But I don’t know what to do with those Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs.

I loved this book! Loved!! Like clutching-to-me-and-sighing-deeply loved. More review to come later. Basking in glow... Now must sleep as I stayed up to 1:30 a.m to devour this book.

9:07 a.m. I have not been this giddy over a book in a while. This is the type of read that comes along only once in a while, making a romance reader remember why she loves the genre so much. This was a beautiful story. I adored the good and altruistic Gideon, who was always trying to battle his true self to be who he thought he ought. And - although I tend to be very picky about my heroines, I fell in love with Lily, too. She is exactly the type of heroine I love - strong, funny, willing to do what it takes to survive. She is a person who places value on loyalty and kindness and love.

I loved these two, as they brought out the best in one another. They made one another happy in a way that no one else ever could, and I so enjoyed reading the wonderment of these characters as this realization slowly dawned on them throughout this story's unfolding. It was beautiful. I laughed out loud several times, I got choked up and nearly cried, my heart caught in my throat. When a book makes me feel like that, I know it's a favorite.

I read this book nearly straight through from about 6 p.m. until 1:30 a.m., and then I re-read the good parts this morning when I woke up. I can't believe this is the first Julie Ann Long book I've ever read, and I can't believe I've had this book on my TBR since 2011 and am just reading it now.

Highly recommend!