NIGHTINGALE WAY – Emily March
An Eternity Springs Novel
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-52878-0
September 2012
Contemporary Romance

Eternity Springs, Colorado – Present Day

After a bomber almost gets away with nearly killing investigative blogger Catherine Blackburn, her ex-husband, CIA agent Jack Davenport, kidnaps her and whisks her to the safety of his hideaway in Colorado. Cat is incensed that Jack doesn't think she can take care of herself, but she agrees to stay put until the bomber is caught. But being close to Jack reminds Cat of why they separated in the first place—and the continued hold her mother has on him. Cat soon becomes friends with the people of Eternity Springs and gets involved in the daily activities. She even begins to see Jack in a new light. Yet the pain of the past still stands between them.

Jack lost his family in a deadly fire when he was a child, leaving him with regret that he could not save them. A large trust fund ensures that he won't have any money woes, but that doesn't matter, as the need to rescue spurred him to join the CIA's Special Forces. Kat's mother is his boss, and the mother-daughter relationship has always been tenuous, reaching a head when Kat's mother opposed their marriage. Jack's constant absences due to work obligations that had him gone for days and weeks at a time left Kat bitter that her mother took priority over Kat. Their marriage quickly turned tumultuous, but it took the stillborn death of their child to drive the final wedge. A lot of unfinished business lies between Jack and Kat. Will the forced closeness help to heal the wounds?

Jack would be the last person Kat would have turned to in a crisis, which is why he “kidnaps” her to force her to Colorado. The pain in their marriage has them circling each other and blaming the other for its failure. Jack realizes the constant demands of his job made it difficult for Kat, especially when he always seemed to drop everything when her mother called. Kat's relationship with her mother is more like a formal friendship than mother-daughter. Kat's parents are married, but it's clear who rules the roost in that marriage. The forced closeness has Kat and Jack reevaluating their lives and seeing each other in a new light. Yet the barrier that was erected is still huge between them. Can they find a way to break it down and embrace the fact that they still love each other?

In NIGHTINGALE WAY, Kat and Jack get a chance to heal the wounds of their broken marriage and losing their baby. She expects to be bored, but is soon introduced to local folks, such as Celeste Blessing, the beloved owner of Angel's Rest, a spa and hotel in Eternity Springs. Celeste has helped to renew the town and to bring together several couples. Celeste is always available when Kat or Jack needs some words of wisdom. Jack's cousin Cameron is about to marry Lori, the woman he left behind as a teen. Jack is supposed to be the best man, but will work call him away yet again? Gabe and Nic's twins remind both Kat and Jack of the little girl they lost, while Sage and Colt are looking forward to the birth of their first child. Each and every one of these folks comes into contact with Kat and Jack, helping them to see that love is never lost, only temporarily forgotten.

An emotional tale, NIGHTINGALE WAY brings together two stubborn people who had pushed aside their feelings for each other after the loss of their baby. Readers will be rooting for Jack and Kat to realize just how much they truly love each other. Grab NIGHTINGALE WAY for a riveting journey that I highly recommend.

Patti Fischer