Book Review: Tangled Up in You by Samantha Chase

Tangled Up in You (The Shaughnessy Brothers Book 7)

When I received the ARC for “Tangled Up in You,” it turned out be a very pleasant surprise. It’s the 7th book in the much-loved and highly popular “The Shaughnessy Brothers” series. And this time, Bobby Hannigan, a supporting character of many of the earlier books takes center stage.

The heroine is single mom Teagan Shaughnessy, first cousin to the Shaughnessy brothers and she just moved to South Carolina from Colorado with her whole family.

Bobby and Teagan met during the worst time of Bobby’s life. Still recovering from a gunshot wound, Bobby does not know if he can go back as an active duty police officer, a career he loves and dreamed of since he was a kid.

But, while Bobby’s wounds are physical, Teagan’s are emotional. It has been 5 years since her fiancé Logan died in Afghanistan, but her son reminds her everyday of her lost love. Two broken people does not make a whole, but Bobby and Teagan are willing to make it. The problem is that their past kept on creeping up on them.

My first reaction to “Tangled Up in You” was that it was an afterthought. Bobby Hannigan had been in so many of the books that though he was not a Shaughnessy, he deserves a book. And after reading it, yes, he did deserve a book.

But the story is not an afterthought; nor was it written just to appease fans. It was written because it needed to be written. Bobby and Teagan’s story sums up why Samantha Chase is so successful as a romance writer and also reaffirmed why she is one of my favorite contemporary romance writers.

In a world wherein dysfunctional families seem to be the norm; Chase tells stories about well adjusted families. Yes, they are not perfect, by they solve their problems by being together.

In my eyes, Chase’s strength as a writer (and why I love her stories so much) is summed up in the scene during the parade when 5-year old Lucas was sitting on Bobby’s lap and said, “We’re a family. This the first time I’m here and have a mom and a dad with me and that made me happy.” Out of the mouth of babes!

Maybe, I have a Pollyanna complex. Then again, I also read sci-fi/fantasy book about dystopian futures. I also love reading paranormal that usually does not end well for humans.

Still I love happy endings. That’s why I read romances. And Bobby and Teagan’s story just touched my heart because it proved that happiness is reachable for everyone.

“Tangled Up in You” is Rated T for Teens.