I’m not 100% sure that I like the ending. I like my happily ever afters however, this one just come too easily.The heroine’s sort-of-step-sister, Devon, was engaged to hero. It was more of a business deal – she would get money, in return for marrying the hero for 1 year, so the hero could get a winery that his grandfather is threatening to sell. The engagement is canceled when Devon’s high school boyfriend sweeps her away. Instead of letting the hero know what is going on (in person or by phone), she gives the heroine a letter for the hero explaining the break-up. The heroine, in turn, offers herself up to the hero as the substitute.
Loved Cat, the heroine. She’s independent and sassy. She made me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the book. Despite her young age, she was comfortable with herself and how she lived her life. She recognizes her feelings for the hero from the beginning (although it was a pretty shallow start as she did not really know him).
The hero, Luke, well - - he started to redeem himself, then he blew it at the end. His way to deal with his feeling about Cat and her unplanned pregnancy, is to let himself be ‘seduced’ by the step-sister. While he didn’t go all the way, it was only because Cat walked in on him.
I think Cat forgave him a little too quickly. He made a grand gesture at the end to ‘show his feelings’ to her, but it involved him spending a large amount of money. I would have liked a little more groveling. I don’t think he suffered enough to convince me it’s going to be a lasting happily-ever-after.
I did enjoy the secondary story of Keith and Jack. Of course, I loved Jack from the beginning. He was a great friend to Cat.
Better groveling would have raised my rating.