Draw Me Close is the final book in the Heart and Crafts series by Nicole Michaels. This has become one of my favorite series and I love that it ends on such a positive note. In both Start Me Up and Win Me Over, you get a little glimpse into Lindsey and Derek’s history. Yet there was so much their friends and I wanted to know.
Lindsey Morales is a talented decorator and is part of the lifestyle blog My Perfect Little Life with her friends Annie and Callie. She is helping plan Annie’s wedding and create her dream house. Unfortunately, she has a history with the contractor Derek Walsh, who also happens to be Annie’s fiancé’ best friend. The two of them had a whirlwind romance in college that ended suddenly on bad terms. Now they are in each other’s orbit again and those old feelings are bubbling to the surface hard to forget.
Eight years ago, Derek broke up with Lindsey because he found out that he was going to be a father with his ex-girlfriend. He wanted to do the “right thing” by them and decided to sacrifice his own happiness for his child. He told Lindsey that he had never loved her in order to push her away but that was not the case. This is obvious from the moment that they first reencounter each other. They had separately been dreaming of each other and wondering what might have been if they had stayed together. When Lindsey discovers the real reason, Derek broke up with her all those years ago, she is devastated. Yet part of her understands and finds herself deeply conflicted now that he is a single dad who desperately wants to make amends with her.
The first thing that really brought me into Draw Me Close was that there are so many unresolved emotions between Derek and Lindsey. You can feel them jumping off the page. I understood why Lindsey was so cold to Derek at first. There is alot of pain and anger that needs to be worked through first. She has put walls up around her heart because of what he did to her. There is a very strong push pull dynamic with these characters.
The push pull dynamic really provides the reader and Derek and Lindsey’s friends some insight as to what is going on with them. Their friends do not like to see them in pain but do not want to become overly involved either. They know that this is something Derek and Lindsey have to work out amongst themselves and finally let go of the past. Both Derek and Lindsey are very dedicated to their friends and do not want to let them down. This is why they are so willing to be in each other orbit even if they have to fight their own emotional turmoil.
Being let down is something both Derek and Lindsey have experienced within their families and you can tell that it has had an impact on how they view relationships. Being in constant orbit of each other forces them to really decide what they want for themselves and their relationship. Throughout these decisions, you get small glimpses into their past together. I loved the comics that they drew for each other! Draw Me Close brings together all the components of this dynamic relationship while also bringing closure to all the characters within the Hearts and Crafts series. Admittedly, I would love to be able to spend more time with them, and recommend anyone who enjoys contemporary romance that is filled with strong female friendships to check out this series.
Rating: 4 Stars
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