I received a complimentary copy of this book through Crazy Cajun Book Addicts for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book by Victoria James. It had a great story line and I loved getting to know Jack and Lily. Their story was really emotional at times and did fetch a tear to my eye once or twice.

Jack and Lily were in love and always thought they would grow old together. Then one fateful day Jack's family were dealt a devastating blow, Jack found it difficult to cope and left, leaving Lily behind and heartbroken. Now five years later he's returned home and he wants Lily back.
Lily had no choice but to try and move on with her life but her heart never let go of Jack. She had her own heartbreak to deal with and has carried a huge secret for the last five years but if there's any chance of them been together again then she needs to tell him the truth.

After I read Christmas With The Sheriff I was really curious to see if Jack could actually win Lily back.

Five years after tragically losing his twin and his nephew in an accident, Jack is finally ready to come back home. Or as ready as he’ll ever be. He not only left his family without a backward glance, but he also left Lily, his fiancée, alone with no explanations. Of course, at the time he thought he was doing what was best for everyone. He had many things to work through back he always knew he would be coming back to claim the love of his life.

Lily was finally moving on with her life, or as much as she could without the man she loved. Now focused on getting her artisanal chocolate shop up and running, the last thing she needs is Jack waltzing back into her life. Or melting the heart he broke into a million pieces when he left her all alone to deal with life without him.

One night of weakness will result in something neither Jack nor Lily ever expected. But now Jack has another reason to win Lily back. And he won’t stop until he does, even if it takes him a lifetime.

I don’t usually like second chance romances, but that’s mainly when the relationships don’t work in themselves or there’s cheating involved. Jack leaving after a tragedy somewhat overcame my aversion to this trope. He had some major groveling to do, making amends with his loved ones, though mainly he needed to let go of his guilt and work through his issues. I loved how he knew Lily was it for him and he didn’t fuck around letting her know it. He was caring, considerate, sweet and really sexy.

I could totally understand Lily’s stance when Jack first showed up, and I’m pretty sure I would have acted pretty much the same way she did. She was the definition of nice, hard-working and the sweetest girl to everyone. I enjoyed how she made Jack work for it, not letting him back into her heart immediately. She also had some issues to overcome, but they eventually work through them.

I can’t say the whole “believe” thing and then the situation right before the ending didn’t result in a major eye roll from me. I actually thought it was a totally over the top situation that wasn’t really needed, but ok, I kind of get it was meant as a big gesture of his commitment, still…

With Gwen still single and now this Muffin Man in her sights, I’m really looking forward to reading her story next. The Baby Bombshell was a sweet, lovely second chance romance with some steam I really enjoyed. I do know it touches a subject that could be a trigger for some, so beware View Spoiler

**My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This is a second chance at love book that moves pretty fast, but it is Lilly who cannot forgive and forget the past and what Jack put her through, unwitting or not.

Both have had heartache, and both dealt with it differently, but now Jack is back to rekindle their romance and will stop at nothing to prove to Lilly that he wants her back for good.

We learn pretty quickly what Lily's big secret is and what has now happened between them and it is only Jacks constant appearance by Lily's side and finding out how Jack has really coped that pulls her close until a near death experience brings them back for good.

Its a good, fairly light-hearted read but does not need to be read as part of the series.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

I though this book was very cute with the perfect amount of heartache, drama and laughs. I really liked Lily. I loved that her emotions were so real, she was upset for a valid reason and was not afraid to let Jack know exactly how she felt. I also loved all of Jack's raw emotion, you may not agree with some of the things that he felt but you could understand just why he felt the way he did.... and want to hold and say its ok to live and let go.

Overall a very good book.

I really enjoyed Jack and Lily's story. Very sweet romance - heartwarming and thoughtful - I loved the chemistry between these characters. I can't wait to read more by this author!

Five years ago, Jack Bailey left his fiancée, Lily Cookson, and his family following the tragic deaths of his twin brother and nephew. He returns at Christmas for the first time, determined to win back Lily's heart as well as his family's respect. On New Years Eve, he and Lily have their first confrontation and it's life changing.

Jack's reasons for leaving were understandable but staying away so long was harder to reconcile. I liked that the issues weren't so easy to resolve nor clear cut. Both Lily and Jack had secrets and emotional baggage that gets slowly revealed throughout the story, adding layers to the topics and the characters. That the two still love each other is never a question but the crux of it all is how they reach each other in the midst of so much pain. And, it's not just limited to their relationship as the whole family is impacted. Did I mention that Jack's younger sister, Gwen, is Lily's best friend and they're opening a business together?

This is a sweet, heartwarming story of two people wrenched apart by tragedy who try to find their way back emotionally and to each other. The issues are tough, realistic and well presented, though sometimes there was a bit of repetition. I really like this small mountain town and the characters at the center of the series. 3.5 stars

I usually enjoy Victoria James’ books, so I was so disappointed when I didn’t enjoy this one. Lily and Jack’s romance did not keep me engaged, and I thought Jack was an incredibly selfish jerk. I started calling him Jack-ass, because I found some of his behavior so offensive. Here is a guy who ran away from everyone who loved him, instead of manning up and trying to deal with his grief over the loss of his twin brother and nephew, surrounded by the loving embrace of his family and his fiancée. Nope. Not good enough for him. He’s gonna do it ALONE.

Lily has been trying to get over Jack since he abruptly left town after the tragic death of his brother and nephew. She hasn’t done a good job of letting go of the memory of Jack, and when he suddenly comes home for the holidays, she is all set to give him a piece of her mind. Only she’s drunk, it’s snowing out, and she has no way home other than letting Jack drive her there. Once at her apartment, they can’t keep their hands off each other. In the cold, harsh light of the morning, Lily tells him in no uncertain terms that she no longer trusts him, she doesn’t want to see him ever again, and her number one New Year’s resolution is no more Jack.

This would have been a great idea, except Lily and Gwen, Jack’s younger sister, are opening a chocolate shop on a shoe-string budget. And since Jack is back home and temporarily unemployed, Gwen guilts him into helping them fix up the space they are renting. So much for that New Year’s resolution. To make matters worse, Lily soon discovers that she’s pregnant. Ugh! I couldn’t take it anymore.

Jack is so not heroic. He is ready to get on with his future after mourning his brother, and he wants Lily in it. He is so arrogant that he thinks she’ll just pick up where they left off before he ditched her five years before. When he finds out that Lily’s pregnant, he’s thrilled. They’ll have a family together! Never mind that the selfish jerk used a condom that was at least five years old, and he had to know that there could be unintended consequences to their hook-up – while Lily was drunk! Ugh! This guy! Sorry, but I thought that was a pretty selfish thing to do, especially considering their past together, when another unintended pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, WHICH JACK KNEW ABOUT, but never bothered to call her or see how she was dealing with the trauma of losing their baby. Ugh, Ugh, UGH! I hated this guy. He had the emotional depth of a rock, and I wanted Lily to scorn him and go adopt a loyal, loving dog instead.

I was not convinced with the HEA, as I still considered Jack a flight risk, but your mileage may vary.

Grade: 2.75 stars

Wow what a great read! Someone should have warned me that I would need a whole box of tissue paper.

This is the second Shadow Creek Montana series and I finally get to know Jack and Lily. In the first book in this series Jack is mentioned and I knew his book was next. Lily also makes an appearance and I knew that it was going to take some time for her to forgive him and to trust him again. Jack and Lily were engaged to be married but tragedy happened and instead of him facing the death of his twin brother and nephew he left. He felt responsible for their death but no matter what he loved Lilly and he knew that he would return back home one day and marry her. Now five years later he is going to have some groveling to do not only with Lily but with his family too. It’s New Year’s Eve and the New Year is going to have lots of surprises for them. Jack and Lily are going to have a journey to make their lives whole again and live a happily ever after.

The Baby Bombshell was a great read. I got so emotional getting to the end of this book. The characters were well developed and the chemistry between them was perfect. The writing style was perfect and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

I totally recommend this read!!!

Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review

The Baby Bombshell is the the 2nd book in the Shadow Creek Montana series. It can be read as a stand alone. I didn't read the 1st book and I had no problem following the story. This book was very sweet. Even in the sad moments I couldn't help but smile at the characters in this story. They were all just so lovable and down to earth. Jack was very sweet. He knew he messed up and he was willing to do what ever it took to get the love of his life Lily back. I could understand Jack's pain. He suffered a great loss. I was upset that he was gone for 5 years without saying anything to Lily, but I was so glad that he was faithful to her the whole 5 years. He did other sweet things too while gone that really helped me forgive him. Lily was so relatable. I could feel her pain, her love for Jack and her fear. My heart broke for all the pain she went through when Jack up and left. I loved both Jack and Lily together. Their relationship had a nice build up. No insta forgive and forget. Jack had to earn her trust back. I also loved Jack's whole family. His sister Gwen was funny and very likable. So was his ex-sister n law and his best friend who's love story is in book 1. Now I kinda want to go back and read their book too. The ending of this book was very sweet but more of an HFN than a HEA. I am looking forward to more books by Victoria James.

This book actually really made me think - could I forgive the love of my life if he abandoned me for five years? The Baby Bombshell was full of emotion, secrets, heartache, and most importantly love, forgiveness, and redemption. It was a sweet, innocent (sex was merely alluded to), and short book that I enjoyed for what it was. Jack (the lead male) was a troubled man in need of a new start with the loved ones he abandoned after a great tragedy rocked them all. Lily (the female lead) was the fiancee he left behind - and not just with heartache (unbeknownst to him). It was really sweet watching them reconnect and hash out the issues that caused him to leave and stay away AND deal with the damage he left in his wake. I give this book 3.5 out of 5 wine glasses!

As this author is one of my favorites, I was so excited to be able to read this book. What a wonderful addition to any reader's library. Well written and it makes cry and laugh at the same time.

I'm a VJ fan and love his mix of H/h with family storylines added to the mix. For me it was this family mix that made me not quite love the H, Jack. After losing his twin brother and nephew in a car accident (he wasn't involved), Jack runs away from home, family, and Lily, the love of his life. He stays away for 5 years, has no contact with Lilly and then comes home.

When he talks about losing his twin and seeing his face in the mirror, VJ explains that pain delicately and wonderfully. I didn't understand though AT ALL with the love of his family and Lily how he ran away and stayed away. Honestly I just couldn't get over that and nothing really explained it enough for my head or heart. I just felt he was selfish and running away when his family and Lily needed to give him support and take support from him.

Lily stumbled out of her almost in laws house on New Years Eve. She had been She had seen her ex fiance Jack and decided she had to leave. She wanted to remind him of everything he had given up when he went away five years ago. But Lily did find that she still loved Jack. Lily wanted to hate Jack so much and hurt him but she couldn’t. She had wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. His concern just made it worse yet she knew she had too much too drink to drive, herself. Her best friend was Jack’s sister even now and they were going in on a chocolate business together, Jack had lost his twin brother Michael and his nephew Matthew and felt guilty because he was suppose to have driven but had called off and he never would have went the way Michael did and Michael and Matthew would still be alive if he had driven and he carried this guilt with him for five years and that is why he had left. Jack told Lily he had been faithful for the five years they had been apart. But unknown to Jack Lily had been pregnant and lost the child without him there to comfort her. Jack told Lily he still loved her and had written her almost every day since he had left. Jack told Lily he had missed her so much and that is why he wrote her yet never sent them. Then Lily’s father had a stroke and had to be moved to a nursing home. There had been a nurse at the nursing home who had been the first to reach out to Lily Peggy the nurse let Lily sob in her arms. Peggy and Lily now knew each other for four years. Lily’s father no longer recognized her or talks to her but but she still goes to see her dad and talk to him. Jack was different than his twin Michael Michael had followed in their father’s footstep, married his HS sweetheart and had a son. Now they were both gone. After Julia- Michael’s wife- had left town and so did Jack. But now Jack was back and Lily had spent a night with Jack but Lily was determined that would be it.
I absolutely loved this story it was great. My heart broke for Lily and all she had went through and lost in the last five years. Jack had been gone but I was so glad that Jack left the box so Lily could read the letters he had written. Also how he had worked to pay for Lily’s dad’s nursing home stay helping Lily financially even if she didn’t know and thought it was her uncle paying the bill until Peggy told her different after Jack was back. I choked up big time over this story . Lily loved Jack although she didn’t trust him but she understood after she had read the letters There is so much I can’t say without giving away even more of the story that made it so great. I loved the plot, the characters and the ins and outs of this story and I highly recommend.

Sorry I couldn't get into it but i will put a nice review up and recommend it to my followers

Enjoyable read. Jack & Lily are about to embark on a journey of forgiveness, love & new beginnings. With one night & an extremely old condom they are about to start a journey that brings the past back to haunt them. Secrets from five years ago are starting to come to light & how they've changed the lives of Jack & Lily. In this wonderfully written story about forgiveness we get to see the continuation of Chase & Julia & the ever adorable Maggie, as well as Gwen & Cassy & Edward. A beautiful story of believing & faith & everlasting love. Definitely recommend.

Victoria James wrote a good romance story that I really enjoyed. This is a really good story that is full of complex emotions. This is the second book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series and the main couple in this book is Jack Bailey & Lily Cookson.
They were lovers years before but he up and left her 5 years before. Now Jack has returned , ready to mend fences with his family and with the one he loved and left behind—Lily. Only she wants nothing to do with him and could care less what happens to him because of what he did to her all the years ago.
I want to really speak more to all the layers, all the twists and turns this story took but it would give spoilers away. What I can say this is more than a 2nd chance love story, it’s a deeply emotional lovers to heartbreak to 2nd chance love story with a complex twist. You will get hooked on the past and on the characters all involved . Get your tissues ready –because this is one of those stories that will have you on the edge of your seat, with the will she or wont she forgive him question.

My rating: 4.5 stars ****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

The Baby Bombshell ( Shadow Creek, Montana #2)
Victoria James

Super sweet small town romance. This is the second book in the series. Can be read as a standalone or in order.
Lily and Jack were engaged when they experienced a super traumatic event. Jack's twin and his young nephew were killed in an accident. And Jack couldn't deal with it so he left town and left Lily behind.
Now 5 years later he returns to try and win Lily back. But Lily can't seem to put the past behind her and doesn't trust that Jack will leave her again.
And obviously as the title of the book gives it away. Jack gets Lily pregnant. Now she has to figure out if she wants Jack back into her life to raise a child together.
I enjoyed the sweet little romance between them. A pretty emotional story too with death, guilt, and of course love.
Thanks NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the sound of this book and I do like this author's writing, but this book just didn't work for me. I had a hard time with Lily and Jack. They have history and they had falling out, but I couldn't feel a connection between them. I've read books where the couple has to find their way on a second chance, but there is most always a contention I could feel deep down. I felt this book just didn't gel well for me.

This is the second book in the series. I really enjoy books by this author, the more I read the better they are. This author has a fab way of bringing you romantic fiction stores and making them special. This story is an emotional, tear jerker read, so tissues at the ready. This book has fantastic characters, you will fall in love with as you read. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.