This Time For Keeps by Jenna Mills

I didn't think this was one of the better romances I've read lately. In fact, I just didn't enjoy it at all despite the main character being Scottish. Which is usually a plus in romance novels for me. But not this one, this one held no charm at all.

After the breakup of their marriage two years before, things have changed in both Meg and Russell's life. They were recovering from tragedy, and grew apart, and then when Russell left, everything was turned upside down in Meg's life. But she had to pull herself out of the gloom when his sister had a baby. And then when his sister died, it was just Meg and the baby, who she loves immensely. But with Russell back in town, the divorce papers still not signed, and the affairs to be set in order, Meg is deeply afraid that she will lose the child and be alone again. And she never did get over Russell, so just his presence is enough to throw her whole world for a loop.

Meg was a bit strange. She had a lot of emotional baggage, which is understandable, but she took it to extremes at times. I also thought that the way the author treated alcoholism was completely insulting. It made it seem an easy thing to get over and its not. Russell was a jerk in my opinion. He was so wrapped up in his own needs that he thought he was write about everything. And he doesn't really come around ever, he still pushes everything back on Meg. Honestly I'm not quite sure what Meg even fell in love with him. He was just completely unlikable. And like most romance novels, the child was no more than a mere prop in the book.

I didn't really care for the plot either. The whole concept of them still being married two years later and brought together by a child just seemed very contrived. They didn't seem to even really care for each other beyond sexual attraction, and even that wasn't very exciting. And the whole town acting the way they did, that was a bit unrealistic as well. The romance part of this romance was pretty tame. It was more a book about them whining about their problems and then deciding maybe a little romance thrown in was ok. Nothing really tied together too well.

I wouldn't read it again or recommend it. I'm not even sure I'd be on the lookout for anything else from this author.

This Time For Keeps
Copyright 2010
314 pages