HELPING HER REMEMBER (The Crawford Falls Series Book 1)

HELPING HER REMEMBER             KATE CARLEY      

Kelly’s back. 
How can two simple words make Dylan Bronstad’s heart ache and sing at the same time? 
Even seven years ago, Kelly Anne Leeson had possessed that power. Back then, all Dylan wanted to do was drink and make love to her. Really, it was no wonder she’d climbed out of his bed and walked out of his life, leaving him with nothing but a nasty hangover and the lonely memories of their time together. 
Today, Dylan’s life is on track. He’s sober with the support of his family and his tight-knit group of friends. But Kelly could derail all he’s worked to accomplish. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to stay away from her. 
Lured by the offer of her dream job, Kelly returns home to Crawford Falls and the friends she’d abandoned a lifetime ago. Mending those broken relationships will require some honest answers and a fair amount of forgiveness. 
But facing Dylan will take a lot more—like maybe a suit of armor to protect her battle-weary heart and the secret she fears she’ll never be able to keep. 
While Kelly searches for a way to maintain the safe life she’s created for her son, Dylan works to remind her of the relationship they once had. 
Just as they rekindle their relationship, secrets and half-truths threaten to destroy everything. 

MY REVIEW:

     This is a story of pain, miscommunication, lust, sorrows, lost times, friendships, joy, laughter, family, and a future.  Yet, none of it can happen until Kelly Anne Leeson and Dylan Andrew Bronstad can walk through their past.

     Almost seven years ago Kelly packed up, kit and kaboodle, and was gone.  That New Years Day had been the line in the sand.  Where she could no longer watch the man, she loves slowly and painfully kill himself and twist the knife on her too.  As the hateful words, he spoke rang out in her ears “insensitive, judgmental, buzzkill.”

     That day two lives changed the hurt from love so deep from one thoughtless betrayal on that day.  His betrayal of the body he undertook was easier to accept that then the painful words that had lasted over the six years.

     But in those six years, both Kelly and Dylan went through some major changes in their lives.  Kelly becomes a mother to AJ a very self-sufficient young man at six and a half.  Plus, she finished school and became a nurse specializing in senior care.  She has now landed her dream job at the states best senior center in her hometown.  She’s not happy because it means confronting Dylan and all her old friends which were his first.  Small town life.  The best part of the job she gets to be back home with her mama.

     Dylan too has made some major changes his biggest giving up the alcohol.  He has been clean and sober for four years.  Will it remain that way when Kelly Anne returns and he must be confronted with the truth of why she left?

     This was an interesting story of two people struggling to be heard about their wrongs and their truths.  How they see and felt it.  Sometimes I thought one or the other was let off too easy compared to real life but that’s just me.  I still enjoyed everything about the friends and the hometown feel and meddling was funny.  I give this:  5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com.