Fight to Forgive

Bailey (Reckless Hope) spins a compassionate, convincing tale of two young men torn apart by time, resentment, and anger. James "Freddie" Frederick is recovering from a serious wound sustained while on a Navy mission when he comes home to rural Door County, Wisc., where he once fell in love with his best friend, Aaron Elliot. Aaron, just graduated from college, also comes home after hearing that his mother and stepfather are planning to sell the vacation home his late father willed to him. Aaron doesn't expect to run into the man he fell in love with years ago. Old hurts linger, but the spark is still there. Can they put aside the past for a shot at a future? Bailey's empathetic treatment of her characters will ring true to anyone who has faced a rocky road in a relationship; the emotional reactions of both main characters are heartbreakingly real, and engaging secondary characters, such as Freddie's pregnant sister, Nessa, add color. Bailey develops the story of two men torn apart by misunderstandings, then deftly turns their arc in the direction of a satisfying happy ending, putting characters on the page who will stay with readers long after the final page has been finished. (Mar.)