Friday, April 21, 2023

Strawberry Lane - Jodi Thomas (Zebra - May 2023)

Series: Someday Valley (Book 1)
 
Starri Knight is a big believer in fate. How else to explain the compelling connection she feels to the stranger she pulls out of a wrecked car on the very same road where her parents died twenty years earlier? Alongside Auntie Ona-May, the only mother she's ever known, Starri saves Rusty O'Sullivan's life -- just as Ona-May once did when Starri was an orphaned babe. But convincing Rusty he has something to live for is going to take all of Starri's faith in miracles . . .
 
Like a wish he hadn't even known to make, Starri landed in Rusty's life, filling him with a longing for a family. . . . Then Jackson Landry, a new lawyer, turns up to present a surprise that will change the direction of his life: An inheritance from the father Rusty never knew -- and the promise of the family he'd never had. It's a lot for the hard-bitten loner to accept as love rushes into his life . . .
 
A sense of duty has Rusty heading to Honey Creek to deal with his father's estate -- and find his lost siblings. But having family is one thing, learning to love them is another. Good thing new friends are by his side to help him along the way.

 
A heartwarming story of family, love, and friendship. Jackson is a newly minted lawyer who has returned to Honey Creek to take over his father's practice after his parents were killed in an accident. One of his first cases involves a dying man who wants to leave his worldly goods to his four children - children he's neither met nor acknowledged. All he can give Jackson are names, approximate ages, and where he thinks they live.
 
Rusty O'Sullivan is the first and oldest of those children, he lives near Honey Creek. Rusty had a hard childhood, basically raising himself. He's a loner, keeping to himself when he's not working, though he's well-liked by the people who know him and work with him. We first see Rusty as he's driving to his isolated home on a rainy night, and his car goes off the road. Starri and her aunt Ona-May live nearby, witness the wreck and rush to rescue him. Rusty is badly injured, and they call for an ambulance. Because of washed-out roads, it will be an hour, so the local doctor, Ryan, and his friend Jackson rush to the site on horseback. It's a tense scene, but they stabilize him until the ambulance arrives. Rusty wakes up in the hospital with Jackson waiting to tell him of his inheritance. While Rusty has no interest in his father's land or money, he's intrigued to discover that he has three siblings - a family he never realized he wanted. He's determined to find these brothers from other mothers.
 
Rusty is a very independent and self-sufficient man who is also a flirt. His interactions with the intern, Dr. Adams, were amusing. He flirts, and she shuts him down, but he doesn't give up. As the book goes on, Rusty and Amber develop a deep connection despite their differences. I loved Rusty's innate sensitivity as he's there for Amber whenever she needs him. The progress of this relationship is sweet but also has a hint of uncertainty, and I hope to see more of it in the next book.
 
I had fun watching Jackson settle into his life in Honey Creek. It wasn't the career he'd planned for himself, but he felt compelled to follow in his father's footsteps. At first, he feels out of step, like he's wearing a suit that doesn't quite fit. His commentary on some of his cases shows the variety found in the life of a small-town lawyer. He's taken with Starri from the moment they met, but he tries to resist his feelings because she's much younger than him. Starri is mature for her age, and it isn't long before she wriggles her way into his heart. Those feelings emerge when Starri is injured, but he's still hung up on her age.
 
Young Zach just about broke my heart. A fourteen-year-old runaway, he appears in Honey Creek looking for his father. He has no name to go on, just that he has the same color eyes. Zach gets taken up by the sheriff for shoplifting, but Jackson takes one look at him and knows he's another one of the missing brothers. I loved how he tossed Zach and Rusty together until Rusty tumbled to the truth. Next thing you know, loner Rusty has taken custody of Zach and brought him home with him. I loved Zach's joy at having a real family and getting away from the abusive situation he had been in. I loved watching him and Rusty bond over junk food and Rusty's unique house. But things aren't all easy, as Zach's sort of stepfather wasn't happy to lose his free labor and punching bag. His arrival in Honey Creek was met with resistance, and I loved watching Zach's fellow students rally around him. The final confrontation with Vern was intense and hopefully will be the last we see of him.
 
Finally, there was an interesting relationship between a nurse, Emma, and Heath, a patient in a coma. Heath has been in a coma for a while, and Emma has habitually stopped in his room each night to talk to him. Heath is a wealthy benefactor to the hospital and went to school with Emma. She spends her time each evening telling him about her day and encouraging him to wake up. She gets excited when Heath begins to emerge from the coma and is stunned when he starts asking for her. As he recovers, it becomes evident that he's heard everything she talked about and has fallen in love with her. I liked seeing Heath get past her insecurities and seeing one couple from this book have a happy ending.
 
I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing which sibling shows up next. I also hope to see progress in the other relationships from this book.


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