At one time Mal Harris had it all. A grandmother who loved him unconditionally and a career as an Olympic swimmer, but it is all gone now. His grandmother has passed away and he has lost the drive needed to become a medalist. Hoping to find what he has lost and build a new life he returns to Sylvan, moving into the cabin he grew up in and beginning the job of returning it to a better state. It is there he meets Leif Gunnar, a contractor and one sexy man. Although the attraction is mutual Leif knows that there is nothing he can offer Mal. He is tied down caring for his father, who is beginning to show the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. His care takes all of Leif's time and attention. But Mal is determined to show Leif that where there is a will there is a way and together they can be stronger.

Sylvan is yet another feather for Jan Irving to add to her cap. Each offering from this author packs a punch and hooks the reader by the end of the first chapter. I enjoyed the contrast between the two characters and their situations. Leif is faced with caring for a man that he loves but who is becoming more of a stranger to him every day. He has a full plate with his job, caring for his father, and he has no time left to pursue a relationship or even a quick hook up. Mal on the other hand has a life that is empty. He has lost the one person in the world that loved him; he has no friends since leaving his career behind, and has nothing to fill his days. Despite the differences between the two characters Jan Irving has written them in such a way that they are only complete when together. They each have a purpose and the contrasts in their situations only serves to prove how right they are for each other. My only complaint is that I didn't want to leave Sylvan behind!

Reviewed by: Hayley