Feature book: Loving Brooke

Loving Brooke by Elsa Winckler
Series: Unexpected Love #3
Subgenre: contemporary romance
Release date: 11 Oct 2022
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Format: ebook and print
Length: 192 pages
RRP: $6.32 (ebook); $20.60 (print)
Brooke was widowed three years ago, left with her son Connor, now seven. She thinks that’s how life’s going to be from now on, her and Connor—and her extended family. We meet the extended family in this book; the previous two books in this series matched off some of the family, and now it’s Brooke’s turn.
Our hero is Gavin Wilson. His sister is married to Brooke’s rancher brother Logan. Gavin’s in partnership with Logan, so he and Brooke have known each other for some time.
Those three years since Brooke’s husband died have been very long and hard. They married young, and all she wanted to do was paint, so she did—and she’s very good at it. She does amazing landscapes, vividly realised, but has inexplicably started painting the human figure. Why has she now painted a kiss—with the two figures in the painting looking like herself and Gavin? The family also recognise the two kissing figures, so! Let the matchmaking begin!
Oh, my goodness, this family is a force of nature as matchmakers. They all want Gavin and Brooke to get together. Seriously, nothing is sacred, and nothing is subtle—everyone starts talking weddings and wedding dresses and babies and omigosh, what an over-the-top reaction. Even so, it’s all done from their beautiful hearts.
Caught unawares, Gavin and Brooke hatch a plan. To get the family off their back they’ll fake a relationship for now. Then, when Gavin has to leave to run the Seattle office in a couple of weeks, they’ll pretend it didn’t work and they’ve called things off.
Best laid plans and all that. You know what’s going to happen while they’re ’pretending’, don’t you? That little thing called love.
The path to true love doesn’t run smooth. Lots of bumps and potholes and unexpected issues certainly pop up here. Brooke can’t believe Gavin truly wants a relationship, and he (the big, huggable, rock-solid guy) doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. Can love find a way?
I loved Gavin, he was a gorgeous, protective, to-die-for hero. At times I found Brooke rather naive regarding relationships, especially as she had been married before. But take heart and read on, I finished the book with a sigh and a smile.
reviewed by Malvina
A review copy of this book was provided by the author.