Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

For Noah Mackie, life is finally back on track. He has a great support system, a promised promotion is on its way, and he's finally getting the hang of this single father thing. But when the job falls through and his neighbor's matchmaking efforts become more aggressive, Noah is in for yet another unwanted detour. With his career and two spirited daughters to worry about, he doesn't have time for dating—especially not someone like Cassie Ellis, his girls' beautiful and sophisticated dance instructor, who is about as open and approachable as a brick wall.

Rough around the Edges Meets Refined is about two people who think they know exactly what they want but who have no idea what they really need. It's about learning that people aren't always what they seem and that sometimes life’s detours take you exactly where you need to go.

My Review: 5 Stars

Cassie is a recent widow. But she's not like any other widow. She does not miss her husband at all. He was a horrible person who was very controlling and wouldn't let Cassie do anything that she wanted to do. Now that she is free from him she is on a journey of self discovery. She knows that she can never be the person that she used to be but she also doesn't want to be the person her husband had turned her into. She doesn't know who she is. But she does know that she never, ever wants to be controlled by a man again. So when her friend, Becky, tries to set her up with a single father, she wants nothing at all to do with it.

Noah is a single father of two beautiful, active girls. He's on the verge of a promotion and life just couldn't get any better! Until the promotion doesn't come through. he loses his job and his well meaning but meddling neighbor, Becky, decides she has the perfect woman to set him up with. He really doesn't want to have anything to do with any woman and tries his best to dodge any kind of setups. When Becky tells him that all he has to do is find out what Cassie's favorite ice cream is and she'll leave him alone and never set him up again, Noah agrees and sets out to find out what it is so he can get back to living his life. Little did he know that one simple question would set him on the path that he never knew he wanted to go down. Now... all he has to do is to show Cassie that that path isn't all that scary and going down it together is just what they both need.

I really enjoyed seeing Noah and Cassie get to know each other and grow closer together. Noah was extremely patient with what Cassie went through with her husband and had to remind her several times that he wasn't him and didn't want to control her. But I do understand that it can be very scary to start any kind of relationship after everything she had to go through. I felt at times she was too cautious. Noah had to prove himself over and over and over again! And I really didn't think it was very fair to him. When she left to "figure things out" I was thinking she had better do something spectacular to win Noah back!

Most of you know that one of my biggest pet peeves is when a book just ends! No conclusion... no nothing! Just ends! I hate that! But another one of my pet peeves is when the heroine does something to hurt the hero and then the hero has to go crawling back to her. Seriously?! She broke it! Let her fix it! I know... I know... I am probably one of the very few who think this way. But alas... I do! And thank goodness there are some authors who think the way I do! ;) That is all I have to say on this subject. Hehe.

All in all this was a really, really good book! I loved it! Rachael Anderson does it again! She is another auto-buy author for me! I seriously can't wait for Sam's story... Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity. I have already pre-ordered it and I can't WAIT to read it!! ;)

And of course I can't forget the casting! Can I tell you how much I love finding new people to cast for all these amazing books?! Seriously... I love it! :) Hehe. So... what do you think?!