Lily Cookson has a few rules for the New Year, the most important being don’t fall for Jack Bailey. The gorgeous, rugged man returned with a new look and a determination to win her back, catching her off guard. After a forbidden night in his arms, she vows never to let it happen again. But when morning sickness kicks in a few weeks later, Lily realizes staying away from Jack just got a whole lot harder.

Jack Bailey left Shadow Creek behind five years ago when his world imploded around him, knowing it would be best for everyone if he was gone…including Lily. It took him a long time to get his life back on track and grow into the kind of man she needs him to be. Now he’s determined to prove to Lily that he’s back for good and ready to commit, but the secrets she’s holding onto are nothing compared to the bombshell he drops…

Series – Shadow Creek, Montana = 1. Christmas with the Sheriff – 2. The Baby Bombshell – 3. The Doctor’s Redemption – 4. Baby on the Bad Boy’s Doorstep – 5. The Firefighter’s Pretend Fiancee – 6. A Christmas Miracle for the Doctor – 7. Snowed In with the Firefighter –

Title:  The Baby Bombshell
Series:  Shadow Creek, Montana #2
Author:  Victoria James
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  April 10, 2017
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing – Bliss
My Rating:  4.5 stars

I’m a reader who will put myself into a character’s shoes, especially when they do something that puzzles me or doesn’t make sense.  The dual points of view of Lily and Jack helped me make sense of the actions taken, and the mindset at the time as well.  The Baby Bombshell is both heartbreaking and heartwarming in different aspects of this romance.  Lily and Jack once had the world at their fingertips, about to be married, love strong – life couldn’t get much better.  Until it all disappeared.  When Jack’s twin brother and his nephew were killed, Jack went into a grief-stricken depression that sent him away from everyone he loved – his family, the woman he loved.  He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that he and his family would never see his brother again – except when they looked at him and would be reminded of what they’d all lost.  Jack ran, and it took him five long years to finally get himself settled again.  Five long years of remaining faithful to the woman he loved and now wanted a life with once again.  Five years… when he’d known what Lily went through and he wasn’t able, couldn’t bring himself to be beside her when she’d needed him the most.

Lily could not believe Jack was actually here.  Five long years’ worth of anger, despair, loneliness, pain, and sadness exploded on her senses in that one moment’s glance.  And then she remembered – she was done with Jack.  Second chances?  No, not going to happen not when he’d destroyed everything they’d had, not when he’d run away from and not run to her when he needed her, and later when she needed him.  No, they were done.  Yet, one night with her guard down, one night when she let herself feel everything for him again wasn’t supposed to happen, and wouldn’t happen ever again.  Except for one small consequence from that night or maybe the second chance they both needed.

The Baby Bombshell is Victoria James giving us what she does best – an emotional story that is life-like in its depth, reasons, and results.  Jack made mistakes, he owned up to them and he groveled so well.  It’s obvious that he needed the time away, needed to pull himself together again in order to be a man who could tackle life once again with his love.  While it’s realistic, the one part that I still cannot wrap my mind around is that when Lily truly needed him back, he simply couldn’t.  Lily has strengths she doesn’t even realize yet.  She’s determined to not let Jack back into her life.  He left her once, and if she opened up herself again and he left again she wouldn’t survive it this time.  While she had one bombshell to drop – Jack had an even bigger one and forgiving that would be the greatest test of her love for this man.

I enjoyed this second story in the Shadow Creek, Montana series, we get a chance to revisit with old friends and perhaps even get a glimpse of the next romance to hit the town.  If you are a Romance reader, then The Baby Bombshell will hit all the right spots and deliver a loving, realistic, enjoyable story.

**This review originally appeared on my Keeper Bookshelf blog**

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available in paperback and for the Kindle