Book Reviews

Book Blurb

After three years of waiting for “rabbit” Jeremy to commit to a life in Granby—and a life together—Aiden Rhodes was appalled when Jeremy sustained a nearly fatal beating to keep a friend out of harm's way. How could Aiden’s bunny put himself in danger like that?

Aiden needs to get over himself, because Jeremy has a long road to recovery, and he's going to need Aiden's promise of love every step of the way. Jeremy has new scars on his face and body to deal with, and his heart can’t afford any more wounds.

When their friend’s baby needs some special care, the two men find common ground to firm up their shaky union. With Aiden’s support and his boss’s inspiration, Jeremy comes up with a plan to make sure Ariadne's little blackbird comes into this world with everything she needs. While Jeremy grows into his new role as protector, Aiden needs to ease back on his protectiveness over his once-timid lover. Aiden may be a wolf in student's clothing and Jeremy may be a rabbit of a man, but that doesn’t mean they can’t walk the wilds of Granby together.

 

Book Review

Granby, the setting for this amazing series, is a wonderful place. I have longed to get back to reading what looks to be the final instalment (for now) for a while, and yet I have dreaded it at the same time. The ending of the last book, while great for Stanley and Johnny, left me emotionally drained. With Jeremy sacrificing himself to protect his friends, and thinking he deserved being beaten half to death, I knew his story was going to be harrowing – and after reading this book, I have to say I was right. I still loved the novel to pieces, but this happy ending was one of the most hard-won I have ever come across. Bravo, Amy, for making me suffer and work for it this hard. There are very few writers I trust to take me the places you do and know I will survive at the end of it – barely!

Jeremy has been around Granby for a while. His and Aiden’s story began in ‘How to Raise an Honest Rabbit’, and they were secondary characters in the previous book. After how he sacrificed himself to save Stanley at the end, I needed this to be another part of his story. He paid an awful price for saving Stanley, was almost beaten to death, and his body took months to heal – and those were just the physical wounds. His emotional scars are much worse. Jeremy is one of those few people who truly change their lives. He went from being dishonest and a con man (since that was how he was raised) to being brutally honest. Not an easy transition, especially because Jeremy is his own worst enemy. He has turned his life around, but still doesn’t think he deserves another chance, never mind Aiden’s love. Jeremy is so ready to be punished for his sins, he would accept anything being done to him if he could only be forgiven. It is a long, hard road for him to accept that he deserves a happy ever after, and I was with him (sometimes crying) the whole way.
 
Aiden was determined to make Jeremy see how much he loved him and that they belong together when they first met, and in this story, Aiden’s resolve grows stronger. Yeah, I didn’t think it was possible, but Amy Lane proved me wrong. Aiden knows what he wants, he understands how Jeremy’s mind works, and he pulls out all the stops to make sure Jeremy doesn’t run - or if he does, Aiden is going after him. It isn’t easy financially, emotions run high, and there is more than one crisis. But in the end, all that counts as far as Aiden is concerned is that they belong together, no matter what.

The healing power of wool and knitting has been weaving through all the stories in this series, but its strongest show is in what looks to be the final volume. With all the characters now connected as a family in and around Granby and the yarn store, the picture that emerges is beautiful. Yes, there was pain and heartache along the way, and I am sure there will be more in these characters’ lives, but now that they are together, and have made peace with their pasts, they are much better equipped to deal with anything fate throws at them. A beautiful endpoint for an amazing series. Thank you, Amy, for writing these books. I know I was late reading this last one, and I know trying to “avoid” the end by not acknowledging it is stupid, but these stories are so beautiful, I really, really did not want them to end.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 244 pages/77998 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	02-May-2014
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle, $19.95 audiobook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/blackbird-knitting-in-a-bunnys-lair-by-amy-lane-2183-b