Mas Alla De LA Inocencia Book

4 Stars ~ Travelling nearly 24 hours from France to the snow filled Topaz Valley in British Columbia, Clare is exhausted, a tad cranky and rather disheartened to hear her suite is still occupied and she's been relegated a much smaller room. Expressing her displeasure, she's off on the wrong foot with the handsome owner of the resort, who definitely sees her as a spoiled and very privileged woman bent to have her own way. When Clare discovers that the family has stayed on in her suite because of an ill child, she of course expresses her apologies, but Zach doesn't want to hear them. To appease her displeasure, Zach gives her the private suite in his own home. Clare's sophisticated air gets under Zach's skin, and he's sure that she's just a jet-setting heiress looking for a hook up. When Clare befriend's his mother-less 13 year old daughter, he sees red, and insists she not interfere. Melanie is a lonely child and needs a woman's influence, and even Zach realizes there are somethings he can't help her with. So he does reluctantly ask Clare to help Mel feel more grown up for the holiday parties. As the woman and teen bond, Zach is feeling jealous that someone else has put that sparkle in his daughter's eyes. At every turn, Clare seems to be rubbing Zach the wrong way. Nothing she does seems to please him. She sees the loneliness within him and wants very much to ease that and be a part of his life. It takes a scare on the mountain to shake Zach up, and make him realize just how precious Clare has become.

This was a lovely romance. Zach is struggling with his rebellious teen, barely hanging on to his fatherly control. Enter Clare, beautiful and sophisticated, and charming in her errors with the English language, and a woman so out of Zach's league. Clare hides behind her polished exterior, and is often afraid that as her success continues, she'll lose herself into the woman she puts on display. She's far from the heiress born with a silver spoon as Zach thinks. This is a compelling read with heady chemistry and fun animated banter. There are scenes I've enjoyed rereading