REVIEW: Not Quite Forever by Catherine Bybee

In Not Quite Forever (Not Quite #4) by Catherine Bybee, Doctor Walt Eddy is more than willing to help others in need, doing so in the E.R. and with Doctors Without Borders. What he isn’t willing to do is fall in love. He sees on a daily basis how precious life is and how quickly everything can change. The loss of someone important from his past has clouded his judgement when it comes to romance. So when Walt is introduced to romance author Dakota Laurens at a convention room mix up and the sparks fly, all he’s thinking about is a night or two of fun. But his attraction is just the beginning. One night isn’t enough with the witty writer and soon he’s hung up on her in a way that scares him. Is it worth the risk of future heartbreak to explore what Walt has with Dakota?

She rested her cheek into his palm and smiled at him. A tsunami of emotion rolled over him. “I love you,” he whispered.
She paused and sighed. “Walt, I–”
“I’m not telling you that to hear the words returned. I just can’t keep them to myself anymore.”

Dakota and her friends joke about her being a romance writer who hasn’t found her happily-ever-after yet. She’s fine being self-reliant, not needing a love affair to define herself as a woman. Not that she doesn’t secretly wish she could find that perfect guy. When Dakota meets Dr. Walt Eddy, her dreams may have been realized after all. Everything goes great until Walt is suddenly gone from her life. Brokenhearted, Dakota tries to move on and immerse herself in her writing. Of course, things can never be simple. With Walt reappearing at her door and a crisis on the horizon, she has to sort through her feelings and decide if the good-looking doc is worth another chance.

“Imagine an author…one who makes her living writing happily-every-after, never having found everlasting love. Then one day, the love of her world walks into her life and redefines everything.”

Not Quite Forever is a contemporary romance that takes us readers on an emotional journey as ER doctor Walt and author Dakota come to terms with their feelings and their relationship.

I’ve probably said this several times, but I absolutely adore this series. Well, I love Catherine Bybee’s books in general. 😉 Both her Not Quite and Weekday Brides series take us on such an adventure from cover-to-cover. Not only is there always some life changing event–aside from the romance–that captures my attention, but the characters have a wonderful amount of personal growth every time. That certainly was true for Dakota and Walt. I loved that their whirlwind romance definitely had its growing pains and that neither of them were perfect. They both made mistakes, owned up to them, and tried to be a better person because of it. It’s nice to read a story that shows self-worth and progression in a relationship.

As is typical with Ms. Bybee’s series, this can be read as a standalone title. However, for those of you who read book three, Not Quite Enough, you’ll be happy to see Trent and Monica several times here. I like that there are recurring characters from time to time in these books, written in such a way that they enhance the storyline without us needing to have followed the series perfectly in order to understand everything. And it was great to see such a nice balance of humor with the passion and drama between Walt and Dakota. Two of my favorite scenes were actually some of the funniest, I think: the stun gun incident, and their foray into the freezing cold lake. Quite memorable!

If you love strong, independent characters who get completely surprised by love, I truly think you’ll enjoy Dakota and Walt’s incredible path to a HEA.

Book Info:

Published November 4th 2014 by Montlake Romance | (Not Quite #4)

The touching and heartwarming fourth novel in the wildly popular Not Quite series from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

Romance author Dakota Laurens believes that happily-ever-afters exist only between the covers of her sexy novels. But to her surprise, she finds a real-life hero when she meets a handsome emergency room doctor. The outspoken author feels an instant and intense attraction to Dr. Walt Eddy, and the feeling is mutual. When the globetrotting doctor pulls a disappearing act on Dakota, she’s prepared to write him off…until fate brings a blindsiding twist to her story.

Still scarred from a past tragedy, Walt may have disappeared on Dakota, but now he’s determined to win her back. For the first time in years, he knows he’s ready for a new chance at love. Yet between Dakota’s doubts and two sets of meddling parents, can the once-blissful couple finally create the bright, loving future they desperately want?