Long and Short Reviews

This Time For Always by Debra St. John
The Wild Rose Press
Contemporary
Full Length, Spicy
Review by Bluebell

As manager of a local bar, The Corral, Sharlie Montgomery has put the past behind her. That is until Logan Reed walks back into her life, turning her world upside down. His presence brings back painful reminders of the past: the love they once shared, the money he took from her father, and the baby she gave up for adoption.

Logan wants to buy The Corral, and he’s come back to town to prove he’s made it on his own without the Montgomery money. Sparks fly whenever Sharlie and Logan are together. Anger, fear, and jealousy aren’t enough to erase the love they once felt for each other. But is love enough? Logan wants a family—the one thing Sharlie can’t give him.

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Twelve years ago, Sharlie Montgomery had it all. Utterly devastated when everything blew away and left her in the dumps, she found herself begging for a job at a local bar, The Corral, and her life took a turn. In need of a permanent place for his traveling rodeo camp for kids, Logan Reed ends up in a town he left for good all those years ago. Coming face to face with Sharlie was painful but now he wants all the answers that led to their breakup. Can Sharlie find the strength to relive those painful moments and face demons of her past?

Sharlie appeared to be so much in control of her life but is a complicated mess from within. I connected with her at some level and admired her strength. I didn’t know how to feel about Logan in the beginning. It wasn’t love at first sight but my feelings gradually turned for him as I considered his point of view. Great conflict from page one enhanced the flavor of the couple’s once strong relationship. I could see the fire in them and hints of the passion they might have shared. You just keeping hoping that they find some common ground to bury their past hurts.

The sexual tension is thick and many headstrong emotions are at play here. The lovemaking is emotional and leaves the reader dreamy and content. Though the plot has been used many times and is somewhat predictable, the author’s treatment of it makes all the difference. The ways emotions are handled throughout the story and especially towards the end is commendable. While I hated Sharlie’s father, Robert Montgomery with a vengeance, I really was taken with the all-too-human characters in this book.

An excellent combination of romance, love, hope, family values with a gut-wrenching narrative make This Time for Always a wonderful book. One word of warning, though: keep plenty of tissues handy while turning the pages!