Review: Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker

Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker
Published by Atria Books on June 27th 2017
Pages: 368


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A sexy new romance about a small-town woman who saves the life of a mysterious man, and finds herself unexpectedly thrown into a whirlwind love affair, featuring bestselling author K. A. Tucker’s signature “well-constructed, pulse-pounding suspense” (USA TODAY).

Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?

Call me a softy, but Until It Fades really tugged at my heartstrings. Having read a lot of romantic comedies and erotic books lately, it was refreshing to read a story that has a little more depth to it but still retains the romantic elements that I enjoy.

Catherine is a young single mom who endured a crushing scandal in her small hometown. I appreciate a strong female character, and this independent and determined survivor, who never felt sorry for herself, won me over from the beginning. Her four-year-old daughter Brenna is absolutely adorable and a bit too observant. At times it creates frustration for Catherine and humor for the reader.

When Catherine saves Brett’s life, she has no idea he is a famous athlete and is unprepared for the media frenzy that follows. She prefers to remain an anonymous good Samaritan rather than have her painful past dredged up by greedy reporters. She wants no accolades or monetary support. I can never understand why heroines reject gifts from rich people who can easily afford to give them. Only in books. In real life, if I was driving a beaten up sedan held together with duct tape, I would gladly accept a shiny new car, but maybe that’s just me. In Catherine’s case, her pride gets in the way.

So Brett. Insert huge dreamy sigh here. Let me think of one major flaw. Nope. I’ve got nothing. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Given all the pressures, pain, and uncertainty, post-accident Brett was fascinating to me. I was anxious to see how he would measure up.

There’s a diverse group of characters that bring even more dimension to this heartwarming story. I enjoyed every single one of them, but my favorite supporting character is Lou. She’s the owner of the diner where Catherine works, and is a wise, no-nonsense, caring surrogate mom to her.

This story is engaging, touching, and sweet. It’s swoony without being too steamy. Some may find it too “fade to black,” but I was satisfied. It reminds me of the romance stories that made me fall in love with the genre, and for that alone it’s a winner in my book.

Recommended for fans of:
Single moms
Diners
Sweet romance

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**

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