Backup Offer by Liz Crowe

 Backup Offer, Book 9 in the Stewart Realty series, written by Liz Crowe, a July 2021 release by Buoni Amici Press, LLC’

      After Blair Freitag ended things with Brandis Gordon, she was determined to get away--and stay away from him for good. She put family, friends, and the life she knew in Michigan in her rearview mirror and started over. As owner and head chef of her own place in Louisville, Kentucky, she stays busy, turning “Blair’s Kitchen” into the darling of the local restaurant scene. She’s managed to avoid Michigan for almost a decade, but when her best friend needs her help, she drops everything and heads home.

Brandis Gordon has spent the last ten years coming to terms with addiction, personal tragedy, and the loss of the woman he loved. He’s now the third generation to run his family’s construction business, and he’s managed to reconstruct tattered relationships with his family and friends. He’s got everything he needs—except a for one thing.

When the contractor Blair paid to build an expansion on her restaurant takes off, not before making sure her place is trashed to Hell and back. She only hesitates a moment before calling Brandis for help. After he rushes to her side to evaluate the crisis, it doesn’t take long for the temptation of close proximity to give way—with serious consequences.

 Our Review:  It isn’t often that we find an author who portrays addiction and its long-term effects both for the user and those in his/her immediate circle in a clear, coherent manner. Liz Crowe has done an excellent job of showing how events which are in the distant past continue to effect people well into their adult lives. Brandis Gordon has made a truly remarkable recovery in all aspects of his life—and  works the steps each day in many ways. Blair Freitag? Not so much. Yes, she’s worked hard to create a strong professional presence but her personal life remains in tatters still after ten long years. Friends and family urge her to get over herself, but for someone who knows the other side of addiction and the damage it wreaked, it’s not that easy. Recovery and repair must be shown on a daily, continuous basis—and Liz Crowe has done a masterful job with two wounded people coming to grips with the past while forging a future.  

 On a scale of 1—5, Backup Offer deserves a 4.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews