Second-Chance Romance With A Twist
5
By coffeegoddesstmk
Mary Larkin has made a happy, if not very exciting, life for herself in Butler. Surrounded by the people that she loves, in a place that she loves and feels an integral part of, she's satisfied with the life that she has. Until. Until Patrick Murphy, jet-setting, billionaire, handsome as sin Patrick Murphy shows up in Butler for the wedding of his daughter to hometown boy Will Abbott.
Patrick Murphy has been in love only once in his life, but tragedy took his young wife, leaving him to raise his daughter alone. Afraid to take a chance with his heart again, Patrick has spent his life building his business, but knows from the moment he meets her that Mary is something different.
As a longtime fan of author Marie Force, a reader in love with Butler, VT, and it's citizens, and a woman of a certain age, you might imagine that I was veeerrry happy to get my hands on CAN'T BUY ME LOVE. I mean, a place and characters that are some of my favorites, plus a bit of a Cinderella story involving a more mature couple? Yes, please.
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE is the second book in the Butler, VT, series by Marie, which is an offshoot of her Green Mountain series. This small town in Vermont, with its colorful inhabitants (shout out to Fred the Moose!), has won my heart since the very first book. I love seeing the relationship between Mary and Patrick evolving, and that Marie has given us more mature characters with this read. There is no shortage of romance, passion, and wooing, and I really enjoy that Marie has written Mary as strong and self-sufficient, holding her own against Patrick's strong and persuasive personality. And seeing Patrick open his heart the possibility of more with Mary made the hopeless romantic in me swoon.
CAN'T BUY ME love is, at the heart of things a feel-good read, and, as a fan of the HEA, I happily give it 4.5 second-chance stars. If you haven't had a chance to get to know the good folks of Butler, do so, because they are a truly wonderful bunch.
NOTE: You can read all about Mary's and Patrick's first meeting in YOU'LL BE MINE, a Green Mountain novella.