I finally read Our Finest Hour by Jennifer Millikin! I originally found this book back in May when I stumbled across this tiktok video:
@authorjenmill How my worst April Fools’ Day became my best. ##authorsoftiktok ##booktok ##romancebooks ##momswhoread ##bookrecommendations ##bookclub ##foryoupage ##fyp
♬ Sunset Lover - Petit Biscuit
Needless to say, I was intrigued. How could I not be? The way that Jennifer Millikin presented the book had me running to Amazon. I mean come on, a one night stand that lead to pregnancy, only to find the father when your daughter needs him the most?
Let's recap the story a bit shall we?
Aubrey and Owen had been dating, and on April 1st, Owen ended their relationship. Aubrey was devastated. When she finally told her friend Britt what had happened, Britt suggested a girls night out. At the bar, Aubrey was about to leave when Isaac approached her. He said all the right things, and the two agreed to have an hour together. No last names. No contact info shared. Nothing. Just escaping into each other during their time together. That worked perfect for Isaac as he was headed out of the country the next day. Flash forward a couple of weeks, and Aubrey finds out she's pregnant. She goes to Isaac's apartment, hoping that maybe he hadn't left, but no such luck. Guess she was doing this on her own. All is going well until 4 years later. Claire, her daughter, is playing soccer when she falls and breaks her arm. After x-rays are done it is determined that she needs surgery. A call has already been placed to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and he is on his way. I think you see where this is headed...
The way this book started, with the one hour that Aubrey and Isaac had together, I was curious how it was going to progress. I mean I knew that Aubrey was having his baby, and that they would reconnect when Claire needed surgery. But I didn't know what was going to happen after that point. So watching all that play out was interesting.
Now honestly, when Jennifer Millikin said (in the tiktok video) that Claire was needing surgery, I had this much more dramatic scenario playing out in my head. Especially since it was "emergency" surgery. Okay fine, it wasn't as dramatic as I was expecting. But it was still surgery. Aubrey was still having to witness her daughter under going anesthesia, and be worried about everything.
Can I just say, Claire is a little doll, and she definitely stole the show!
The love story between Aubrey and Isaac was good. For me, the connection didn't feel very strong, and it wasn't overly believable. Quite honestly, these characters are a little forgettable. It says something when I find myself more curious about the side characters (Mike, Aubrey's mom, Britt, Lauren) than focusing on the couple.
Then there was the storyline regarding Aubrey's mom. We visited that a few times, and part of me was hoping for a specific outcome from it. What happened though left me a little underwhelmed. At the same time though, I don't think Aubrey was in the right headspace to have a conversation regarding it all without saying words she might regret at a later time.
When it is all said and done, Our Finest Hour was a decent book. It was. I opted to rate it as 3.5 stars (well 3 stars on Goodreads). There was so much potential for these characters.
Now, will I check out other books by the author? Maybe. I'm not 100% certain yet. Will I let TikTok talk me into reading another book? Oh absolutely.
One last thing. In my mind, this isn't a series. It isn't even a standalone series. This is just straight up a standalone. Had the author written book two with Lauren or Britt as the female main character, then yes, this absolutely would have been your typical standalone series. But from what I can see, the next two books have no tie back to this original book. And that messes with my head a bit. Here we had these two names, we had a connection with them, but poof they are now dust in the wind, and we'll never know their stories. Ugh. Sorry. It was on my mind, and I had to blurt it out.
Do I recommend reading Our Finest Hour? Yes I do. If the TikTok video catches your attention, and sparks some curiosity, go grab it. Heck, it's included in the Kindle Unlimited subscription, so it would be no additional cost if you're already a subscriber. Go into the book with an open mind, and maybe you'll find yourself liking Isaac and Aubrey. (oh, if you're curious, this book is a closed door romance.)
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,
Laura
Laura
Sometimes broken hearts need whiskey. Sometimes they need music. Other times, only a night with a stranger will soothe the pain.
On the night Isaac and I met, we tried all three.
When it was over, we went our separate ways.
We planned to never see each other again, but I should really know by now that plans don’t work out the way they're supposed to.
It has been four years since that night, and it’s a bizarre twist of fate that lands me in need of help only Isaac can give.
I don’t want to be attracted to him, but I am.
I don’t want my heart to skip a beat when it sees him, but it does.
And I really don’t want him to look at me that way, but he won’t stop.
Because things aren't like they were four years ago. And this time? We don’t have the option of parting ways when the sun comes up.
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