A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Terri
Juliana Gregorio had been with the same man, Jeremy since high school, 10 years. He was her refuge from a bad home life and for the last four years they had been living together in the house he had bought from his mother. For the past few months, Jeremy had been working in FL and for the last few weeks he’s been sounding off. Juliana is heading from Baltimore to FL to visit him for the weekend and hopefully fix whatever is wrong.
Michael Maguire works for the Baltimore City’s State Attorney. He getting ready to try a big case that is making headlines but before that starts he’s heading to FL for his engagement party. He’s engaged to Paige, the daughter of a retired Admiral who he met at a party when he was a law student. When her family moved to FL, Paige went with them as most of her friends were already in FL. Michael had hoped that she would stay with him in his home.
Juliana and Michael meet at BWI airport and instantly click. They both have significant others waiting for them yet they feel an instant attraction to each other. Both have a lot riding on this weekend and neither plan on seeing the other past their flight until they realize that they have the same return flight. Agreeing to compare notes at the end of the weekend, neither knows that they both may be free to see each other.
Even as they find themselves able to get to know each other without commitment to someone else, the road is full of obstacles. Paige refuses to believe that Michael has called off the wedding and is doing everything in her power to get Michael to change his mind including having her father pull strings with his boss. Juliana and Jeremy have decided to do a trail separation but Jeremy has a change of heart almost immediately and sends flowers and letters to Juliana hoping to persuade her to change her mind. If this wasn’t enough, due to threats and acts of violence brought on by the trail Michael is doing, Michael and Juliana have round the clock police protection but is it enough? Several things happen that show it might not be. Family pressures also build up as Juliana’s alcoholic mother demands her time and Michael’s family tries to give support.
Is there a happy ending for this couple or will all the demands break them? Can Juliana throw away a 10-year relationship? Is Paige lying or is there a real reason that Michael may never be rid of her?
The premise of this book intrigued me; to meet someone randomly at the airport and find love. I can honestly see how this could happen and enjoyed reading this version of it.
Besides the premise of this book interesting me, the location was of interest. I live about 70 miles southwest of Baltimore and 70 miles southeast of DC so I’ve been to both cities frequently over the many years I’ve lived in MD. Lots of times authors place their stories in a large city and the setting becomes bland and it could be any large city anywhere. I’m happy to say that Ms Force did not do that. She got the area down pat from the Inner Harbor to the roads to the buildings. For those of us from this area, this was a very welcomed change.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters came alive and you truly could see and understand the conflicts and power plays that were happening. The story had a fullness about it as it encompassed two careers and two people’s friends and families. There was a real feel to the story and scenes that reinforced that feeling. Things didn’t randomly happen to move the story along but happened within the story in a logical manner.
The characters were terrific. Juliana had security in Jeremy. She needed that security and leaving it was tearing her apart. She was attracted to Michael but felt a loyalty and commitment to Jeremy. This came across extremely well. Michael came across as a guy that knew what he wanted but was willing to compromise for those he loved. He wants to do the right thing and is willing to put himself out to do it. While he is willing to work with those he loves, he is not willing to let them run his life. This comes across with his relationship with Paige and with his family. Jeremy and Paige aren’t even written poorly. Each comes across as a complex character with issues and desires. Their interactions with Juliana and Michael are normal reactions to the situations they find themselves in.
This isn’t just a romance novel or a legal story or any other classification but a mixture of many that cannot be separated. It’s a fantastic mix of romance against a legal story with danger lurking around every corner. There are high-speed car rides as well as romantic dinners with walks along the beach. An assassin comes into play as well as a teenage witness. It’s a book that should interest a broad spectrum of readers.
As much as I enjoyed this book, there was one crucial scene that I felt let it down. That is the final scene between Jeremy and Juliana. Still, it wasn’t horrible and I would still highly recommend this book. The ending was great and there might even be a happily ever after.
Jul 02, 2009 | 9781402220067
5 = Rare - Top Pick | 4.5 = I Loved It - Top Pick | 4 = Good Solid Read
3.5 = Enjoyable | 3 Stars = OK - Needs a few changes | 2 Stars = It just didn't click / DNF
Book Blurb for Love at First Flight
What if the guy in the airplane seat next to you turned out to be the love of your life?
Juliana, happy in her career as a hair stylist, is on her way to visit her boyfriend of ten years who's working out of state. She's wondering why they're not engaged yet. Michael is going to his fiance's parents' home for an engagement party he doesn't want. A states' prosecutor, he's about to try the biggest case of his career, he hates the distraction, and he's having doubts about the relationship.
They sit together on the plane, and discover they're on the same flight coming back. When the weekend is a disaster for each of them, they bond on the plane ride home. But life is full of complications, including their exes, who don't want to let go, and when Michael's trial turns dangerous, the two must confront what they value most in life...
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