Not Him is book 2 in the Firebrook Valley series and is the second installment in the Holliston and Burke family feud, following Evan Holliston as he rekindles his friendship with Nora Burke.
About Not Him
Evan Holliston met Nora Burke when he was 10 years old. They spend a little time together and he tells her about Mabel’s. He gives her some advice that she will take to heart for the rest of her life. Over the next few years, they continue to run into each other. They have become quiet friends, as their families would not allow this. Their fathers are mortal enemies, and no one knows why.
Nora Burke is the only daughter and youngest child in her family. She is treated like a princess, when she is not ignored. She loves living in Firebrook Valley and loves going to Mabel’s to play with the other local children. But her father would not approve of it, so she has to do it quietly. She loves riding Sunny, her horse, and even challenges Evan to a race against his big steed. And wins.
Nora returns to Firebrook Valley to break some news to her father that will upend their family. In addition, she is brokenhearted but will not admit it. She is a strong woman who does not let anyone know when she is hurting or upset. But when she stops at the Mabel’s on her way to her father’s home, her best friends, Palila and Emma, make her talk about it. They know she is hurt about the events that have happened and how they happened and they know she needs to talk about it.
Evan returns to Firebrook Valley with an unwanted task and no idea how to handle it. His first stop is the Mabel’s. He runs into Nora in the parking lot and is taken aback by her. He has always loved her, but he believes she is seeing his brother, Brady. Plus, Evan has no intentions of staying in Firebrook Valley for long. He is there to complete an unwanted task and then he will be moving on to New York to fill in for his sister, Bella, at the office.
Everyone in town knows that Evan and Nora love each other, but there is so much miscommunication between these two that it takes a third party to set the record straight.
When Evan finally gets his head on straight will it be too late? Will history repeat itself, causing another tragedy to the Burke family? Will this be the end of the Holliston and Burke feud or will it just causing even more animosity between these two fathers?
I will be honest and say I did not read book 1 in this series. But this is a standalone and can be read without having read book 1. However, I feel the need to go read book 1 now to get Drew and Bella’s story.
I have so many feelings about this book. Good and bad.
Evan and his father have such a strained relationship that it takes someone else to tell Evan about some of the things that his father has done for the people of Firebrook Valley without anyone, supposedly, knowing. Things that Evan and his father argued about years ago and thought his father ignored him.
Nora has always been forbidden from riding up the mountain. But she has the need to speak with Evie. Her mother used to go up there regularly and she always came back happier. She wants answers to questions. She wants to understand. Although she does not get any answers, she does get some food for thought.
Impressions
I do not know what to make of Cody Burke. I do not understand this feud he has with Gabe Holliston. But Cody does not seem willing to budge on it. The only exception I saw from him, was when Evan went up the mountain to find Nora and Cody asked him to bring her home. He appeared broken in that moment. But immediately after, he returned to his bitter self. Gabe, on the other hand, is willing to make changes in his life to keep his children. If that means that the Holliston family dinner now includes the Burke “children” then so be it. He is trying to grow and he definitely does not want to lose his family.
I love seeing what Evan and Nora are doing for Firebrook Valley and other nearby communities. These two have such good hearts. They want to help others in need. Not by giving them anything, but by showing them how to grow their own crops and sell them to infuse money into their communities. They respect people’s pride and not wanting to be given things by rich people. They earn their keep. These two understand that and respect it and strive to honor it.
It was such a nice treat to see Dominic and Abby make an appearance at the end of this book. I am not sure how they will figure in to future books, or what they were truly after, but he always has his hand in something so time will tell. And that little surprise about their daughter threw him for a loop. I love seeing him caught off guard.
Availability
Not Him is currently available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited and for purchase in eBook and Paperback formats on Amazon.
Series Listing
- Not You (Firebrook Valley Book 1)
- Not Him (Firebrook Valley Book 2)
- Not Them (Firebrook Valley Book 3)
About Ruth Cardello
Ruth Cardello hit the New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers Lists for the first time back in 2012. Millions of sales are evidence that her that her books are akin to potato chips, addictive from the first one. She has created a multi-series billionaire world with a combination of escapism and realism that has gained her a faithful following of readers.
Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York–then came full circle and moved back to New England. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.
She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love- writing and has never been happier. When she’s not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm or connecting with her readers online.
