Good book. Josh has locked himself and his emotions away for the last three years. Consumed by grief and guilt over his younger sister's death, he focuses on his work and avoids human contact whenever possible. That isolation comes to an end when he rescues a pregnant woman during a cyclone.

This book sucked me in fast with the intensity of the action and emotions. Josh is preparing his house to withstand the cyclone when he witnesses the island's only bridge collapse with a car on it. Still haunted by the events of the past, he can't stand by and do nothing. I was glued to the pages as he raced to the site and struggled to save Hannah and her dog from the ocean.

I ached for Hannah. She left her Irish village with her boyfriend, traveling the world. When she ends up pregnant, he leaves her. Her family in Ireland disowned her, and the only family she has in Australia is a grouchy old great-aunt on this tiny island. When she arrived on the island to check on her aunt, she found her aunt had died, leaving Hannah to care for the dog.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Hannah and Josh. Hannah is more open and talkative and very independent. She doesn't like asking for help but will accept it when she has no other choice. Josh is used to living alone and doesn't want to talk about himself. It was fun to see their initial interactions. Josh's protectiveness kicks in quickly, and Hannah finds herself giving in to his care despite her independence. I loved seeing them work together to help the dog, along with all of the emotions that the situation brought to the surface. Among those emotions are unexpected sparks that flare between them. With the realization that Hannah would leave when the weather permitted, Josh discovered that isolation no longer had the same appeal.

Hannah fights hard against her desire to lean on Josh. She's aware of his need to be alone and does her best to convince him that she doesn't need him. That becomes a little harder to do when she unexpectedly goes into labor. I loved seeing Josh so involved and how Hannah and Erin find their way past his walls and into his heart. Hannah still insists on her independence until a crisis has her actually asking for his help. It was an emotional time for Hannah, and I loved the support that Josh gave her. It was also an eye-opening time for him. I loved his welcome home for her. It was sweet and romantic and a bit over-the-top. Josh's words to her showed how well he knew her and broke through her walls. Hannah finally understood that she could have the love and future she had given up on.

I loved the final scene in the book and how it showed the changes in their lives. ( )