Hey...this one was read by me a long long ago, but missed writing my review for it. Hence, I re-read it and here I'm after an arresting, stirring, absorbing and riveting experience having had again. This is one of the Lakefront Billionaires written by the international best selling author - Lauren Asher!
It is this book that made me read more of Lauren Asher.
Built around the scenic Lake Wisteria, this story is all about nostalgia. The un-modernized Historic District, Festival Fair Grounds, Founder's House and beautiful farms and main city. It's here that the protagonists grow up and then kind of loose touch due to a sequence of enticing events that take place in their lives. Julian Lopez and Dahlia Munoz have been crafted with a lot of creativity and detail.
While both have been schoolmates and family friends growing up together and pranking each other, life brings a digression and both are moved distant from each other.
Dahlia continues to pursue college, but eventually submits to her passion of designing and successfully establishes Designs by Dahlia in San Francisco. She's become a name in the television industry and has a huge fan following due to her extraordinary show. But there is a dark side to this too.
It is during their time together at Stanford that the competitive friendship takes a turn towards becoming a romance between the two. But before even it could get started it kind of ends with this undesirable event in Julian's life.
Julian Lopez is struck with heartache and misery at the untimely death of his father resulting into him giving up on his studies to support the failing family business. To add to all the pain, he also has a mother in depression to take care of. But our hero lives up to every challenge thrown at him, emulating a perfect Family Man image. He not just supports his father's business, but takes it to new heights and becomes the richest man around.
Dahlia tried her best to be by Julian's side during his patchy grieving phase, but it was this "I don't need any help" attitude of Julian which pulled up walls between the two of them, pushing Dahlia away and towards Oliver, who only brings in misery, self-doubt and depression in Dahlia's life.
So, the story actually begins where Dahlia returns from San Francisco to Lake Wisteria with a broken engagement with Oliver and in deep depression. It is obvious that both the mothers have their past hopes re-kindled to see their children as a couple and there they are the two old ladies doing whatever it takes to bring their children close again.
The Munoz and Lopez have this incredible family ritual of having lunch together on Sundays. And this becomes the point of initiation to fill the distance between Julian and Dahlia. The plot progresses and brings in the sale and renovation of The Founder's House as an opportunity for Julian - the builder and Dahlia - the designer to work together and eventually fall for each other again, but this time with more love, intensity, desire and promise to not give up on each other and stand tall.
The varied events are most aptly building up the plot in the most exciting direction and as a reader I've cherished every moment of my reading this lovely romance.
It is only when you read you realize how much you enjoy the support and care Julian brings into his fold to help Dahlia out of her depression and how Dahlia in her own effortless manner aids Julian break his walls and express his love fearlessly. It is a made for each other couple who would never miss a chance to plan a prank on the other.
A through and through rewarding read!
Happy Reading!!!
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