ill Darling is a single mom of twins, trying to run her own baking company, when her ex-husband's best friend finds her and helps her out, but he actually wants her business and eventually, her heart ill Darling is on the worst first date ever and trying to keep the man she barely knows from doing offensive things with his foot and her body under the table, so she agrees to an awkward dance and is trying to figure out a way to get away...when she sees a former friend who helps her make a quick getaway.
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His name is Connor McNair and once, they were good friends. He even spent the night before her wedding to his best friend with her, in a non-romantic way. He bribes a busboy to help them leave and to pass an appropriately intimidating message along to her date to prevent him from looking for her. After their quick getaway, they go to a restaurant they went to, with their friends, years ago and catch up.
She has a small, but busy and successful bake shop that she runs from home, but it is challenging running her fledgling company while parenting her twin toddler sons. In fact, the very next day when her assistant unexpectedly quits, he offers to help her and she agrees. He learns how to make some simpler glazes and plays with the boys long enough to wear them out. She barely makes her deadline and would not have done so at all, were it not for his help.
In addition, he has always had romantic feelings for her, but couldn't tell her, because she was dating and then married to, his best friend. Now, that marriage has ended, his feelings have not and she notices him in a romantic way as well. Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple, nor he did just happen to show up in town.
He is still friends with her ex-husband, Brad, and Connor is there at Brad's request. He wants her to sell the bake shop, because according to the terms of their divorce, he is entitled to part of the profits from her business she started while they were still married. Connor says nothing at first, because he knows that Brad is a dead-beat dad who rarely pays support and never sees his children.
As Jill and Connor grow closer, he struggles with feeling that he is betraying his friendship with Brad by not helping him get the money he wants from Jill selling her business, while also struggling with not telling Jill the truth. Eventually, he is forced to tell her, because they were almost becoming intimate and he could not make love with her without her knowing the truth. By that time, he had decided he would not help Brad, but she does not believe him and tells him to leave.
After she visits with her sister, who is rarely mentioned prior to then, she gains a new perspective and decides to forgive Connor for his almost betrayal. Before she can, Brad shows up, they fight and he makes some vague threats. Connor defends her and Brad leaves.
It should be pointed out that although there are numerous mentions throughout the novel that Brad was emotionally and financially abusive and controlling while they were married, he did not appear to be physically abusive. He was, however, a horrible husband and father and emotionally scarred her.
Connor and Jill finally become intimate and admit their feelings for one another and there are many examples throughout that demonstrate how good he is with the twins, a stark comparison to the fact that their father is never there. As the novel ends, they commit to ignoring Brad as much as possible and forming a family together that includes her successful bake shop.
Best part of story, including ending:
I thought I would like it because it is about a successful single mom running her home business while raising her twins, but the description is better than the book. Jill Darling was a sweet character, but stupid and must have terrible self-esteem. When the book starts, a man she barely knows is trying to do vile things to her with his naked foot under the table and she doesn't make him stop. It really doesn't get much better and it's stupid how little supervision she gives her twins when Connor is around.
Best scene in story:
n Chapter 6, when Jill and Connor are baking, there was a very sweet scene where she made the first step and kissed him. It was not overly romantic and actually the scene was a bit stressful, but as a thank you for his hard work, she kissed him and in that moment, it was easy to see how great the book could have been
Opinion about the main character:
ill Darling is just not the brightest character and it is difficult to empathize with someone you do not like or really understand. She loves her twins and she tries, but I just didn't understand her thought processes and therefore, I did not like her. I also seriously question her parenting skills, as in one scene her toddlers were eating lunch in another room, unsupervised, and by the time she went to find them their sandwiches were half gone and they were asleep.
