Jeremy Sheridan has come home to Whisper Falls as a war hero after two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He is putting on a good face for his family, but he is haunted by a tragic secret and painful memories he was unable to leave behind in the war zone. Now scruffy and bearded, Jeremy is spending time with his sister Tessa and brother-in-law Lucky Romo, from author Toni Blake's Destiny series. Restless and rootless, Jeremy decides to move to Coral Cove, Florida, the town where his parents have retired. He's hoping he can finally find some peace from his past and make a fresh start.

Tamra Day is a long-time resident of Coral Cove, and after some personal issues, has sworn off men. She also has a distressing secret in her past and has given up on finding love. Tamra is uptight, occasionally withdrawn, and a control freak. She is artistic and talented at designing, however, so her long-time friend Reece Donovan puts her in charge of the mini golf course he is building. While Tamra is doing the designing, the course will be built by Jeremy Sheridan, the new carpenter in town Reece has hired. Jeremy and Tamra's first meeting is somewhat contentious, and the pair immediately get off on the wrong foot. She sees the scruffy veteran as a dangerous man to stay away from. Jeremy, on the other hand, is intrigued by Tamra, and delights in ruffling her feathers. Things don't always go well between the two, but there is an obvious attraction.

Neither Tamra's nor Jeremy's secrets are revealed until late in the story, leaving the reader to work with damaged and often unsympathetic characters. Jeremy came off a little better in this reader's eyes, probably because he is obviously suffering from guilt and PTSD. Also, his secret is especially heartrending. Tamra's issues aren't as easily relatable, and she comes off as the less sympathetic of the two. Jeremy and Tamra spend a good deal of time circling around each other, and wondering if they dare take a chance at love. As they open up, they begin to look past their obvious issues. They are good for each other, and Tamra became less prickly and began to blossom as the relationship progresses.

TAKE ME ALL THE WAY is the third book in Toni Blake's always entertaining Coral Cove series. This is a takeoff from her popular Destiny series, but set in sunny Florida. As with Destiny, the reader becomes invested in the romance and with all of the characters in the small beach town. I have some favorites and one of them, Fletcher, has had a big change hit his life that readers who are waiting his book will be glad to find out. The series has outstanding characters, a lovely setting, and is an overall exceptional read.

Book Summary

You can't go too far when you're fighting for love . . .

Tamra Day swore off men a long time ago. Her art, her friends, and her garden have always been enough . . . until now. Suddenly, Tamra is aching for a connection. Unfortunately, Coral Cove's most eligible bachelor is the troublemaker who's building the mini-golf course she's designing. Brusque and sarcastic, he's made a habit of annoying Tamra. But more infuriating is the fact that Tamra can't help noticing how sexy he is.

They call him a war hero, but Jeremy Sheridan knows better. Still haunted by painful memories from Afghanistan, he's just hoping for a fresh start. So far, the only problem is his new boss, Tamra, a control freak who's easy on the eyes—and way too fun to tease.

Despite their differences, Tamra and Jeremy aren't as alone as they think they are. And together, with a little Coral Cove magic, they'll discover how good it feels to embrace a bright new future.

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