarch Reid Lacroix and his lambasting
of those responsible. I was a little disappointed that he revealed Velvet's
secret, as I didn't think it was his place, but it all worked out in the end. I
loved the ending and seeing Velvet and Jaye moving forward into the future they
wanted together.
There were a couple of subplots that ran throughout the
book. One was Webb Crawford and his "I'm God's gift to women" pursuit
of Velvet. He's a slimy, entitled creep, and he's fortunate that neither Velvet
nor Jaye decked him when he pulled some of his tricks. The other was Velvet's
issue with one of her students and his father. I felt terrible for young Lenny,
whose dad pushed him to follow in his baseball footsteps. Lenny used failing
his math class to fight back. In the meantime, his dad pressures Velvet to
"go easy" on Lenny because "he won't need algebra to play pro
ball." I loved that Velvet didn't cave in, but she did offer to help
Lenny. I also loved the support she gave him to stand up for his dreams. There
was an interesting twist involving the dad, and I liked how Velvet handled it.
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