MIRACLE ROAD – Emily March
An Eternity Springs Novel, #7
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-524228-1
November 2013
Contemporary Romance

Eternity Springs, Colorado – Present Day

Both Lucca Romano and Hope Montgomery were not raised in Eternity Springs, yet they have settled down in this tiny town to lick their wounds after tragedy struck each of their lives. Lucca was a college coach who was driving his team when the vehicle spun out of control and crashed, killing players under his charge. Hope's little girl was kidnapped after she only left her for a few hours with a babysitter. Neither Hope nor Lucca wants to discuss the past, but they end up living next door to each other and can't avoid contact. They soon become attracted to each other and have sex, but was that a mistake? Both Lucca and Hope aren't looking for a relationship, yet there is this zing of desire that continues to sizzle between them.

After the accident, Lucca had a meltdown and quit his lucrative coaching job, drowning himself in booze. His mother and two siblings have settled down in Eternity Springs, so he came to help make repairs on a bed and breakfast his mother plans to open. Getting involved with Hope doesn't mean that he wants to deal with the past, but he can't avoid the questions she asks. It also leads to her own confession—how she'd left her daughter in the care of a neighbor's nanny, who then took off with her daughter. Four years later, little Holly Montgomery still hasn't been found, but Hope hasn't given up. The realization that their past tragedies, while different, are there haunting them leads Lucca and Hope to grow closer. But both still resist any thoughts of a future happily-ever-after because they blame themselves for past mistakes and don't deserve happiness.

MIRACLE ROAD will make you cry and laugh as you read about Lucca's and Hope's tribulations and a burgeoning relationship they both deny is happening. Lucca wasn't at fault in the accident, yet he blames himself for what happened. His guilt over the deaths have haunted him and given him nightmares. Hope's tender touch—and involving him in coaching the Eternity High School basketball team—helps him over the hump to begin healing. Hope has tried to move on, but with an ex who continues to accuse and blame her, it's much harder for her. If only she hadn't left Holly…

The theme of the Eternity Springs novels are about angels and believing in spiritual miracles, and in MIRACLE ROAD this continues. Of course, falling in love plays a huge part, and readers will also get caught up in characters from the previous books in the series. Hard to believe to so many of them have children now! Hovering around is the resident angel herself, Celeste Blessing, who always seems to be in the right spot to offer sage advice. Is she a true angel in disguise? Will Celeste be able to provide a miracle for Lucca and Hope?

An emotion packed read from the start, MIRACLE ROAD will pull you into the saga of Lucca and Hope, making you want to root for them to find their way to a future together. While it helps a little to have read the prior books in the series because of the interaction of characters, one can read MIRACLE ROAD as a standalone. A gem of a read, MIRACLE ROAD is a feel good romantic tale I highly recommend.

Patti Fischer