Healing Creek: A Love Story by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

Were they opposites? Or soul mates?

Finding she had a perpetually unfaithful husband had been hard to cope with as a newly wed and newly certified marriage counselor. Still, that wasn’t as hard as finding her husband had a newborn daughter with a teenager—effectively ending both her marriage, and the career Monet McLaughlin had spent seven years building. That’ll leave a mark.

It’s why she absolutely knows not to trust the hunky male model who shows up two years later at her therapy horse stable to do a photo shoot for romance novel covers. Certainly no one who looks like that, and makes a living being that intimate with that many women, has a shred of moral integrity—do they?

They both know they are far too opposite for even a casual relationship, so then what the heck is going on here?

Cynics can heal—if they’re brave enough.

Hummmm, the first line of the blurb above has me humming.  Can't you be opposites AND soul mates?  I sure hope so because my husband is my polar opposite on most things.  :)  Opposites attract and all that.

It's true that Monet has taken some brutal blows.  She is moving forward though and finding peace in the good work she is doing with children and horses.  The hunky model that shows up at her stable has Monet humming too.  Even though she doesn't like to admit it.

First impressions can be so off base.  That's how it is in this book between the main characters.  Neither one from their first impressions has any idea what life has dealt the other.  As they try to push aside the growing attraction (but don't really succeed) they begin to discover more about each other that changes the way they think and behave.  

There were moments when I really wanted to strangle Monet but honestly, her struggle with Nick's intimate photo shoots would leave me a bit wary too.  So, I completely got where she was coming from but there was some other incidents that I thought she needed a good spanking.  :)  She was often mean and judgmental, not asking Nick about her concerns but assuming she knew.  She could sure dish it out to poor Nick but she didn't always walk the walk herself.  Nick was patient, always trying to prove himself and change for Monet.  Poor guy.

I enjoyed the journey of healing and attraction in this book.  It was a grand diversion on a rainy, cold day that found me trying to keep warm, curled up on the couch.  Clean romances are my favorite and this was definitely one for the clean romance list!

There are some Christian themes in this book.  Monet shares some of her Christian beliefs and talks about morals and believing she is a daughter of God.  I thought I would mention that in case you cared one way or another.

You can purchase Healing Creek at Amazon in print or e-book.