(Boys of Bishop #3)
by Molly O'Keefe
ARC Review
Released: July 29th, 2014, Bantam
My rating: 5 of 5 ⭐️
"After years of running, Wyatt Svenson has now parked himself in Bishop, Arkansas, trying to do the right thing and parent a son he didn’t even know he had until recently. Over six feet tall and packed with muscles and power, Ty likes to get his hands dirty, fixing his motorcycle at night and keeping his mind away from the mistakes he’s made. Then his pretty neighbor shows up on his driveway, doesn’t bother to introduce herself, and complains about the noise. First impression? She should loosen up. Funny that she turns out to be his son’s elementary school art teacher—and the only one willing to help his troubled boy. Ty needs her. In more ways than one.
Though Shelby Monroe is safe in her structured life, she is drawn to Ty’s bad-boy edge and rugged sexuality. What if she just lets it all go: her worries about her mother, her fear of heartbreak, and her tight self control? What if she grabs Ty and takes a ride on the wild side? “What if” becomes reality—intense, exhilarating . . . and addictive. But Ty wants more than a secret affair. He wants it all with Shelby. But will she take a chance and open her heart? Ty is determined to convince Shelby to take the biggest risk of her life: on him."
*****
Lord I love these boys of Bishop; And Ty is now at the top of my list!!
These novels by Molly O'Keefe are so deceptive. At first glance they appear to be 'just' another romance novel. Exceptionally well-written, mind you. But then the surface skin of simple small-town life starts peeling back, to reveal the underlying darker individual layers of complex circumstances and histories. All Ms. O'Keefe's characters are rife with rich context, both in behaviour and personality.
Shelby's life consists very much of two parts; One is visible to the outside world and has her in the role as art teacher at the local elementary school, as well as the driving force behind the Art Barn, an after school project for local children. Everyone knows her as a kind and outgoing individual. The second part only exists within the confines of her home, and has her in care of an ailing mother who no longer has a grip on the passing of time, and pulls Shelby back into memories of a dark history she'd rather forget. Life inside those walls is anything but controlled; it is unpredictable and utterly exhausting.
There is only one reason Ty settled down in Bishop, and that is to provide stability for his son. A son he has barely gotten used to having. Having grown up himself without the benefit of good parenting, he is determined to do better by his own child, but the adjustment is not an easy one. Much has happened in the boy's young life that Ty has not been privy to and when he acts out, Ty has no idea how to deal with it. On top of that, being rooted in one place is not something that feels comfortable for someone who has been skimming through life so far.
There are two secondary characters in this novel that deserve attention. Both were written with great understanding despite the gigantic gap in age and issues. Yet despite their differences, they form an unlikely bond of sorts, that is so very moving.
In all the books I've read from her so far, Molly O'Keefe has touched on a number of difficult and potentially devastating health and life circumstances that in some way are recognizable to all of us. She does so with tremendous insight, care and respect. Her books leave me moved, every time.
✨Yes - exciting and hot, but also very, very moving....✨
**Copy provided in return for an honest review**
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