Tenderness, passion, and mystery shine through in When I’m With You. Marcel and Caitlyn are destined to be together no matter the twists and turns in the road to “happily ever after”.
When your life has been terrorized by violence, how do you manage to go forward, looking over your shoulder at every turn? This is the daily question that haunts Caitlyn Thompson. She has been in hiding from an ex-boyfriend for three years, always careful not to slip up and allow him to find her again. Working for a neighborhood youth center, she has found her niche. This is something she believes in, having grown up in inner-city New Jersey herself. Submitting a grant request to a wealthy philanthropist foundation, Caitlyn is soon to meet the man who will make her want to stop running, want to trust and love again; Marcel Baptiste. It will take a will of iron and a courage she didn’t know she possessed to battle her fears and open up to the wealthy entrepreneur. But when violence comes knocking again, will she have the courage to face her biggest nightmare?
Marcel Baptiste; wealthy, attractive, a man on a mission; he is driven to meet the woman who wrote such a professional grant proposal. For some reason her words and dedication reaches out to him from the paper, capturing his attention like none has for some time. Focused on giving back to the those less fortunate, he is certain the youth center is a worthy cause, but still he has this need to meet the grant writer, Caitlyn Thompson. When conditions culminate to bring her to his dealership in Oakland, he doubly pleased. He sees before him a woman who is worth the extra effort it takes to pursue and uncover her secrets. Not only is the grant writer and director of the youth center, but she is the woman who has finally captured the elusive billionaire. With someone conspiring to outbid him on a purchase, a stalker looking to cause violence and buried secrets coming to light, Marcel will have to stand strong in the face of his biggest challenge, saving the woman he loves.
From the opening scene, it is apparent Caitlyn is a woman living on the edge, forced into hiding by a viscous ex-boyfriend. She is a strong and capable woman who is living a nightmare many of us could not imagine. She is a likeable woman, determined to keep herself closed off in order to survive. Marcel is a true-to-life hero who is blindsided by love when he least expects it. What a joy it is to see him persist in getting Caitlyn to open up and spend time with him, to learn to trust again. When the pair is together, the chemistry is unmistakable, the undercurrents palpable in word and deed. The subtle mystery hums along, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, culminating in a satisfying conclusion. A wonderful way to spend the day, readers should be well pleased with LaConnie Taylor-Jones’ When I’m with You. This reader feels like she made some new friends, and is looking forward to future books by this talented author.
