This is the second book by Alexandra Kiley, and while not officially listed as a series, both books center around brothers and their family’s tour guide business in Scotland. There is a third brother, so I am hoping that he will get a book as well.

I am a sucker for second chance romance, so I knew that this one would be right up my alley. I didn’t realize that their initial romance was forbidden and kept a secret (for the most part), so that just added a bit more drama to the mix.

The story is told from alternating viewpoints and alternating time lines, getting both Brooke’s and Jack’s impressions of not just their current lives, but also their past relationship and everything that happened.

It’s obvious from the start that they still have feelings for each other, but both are carrying a lot of baggage and resentment that gets in the way.

Brooke is really hung up on the loss of her dreams and inability to write for herself any longer. She has basically given up on herself, even though she blames Jack for a lot of it, it was never his fault (in my opinion). It seems like she doesn’t want to allow herself to be happy and is looking for excuses to justify her fear of chasing her dreams.

Jack is in a similar situation, though for him it’s less about fear and more about a need for perfection. And all of the guilt he feels about what happened with Brooke. He sees himself as a failure if he can’t achieve his dream in a specific way.

Through their amazing hike, Jack and Brooke each confront their own issues as well as what happened between them. But while they do grow closer, there is still a lot holding them back from each other, including a pretty big secret that Jack has kept from her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more by the author (hopefully the third Sutherland brother’s story)!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.