Let me tell you, when I first sat down to write this review, the mere thought that I’d be revisiting this story made me do a happy little wiggle in my seat, and that is how I’ve felt from the moment I met Jackson and Delilah. The premise of two rival meteorologists who get stuck in a snowstorm together, sharing one bed, might not be uncharted territory in the Romance genre, but B.K. Borison manages to turn a familiar trope into a fresh, richly layered, deeply relatable, warm hug of a story that left me giggling, swooning, and smiling ear to ear. I never knew that I could love any story set in this world more than I loved First-Time Caller, yet here we are.
I’m my worst self with Delilah, and it’s entirely her fault.
Meteorologists Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart are complete opposites. Apart from a shared parking lot between their two broadcasting stations, they appear to have very little in common, and, for years, their every interaction has been marked by resentment and underlying hostility, and, at times, even punctuated with a mishap or two. While Jackson is quiet, controlled, and likes his life predictable and uncomplicated, Delilah is chaos wrapped in sunshine, her radiant positivity acting like a beacon of light to those around her. But, when it comes to Jackson, she seems to bring the worst in him.
Somehow we’ve found ourselves stuck in a loop with each other. Every time I see her, something inevitably goes wrong. We’re the opposite of magnets, blasting away as soon as we enter each other’s force field.
And then, one day, they find themselves partnered against their will to cover the snowstorm of the century, with joint live broadcasts from where the storm is supposed to hit the hardest—three hours away from Baltimore. But record-breaking snowfall is not all that Western Maryland has in store for them. A reservation mix-up forces them to share a room with just one bed, and as their working partnership takes off, something unexpected begins to happen—Jackson and Delilah discover that they not only work well together, but they very much like each other, too.
“I don’t hate you. I’m just . . . confused by you.”
Behind Delilah’s whimsical, chaotic, carefree façade, Jackson finally sees a young woman who hides her true self from everyone around her, all too often forcing a smile even when she is crumbling inside. No one takes her seriously. Everyone underestimates her strength. And she herself is afraid to demand more of people.
“How many different parts are you forced to play, Delilah?”
She stares up at me for another second with a sad little smile, then rests her cheek back against my sweatshirt. “When I’m here with you? Just the one.”
Jackson, on the other hand, is so set in his routines and habits and plans that he feels trapped by them all. Between his anxiety attacks, nervous ramblings, and worst-case-scenario way of thinking, he knows that his comfort zone has not served him well. His fear of letting everyone down weighs on him heavily, but Delilah’s softness and quiet strength begin to gather all his broken pieces and fill the cracks of his lonely heart.
“I’m just naturally difficult, I guess.”
Delilah turns toward me. Soft eyes and soft hair and a soft downward tilt to her mouth that I want to press my mouth to until I soften too. “You’re not difficult,” she says quietly. “You just haven’t had anyone take care of you.”
As a powerful snowstorm rages around them, Jackson and Delilah are swept away by the sheer force of their newfound connection, but when the storm begins to retreat and reality pokes its head in, they must decide whether it was all just for fun or they’re in it for keeps.
B.K. Borison continues to infuse her characters with such depth, complexity, and genuine emotion, that I found myself falling in love with them over and over again. Once again, she proves that some of the best love stories begin when you’re not even looking for love, as long as you’re brave enough to reach for it. Achingly tender and romantic, Jackson and Delilah dazzle off the pages.
“That’s how it’s going to be with us, isn’t it?” he asks. “We’ll take care of each other. Better than anyone else.”
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Heartstrings - Recommended Reading Order
(standalone stories with interconnected characters)
