ARC Review: One Good Reason

One Good Reason
Sarah Mayberry
Contemporary Romance
Sequel to The Last Goodbye
Harlequin/August 1, 2011

From Goodreads ~

It's time to move on...

Any day now Jon Adamson will pack his bags and hit the road. After all, his intention was never to hang around Melbourne once he’d settled his late father’s affairs. Yet he hasn’t moved on. And it might have something to do with Gabby Wade. The not-so-big office manager with the really big attitude is making Jon’s days…interesting…engaging…fun. It’s impossible for him to resist her.

But he knows himself—long-term commitments and cozy family dinners aren’t his style. If that’s what the future holds, why is he still here? And why is he spending all his days—and nights—with Gabby? Because maybe she’s the one reason strong enough to make him stay.

What if you discovered that all you ever wanted were the things you’d left behind?

After reading about Jon's brother Tyler in The Last Goodbye, I was looking forward to finding out more about Jon, and Gabby too. I was also hoping Jon and Gabby's story would have more romance. They still have emotional issues to get through but the story isn't as dark as The Last Goodbye and Jon and Gabby are cute together!

Gabby Wade is a petite, feisty woman who works in an office of all men. She's not much for dressing up, preferring casual wear for her job as office manager of T. A. Furniture Designs. It's not surprising that Gabby gets along well with men, since she's used to working with them, but for some reason Jon just rubs her the wrong way. They're squabbling is amusing, each giving as good as they get. Lots of sexual tension going on here! I liked that Gabby didn't suddenly do a 180° and ditch her jeans and t-shirt for skirts and heels. It's more a gradual realization that she's stopped caring about how she looks. It's the fallout of her breakup with Tyler, Jon's brother, nearly four years ago. Once Gabby is honest with herself and how she feels, you see her start to hope for something lasting with Jon.

Jon Adamson is a strong, silent type. Very silent. He's fighting his demons and while he's not losing the battle, he's not really winning either. It's a daily struggle that Mayberry puts him through. The oddly bright spot in his days is Gabby Wade. Odd because on the surface they don't get along but in spite of that they're developing a relationship based on mutual like and respect. Mayberry puts Jon in limbo. He's working for his brother but he doesn't plan on staying. But he sold his company in Canada so he has nothing to go back to there. He really has no plans but you see him slowly thinking that maybe he could have something with Gabby.

Mayberry lets Gabby and Jon's relationship develop naturally, with some interference from Tyler and Ally but that's to be expected since they love and care about both Gabby and Jon. The way Mayberry woven in the two couples and their relationships really worked. I thought I might have a problem with Gabby having been Tyler's lover then her being with Jon. But Mayberry had me believing that while Gabby still had feeling for Tyler, they were that of close friends, not of a lost love. Gabby's feelings for Jon ran much deeper. There was a small issue of Gabby thinking she was still in love with Tyler, then falling for Jon happening rather quickly. To have such strong emotions change so quickly didn't ring completely true for me.

In the end, Gabby and Jon get their Happily Ever After that they both worked so hard for. This couple really clicked for me. They came across as a real couple with real issues. They had a rocky start that led to both of them facing some hard facts about what they really want in life. A very sweet, romantic story.

Rating: B+