If You’ll Have Me

Esther Hatch

A lady desperately seeking freedom. A prosperous younger man. An unexpected connection.

Anna Atwood returns to Breckenridge, where she spent one blissful summer as a young woman. This time, though, she comes to the quaint town as a penniless spinster with a single hope: to build a life free from the constraints her father’s death put on her and free from the persistent suitor Mr. Green, whose plans for marriage are Anna’s worst nightmare. When she runs into David Tate, the boy she knew from that memorable summer, she finds he has grown into a confident and striking man. As they rekindle their friendship, David offers her warmth and protection in the moment she needs it most—when Mr. Green appears in town and threatens to destroy Anna’s carefully laid plans.

David Tate remembers Anna as the spirited woman who once brought light into his dark childhood. Now a man of means, he has a promising future, if he can withstand the powerful Lord Murphy—a man whose menacing hold on the town he owns is surpassed only by his relentless hold on David’s life. When David meets Anna again, he realizes he has a chance to save her from Mr. Green’s schemes, even if it means putting David in danger of Lord Murphy’s wrath and revealing David’s deepest secrets.

In a moment of desperation, David and Anna agree to a proposal of convenience to provide the safety they both need. But as their attraction ignites, the looming dangers from Lord Murphy and Mr. Green threaten to destroy their budding happiness.

My Review: 8/10

Possibly the best thing about this book is how realistically the characters behave. What a breath of fresh air. And I love how forthright they can be, speaking plainly, even if it's with self-interest in mind.

And I loved that characters were layered. Anna's mother, for example, initially shows as a weak, selfish woman. And she is true to that facet of her character, in the way she pushes her daughter. But even she has growth through the course of the story, prompting a few moments and lines that made me want to stand up and clap.

There was so much humor, the barriers made sense, and the characters' inner thoughts were understandable. All the right ingredients for a great story. All was going swimmingly until about 80% of the way.

SPOILERS

I don't know how Anna didn't recognize burn marks for what they were. Seems like common sense, which made it feel like she was being dumbed down, and I HATE that. Also, honestly, I was frustrated by the amount of secrets still between them at this point in the story. Most of them should have been obvious to Anna, and it seemed like she was being kept in the dark and given a heavy dose of naivete in order to drag the plot out. I felt like it was clear how it would ultimately play out, but it was a slow and painful process with only drops of joy that didn't do nearly enough to counteract my frustration with her ignorance.
*

I wish my highlights and notes were connected through kindle so that I could give examples. But alas.

That said, I really enjoyed *most* of this book. It was the best Esther Hatch I've read in years (historically, she's been a favorite of mine, but I've had some major issues with her recent works) , which makes me really excited for future books.