Forever After - Deborah Raney

Summary from GoodReads: A fire killed his best friend and his lifelong dream of being a firefighter. The same fire killed her husband and hopes for a family. Can new dreams replace old? Lucas Vermontez was a proud firefighter like his father. Now, not only has he lost his father and his best friend, Zach, in the fire at the Grove Street homeless shelter, but the devoted rookie can no longer do the work he loves after being crippled in the tragic event. When friendship with his buddy’s beautiful widow turns into more, he wonders, what could he possibly offer Jenna? Jenna Morgan is trying to grieve her husband’s death like a proper widow, but the truth is, she never really loved Zach. His death feels more like a relief to her. But that relief is short-lived when she loses her home and the financial support of her in-laws. Now the secrets of her past threaten to destroy her future. Can the two forget the painful past and discover new reasons to live and love?

Lucas Vermontez was injured in the Grove Street homeless shelter fire over a year ago.  He is still working on the road to recovery while missing his job at the fire department.  Jenna Morgan lost her husband Zach in the fire who was Lucas' best friend.  They meet up one day and start to build a friendship.  Jenna is going through lots of changes in her life between losing her husband, having to sell her house, moving in with her in-laws and trying to start a life again for herself.  She has some secrets of her past that she is battling, including her true feelings about Zach.  Can she learn to get past them?  Will she be able to make something of herself when she has always been given everything?  What will become of her friendship with Lucas?

I really enjoyed the second book of the Hanover Falls series.  It was nice to see how other people from the tragedy have moved on with their lives.  I am looking forward to reading the third and final book of this series, After All, as soon as I read my book for my book club!  I am looking forward to reading more by Deborah Raney since I purchased the Clayburn series and I am patiently waiting for it to come in!