Any Man of Mine – Book Review

First things first- I absolutely LOVED this book ! Not for the characters but rather the lessons learnt from the mistakes made by the characters.

 PLOT – Sam Leclaire is a shallow and superficial hockey star. He drinks and dates a new model every week. On a trip to Vegas, he is enamored by a redhead named Autumn Haven, spends a few nights of passion with her and on the spur marries her. Only to leave her the next day all alone- pregnant divorced and confused.

Sam LeClaire was a good-looking son of a bitch. Everyone thought so. Everyone from sports writers to soccer moms.The girl wrapped up in his sheets thought so, too. Although she really wasn’t a girl. She was a woman.”

It has taken 5 years for Autumn to let go of the deep burning hatred she has for Sam. Being a single working mother is no easy task, but hard work is her best quality. Forgiveness is definitely not her thing.

And when Sam slowly realizes that fame and gorgeous girls are all momentary pleasure and suddenly family is his priority, will she be able to open her heart again?

“I want you to always be here when I get home. I want to hear about your day. I love you and I will love you for the rest of my life.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to choke up. He didn’t want the woman he loved to see him cry like a girl. “You and Conner, that’s all I’ll ever need.”

THOUGHTS-

Autumn’s mom had told her not to go to Vegas- for anything can happen there. But of course, human tendency is to rebel & find out things for themselves. Most of us young people feel, “Oh, we’re adults now, we know what we are doing, our parents are just getting intrusive.” But the things is that they have seen life better than us & sometimes they do get protective. I loved how Autumn realized her mistakes of the past and moved on.

“You never learn the first time. You always have to get hit twice before you see it coming.” He was seeing now what he’d seen that first night at Pure. A bright shiny light he wanted to catch in his hands and hold forever. If she let him.” 

I don’t believe in sex before marriage, especially sex with stranger, no matter how much they are drenched in sex appeal. What if you get pregnant and the other guy runs off? Sure you’ve got protective measure,s but a single mistake can change the course of your life. And reading this story further supported my idea. Autumn just got lucky that Sam came come back. In real life, there are hardly any rosy endings.

 He pointed at her white Jersey. “What the hell are you wearing?”

“A hockey jersey.” She looked down and pointed at the penguin on the front. “Hockey is our Halloween theme this year.”

His voice was quiet. Deadly. “It’s Pittsburgh.”

“I like it. The penguin has little skates on his feet.” She looked back up. “It’s cute.”

“It’s gay.”

“Jerseys aren’t supposed to be cute.” He frowned and pointed an accusing finger at her. “You’re wearing Crosby’s number.”

She looked at the 87 on her sleeve. “Who?”

“Jesus. The bastard just scored on me with a hinky puck. He should have been embarrassed instead of skating around like a prom queen.”

“I like this jersey.”…“He’s cute.”

“Are you serious?”

She actually didn’t really know what Crosby looked like, but Sam looked annoyed. Which, she admitted, amused her. “Yes. I don’t want my guy to be ugly.”

“Your guy? You pick a guy’s number because you think he’s cute?”

Autumn was all alone during her delivery. Her mother had just dies of cancer, her father had run off with his girlfriend a decade ago, and brother fighting a war in Afghanistan, And then her ‘husband’ dumps her – it was an extremely tough situation. She was so scared and lonely.I could actually feel her emotions throughout the book.

Sam has 2 sides. While he sips beer and roll off women, he loves his son Conner very much. Except he just doesn’t know how to be a good father and realizes that he worse then his own dead. After his sister was killed, he became reckless. I loved his transition in the story.

 “See the dragon?” Conner pointed to what looked like a snake with a big head slithering through the sand toward the castle. “He protects the boy in the castle.”

“From what?”

He looked up at his dad and squinted against the sun. “From what, Dad?”

“Girls.”

Sam wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her heels. He pressed his dirty sweatshirt against her and laughed. “You’re too clean. I like you better when you’re dirty, too.”

“Sam!” She pushed at his shoulders and tried to squirm out of his hold. But Sam was bigger and taller, and she didn’t stand a chance.

He tightened his grasp and lifted her until her toes dangled above the sand. His heated breath whispered across her chilled cheek, “Wanna get real dirty with me?”

I guess I loved the book so much cause I connected with them, their feelings and the flashback, well written.

“You seem to have lost your panties again.”

“Oops. I bet that happens around you a lot.”

“Not anymore.” He slid his hands up her smooth back. “You’re the only woman I want around. The only woman I want to see drop her panties. The only woman I’ve ever really wanted.”

She leaned back and looked up at him. Her green eyes smiling with laughter. “Up until a few months ago, I wasn’t even the kind of woman you dated.”

“No.” He pressed his forehead into hers and brushed his mouth across her lips. “But you’re the kind of woman I marry. If I’m really lucky, you’re the kind of woman who will marry me twice.”