Her Great Expectations
Joan Kilby
Harlequin SuperRomance, Jan 12, 2011, $5.50
ISBN: 9780373716814

Widower Jack Thatcher has failed to move passed the death of his wife who died in a plane crash. This is ironic as he owned an air-charter at the time she passed on. Since his spouse died, Jack has given up on life as he no longer owns that air-charter and simply avoids entanglements with people.

Jack's broken world is shook to the core when he meets Dr. Sienna Maxwell. She reciprocates his immediate attraction although she has doubts too. However, what sells her on the depressed Jack is how super he relates with her son. Sienna tries to encourage Jack to join the living especially with her and her child. Initially he remains recalcitrant, but soon figures out that he can't have Sienna and remain a misanthrope.

Although the theme of love helping someone move on with the grieving process has been used a lot in literature, Joan Kilby keeps her insightful story line fresh due to the unique protagonists. Sienna is a wonderful caring person who also has doubts about a relationship as her prime need is raising her son yet has great expectations so she takes a chance on Jack. He, on the other hand, prefers being a hermit because love does not just hurt; it cripples the soul when it expires. Readers will appreciate this deep contemporary second chance at love tale.

Harriet Klausner