A Lasting Proposal

Though he has a wife and child, Rod acts more like a daredevil teenager who simply won't grow up. His attitude forces his spouse Maureen Shannon to make all the difficult parenting and economic decisions that leads to the alienation between mother and daughter. Rod takes the ultimate plunge of irresponsibility when he dies dashing down the Andes Mount Aconcagua. Following his death Maureen worries about her child's health, poor performance in school, and the need for them to spend more quality time together. Holly fails to appreciate the stability Maureen provides to her. Maureen fails to appreciate Holly's grieving her father's loss, ignoring the one-year anniversary of his death. A desperate Holly relocates them to her hometown of Canmore to be near her family. To keep his business Grizzly Peaks afloat, Jake Hartman needs capital and has learned Maureen is a prospective investor. He tries to persuade her to invest in his heli-skiing business, but she remains reluctant because she believes he is just a Rod clone. As they fall in love, she sees his caring compassionate nature and he notices her vulnerability, but will she reach out to Jake? The final Shannon Sisters novel, A LASTING PROPOSAL, answers the questions from the two previous books while providing the audience with an entertaining romance. Maureen is an interesting person who learns that caring responsible supermoms can have fun with their children too. Jake is a goop (gorgeous, honest, and often pitiful) that readers will either laugh at or smack. Still Maureen's tale is a fine conclusion to C.J. Carmichael's attractive trilogy.Harriet Klausner

Rod was addicted to extreme sports and foolish decisions. Consequently, his irresponsibility led to his death on a too quick ascent on a mountain in the Andes. Indeed, such irresponsible decision-making was characteristic of Maureen Shannon's husband. As she became the overly responsible parent to compensate, she did not realize she was loosing contact with her daughter. With Rod's death, Maureen begins to recognize the horrible distance that now separates her from her daughter. Maureen's long hours at the law firm have only exacerbated the situation. Now Holly's failing grades and bad attitude indicate a radical change is needed. So she and Emily return to Canmore, where Maureen grew up.Jake Hartman needs an investor for his heli-skiing business, Grizzly Peaks. A referral leads him to Maureen who has money to invest. Although she's attracted to Jake, she believes him to be too much like her deceased husband: his life revolves around superficial ambition. He spends his days having fun and seeking thrills through dangerous sports. Her disillusionment with Rod leads Maureen want to avoid such a man again, even when she sees his sincerity, caring and intelligence. Worse, as they begin to know each other, Jake is attracted to Maureen's strength and confidence. She fears that if he suspects the weaknesses beneath the surface, then he will see a woefully inadequate wife and mother. Admittedly, as Jake begins to see her sensitivity, it attracts and repels him at the same time, leaving him in quite a conundrum. Too bad he handles it badly. Author CJ Carmichael brings a fabulous conclusion to the Shannon Sisters trilogy. A LASTING PROPOSAL ties up loose ends of previous narratives, including giving sister Kelly another challenge that lends closure to her story. Additionally, Maureen's daughter becomes a delightful amateur sleuth, determined to solve the murder that introduced the series. And the sister's charming Grandmother Poppy also lends loving support to these marvelous sisters, even as she pursues her own love interest. Maureen's story achieves a remarkable poignancy as she struggles with the trials of motherhood. A strikingly imperfect heroine, she confronts the mistakes of the past, learning to stop blaming Rob for the distance between herself and her daughter. As she becomes self-honest about her own role in the past, busy readers who are mothers and wives cannot help but empathize. The moment Maureen buys a scooter and learns to participate in her daughter's interests, I wanted to cheer. Likewise, Jake is an appealing hero, even as he makes the typical mistakes guys make when they don't quite know what to do with the woman they love. I wanted to shake him when I wasn't laughing at his goofy guy behavior. A LASTING PROPOSAL comes very highly recommended.