Welcome back to Twilight, Texas. Where first love reigns supreme. This is the fourth book in a series by New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde, each of which focuses on different townspeople in this charming little town and their first loves who got away. You will be drawn into the world of Twilight hook, line, and sinker...so be sure to start this book early on a Saturday morning because you’re not going to want to put it down until you’re finished twelve hours later!

Caitlyn Marsh, a florist, attends the military funeral of the town’s shrewdest, wealthiest, and cruelest citizen, a rich Texan good ol’ boy for whom she harbored little fondness or compassion. He is, however, her young son’s grandfather, and the father of her one true love, who is his bastard child. Here’s what she thinks about him:

“The grandfather of her only child had killed her high school sweetheart just as surely as if he’d pulled the trigger.”

Gabriel Garza, the boy she loved, whom she would always love, was killed in war eight years ago, after Caitlyn’s father, a judge, in cahoots with Gabriel’s father, forced him to enlist as his punishment for a rebellious teenage act.

After Gabriel’s death, a pregnant Caitlyn remarried to give her son a father. Her own father tried to force her to give her baby up for adoption and would stop at nothing to keep her away from Gabriel Garza.

Caitlyn has real problems that echo real life. She’s been recently widowed, she’s in peril of losing her flower shop, she’s struggling to raise her son as a single mother, and her father won’t speak to her despite living in the same small town. He harbors bitterness and disappointment from when she became pregnant as a teenager and ran away to get married against his wishes.

Back to the military funeral. During the pomp and circumstance of the funeral complete with stone pavilion, gun salute and Taps, a motorcycle engine is heard in the distance, slowly becoming louder and louder...

Now read this excerpt and tell me you aren’t positively salivating to read the rest of this book:

The rider, cloaked in leather, his face hidden behind a helmet and protective goggles, swung off the bike. He sauntered toward the group, everyone transfixed.

Caitlyn’s heart fluttered in recognition. Gideon. She felt all the air leave her body, heard the blood bounding through her ears.

Gideon?

But it wasn’t Gideon. It couldn’t be Gideon. Even though he moved with the familiar gait of the boy she’d once loved more than life itself. How many times had she mistaken a stranger in the crowd for her long-lost lover? Hundreds? A thousand? More?

The interloper reached the stone pillar where Caitlyn stood, her body trembling, mouth dry.

He stopped halfway between her and the casket.

Her heart was in her throat. Her knees were noodles. Her confused mind was in utter chaos. Her head spun, her vision blurred. She fisted her hands, gulped for air.

It wasn’t Gideon. It simply could not be. She knew it, and yet, and yet...

Then he stripped off his helmet, pulled away the goggles, and Caitlyn stared straight into the eyes of a dead man.

Overall, this emotionally powerful story is populated with very real characters that could be your own neighbors and friends, they are so drawn from real life. And when you’re done, you’ll wish you were back visiting Twilight again for more.

Reviewed by: Miranda