Anything for You

Starred review from October 1, 2015
When Connor O'Rourke decides he wants to marry longtime on-again, off-again secret girlfriend Jessica Dunn and she turns him down flat, he tells her it's over]but no one else will do, despite his sister's attempts at matchmaking and his wish to get over her once and for all. Connor fell in love with Jessica when he was 12 years old, and despite being one of the few boys she never slept with in high school, his feelings for her have never changed. Now, 20 years later, and after 10 years of sneaking around Manningsport in a relationship that grows hot and cold]depending on Jessica's moods and what's going on in her life]Connor is convinced they're ready to take the next step and proposes. Jessica wants none of it. Her mentally challenged brother hates Connor after a childhood trauma, and she knows he'll never accept Connor as her husband. Plus, her father, who abandoned them years ago, is back, claiming to be sober and wanting to try again. Just when Jessica thinks her life is going well]landing her dream job at Blue Heron Winery, saving enough money for a home of her own, Davey settled into some level of independence]the messy emotions of her past are rising up, complicating things. When Connor tries to convince Jessica that some obstacles might not be impossible, she lashes out, until more emotionally intense events reset their mercurial cycle. Finally Connor draws a line, and Jessica must decide if she'll reach for a future with the man she loves, despite her fear and insecurities. Blue Heron fans will not be disappointed in this emotional novel that spans Connor and Jessica's 20-year love story and offers peeks into their volatile relationship that make the final chapter of their romance and the series even more poignant and gratifying. Higgins' masterful storytelling and penetrating study of human nature combined with a dollop of humor make for breathtaking, heart-wrenching, compelling romance.

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Starred review from December 1, 2015

Connor O'Rourke has loved Jessica Dunn since he was 12, but their relationship over the years has been rocky at best. Now, together once more, Connor wants to settle down, but convincing independent Jess to marry him is not going to be easy. She is happy with their current "friends with benefits" relationship, and with a developmentally disabled brother to care for, Jess has no plans to marry. But Connor is determined to change her mind. VERDICT A heroine who believes she can only count on herself, a persistent, protective hero who won't give up, and a wonderful cavalcade of Blue Heron folk lead to an irresistible, often touching story that is tender, sexy, and hilarious as only Higgins can write it. A story to savor. Higgins (If You Only Knew) lives in Connecticut.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
Higgins continues her Blue Heron series (In Your Dreams, 2014). As tiny as it is, Manningsport, New York (population 715), has a wrong side of town, and that is where Jessica Dunn grew up with her alcoholic parents and younger brother, Davey, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Nicknamed Jessica Does in high school, she only shares her bed these days with Connor O'Rourke, and she has managed to keep that relationship under wraps for more than 10 years. She has had to, because Davey still blames Connor for the death of his dog when they were children, and Jessica has to put Davey first, because their parents never did. Jessica has a good lifeher dream job, Davey, and Connor. Maybe she sometimes wishes for something more, but she never thought she'd have all that she does. Then Connor gives her an ultimatum, but Jessica believes she can never be anyone's wife. Recommend to readers who enjoy authors Shannon Stacey, Macy Beckett, or Jane Graves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)