HEARTSONG COTTAGE – Emily March
An Eternity Springs Novel
St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN: 978-1250-07296-2
November 2015
Contemporary Romance

Eternity Springs, Colorado – Present Day

Daniel Garrett and Shannon O'Toole have each found peace in Eternity Springs after past tragedies had them running away from their former lives. In HEARTSONG COTTAGE, they're about to find each other…and love.

Daniel was a police officer and happily married with a young son when his life shattered after the brutal murder of his son, and his distraught wife later committed suicide. He has devoted his life to finding children and bringing them home to their families. He recently returned another child, Holly, to her mother in Eternity Springs and decided to stick around as he made friends and enjoyed the peaceful solitude the town offered. At a wedding reception one night, he meets Shannon, and the two hit it off so well that they end up sleeping together that night. The next morning, Daniel walks away, though he never forgot Shannon. He just doesn't feel he is in the right place in his heart to start a relationship with any woman, let alone offer her a future.

Shannon is hiding in Eternity Springs from the man she feels killed her boyfriend and has spent the intervening years terrorizing her. She's using an assumed name, and no one in town knows the truth. Her night with Daniel was both special and unique for her as she's avoided relationships since she's been on the run. His departure made her angry at him because he seemed different from other men she's known. But a few weeks later she discovers something that could change both their lives: she's pregnant. Daniel isn't around, but how will she keep her pregnancy a secret and continue her secret life? Then Daniel returns. Will their future now be intertwined, and will Shannon tell him the truth about her past?

The reason Shannon is scared and has not gone to the police is that the man she's running from is from a prominent family with the power to not only deny the charges but make it look like she's delusional. He has left her “little reminders” of his control over her, so she has moved to out of the way Eternity Springs (a small town in the Rocky Mountains). Shannon has forged friendships with many of the people in the area, including Celeste Blessing, the elderly woman who runs the local spa and is seen by many as an angel in disguise. Daniel is the first man since she settled in town to get involved with, even if it was a one-night stand. While she has heard good things about him, when she finally comes face to face with him after she learns of her pregnancy it has her doubting his honorability. Readers will see what that moment is all about in HEARTSONG COTTAGE, as it is one of many pivotal moments for Shannon and Daniel. Trust is key and both will have to learn to trust the other.

Daniel still has nightmares about the period of time when he lost his son. Even though it wasn't his fault, he felt he could've prevented what happened. As such, he has frozen his heart and devoted his life to helping others. Making love to Shannon was uncharacteristic of him, and rather than dwell on why it happened, he walked away. When Daniel learns about Shannon's pregnancy, he lashes out at her at first, feeling she is trying to trap him. Then he thinks about the wonder of it all…will this baby provide a new opportunity for him? But will the distrust he initially placed on Shannon drive her away and their chance for happiness?

As always in the Eternity Springs series , readers get a chance to catch up with many of the characters from past books. While one could read HEARTSONG COTTAGE as a standalone, it helps to understand the beauty of the town and its people, especially Celeste, if you've read the series from the start. There are untold stories just waiting from the many people in Eternity Springs.

An emotional tale of redemption and new beginnings, HEARTSONG COTTAGE will pull you in with the heartfelt and intriguing couple at the core of this tale: Shannon and Daniel. They must find their happiness after the tragedies that befell them. If you love sweet and emotional stories that will make you happy by the end, then grab HEARTSONG COTTAGE today.

Patti Fischer