Be still my heart...Asher and Savannah's story was just one long SWOON-fest. I mean from beginning to end, it was just perfect.
Here is the publisher's summary: In this modern-retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.
After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher’s hand and disfigured half of his face, he's lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy…that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress with a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn’t felt in years.
Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other’s hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they’ll have to decide if the love they found in one another’s arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.
I thought Asher was a remarkable character. At the point that we meet him, he is licking his wounds - understandably- and has basically lived as a hermit for the past 8 years. He has suffered through things that would bring anyone to their knees. So, it was really awesome to see him (with the help of Ms. Potts) take a chance on life and to have enough of a sense of self worth to know that he deserves what Savannah is offering him. I loved this about him the most. I think it sends a positive message to people who are not conventionally beautiful or who are perceived as damaged that they should know that they deserve to have beautiful things. And once he opens himself up to Savannah, he then embraces other things that he has been resisting. It's wonderful to see Asher breaking free of his cocoon.
Savannah was also amazing. She's been knocked down and is home trying to sort herself and her career out. Initially, she sees Asher as a means to that end. She realizes, very quickly, that he has the potential to be a lot more. And because she has such a good heart, she is able to look at the man and see his goodness, even if his exterior is not as beautiful as it used to be. I thought it was very telling that when she started to get know Asher, she suddenly thought that his scarred faced wasn't as bad as she had initially thought. But, I saw that as that uniquely human ability for our eyes to see what our heart wants us to. And watching them navigate the difficulties that their circumstances produced was to watch something that is not a fairy tale at all, but what most people do in real life.
And Savannah made some poor decisions, but I think also felt that this was because she had to make some REALLY difficult and unexpected choices and not because she was a bad person.
I was so happy for both of them at the end of the story. I love that Operation Mend was highlighted. I love that we got a character who is representative of so many men and women who have made enormous sacrifices for their country. It's nice to see them being portrayed as romantic heroes and getting their Happily Ever Afters, too. Kudos to Katy Regnery, who has yet to do anything wrong in my humble estimation. Happy reading!
