Ames’ review of Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry.
Being a single dad was never on Michael Young’s agenda. Yet with the sudden loss of his wife, that’s exactly the role he has. On his best days, he thinks he can handle it. On his worst… Luckily, family friend Angie Bartlett has his back, easily stepping in to help out.
Lately, though, something has changed.
Michael is noticing exactly how gorgeous Angie is, and how single she is. She’s constantly in his thoughts and he feels an attraction he never expected. Does he dare disrupt the very good thing they have going? If they have a fling that goes nowhere, he stands to lose everything—including her. But if they make it work, he stands to gain everything!
I’m a big fan of Sarah Mayberry and she does not disappoint with Within Reach.
Jewelry designer Angie Bartlett’s best friend passed away 10 months ago. Back in Australia from a quick business trip to New York, she’s looking at Michael Young, her best friend’s husband, with fresh eyes. He is still ravaged by grief and not really keeping it together for his children, Eva and Charlie. The house is dark and dirty and Michael is forgetful and not really there for the children, not actively. Angie takes it upon herself to confront Michael and get him back into the land of the living. Michael resists at first and resents Angie’s intrusion but she planted a seed and Michael quickly sees where Angie’s coming from.
Angie is really close to the children, so she comes over quite a bit and her and Michael become close. While Billie was alive, she was always there between them. But without her, their friendship deepens and with Angie’s involvement with the children, she’s around quite a bit. Angie is the first to notice her attraction to Michael. She tells herself to put it out of her mind.
And then things change when Angie’s studio is vandalized. Michael’s last birthday gift to Billie was a studio in the backyard for her new pottery hobby. It sat empty all this time but Michael offers it for Angie’s use and she accepts. This means she’s around almost every day, and she even begins picking Eva up from school.
Oh my goodness was this an excellent read. The growing feelings between Michael and Angie was very organic and understandable. Never did I think that these two were inappropriate. Mayberry makes it very clear to us that when Billie was alive, Michael and Angie never saw each other that way. And of course when Michael realizes he’s attracted to Angie he feels guilty. His libido had been dead for the last year and he never thought he’d be attracted to another woman. So his guilt is compounded by the fact that the first person he reacts to sexually is his wife’s best friend.
Again I thought it was all believable and not too angsty. Yes, there’s angst, but it was just the right amount. I stayed up late finishing this, because I had to know how everything worked out. I really felt for Michael and Angie and how they struggled with their developing feelings. I loved the emotions and how that was the conflict between these two. I can’t recommend this one enough.
I’m giving Within Reach a 4.5 out of 5.
This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
You can read more from ~ames~ at Thrifty Reader.
I nodded along to everything you said in this review. Ditto to it all. I really liked this read.