What Might Have Been
Daniels Brothers, Book #4
By Sherri Hayes
Author Website: http://www.sherrihayesauthor.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen
Synopsis:
Trent Daniels only has one regret in life. Nearly fifteen years ago, he let his high school crush, Abby Hoffman, go off to college in New York City without telling her how he felt. Ever since, he’s wondered what would have happened if he’d been bold enough to tell her his feelings.
Abigail Hoffman left Ohio behind long ago and with it the family that had taken her in and embraced her as one of their own. She’s missed the Daniels family, but she couldn’t bring herself to face them again—not after what happened. Now her job has brought her back to the place she’s done her best to avoid and right smack into Trent Daniels. (Goodreads)
Review:
When Trent goes to meet a new client for his landscaping business, he has no idea how his life will change. He knows his company could use the new job but he does not know that he is about to come face to face with the girl who got away. He has always had a soft spot in his heart for Abby, ever since they were children. But by the time he realized that he was developing feelings for her, his brother had made his move and those two became a couple. Eventually, Abby moves to New York, leaving all of the Daniels in the dark as to why she left.
Abby hopes that when she returns to Ohio to help her boss fix up a troubled business, she will not run into any of the Daniels. When she was younger, she thought of them as her second family, but when circumstances force her to leave them behind, she knows they will no longer welcome her. If they ever find out the secret she is carrying, they will not want anything to do with her. But fate has different plans for her, and when she meets Trent again, she eventually knows that she will have to confess her secret.
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. After learning Abby’s secret, my heart hurt for her. I could see why she was afraid to reveal her secret and did not want to get involved with Trent and his family again. But you could tell how much she missed being a part of their family and how sad she was. Trent was a great guy, who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to go after it. He was level-headed and always tried to do the right thing. He is loyal to his friends and family and he was a fair boss. I enjoyed reading about the close knit Daniels family and could understand why Abby missed being around them.
There is romance and heat in this book but there is also mystery and suspense. Someone is burglarizing Trent’s place of business and he has no idea who may be doing the stealing. The case is solved but not before the tension grows and there is a climatic finish to the case. I really enjoyed this added layer to the book.
This was the first book that I have read in the series, but I had no trouble following the story and knowing what was going on. There is enough of a backstory that allowed me to just get swept right up into the book. In my opinion, the author is a very talented writer and I really enjoyed this book a lot.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted women’s contemporary. If you are a fan of second chance romance, this is a must read book. I would not recommend it to young adults due to the steaminess. I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series so I can follow the other Daniels brothers stories.
