Review: Could Be The One, by Claire Kingsley

Head back to Jetty Beach for the long awaited story of Gabriel Parker.

Gabe’s life was easier when all his friends were still single. Now he’s the guy left behind—the one who didn’t get the girl. Sadie walks into his life and awakens something he thought was gone. She’s running from her past, but he won’t let it catch her. He’ll protect her from whatever she left behind. She gave him a reason to care; he wants to give her a reason to trust. Maybe even a reason to love.

At long last, Gabe gets his HEA in Could Be The Reason! We’ve met Gabe before as a secondary character in many of the Jetty Beach and Return To Jetty Beach books, and now he’s finally gotten his own love story!

The chef and owner of Ocean’s Mark is a workaholic, married to his career ever since his marriage blew up in smoke… because of his dedication to his career. Since then, Gabe has seen all of his friends pair up and marry off, and starting families, while he spends his nights alone with his kitchen tools, frustrated with his life and lacking inspiration as a chef. But then Clover hires a sweet redhead named Sadie as a server at the restaurant, and Gabe FEELS for the first time in ages. He feels protective of a woman he barely knows, he feels like he wants to spend more and more time with her, he feels a spark of inspiration to cook again.

But Sadie is running from a dark past. She’s been hurt not only physically, but shunned from her family as a result of what happened. As a result, she has some trust issues and as attracted as she is to Gabriel, she’s afraid to get too close. After some amusing misunderstandings and miscommunications, Gabe and Sadie finally get on the same page, realizing that the other does indeed like them more than just as boss/employee.

Their first time together is so tender and sweet — wow, does Gabe really give up control to her there! Slowly, he’s able to break down Sadie’s walls, but when her past catches up to her present, can Sadie trust Gabriel enough to be her protector?

Readers should be aware that Sadie is a rape victim, so there are possible triggers in this story. Could Be The Reason is a wonderful story of overcoming strength, learning to trust again, and finding a reason to want to live life to the fullest once again.