The Perfect Distance

Dianne May

Feb 2022 · The Wild Rose Press Inc

About this ebook

Before Finley Thompson's husband died, he told her to run and keep running. So she relocates with her kids to a small town in North Carolina. Her false sense of safety ends when a runaway horse barrels into her yard and she meets her surly but disarming neighbor, CJ Sinclair. As a permanently disabled Navy SEAL, all CJ wants is peace, and to build his animal rescue. His peace is interrupted when his sassy and beautiful neighbor stirs up his past, which threatens to uncover his connection with her dead husband. But both Finley and CJ are hiding truths of their own, and digging into the past may unleash secrets from which neither CJ nor Finley will survive.

Ratings and reviews

A woman in peril, a man in pain. It’s a small world and when Finley saves CJ, she has no idea of the problems ahead of them. She’s in hiding and on the run and knows that danger is just waiting for her to make a mistake. Getting involved with the wounded warrior next door is not a good plan. CJ was a SEAL but barely made it back to the states alive and he’s not having a easy time of it. He’s not going to get involved even if she is the first thing he’s been interested in since coming back. But there is more to her history than either of them knows and danger is coming closer. CJ doesn’t feel like he’s up to it but he’ll die, or kill to protect her. Great characters, both with a lot of baggage and danger surrounds them. They are tied together in ways they couldn’t possibly know and there are surprises along the way. She’ll need all her strength and endurance, he’ll have to rise above and beyond for them to come out alive. I liked both characters and they had real problems that look insurmountable but together they are more than each individually. I did stay up late to finish it once I started, I couldn’t seem to put it down. Great read.

This was a slow burn OW/YM suspenseful, twisty, angsty, journey of acceptance (?), rural country romance Heavier on the suspense and journey part - which I found perfect for these two. Both have such tragic backstories and IMO they needed the time and the little stepping stones and bumbling blocks to learn who they were now and who they could be for another After Finley's husband passes she follows his last request and uproots her world as well as her children's and in a way goes ghost CJ is a former Navy Seal who has suffered from a brain injury and PTSD which has left him with some physical difficulties as well as the emotional trauma Both have chosen to go their journeys alone Only fate has decided that both need a bit more of a challenge to wake them up to their true potential I enjoyed the suspense and the twists as well as watching the two learn to accept and navigate their new realities I do wish there had been a bit more connection (?) between the MC's that made me believe in a stronger bond - though that is probably a "me" thing Enjoyed the little twists and kindle gripping suspense - well thought out and kept me engaged as the events played out I am hoping we get more from this universe

It’s not easy to review this book. It’s a masterful exploration of the two main characters, information is never thrown at the reader, and much of it is deduced or introduced during the story itself. Finley and CJ are apparently polar opposites, but they work through so many issues, deeply personal and historical, and CJ’s innate kindness is possibly one of my favorite parts of a book that I loved for the characters, the suspense, and the story itself. I found the book hard to put down and was sorry when it ended, and I genuinely look forward to more in this series.