Comfort Zone

Anna Weber is running from her past. She thinks she's found a place she and her twin daughters can safely settle, at least for now. That place is Comfort, Texas. She's making a life for herself. She's making friends she finally feels like she can count on. What she didn't count on is Jack Moses. Jack, a former NFL quarterback, finds himself having car trouble at the school where Anna has been hired to check the provenance of a piece of music that has been donated. He's more impressed with her than he expected when she isn't bowled over by his looks and charm and when she gets his car started back up in short order. Anna tries her best to ignore the attraction she feels to Jack, but that proves to be difficult! And when her past comes back to haunt her in vivid, living color, Anna worries that she'll lose the little spot she'd found to call home.

I big puffy heart love this book! Kimberly Fish has such a way with words. She makes you feel like you're part of the story, and the characters she creates are just almost as close as next door. Anna, for instance, is absolutely spot on as a single mom trying to protect herself and her daughters from a nasty operator from her past. Her longing to belong, to have some place to call Home, is palpable, as is her fear of letting others get too close. She has a select circle that she's opened up to a bit, but she's very hesitant to go beyond that. The more people who know any of her story, the greater the risk, as she sees it.

And Jack. Oh, y'all, I wanted to hug him! He's used to people being swayed by his star power, even though he's no longer on the playing field. When Anna doesn't roll that way, he's bemused. But not in a bad, stuck-up way, because he's really a good guy. He does his best to help others where he can, and if people being impressed by his football prowess makes that a little easier, well, so much the better. I love that he is just fascinated by Anna in significant part because she doesn't give two cents for his handsome face or his claim to fame.

The Greens, Joseph and LaDonna, are wonderful characters, too. You can tell they're good friends with Jack, the kind of friends that kick you in the pants when you need it, and LaDonna is just a treat. She welcomes Anna like Anna is one of their own already. I'm telling you, these will feel like folks you've known for years, or at least folks you want to know!

And I love that Anna is not what Jack expects her to be. She knows her way around the mechanics of a car. She can speak football fluently. She is not your typical pretty face. Likewise, Jack isn't what Anna expects, either. He's not just a former athlete who does nothing but capitalize on his name. He's not just a pretty boy thinking everything should always fall into place for them. Their interactions as they both try not to fall for the other are so much fun to read.

There's a fair bit of tension, too, when Anna's past threatens to become her present. She learns that she has finally found people who have her back, though, and she doesn't have to run anymore. I cheered at that part of the book!

Kimberly Fish has created a family that has chosen each other here, and I love it. That and the delightful second chance romance for Jack and Anna make this a must read. I want to get to know the other folks in Comfort now. This may have been the first book of Fish's that I've read, but it certainly won't be the last! Run out and get this if you enjoy a sweet, clean romance, a little bit of suspense, and a beautiful found family. All the stars from me!