The Tryst (Bluegrass Empires, #3)
Sawyer Bennett
As the middle son, Trey Blackburn dedicates his days to the family business, working to ensure that they remain at the top of the saddelbred industry. His time away from the farm is another story. Not one to get tied up in a long-term relationship, he’s the love ‘em and leave ‘em sort of guy. But Trey’s hesitation to commit might be deeper than not wanting to put in the time and effort. His reluctance may have more to do with the blond beauty who just blew back into town and the things they left in the past that have been neither forgiven nor forgotten.Holland Rhodes may not have been born into the Blackburn name, but she was once considered part of the family. Having a less-than-ideal home life, Holland spent as much time as she could with the Blackburns, the quintessential dynasty full of love and southern hospitality. Dubbed an honorary member, Holland thought their connection would last a lifetime, but one shocking revelation changed everything.Having left Shelbyville for a fresh start, Holland has limited her time back in Kentucky for the past decade, avoiding both of her families—the one into which she was born and the one into which she was welcomed. But the death of her father and the uncertain future of the family business has brought Holland back to face her past, one Blackburn at a time.With old feelings reignited and ready to move their relationship forward, everything crashes to a halt when tragedy strikes. Their painful history in danger of repeating itself, Trey and Holland may find that even true love can’t overcome the darkest days.The A Blackburn Novel is an enemies to lovers novel within the Bluegrass Empires series. All books in the series can be enjoyed as standalones.
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3.5 stars
I had the misfortune of seeing a spoiler before beginning this book, so I went through a good portion of the story waiting for that shoe to drop. I’m not a person who generally needs content warnings, yet I am a person who gives them because I understand the need for them for a good portion of the population. I don’t always get it right when listing my content warnings and I’m very aware some warnings double as spoilers. That would be the case here. Since I’m not super tech savvy and do not know how to blur out my spoilers anywhere other than on Goodreads, you can head over to my review there if you don’t mind the spoiler and feel you need further content warning. I’ll also give you a heads-up that many reviews have this information without warning that it’s a spoiler!
In many ways, the story of Trey and Holland is a lot like the story of Kate and Gabe in the previous book, The Forbidden. Not in the way the family would view the relationship, everyone loves Holland, but in how much work the hero has to do to gain back the trust of the heroine. Trey broke Holland’s heart. He thought he was doing the right thing for his family; after all, family comes first. He was young and didn’t think through what real love was and what he owed and didn’t owe his family. He regretted the breakup with Holland from the moment it happened. Now he has another chance.
Poor Holland not only lost Trey in the breakup, she also lost her only true family. Growing up in an emotionally and possibly physically abusive home, the Blackburn family was always her refuge. Most of them looked at her as another sibling…until they all started growing up. Trey and Holland developed a special connection and had a whirlwind summer of firsts until he broke her heart and she broke all ties with the family and went as far away as she could get.
Trey was stupid, but he learned from his mistakes. He makes more toward the end of this book, but Holland understands where those mistakes are rooted and so do I. The situation is not ideal, but people cannot be forced to experience things the way we want them to because it would make life easier. How do we learn and grow if that is the case? It was frustrating, but the “aha” moment Trey had and his scurry to make things right had me forgiving him as quickly as Holland did. I know not everyone will feel the same, but it worked for me.
Looking at what is coming up on this author’s docket and how this story ended, I think this may well be the last in this series. I love this author and enjoyed these books, but they didn’t hit the same way many of her other books do for me. I’m ready to see what she has in store for us with her new Formula Racing series.
Spoiler & Content Warning:
There is a drunk driving incident about 75% into this book that is very unexpected and jarring. It involves a significant character and causes much grief and guilt.
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