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Over the Edge

20 Monday May 2013

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cover27349-mediumWelcome!  Today we have the review of Over the Edge here, as well as a special treat.  Author Suzanne Carroll was kind enough to provide us with a guest spot concerning her favorite romances and their influence.  Please check out her post below and don’t forget to go visit the other sites in the blog tour (found on the May 4th post here).

Enjoy!

*****

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What are your favorite romances, and what influences have they had on your writing 

I really enjoyed The Bronze Horseman series by Paullina Simons, the first book in particular. I admired the way she created such a tender and intense romance and wove it so beautifully through the story of WWII Russia.  And I’ve always liked A Room With A View by E.M. Forster. The character of George was so extreme for the times he lived in, and I loved his honesty and his passion when he fell in love with Lucy.

I’ve always liked the little details in a story, like the way a character lights a cigarette.  Or the scuffs on someone’s shoes. Someone’s choice of cover for their mobile phone.  They’re small things that, for me anyway, give more life to a character; they tell you something extra, and it makes the character more real, I think. So when I write, and I see the characters so clearly in my imagination, some of those little details I see make it onto the page.

*****

Summary of Over the Edge:
In six weeks Zoe Harper will marry Dan Costi in an over-the-top Sydney society wedding, complete with fire-eaters and belly dancers. But when she receives an unexpected gift from her future mother-in-law, Zoe realizes she’s making a huge mistake. In a blazing sidewalk argument, she breaks up with her fiancé, and his mother—who has joined the fight via conference call.Following the advice of friends and co-workers, along with some inspiration from late-night-television self-help guru Dr. Pam, Zoe sets out to find the life she thinks she should be living. Always a planner, she makes a list of goals: travel, career, tattoos, and no romantic entanglements. It’s all carefully laid out, until she meets Angus Creed.Angus is supposed to lead the opening waltz at a charity ball in New York City. Only problem is the handsome billionaire construction magnate with the tabloid past can’t dance. Not one step.

Tainted by gossip and with a well-publicized failed engagement behind him, Angus has become a master at keeping an emotional distance. Until he meets Zoe.

What starts as dancing lessons, slowly becomes something more. Angus begins to let down his guard and open his heart, even when his past makes an unexpected and unwelcome return. As Zoe discovers the real man behind the headlines, she questions where her new choices are taking her. Her goals look good on paper, but are they what she really wants? And by the time she realizes where her heart lies, will it be too late?

Author Bio:
Suzanne lives in Sydney with her husband and children.  By day she works in an office where she sneakily scribbles plot ideas on yellow sticky notes and hopes they don’t accidentally end up on the departmental monthly report.One such sticky note has turned into her first novel, Over the Edge.

Buying link: http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/74

Once Upon a Prince

19 Sunday May 2013

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(Come back tomorrow for our stop on the Over the Edge blog tour, complete with special guest post by author Suzanne Carroll.)

cover26772-mediumI thought this book was fantastic.  I love the Truitt clan – they are loud and Southern proud – and I want to be an honorary member.  Susanna has been dating her marine for twelve years.  It started in high school and survived multiple tours in the Middle East.  Only now, instead of proposing, he’s come to tell her that he’s found someone else.  Her life plan in tatters, she now has to decide on a new plan.  Then she meets Nate.  Prince Nathaniel is on vacation in St Simons Island, Georgia and definitely did not count on falling in love with a woman that he, by law, cannot have a future with.  He’s duty bound to go home and marry someone from his own country.  But when Susanna comes to his country to see his coronation and he sees her in his home, everything changes.  Can a king and an ordinary American figure out a way to make a life together?

Once Upon a Prince was born out of the romance of Prince William and Kate Middleton – the idea that a regular person can fall in love and marry a royal.  It’s a modern day Cinderella story and is just as appealing as the fairy tale.  Both Susanna and Nate are wonderful.  She is the perfect complement to him, reminding him of the good in himself and the world, of giving himself up to God’s plan and doing what’s right.  Even when she doesn’t know he’s a real prince, she does a great job of supporting him.  Although it directly impacts his decisions about love, I did think there was a little too much about the politics that he has to deal with.  Honestly I skimmed over most of that, just reading enough to get the basics and how it applies to him & Susanna.  I understand that the drama was important to him and how he moved forward (and I’m guessing a future story or two since this is the first in a series) but it was a little dry.  The rest of the story is definitely worth it though.

Once Upon a Prince is a must read for anyone who had fantasies of having their very own Prince Charming sweep them off their feet.

– See more at: http://juliejohnson.booktrib.com/reviews/once-upon-a-prince/#sthash.CPQM7jgE.dpuf

Jake

17 Friday May 2013

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cover21875-mediumJake is the latest novel in R. C. Ryan’s “Wyoming Sky” series and is the story of the youngest Conway brother. Veterinarian Jake Conway, one of the most sought after bachelors in his area, sees no reason to settle down …. Until he meets the sexy woman next door.  Meg Stanford has returned to Wyoming after the death of her estranged father.  She expected to have to deal with the details concerning the disposal of his ranch.  What she did not expect to find was a ten year old half-brother.  When a couple of late night break-ins send her to stay with her neighbors, Meg and Jake find their attraction hard to fight.  But as the danger heightens, will they be able to keep everyone safe?

I haven’t read any of the previous stories in the series, but I really enjoyed this one.  It has enough suspense to keep things interesting and the mystery is very sound.  For those who like a light intrigue with their romance, this is a perfect choice.  Based on the clues about the previous stories, this seems to be par for the course with this series.

I do feel that some of the dialogue is a little awkward but it only happens a couple of times and is easily overlooked.  The characters are full of rich, country charm and heart.  They make up a wonderful, strong family that looks out for each other and those around them.  They are exactly what you would expect from a ranching group that has to rely on themselves and others in times of hardship.  They are a lovely family and one that I’d be happy to be a part of.

My only other issue was with the ending.  I kinda saw how it was being set up but I don’t know that I felt that it was fleshed out completely.  It seemed like the choice Meg made to see if DC was the right choice was logical so the resulting fall-out was a little unexpected.  I think her thought process was right on and she made the best decisions with the options given to her.  I’m not sure why it caused such a fight with Jake, especially given some of their earlier conversations, but maybe it was his cowboy pride coming to play.  But the rest of the story was well-handled, the pacing was just right, and the development of their relationship very smooth.

Those who enjoy Linda Lael Miller’s country romances, with a little mystery thrown in, will enjoy Jake and might even want to check out Quinn and Josh – my guess is they are more of the same and I liked the characters as they were portrayed in this story.

Hold Me Down Hard

14 Tuesday May 2013

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Hold Me Down Hard is a sexy, short read guaranteed to heat up your day.  Eden Carver wants her sexy neighbor, and best friend, Jay Bennett, but he’s got her firmly placed in the friend category.  As a NYC cop, Jay sees a lot of bad things on the job and wants nothing more than to protect Eden.  Which definitely means that he can’t seduce the sweet Iowa farm girl, no matter how badly he wants to.  But when Eden’s friends talk her into seducing the sexy cop, all bets are off.

I really enjoyed this short story.  It’s only about 50 pages, but it packs a lot of spice into those pages.  Being so short we don’t get a lot of background, but Fox does a great job of packing as much as she can into the pages she has.  We learn that Eden isn’t as innocent as everyone thinks she is but the one time she let her kinky side out it ended badly.  Afraid that it will ruin everything if she lets Jay know how she really feels, she’s held back.  Jay also has rougher needs that he’s afraid will scare Eden.  Plus he is very dedicated to his job with the Gang Unit and thinks the danger may be more than Eden can handle.  But once they start communicating everything comes together.

The book doesn’t really explore their more kinky wants, they are mentioned but not actually acted upon.  At its heart, the story is more about getting past assumptions than it is about their darker side, which made the book that much more enjoyable to me.  Those assumptions could be about anything and makes the two so much more relatable.

If you are looking for a steamy read that you can fit into a hectic schedule, this bite-size treat is for you.  The characters are interesting and their issues are real, all of it contained in a tiny package.

Carry Your Heart

09 Thursday May 2013

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image004Warning:  There is a good chance this book will make you cry at some point.  It starts with an avalanche that kills two young men and leaves a young woman broken in body & heart.  It’s now been a year and Pippa has moved home with her dad to recover and grieve … and avoid her once promising skiing career.  But her old coach won’t let her quit and pushes her to come back.  Once on her skis again, she finds a part of herself that had been missing, plus friends that she’d lost touch with and a snowboarder who reminds her that she still has a heart to lose.  But Hunter has some issues of his own – issues that might destroy their relationship before it really begins.

I read Carry Your Heart in one day because I just could not put it down.  The beginning just broke my heart.  I couldn’t shake the fear and desperation that they must have felt during the avalanche and my chest hurt thinking of what that would have been like.  You know it’s going to be a good story when it sucks you in and makes you feel like the people are that real.

Pippa’s issues are there for everyone to see.  The competitive skiing world is close knit and they all know what happened, they knew all three of them, and it hurt them too.  It’s hard for Pippa to have to face them again – the pity, the judgment, the questions – but she quickly realizes that there is nowhere else she can be.  She still has to figure out how to move on and get over the loss of her friends but skiing is a part of her too.

Hunter is more private and very few people know enough about him to truly get him.  I’m not sure why he chooses Pippa to be the person he opens up to but he needed that very badly.  Although not as obviously traumatic, his troubles are just as difficult to manage and move beyond.  Hunter hasn’t learn to deal with a lot of his baggage and finds it easier to run away.  It’s not the healthiest of reactions and definitely causes him problems.

Some may feel that their relationship is not a good one – he’s got commitment issues and she’s coming out of a depression – but it worked for me.  They are there for each other, supporting one another, and helping to move forward.  Yes, they have their moments of stupidity, stubbornness and pride, but that just makes them more real.  People are idiots and you either forgive or move on – I’m very happy that they choose to forgive.  There are unanswered questions that suggest the opportunity for a follow up book … which I’m ok with only as long as these two stay together.  I really want them to find something good together.

Carry Your Heart falls into that New Adult category of romances – those books about people in their early 20s, with all the joy and heartache that comes with moving into adulthood.  It made me cry and laugh and sigh.  It made me fall in love with Hunter and miss knowing those boys from the avalanche.  It was real and difficult and frustrating and happy.  I will say that I got an advance copy directly from Audrey Bell and I’m not sure if it was the final edition.  There were some editing issues in my copy that I know would annoy some people but if you look through that you will find a story about loving and living that will touch your heart.

Tempting Cameron

07 Tuesday May 2013

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cover29579-mediumIn Tempting Cameron, Cameron McKenzie is back in Lone Pine Lake for his sister’s wedding but it’s only the reception and he is already feeling claustrophobic.  He can’t wait to get out of town again …. that is until he sees his sister’s best friend, Chloe Dawson, again.  But relationships never work for Cam and he definitely doesn’t want to hurt someone like Chloe.  Chloe has had a crush on Cam since her preteen years and she’s well aware of his love ‘em and leave ‘em lifestyle.  But when an accident throws them together, Chloe takes advantage of the situation to spend more time with Cam.  Will he break her heart or will she show him that he can stick for the right woman?

Readers of Erickson’s books will have already met both Cam and Chloe in Jane’s Gift and will love the chance to learn more about the broody McKenzie brother.  Sometimes you want a perfect hero – one who is hot, charming, sweet, understanding, smart, did I mention hot? – you know, George Clooney as he is in your dreams.  But sometimes you want a moody, emotional, sexy, difficult, realistic hero.  One that makes mistakes but when he gives his heart it is for good.  Cameron is definitely this second type.  He has issues (and I’m not sure that I completely understood them or where they came from) but it makes him deliciously flawed.  He’s not perfect and I love that.  Chloe is exactly what you would expect a small town second grade teacher to be – she’s sweet, innocent, caring, and girl next door pretty.  Being different from other women he’s known, she quickly gets Cam’s attention and before long his heart.  Chloe has idealized him since the beginning of her crush, but he’s flawed and she learns to deal with, and love, the man he really is.  Thanks to imperfect Cam, their’s is not an easy road but it is one that they are willing to travel.  It’s a very realistic path and one that is as human as the characters it portrays.  Readers are also treated to a little glimpse of Jane & Chris’s new life (from Jane’s Gift) and some groundwork for future stories involving the rest of the McKenzie siblings (which I’m SO looking forward to – I think Mac is going to be fantastically fun when he finally falls in love).

Tempting Cameron is the perfect read for those looking for a moody, difficult, flawed but loving hero and the wonderful woman who understands him.

Sand Castle Bay

05 Sunday May 2013

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cover23033-mediumI love how Sherryl Woods’s books are about family as much as they are about romance.  They are always filled with lively characters, heartfelt issues, and just that right amount of humor.  In Sand Castle Bay, she introduces readers to the Castle family –Emily, Gabriella and Samantha, plus their grandmother Cora Jane.  Each of the sisters will get her own story and this first one belongs to Emily.  She left town ten years ago to make a name for herself, leaving behind the man who held her heart, which he promptly breaks by marrying someone else.  But now he’s a widower and a single father.  When the two realize that their feelings are just as strong as ever, can they find a way to make a relationship work?

Full of a sweet Southern charm that just draws readers in, Woods’s books are populated with interesting people, and realistic issues, in a compelling style that keeps you coming back for more.  The conflict between Emily and Boone is complicated in so many ways – first they have to get past their hurt and pride, then once they agree to try again they have to figure out how to balance their separate lives while having to deal with the fallout from his mother-in-law’s grief.

I also enjoyed getting to know the supporting cast – Emily’s sisters who will have books of their own soon and the men that will impact their lives, as well as the assorted friends who make an appearance.  Woods does a fantastic job of giving everyone just enough page time to get your invested in them, leaving you with a hint of what future books will hold.  It’s a well-rounded group and one that I look forward to knowing better.

My only problem was that I’m not sure that all of Emily and Boone’s issues are completely resolved.  I think that there was maybe one more conversation that needed to be held to get everything wrapped up.  But hopefully that will be addressed in the coming books.

Sand Castle Bay is the perfect kick-off to what looks to be a wonderful new series.  If you are looking for books full of the sincerity, warmth, and allure of the Carolinas, start right here.

Cowboy Take Me Away

02 Thursday May 2013

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cover21883-mediumYears ago, Luke Dawson left Rainbow Valley, Texas with a broken heart and a chip on his shoulder the size of his home state.  The son of the town drunk and self-made bad boy, not many people missed him when he left . . . except Shannon.  Now, back for his dad’s funeral, Luke is forced to stay for a few weeks due to an accident.  A professional bull rider on his way to the World Championships, he needs a place to stay and a way to make a little cash.  Shannon is now the director of the animal shelter where they both worked as kids, and the only person willing to give Luke a job.  But can they get beyond that night all those years ago and what happened to cause him to leave town so suddenly?

I adore Jane Graves’s books, she has that perfect blend of humor and angst.  Luke is so delightfully messed-up.  He’s carried a burden for a very long time and it is wonderful to see him be able to share it, finally letting go of all the pain and hurt.  After years of being chased by his demons, he’s finally forced to confront them and it proves to be the most difficult thing he has ever faced.  Shannon comes from a prominent family but was never really understood by anyone, except Luke.  Both outsiders for different reasons, they formed a special bond as kids.  It takes a little forgiveness and a lot of communication but they eventually get that back and it is so sweet to see.

Cowboy Take Me Away is the first of Graves’s “Rainbow Valley” series and I am anxiously waiting for the next one.  There are some supporting characters I am looking forward to getting to know better, including Shannon’s former boyfriend Russell.  He’s got a good heart but he’s a little misguided so I’m ready for a woman to set him straight.  If you are looking for a book full of Texas charm and addictive people, this is a can’t miss treat.

Shot of Sultry

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

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cover20968-mediumMacy Beckett welcomes readers back to Sultry Springs, Texas.  In Sultry with a Twist, she introduced us to June, Luke and all their friends and family.  Now we’re back, this time with Luke’s sister, Bobbi, and Luke’s best friend, Trey.  Bobbi is a documentary film-maker, but a scandal has ruined her career.  Now her only way back is to work on a sleazy dating reality show filmed in her brother’s small home town.  A chance to fix her reputation is very important to her and she can’t afford to be distracted by her brother’s oh-so-sexy friend.  Trey has an opportunity to clear the Other Than Honorable discharge from his military record by spending two years doing private security in Dubai.  But when Luke asks him to help watch over Bobbi while she’s in town, Trey may find it hard to keep his promise, and his hands off his best friend’s little sister, until the end of the summer.

I absolutely could not put this book down – in fact, I read it in just a day.  Bobbi was only a mention in the fist book, but Trey played a prime role and he was one of my favorites in a long list of well-loved characters.  I’m so thrilled he got his own story.  He has that standard romance novel issue of commitment issues, but he has his reasons.  He’s had almost no examples of a good marriage – pretty much only Luke & June – not only has he had a couple of unfaithful girlfriends, plus Luke’s first wife, but his own dad has been cheating on his mother for years.

Bobbi has her own issues.  She had a less than typical upbringing – an addict mother who cared little about food, hygiene or clothes for her young daughter.  When her mother died, she ended up in foster care and then adopted by two wonderful men.  But by that time she had quite a few scars from spiteful children.  She may still struggle with feelings of adequacy but not as much as she struggles with her intense attraction to Trey.  And together they are witty, funny and quite sexy.

As much as I loved the extended cast in the first Sultry Springs book, I could not get enough of the supporting characters in A Shot of Sultry.  Trey has a wonderful teen who is spending a community service stint working for him and the relationship between the two is so sweet, in a guy kind of way.  The quirky guys working on Bobbi’s documentary crew add a touch of hippie charm to Beckett’s small Texas town zaniness.  But the best is by far Sherriff’s deputy Colton.  He’s quite the womanizer but he’s got problems of his own and I absolutely cannot wait to get to the bottom of them in Surrender to Sultry coming in August.

A Shot of Sultry is that perfect mix of charm, humor and warmth.  The characters are quirky and fun, with the perfect mix of banter and heart, and quite a bit of heat to keep things spicy.  If you are looking for a steamy book on those hot summer nights, Beckett is your go-to-girl.

The House that Love Built

29 Monday Apr 2013

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cover26817-mediumIn The House that Love Built, Beth Wiseman brings her readers a touching story about learning to love again and finding both faith and family.  Brooke Holloway has always lived in the small Texas town of Smithville.  She married her high school sweetheart, only to lose him too young.  Now she’s raising their two kids and running the family’s hardware store.  Owen Saunders came to town purely out of spite.  He’s fresh out of a bitter divorce and has bought the kind of house his ex always talked about having, only he realizes that it is more house, and work, than he needs.  Still in love with his ex, he befriends Brooke and her kids but makes it known that he isn’t ready for anything more.  Which is fine with Brooke, she can’t imagine replacing her husband and her son is definitely not ready to see a man in her life.  But as they spend more time together, their attraction builds.  Are they ready to let the past go and move on with each other?

There is a large cast of characters involved in this story and all of them are compelling.  In addition to Owen and Brooke, Wiseman introduces us to Brooke’s mother and estranged father, Owen’s uncle Denny, the town’s screw-up Hunter, his grandmother and his drug addict parents.  The best part of this story is how it’s about all of these characters learning to forgive where forgiveness is needed, give second chances, and love one another.  I think Hunter touched my heart the most.  He’s had such a rough life for one so young and there are parts of his story that brought tears to my eyes.  All of them are dear to me, but he is the one I fell for the hardest.

The House That Love Built is billed as a love story but it is so much more – it’s about finding a place in the world you can call home and realizing that family is more than the people you are related to.