Who I Am With You is a sweet story of loss and second chances. I was flying through this book the other night and when I got to the end, I was shocked. First off, I did not pay attention to the fact that it was part of a series. The ending was abrupt and I had not been paying attention to how much was left in the story. I was surprise at the ending, but I am glad to know that there is more coming.

This book is a recipe for what you expect in a contemporary romance story. There are two people who have been hurt by those they loved the most. They find friendship and companionship with one another, a spark that has so much potential for more. I enjoyed reading about strong characters. Chad and Katie are both working to redefine who they are and find their footing after life’s curve balls. I loved watching Katie fight for her footing and focus on the present and her son. She is a fabulous mother and her devotion to her son was a major high point in this book. She protects him with everything she has. Chad works hard and focuses on the task at hand. For emotions to grow between these two is completely natural. That is something that readers will love about this book! The flow of what happens is a natural story. They don’t jump into bed together and start a fling. They are cautious and a work relationship transitions to a friendship and soon becomes something more.

I am excited to see where Cunning takes this story. I have my obvious choice of ending in mind but I am interested to see how Chad and Katie get there. I am excited for a change in location, which will inevitably lead to a change in situation and drama. Don’t mind me. I will just be over here twiddling my thumbs waiting for their happily ever after.

“Don’t speak about something you don’t understand, all right? Whatever Katie has told you, that’s all it is…a piece of a much bigger pie. You don’t know me, and no matter what you think, you don’t know her either.”

Chad crossed his arms in front of his chest, not sure what to say next. From the corner of his eye, he could see Katie stomping through the tall grass towards them. The dust from Jay’s car had finally billowed into the garden where she’d been working.

“Are you warning me about her…Jay?” Chad locked eyes with him, his gaze never wavering even though Katie was getting closer with each step.

Jay slammed the car door, wearing a muted grin as he matched Chad’s pose, crossing his own arms and pulling himself up to his full height, at least three inches taller than Chad’s five feet and eleven inches. “She used to be different, that’s all. Calm yourself, will you? I’m just telling you, you don’t know the real Katie. To be honest, you probably never will. The real Katie we all knew and loved died along with her father. My Katie is gone, so like I said, don’t talk about things you only think you understand.”

Thankfully, Chad didn’t have to form a response, not that he knew what he would say to that, anyway. Katie’s feet hit the gravel just as Chad had opened his mouth to speak; however, the look on her face evoked enough uncertainty in him that he swiftly closed it again.

“You said you were picking Mason up at five thirty. It’s only a few minutes past five.” Katie consulted her watch as though to confirm it, lifting her head to glare at Jay again.

“I’m a few minutes early. I wanted to see how everything was going.”

“Everything is just fine, Jay. You can come back in twenty seven minutes.” Katie didn’t look at Chad as she brushed past the two men and headed for the house, where Chad knew Mason was currently packing up his clothes and Nintendo DS to take with him.

“Katie, wait…” Jay’s pleas went unanswered, the screen door banging closed abruptly behind her. Only a defeated sigh sounded in the thick silence between them, and Chad uneasily turned away from the other man, intent on cleaning up his mess near the barn wall and getting the hell out of dodge before this situation got any more heated. Jay, on the other hand, didn’t have the same intentions.

“See? What’d I tell you? She’s impossible.”

“No. She’s hurt. There’s a difference.” Chad didn’t look at him. Instead, he plucked the hammer and tin can full of nails from the ground and pretended to admire his handiwork on the barn wall.

“You seem to know a lot about my girlfriend and her—“

“Ex.”

“What?”

“She’s your ex-girlfriend.”

Jay stared at him, seeming to mull over how to react. Chad couldn’t be sure whether it was humiliation or anger that clouded the man’s clean shaven face, maybe a bit of both. Either way, Chad didn’t fear him, and he stared back, unblinking.

“Good to meet you, Chad.” Jay’s tone was condescending and gruff.

“See you in twenty four minutes,” Chad replied, and the hint of a smirk crossed his face the moment he broke eye contact and turned away.