Review: The Hero by Robyn Carr

The Hero by Robyn CarrFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, large print hardcover, mass market paperback, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Thunder Point, #3
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: August 27, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can’t be worse than what they’ve left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need.

As the widowed father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something about needing friendship. But he’s not looking for anything else. Instead, he’s thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point’s high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the field he’s gentle and kind…just the kind of man who could heal Devon’s wounded heart.

Devon thought she wanted to hide from the world. But in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it…and sometimes, you find a hero.

My Review:

The titular hero of this third entry in Robyn Carr’s Thunder Point series and the romantic hero are not the same person. Surprise! But a very excellent surprise and also totally in keeping with the way that this small-town romance series has been developing.

I think I’ve fallen in love with Thunder Point, Oregon. The more of this small, beachfront town that we explore, the easier it is to understand what makes this place so special.

The important relationship in The Hero isn’t the romance, it’s the adopted father/daughter relationship between the withdrawn Vietnam vet Rawley Goode and Devon McAllister, the woman he picks up on the road escaping from a psychopathic cult leader.

Rawley remembers all too well what it’s like to be on the run, down and out and feel like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and it’s all his fault. People helped him when he had nothing but the clothes on his back; he sees Devon as a way to pay those people back, to “pay it forward”, although he doesn’t call it that.

And Devon has a child with her, a little girl. Her daughter Mercy. Seeing how frightened Devon is makes Rawley question everything he’s ever seen about the religious commune known simply as “The Fellowship”.

He gives Devon and Mercy a home. Safety. And a chance for Devon to take back the life she gave up when she was young and scared and naive. She reaches for that opportunity with her arms flung wide.

She gives Rawley the family he might have had if he hadn’t come back scarred from his war. A daughter. A granddaughter. A reason to reach out to the community that took him in. Not just peace, but fellowship and friendship. Belonging.

Devon remakes her life. She gets a job. An apartment. Makes a home. Develops new friendships with women in the community. And even though it scares her and she’s none too sure that her judgment is sound, starts a relationship with the new high school football coach, Spencer Lawson, who is every bit as uncertain about his own readiness to start a relationship, although for entirely different reasons.

But just when she’s starting to feel secure, Devon’s life goes to smash. The cult kidnaps her daughter. And that’s when everyone in Thunder Point finds out exactly what kind of hero Rawley Goode has always been. Because Devon needs a hero to rescue her daughter from the crazed drug dealer who fathered her.

The Wanderer By Robyn CarEscape Rating: B+: The utterly marvelous thing about the Thunder Point series is how each book just flows right into the next one. Although there is a story with a beginning, middle and end, there is a whole lot of catching up with the people you’ve already met. And this series is still early enough that it’s easy to catch up. Also very much worth it.

While there is a romance, that wasn’t center stage in this story. The creation of the made-up family between Rawley, Devon and Mercy was a much more compelling story than the romance between Devon and Spencer. Also, we’re more invested in Rawley getting, if not an HEA, at least becoming more integrated into the town; he’s been odd man out for quite a while. He’s got quite the snarky sense of humor once he finally starts talking!

Devon’s escape from The Fellowship and her blossoming into independence was a terrific character arc. I loved that she never wimped out, which was what made the romance the less important story. Devon needed to get herself back together, and that story was too important not to take a huge amount of time. It would have felt less empowering if a romance had saved her, she needed to save herself first.

But the threat of the Fellowship coming back to haunt her hung over her like the theme music from Jaws. The action at the end was edge-of-the-seat compelling. Wow! What a wild ride!

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Can’t Help Falling In Love by Bella Andre + Giveaway

Can't Help Falling in Love by Bella AndreFormat read: paperback provided by BookTrib
Formats available: ebook, paperback, mass market paperback, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: The Sullivans, #3
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Originally self-published; expanded edition published by Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: December 9, 2011 (original edition); July 30, 2013 (expanded edition)
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

How much is worth risking?

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco, but he knows better than to risk giving his heart again. Especially not to the woman he saved from a deadly apartment fire…and can’t stop thinking about.

Megan Harris owes everything to the heroic firefighter who saved her and her daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her pilot husband, she has vowed to never suffer through loving—and losing—a man with a dangerous job again.

But when Gabe and Megan meet again, how can he possibly ignore her courage, determination and beauty? And how can she deny not only his strong bond with her daughter…but also his sweetly sensual kisses, challenging her to risk everything she’s been guarding for so long?

My Review:

What makes someone a risk-taker? An adrenaline junkie? A thrill-seeker? What makes another play it safe?

Can you change your fundamental nature from one to the other? Can you make someone else change theirs?

Those are the questions at the heart of Bella Andre’s contemporary romance, Can’t Help Falling In Love, the third book in her Sullivans series. As the title says, Megan Harris and Gabe Sullivan can’t seem to keep from falling in love with one another from the moment they meet.

But it’s not that simple, or we wouldn’t have this marvelous story to read.

From this Moment On by Bella AndreGabe Sullivan is a San Francisco firefighter. He risks his life every time he goes out on a fire call. The story begins when he is called out from his brother Marcus’ engagement party at the end of From This Moment On (reviewed here).

But Gabe is not necessarily an adrenaline junkie. He does his job the safest way he possibly can. His goal in fighting the fire is to save people’s lives.

On that fateful fire call, the lives he saves are those of Megan Harris and her little girl Summer. He admires Megan’s bravery, because Megan’s actions kept Summer alive, not just until he could reach them, but kept him from having to carry two unconscious bodies out of a third floor walkup in an inferno–otherwise, they would have all died.

But no matter much he admires her courage, or how beautiful he believes her to be, he has one ironclad rule–he never becomes involved with fire victims. The expectations have proven to be too high.

Summer wants to thank the firefighter who saved their lives. When Megan takes her to the hospital to visit the injured man, she discovers that he is attractive, adores her daughter, and seems to detest her.

It shouldn’t matter to her. Megan has sworn off any man who chases danger for a living. Any man who might be like the fighter pilot husband who died and left her with a two-year-old to raise alone.

But little Summer is determined to keep on seeing the man who saved them. She’s way smarter than both of the adults in her life. She also knows that rules are made to be broken.

Summer is the biggest risk-taker of them all. It’s lucky for everyone that she’s absolutely right!

Escape Rating B+: One of the things I like about Andre’s Sullivans series is the way that each story starts smoothly from the previously one and leads equally smoothly into the next one. They’re not cliffhangers, it’s feeling that they really are a family and that their stories intertwine.

Although the Sullivans stories I have read so far rely on the insta-love concept, Can’t Help Falling In Love makes it work. Gabe and Megan meet under just the kind of circumstances guaranteed to make two people feel an instant connection–Gabe holds Megan’s life in his hands. They almost die together. The heightened emotions demand a heightened response.

But the reasons they resist any involvement make equal sense. Gabe’s previous attempt at a relationship with a fire victim ended in utter disaster, and Megan’s husband left her a widow because he loved danger more than his family. Megan’s response has been to play the rest of her life “safe”, and to suppress her own need for a little adrenaline in her life.

Megan is an amazing parent. Even though fear has controlled her own life, she has been vigilant about not letting that fear rule Summer’s life. Summer is fearless. Summer is a very well-drawn character in her own right, and not just a prop to match-make the two adults. Summer schemes and connives to get her way, but she’s indulged rather than spoiled. I’m glad that she gets a HEA out of this story too, to be part of a big family.

The next story should be even more fun than this one. The heroine of I Only Have Eyes for You is a librarian!

Bella Andre Blog Tour

~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Bella is giving away one paperback copy of Can’t Help Falling in Love to one lucky winner (US only)! To enter, use the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: From This Moment On by Bella Andre + Giveaway

From this Moment On by Bella AndreFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, paperback, mass market paperback, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: The Sullivans, #2
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Originally self-published; expanded edition published by Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: August 30, 2011 (original); June 25, 2013 (expanded edition)
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he’s planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name – Nico – for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is…or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger – and the sinful promises – in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But nothing goes as they plan when instead of simply tangling limbs, they find a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated. And even though they both try to fight it, growing emotions – and sizzling attraction – keep drawing them closer together.

Close enough for them to wonder if stealing one more secret moment together can ever be enough?

My Review:

With a family like the Sullivans around, how would anyone in Northern California between the ages of puberty and, well, death, get anything done?

Seriously? Eight handsome or beautiful siblings, all adults, all unattached and all pretty decent human beings, concentrated in a pretty small geographic area. This family would be too good to be real, outside of fiction.

It’s not just that their parents raised them right, but after the tragic early death of their father Jack, oldest brother Marcus stepped into the fatherly role at the tender age of 14, and he did it well.

From This Moment On is the story of Marcus’ very much earned happily ever after. He earned it by the way he put off his own happiness to help his mom raise his brothers and sisters. He kind of makes a hash of things with Nicola, the pop star who turns out to be, not the woman of his dreams, but the perfect woman for him.

Not that Nico doesn’t help mess up the road to a relationship!

Look of Love by Bella AndreFrom This Moment On picks up the exact same evening where The Look of Love (reviewed here) ends — after Marcus’ brother Chase’s engagement party.

The Look of Love was kind of a “rescue” love story, even though in the end Chase doesn’t rescue Chloe half as much as he gives Chloe the time and space for her to rescue herself. Still, the element is there.

From This Moment On starts out with a classic rebound relationship thing going on. Marcus has just broken up with his long-time girlfriend because he discovered her in flagrante delicto. As I said, classic. He goes out to a club, very much against his usual behavior, after that engagement party, in the hopes of picking up a one-night stand. Just out of a two-year relationship, the last thing he thinks he wants is to start another one.

Instead, he picks up Nicola. She thinks she’s just there for a one-night stand, because the last thing that she can afford is a real relationship. She can’t believe she’s picked the one man in the place who doesn’t know who she really is, the pop-princess Nico.

But instead of hot sex, Nico falls asleep on Marcus. Which is totally ironic considering that he’s a decade older than she is. A fact that undoubtedly contributes to his non-recognition. He’s outside of the target demographic for her image.

When she wakes up in the morning, he’s all too aware that the young woman she really is, once she’s scrubbed clean of her makeup, is much too young for his 36 year old self, even if she is 25, and whatever she might say she wants. Whatever he might really want.
Even if the one kiss he allows himself is a kiss he can’t make himself forget.

Fate doesn’t let the perfect romance get away from either of them. Pop-princess Nico is in San Francisco to shoot a music video with choreographer Lori Sullivan. Lori brings her big brother Marcus down to meet the terrific singer she’s working with.

Neither Marcus nor Nicola are able to resist temptation a second time, no matter how much they both believe that they should.

The real question is whether, after spending a perfect week together, can they get past the belief that a real relationship between them is impossible?

Escape Rating B: From This Moment On takes a bundle of lovely romantic tropes and weaves them all together into a sweet and sensual story.

Marcus and Nicola are two people whose worlds would simply not intersect, but they do. Opposites attract. Opposites attract a bit instantly, but Bella Andre does make it work by starting with sex and working up to love, a love that both people resist kicking and screaming.

Nicola doesn’t romanticize the loneliness and fun of being a star. She has to watch her back all the time, and thinks of fame as the price she pays to play her music. Even though she is younger than Marcus, she tries to protect him from the damage her life can cause. She goes a bit overboard, but it’s an understandable reaction.

They both push each other to re-think some of their life choices. Nicola has had to grow up more than someone normally would at her age, and it makes her and Marcus more equal. One thing that Ms. Andre did well was to portray the way the age-difference worked in the relationship.

can't help fallin in love by bella andreThe Sullivan family as a whole is terrific to read about. I enjoy seeing them interact. It’s also great that they didn’t come from money. Several of the siblings made their own money as adults, and we’ll get to read some of those stories, but they’re not spoiled rich kids. It makes their family story more heartwarming.

I like the way that the end of each book leads into the next one. It’s not a cliffhanger (thank goodness!) but it does let the reader know who’s up to bat. Firefighter Gabe’s story will be next in Can’t Help Falling In Love. It seems like readers can’t help falling in love with the Sullivans.

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~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Bella has TWO giveaways for you. One is a print copy of From This Moment On. The other, in celebration of her 7-figure deal with Harlequin to reprint The Sullivans, is a beach bag full of goodies:

  • Not Your Mother’s Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream
  • Jade & Jasper Women in Style Bracelets
  • O.P.I Nail Lacquer Suzi’s Hungary AGAIN!
  • Unisun Eyewear Rager Sunglasses
  • Evian Mineral Water Facial Spray
  • Solemates High Heeler
  • Vapur Classic Reflex water bottle
  • And your very own copy of The Look of Love by Bella Andre

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: The Newcomer by Robyn Carr

Thew Newcomer by Robyn CarrFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, hardcover, paperback, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Thunder Point, #2
Length: 364 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: June 25, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

Single dad and Thunder Point’s deputy sheriff “Mac” McCain has worked hard to keep his town safe and his daughter happy. Now he’s found his own happines with Gina James. The longtime friends have always shared the challenges and rewards of raising their adolescent daughters. With an unexpected romance growing between them, they’re feeling like teenagers themselves-suddenly they can’t get enough of one another.

And just when things are really taking off, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. When Mac’s long-lost ex-wife shows up in town, drama takes on a whole new meaning. Mac and Gina know they’re meant to be together, but can their newfound love withstand the pressure?

My Review:

In the first Thunder Point book, the “wanderer” of the title (see review) was definitely Hank Cooper. I’m not quite sure exactly who the titular “newcomer” is in this second book of the series, and I really don’t care; I was glad of the chance to visit Thunder Point again.

This is looking like one of those series where you fall in love with the town. Fine by me.

The story of The Newcomer is a direct continuation of The Wanderer, following the same two adult couples, Hank Cooper and Sarah Dupre, who both came to Thunder Point from someplace very else, and Gina James and Mac McCain, who have been in Thunder Point for years, and only came from nearby Coquille.

Their stories are so intertwined, it’s a little hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. But, for me it worked like this; in the first book, both couples figure out that they belong together, even though they reach that point from entirely different routes, and face completely different challenges.

In this second story, both couples are tested by outside forces, and have to figure out whether what they have found can withstand some pretty tough circumstances. In both cases, part of that test has to do with major life incidents rising out of the past and jumping up to bite, but there is an element of learning to compromise and communicate in there as well.

There is definitely an added element to the story that all the adults are single parents, and how much they factor their children’s adjustments and happiness into the equation.

Every one of the adults in this story doesn’t just have someone in their past, but they have someone with whom they have unfinished business. It all comes out at the same time, making this story more of a family drama than the regularly expected romance.

This is one family (maybe that’s a whole bunch of families) where you root for everyone to figure out the mess and reach for their happy ending, no matter how crazy things get along the way.

Escape Rating B+: The Thunder Point series is one where is just so much fun to see how everyone is doing and where things are going next. I loved going back to this town.

The Wanderer By Robyn CarThe Newcomer reads like a direct sequel to The Wanderer; the story doesn’t make sense without reading the first book, but that’s okay. The first book was good, too. The Newcomer is reads like the second crisis in both couple’s stories so that they earn their HEA.

Along with more than a bit of teenage angst concerning Mac and Gina’s daughters, both of whom have crises in their love lives in the middle of the parental drama. This isn’t just angsty but adds to the drama AND definitely makes for a big character arc for two of the teens. I don’t normally like teen angst but this time it enhanced the story quite a bit.

All the point-of-view characters in this story are likeable, you want to find out what’s going on with them, and you want them to get their HEA.

One of the most fun characters in the series so far is Mac’s Aunt Lou. She’s snarky and doesn’t suffer fools. She’s someone you want to sit down with for coffee…or a whole bottle of wine.

The Hero by Robyn CarrNow that Sarah and Hank and Mac and Gina have finally resolved their issues, the next book moves on to someone who was introduced from Hank’s past. I’m looking forward to more happiness in Thunder Point.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: The Look of Love by Bella Andre

look of love by bella andreFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, paperback, mass market paperback, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: The Sullivans, #1
Length: 184 pages
Publisher: Originally self-published; expanded edition published by Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: June 13, 2011 (original); May 28, 2013 (expanded edition)
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

Sometimes one look is all it takes

Chloe Peterson has vowed never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Her reasons are as vivid as the bruises on her cheek. So when her car skids off a wet country road straight into a ditch, she’s convinced the gorgeous guy who rescues her must be too good to be true.

As a successful international photographer, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women. He’s satisfied with his life—until he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley.

With every loving look—and every sinfully sweet caress—the attraction between them sizzles, and Chloe can’t help but wonder if she’s met the man who may be the exception to her rule…

My Review:

The Sullivans are a family that readers will want to fall in love with. So it’s a good thing that there are so many of them! Six handsome brothers and two beautiful sisters, plus mom is a widow (I confess to wondering if mom will get her own story somehow).

This first story is brother Chase’s story, and contrary to convention, Chase is not the oldest brother, he’s number three in the family. He’s also a playboy but falls into the trope of suddenly ready to settle down when he meets the right woman. That’s okay, it works when he meets Chloe.

I think all the Sullivans are going to turn out to have a “knight in shining armor” streak. Their mom definitely raised them right. Chase rescues Chloe from a car wreck in the middle of a major storm. She’s also sporting a killer bruise on her face, so it’s pretty obvious that she needs some other kind of rescue, but that’s more than she can accept.

Automobile service in the middle of nowhere is pure necessity. Her cell phone is dead and it’s freezing. What she doesn’t count on is getting swept into Chase’s world of fashion photography, because that’s what he does.

Chloe doesn’t trust the instant attraction between them, because she’s made that kind of mistake before. But she needs a place to retreat, and Sullivan Winery turns out to be the perfect place. By slow degrees, Chloe becomes an integral part of Chase’s photo shoot at his brother Marcus’ winery.

She doesn’t want to explore the feelings that Chase arouses in her, either the physical sensations or the emotions, but the more time they spend together, the harder it is for her to resist.

Chase is nothing like the ex-husband who abused her. It just takes a few days for her head to catch up with her heart to tell her what she really feels.

While Chase spends all his time making sure that Chloe understands that he wants the best of whatever part of her he can have…on her terms.

Escape Rating B: The Look of Love is a fun, hot, sweet romance. The relationship between Chase and Chloe starts out slow and then builds a lot of heat pretty quickly. Emotionally, it’s a sweet roller-coaster ride. Chloe is naturally reluctant to get emotionally involved, but Chase is hooked from the beginning. Their push-pull is well-done.

The family is terrific! Chloe at the Sullivan family dinner brought out all the family dynamics and made me eager to find out what happens to everyone else. (I admit I really want to see the librarian daughter get a fantastic HEA!) But brother Marcus is suffering at the moment, so I hope his story resolves soon. The sibling banter was loads of fun. This is a tremendously likeable family and it will be great to read each story and keep up with everyone as their lives unfold.

From this moment on by bella andreBut I’m glad From This Moment On is Marcus’ story. From the backstory of the family, he’s suffered long enough!

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: What She Wants by Sheila Roberts

What She Wants by Sheila RobertsFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, mass market paperback, audiobook
Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Life in Icicle Falls, #4
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: March 26, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

What do women want?

Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can’t figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He’s been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she’s never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot—their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan’s friends, but he isn’t having any success on the home front. His wife’s kicked him out.

When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he’s found the love expert he’s been seeking—Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world’s best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they’re going to be the kind of men women want!

My Review:

Any trip to Icicle Falls is a treat. It reads like an almost perfect small town, one of those places where everyone knows your business, and wants the best for you.

But like most places, under the surface, things aren’t always what they seem. Not all the marriages are perfect, and not everyone’s experience in high school was happy. Certainly everybody hasn’t figured life out by the time of their 15th high school reunion!

Reading about Jonathan Templar and his Friday-night poker buddies turning to romance novels to figure out what women really want definitely turned out to have its share of hilarious moments…but it also ended in some lessons learned for the men involved.

They did figure it out, even if their source of advice turned out to not exactly be the person they thought she was!

Five guys play poker: the town nerd, the successful businessman, and the cubicle dweller, along with one happily married man and one divorced middle-aged cynic. The happily married man knows that the secret is to treat his wife like she’s the most important person in his world, because she is.

Jonathan, Kyle and Adam need to learn that lesson, for various reasons of their own. It’s Jonathan, the computer guru of the group, who overhears women at the library book sale telling each other that if only men read romance novels they might have a chance at getting a woman and keeping her satisfied.

Jonathan is desperate enough to try, even if he is so embarrassed that he keeps it a secret. Along with his not-so-secret life-long crush on Lissa Castle. But Lissa (of course!) only ever saw him as a friend. Jonathan hopes that, armed with the advice from the books and a complete makeover, he’ll be able to sweep Lissa off her feet at their 15th high school reunion at the end of the summer.

His friends Kyle and Adam are equally desperate for reasons of their own. So they all dive headlong into the world of romance novels, hoping that they will be able to find their own happy ever afters with the women of their dreams.

Even if they have to get hit by a clue-by-four to get their dreams on the right track!

Escape Rating B: There are three love stories packed into this one book, but they are woven together by the constant of the Friday night poker get-together. It was neat to have a romance told pretty much from the point of view of the guys in the story. And it worked!

Adam needs a wake-up call, and he takes a long time to get one. He doesn’t want to grow up and realize he’s been selfish. Kyle’s problem is that he’s been lusting after a bimbo instead of paying attention to a woman who is pretty and terrific and good for him. He’s another boy who needs to man up.

Jonathan is the anchor, because he’s the one who most wants to change. His is kind of an “ugly duckling” story, although he isn’t really ugly–but he thinks of himself that way. He’s just geeky, but very successful at it. His problem is that life-time crush on the former girl-next-door. He needs to get her or get over her, so he decides to get her. And he uses the romance novels as a textbook for what women want. It’s really kind of sweet. He even gets to be a hero.

But because the story is told from Jonathan’s point of view, we really don’t get to see why he loves Lissa. We know that he does, but we don’t know what makes Lissa so special. Jonathan is a terrific guy, and a lot of women would be happy to find someone like him. He goes to a tremendous amount of effort to make himself over for someone who has never noticed him. I wish we had a chance to get to know her better.

I loved the scenes where the poker buddies meet the romance writer who was their inspiration. Those scenes were fantastic!

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***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: The Wanderer by Robyn Carr

The Wanderer By Robyn CarFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, hardcover, mass market paperback, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Thunder Point, #1
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Date Released: March 26, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Nestled on the Oregon Coast is a small town of rocky beaches and rugged charm. Locals love the land’s unspoiled beauty. Developers see it as a potential gold mine. When newcomer Hank Cooper learns he’s been left an old friend’s entire beachfront property, he finds himself with a community’s destiny in his hands.

Cooper has never been a man to settle in one place, and Thunder Point was supposed to be just another quick stop. But Cooper finds himself getting involved with the town. And with Sarah Dupre, a woman as complicated as she is beautiful.

With the whole town watching for his next move, Cooper has to choose between his old life and a place full of new possibilities. A place that just might be home.

My Review:

There isn’t just “one” wanderer in Robyn Carr’s The Wanderer, there are actually two. Hank Cooper and Sarah Dupre. Sarah has some pretty good reasons for her wandering. Cooper, maybe not so much. He’s just one of those guys who has a hard time putting down roots.

And The Wanderer is kind of a “slow-build” romance, but that’s okay. In spite of what sounds like some pretty nasty weather, part of the point of the story is to understand what makes Thunder Point on the coast of Oregon a special town, and why Cooper finds himself staying, and staying. In spite of his original intent.

He falls in love with the town first. And so does the reader.

The usual type of romance comes later. And then there are two of those, too. One has been even longer in coming than Cooper and Sarah’s. And so it should be. Thunder Point seems to be a place where everyone gets a second chance.

Cooper is in Thunder Point because an army buddy has died just before they were supposed to meet up for a vacation. They’ve both been out for quite a while, but they kept in touch. Cooper wants to see where Ben ended up, show his friends that someone cared.

He discovers that there are suspicions surrounding Ben’s death, and that Ben left his property to him. A lot of property, and a cryptic message to take care of things.

Cooper also discovers that Ben took care of a surprising number of things and people around Thunder Point, and now that Cooper has taken over his beachfront deli and bait shop, taking care of all of that has now become Cooper’s job. If he wants to take it on.

Starting with stepping between young Landon Dupre and a whole posse of football players who are planning to beat him up. Again.

Landon leads to Sarah. Looking into Ben’s death leads to the Deputy Sherriff. Taking care of things leads to getting involved with the people of Thunder Bay.

But the beachfront land he’s inherited is worth a whole lot of money. Should he take the money and run, just like he’s always done? Or does “taking care of things” mean it’s finally time for him to stay?

Escape Rating B+: It’s surprisingly easy to get involved with the small-town life of Thunder Point as Cooper gets involved. The slowly-building romance between Cooper and Sarah doesn’t even start until one-third or more through the book, and I was more than fine with that!

The introductions of each character as Cooper meets them and then their stories spinning off just worked. The secondary love story between Deputy Sherriff McCain and his best friend was almost heartbreaking at the beginning, but I was definitely rooting for Mac to finally get a clue!

Cooper’s involvement with Sarah doesn’t initially begin with Sarah. He starts out befriending her younger brother Landon, who definitely needs a friend. The portrayal of high school bullying and how Landon was trying to ignore it in the hope it would go away felt true to life. Also the unfortunate but highly likely scenario that the locals would side with the long-resident family against the new guy.

Sarah initially lashed out against Cooper because she was concerned about his motives. Why was a man in his mid-30′s befriending her 16-year-old brother? She had serious trust issues and with good reason, however mis-aimed they might have been.

Even as their relationship changes, Sarah continues to try to keep it as less than it is to protect herself. She’s been burned, and badly, before.

In addition to the romances, there is also a suspense subplot involving Ben’s death and Landon’s bullying that went just a bit over-the-top.

But I had a terrific time visiting Thunder Point, and I’m looking forward to more of this series, especially since I came in with Cooper at the beginning!

This review originally appeared at Book Lovers Inc.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.