You’re the One that I Want by Susan May Warren

You're the One that I Want by Susan May Warren

This series is one of my favorites! 

Let’s begin with the summary:

Owen Christiansen has been in a downward spiral since an injury ended his NHL career. But a job on an Alaskan crabbing boat offers a fresh start . . . maybe even a shot at romance with Elise “Scotty” McFlynn, the captain’s daughter.

Used to being one of the guys, to never relying on anyone, Scotty doesn’t believe in happily ever after—especially with someone like Owen. Her instinct is confirmed when Casper Christiansen arrives to drag his prodigal brother home, bringing with him a truckload of family drama—and even worse, the news that Casper is wanted for questioning in connection to a crime back in Minnesota.

But Owen is more than the sum of his mistakes, a truth both he and Scotty discover when she escorts both brothers to Deep Haven as part of her new job on the Anchorage police force. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of family, faith, and fresh starts, Scotty begins to see potential for a happy ending . . . if she’s brave enough to embrace it.

And now, my review:

I loved this book! Susan’s research was obvious, and she hooked me immediately. I was up reading late into the night repeatedly with this one so I’d have uninterrupted time.

Our hero is so stuck. He’s the bad boy from earlier books in this series, yet here we get to experience his thoughts, fears, feelings. I loved going into his POV, in a believable way. He’s spontaneous, but not always wise. Ironically, he’s eager to please. We get a completely different picture of him than from the earlier books. But he mostly believes the worst about himself, and his family tends to agree with his assessment. So, it will take an outsider to show him his better qualities. 

The heroine doesn’t see herself as wife material, or even girlfriend material. She’s only had her stoic, captain father, and he taught her how to be a man. She has a male-sounding name, and all of her shipmates call her “sir.” I got confused a few times with her name. She’s all about rules because those are her safety idol. She avoids dreaming in life because dreams are outside the realm of rules. As brave as she is, she’s afraid to risk. The hero will have to show her a different side of herself. 

The prodigal son and brother are symbols and themes throughout. I liked the setting—Alaska’s Bering Sea, Seattle, and of course, Minnesota. 

One of my favorite quotes and takeaways from this book came from the author’s letter. I’ll let you read the novel to find it.

I’ve been reading this author's books from the first full-length novel. Love her work. But this was one of my all-time favorites!

Highly recommended.