Review: Again, Alabama by Susan Sands

Book blurb:
Cammie Laroux is back in Alabama---again.

Dragged back to her small town to help her mother recover from surgery while rescuing the family event planning business should be a cinch. Even for a disgraced television chef, right? Wrong.

Among the many secrets Cammie's family’s been hiding is the fact that their historic home is falling down. Oh, and the man hired to restore the house, Grey Harrison, is the same high school and college love of her life who thrashed her heart and dreams ten years ago. Yeah, that guy.

Grey, a widower with a young daughter, has never stopped loving Cammie, and when they are face to face once again, the chemistry is off the charts. Cammie may be in full-blown denial, but letting go is no longer in Grey’s vocabulary, even when winning Cammie’s forgiveness and renovating their love may seem like an impossible build even for a master architect and carpenter.

As Cammie finds herself forgetting all the reasons she can’t trust Grey or love again, he finds himself remembering all the reasons he wants her to stay with him in Alabama… forever.

My Review:

Again, Alabama by Susan Sands is a second chance romance where the heroine (Cammie) finally comes home again. Coming home is not necessarily what Cammie wants to do, but her mother and family need her, and she is in a career crisis where some away time is a good plan. Cammie ran from her home town years ago, never wanting to return, but here she is. I had mixed feelings about Cammie. I understand the teenage hurt she suffered, but she has carried this heart ache around for years and used it as an excuse to stay away.

When she runs into the cause of her heart ache (Grey), she has some very mixed feelings. She is in a relationship with someone else, but a piece of her heart won't let Grey go no matter how much it still hurts to see him again. Grey knows he committed a terrible wrong all those years ago, and he wants nothing more now than forgiveness and a second chance with Cammie. But there is so much more going on in their adult lives now than there was all those years ago as teenagers. Grey has a daughter, Cammie has a fiancee, a family business to help with, and a family with secrets that are coming to light. Nothing is what Cammie expected.

It was an interesting journey to go on as Cammie worked through her family issues and her current relationship versus her feelings towards Grey. I liked getting to know Cammie and Grey as adults. With all the past and present baggage pulling them down, the road they must travel has a lot of ups and downs. There is tension not only between Cammie and Grey, but between Cammie and her family. There is conflict, both inner and interpersonal. I was very interested to keep reading and find out what kind of resolution there would be for this hero and heroine.

I liked the secondary characters and the family dynamics that were involved in Again, Alabama. I felt that they added a lot of dimension and depth to the plot. I liked Samantha (Grey's daughter) who adds even more special to the story and really pulled at my heart strings. This little girl and what she's suffering really put a lot into perspective.

Susan's writing was easy to read and the flow of Again, Alabama was smooth. For the most part the plot was well paced, but there were times where I just wanted to know more (usually background) information so that I could feel closer to the characters. Overall an enjoyable read, I'd recommend Again, Alabama to romance readers who like a second chance romance.

3/5 stars