Luke Walker left home when he was 17-years old to join the Army and never looked back. He was an angry teen following the death of his parents, leaving his three brothers and baby sister behind. It’s been over twenty years and now the Special Forces soldier has left the military, returning home to Norfolk, Virginia to see if he can make amends with his family. He’s attending his younger brother’s wedding when he sees Ava Bennett sitting alone. She’s a UN interpreter from New York, home to help out with her father following his knee surgery. She’s blind and one of his sister Hannah’s clients at her horse therapy farm for disabled children. Though she can’t see him, Ava is immediately as drawn to him as he is to her. Luke’s never been in a committed relationship but she’s struggling to overcome the breakup of her one and only.
Let me first admit how much I love this series. It’s a sprawling family between the Walkers and McKinneys (Hannah’s married to a McKinney forming the bridge between the two). Luke is one of the brothers who’s the least known so I’ve always been intrigued by him. Though he’s quiet and not very good at sharing his feelings, Ava brings out the best in him. It was lovely seeing his transformation, which extended into Luke developing bonds with his own siblings. She, on the other hand, struggled with fully committing herself to the relationship given her baggage from her last experience.
This was a lovely story, made even more interesting because of Ava’s disability. I learned a lot about how the blind can operate so independently as it was obviously well researched. There was so much to admire about her and her fierce determination to be self sufficient, which she was. It made for a beautiful love story as Luke fell for the woman and not her external beauty. And, through him, we got to see the world through hers, too. Lastly, reconnecting with all the siblings and their growing families was the perfect bow to tie around this story.
Book Info
Release Date: December 31, 2020
Series: McKinney/Walker Brothers #3
Page Numbers: 363
Publisher: Self
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(Thanks to the author for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Blue Mood Café 
Wonderful review Jo sounds like a lovely book!
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Thank you, Nicki💜 The whole series is a “feel good” experience!
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It does sound like a lovely story and I love that it is set in Norfolk, VA. I grew up visiting many family members there. (my grandfather was born and raised in Norfolk). Wonderful review!
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Thank you, Tessa💜 My hometown is neighbor Newport News! Hampton Roads has a strong military presence with every branch represented.
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Yes! My uncle (retired Air Force), who used to live in Newport News, is still in the area along with a bunch of other family. It’s a great area 😊
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Then he would have been at Langley😏
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Wonderful review Jo. This sounds like a series that is right up my alley. I also like the disability plot. I taught deaf students, but not blind one. That definitely interests me, as I would like to learn more.
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Thank you, Carla💜 You would absolutely love this series! I’ll send you a recommendation for the first book.
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It sounds like another excellent series, Jo! Another one to add to the list. Terrific review too!
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Thank you, Marialyce💜 It’s a lovely series.
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Oh, I love that one of the MCs is blind, we get so few stories like this seen in a positive light. Ithink that’s why I loved Emma Viskic’s Caleb Zelic series so much, he’s deaf.
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Alexandra, she gave me an insightful education in Ava. I have a whole new appreciation for the vision impaired and their ability to live normally and independently in a sighted world.
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That’s how I felt after reading Emma Viskic’s books. Her writing is so good, you really get a sense of what people have to deal with on a daily basis.
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I really want to read more of this author. Thanks for bringing this series to my attention.
Anne – Books of My Heart
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I loved her McKinney Brothers series. This one is a spinoff.
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