Book Review – Place to Belong

16 Monday Jan 2017

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Book Review, Claire Boston, Place to Belong, The Flanagan Sisters series

Place to Belong

The Flanagan Sisters #4

by Claire Boston

Sean Flanagan has spent a lifetime alone and rejected, constantly hiding who he really is.

With a father who deserted him and a mother who despised him, Sean didn’t think things could get much worse … until he was kicked out of home for being gay. Now he’s discovered he has three half-sisters on the other side of the world. This might be his last chance to find people who will love and accept him. But he’s terrified that if they find out who he really is then they’ll reject him like the rest of his family.

Sean arrives in Houston and is stunned by the warm welcome he receives from his sisters. He begins to hope that maybe this time things will be different. That’s when he meets Hayden Johnson. To follow his heart means risking everything with his newfound family.

Hayden is tired of endless dating. He’s looking for a man to love, someone to spend the rest of his life with. His boss’s new brother ticks all the boxes on the attraction scale, but there’s just one problem – he’s not gay.

Will Sean let his fears rule him, or will he let in the chance of love and find a place where he belongs?

I love this family and it is only getting better with the addition of Sean. Those that have read the rest of The Flanagan Sisters series will know what to expect – great characters, smooth writing, and a realistic story that draws you in from the start. Boston hasn’t turned away from difficult issues before and she doesn’t here either. She does a great job of putting a face to some hard social issues – like homosexuality, homelessness, teen pregnancy, abuse.

I feel so bad for Sean, that he thinks he has to hide his sexuality and that’s he’s afraid that he won’t be loved if anyone finds out. I know that this isn’t such an uncommon thing, even today (or maybe especially today), but it breaks my heart to have it laid out so well and with such an endearing character. Boston does an amazing job of capturing his fear and showing us why he feels the way he does. You know that he’s wrong about the Flanagan’s but he doesn’t and she makes sure you understand that.

Hayden has a lot of patience and is willing to give Sean the time he needs to see that it’s OK to be gay, that his newfound family will still accept him. It’s not easy to hide their attraction but he’s willing to do it for now. It’s a nice contrast of the man who feels comfortable with who he is, loved and accepted by his friends & family, with the man who has been shunned for the same thing.

While Hayden is just so completely awesome (which returning readers already know), it is really Sean’s journey that we are here for. The moment that Sean realizes that he’s going to be OK is so touching and, as he gets some resolution with his present and his past, you feel such joy for him to be able to have that. Even while it is a heartbreaker that he had to be there at all.

Although this is part of a series, it isn’t necessary to have read the rest to enjoy this story but it will help you understand the rest of the characters. And they are such great stories, so why wouldn’t you want to read them all!

Book Review – Blaze a Trail

31 Monday Oct 2016

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Blaze a Trail

The Flanagan Sisters #3

by Claire Boston

Blurb:

They’re from the opposite ends of town but they’re worlds apart.

Zita Flanagan wants more. She wants to help more Central American refugees and make more of an impact. But her family comes first and fulfilling her own dreams seems impossible.

David Randall leads a privileged life and knows nothing about refugee issues. When he meets dynamic, sexy Zita, it seems like the perfect opportunity to learn. Zita’s passion for helping those less fortunate and her selfless devotion to the girls her mother fosters brings David’s life sharply into perspective.

Zita soon realizes that David is so much more than a rich boy. She begins to trust him with her foster sisters’ stories, and her own hopes and dreams. But when David’s father announces he’s running for governor and the focus of his campaign is the ‘refugee problem’, Zita has grave concerns for her sisters’ safety. Then David’s betrayal exposes secrets, and it becomes a race against time to save lives.

Can David convince Zita to trust him again, or will his mistake put the life of the woman he loves in jeopardy?

I knew when I met David in Change of Heart that Boston just HAD to bring him back for his own story. And since there was just one sister left … tada! 🙂

I really like David and the moments of introspection he goes thru – not only does he have to evaluate his own life, but also that of his family. Time with Zita shakes things up for him and not just romantically. Seeing firsthand everything that her family does to support their foster girls gives him access to a world he knows nothing about and that is deeply affecting many people today (especially in this election year). I think that Boston handles it well – never getting too preachy but giving her readers a feel for the personal side around immigration.

Zita has taken on a lot of her family’s work with the foster girls. Being the only one at home, with her sisters living their own lives (but helping in their own way), puts a lot of strain on her. She feels like she HAS to do so much for her mom that she can’t pursue her own wants and dreams. I totally get where she’s coming from and I love how supportive her family & David are when it becomes obvious she wants to help in a different way.

I am also pleased that we got that little bit of danger like we had in Break the Rules, as it added just a little bit extra to an already emotionally packed story. It fits well with the story and also gives Zita a chance to shine a bit more, while giving David that redeeming (and humbling) moment he needs. She’s the one that has to be in charge here and he is strong enough to recognize it & support her.

The things that the foster girls and the Flanagan women deal with is not easy and Boston doesn’t really soften it much for you. These are horrible situations and a touchy one for many people. You have to be OK with taking on a lot of heartache with your HEA, but you’ll definitely be glad you did.

(While the story can stand on its own, returning readers will appreciate seeing more of the characters they’ve grown to love and getting to know Zita & David even better. Plus, we get a peek at the next Flanagan … and it isn’t a sister 🙂 )

Book Review – Change of Heart

20 Wednesday Jul 2016

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Change of Heart

The Flanagan Sisters Series

by Claire Boston

Software billionaire Carly Flanagan has an abundance of everything except time.

With everyone wanting a piece of her, or more accurately, her money, she spends her days trying to live up to her company’s motto of Community, Sharing, Support. Having always been so focused on responsibility, success and supporting those less fortunate than her, Carly’s forgotten to consider what she wants for herself in life – until she meets Evan.

Evan Hayes is an artist and free spirit, and when they meet at a local art exhibition, he is immediately intrigued by Carly. He sees through her public persona, realizing she is not the person she portrays. Evan’s the type of man who doesn’t have a lot, but is perfectly comfortable with who he is. A man who knows what he wants – and he wants Carly.

Carly is sure Evan wants something else from her. Everyone does. All Evan is asking is the chance to get to know her, but will Carly let him in? Or will a lifetime of protecting herself prove too hard to overcome?

I’ve read quite a few of Boston’s books and I’ve loved every one of them. The funny thing is I forget how much until I crack one open and find myself sucked in. So I think I just need to quit even reading the blurbs and pick up anything with her name on the cover 🙂

We got to know Carly just a little bit in Break the Rules and I was very curious to find out more about this Flanagan. She seemed like a bit of a contradiction – I couldn’t decide if she was reserved or uppity or just busy. Turned out she was a bit shy and a lot busy.

She’s super gifted with coding and she’s big about giving back to the community. A refugee as a child she’s intimately familiar with their plight and works with her family to help others like her. She’s also working with other developers in the community that need a leg up. She had someone who showed her the ropes and it made all the difference so she wants to be that person to others. And because she feels like she’s been given so much, she finds it hard to say no when people ask her for things. Add in all that she’s responsible for as head of her company and she has very little time for herself.

Then she meets Evan at an art event (one of those things she had a hard time saying no to) and she’s drawn to him … but heartbreak in her past has made her gun-shy when it comes to men.

Evan is doing whatever he can to make a living as an artist. An exhibit of up-and-coming artists introduces him to Carly and he’s drawn to the sexy, strong woman. While it seems like it might be a little hard to break thru her walls, a little perseverance pays off and soon they are spending time together, when they can with all of her obligations. Talented but not flighty like you’d expect an artist to be, Evan proves that he sees Carly as no one else has, easily fitting in. Which has her evaluating her life and what she wants from it. And him.

I love these two together. How they have a rhythm that works and how they complement each other so well – the fresh perspective that he brings to her life and the support that she brings to his, making two independent lives work without either of them losing who they are. I can’t wait to see what Boston has for the next Flanagan!

Book Review – Break the Rules

21 Thursday Apr 2016

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Book Review, Break the Rules, Claire Boston, The Flanagan Sisters series

Claire Boston took a few minutes to stop by today and share with us a look at her new series. Book 1 is releasing today so I know this is a big day for her!

We’ve seen The Texan Quartet and I have to say I’m thrilled that she’s got a new series starting. It’s set in Houston, the same as the other, but this first book is a fresh start so new readers are good to go. Although if you haven’t picket up the others, you are definitely missing out!

*****

At first glance, an oil refinery doesn’t seem to be a great place to set a romance. What’s romantic about loud machinery, bad smells and manual labor? Well after ten years working in a similar environment I thought it might be a nice change of setting from your typical office romance. I was particularly tired of the alpha-male boss and secretary scenario, so I decided to make my heroine a competent, take-no-prisoners woman who isn’t interested in a romance with her new boss – no matter what her hormones are telling her. It was fun to play with Bridget and Jack as they each worked through their feelings, not just about their jobs, but about each other as well. And with all that dangerous equipment around… who knows what could happen?

*****

Break the Rules

The Flanagan Sisters series

by Claire Boston

Blurb:

Bridget Flanagan knows how to assess risks, but are the consequences of exposing her heart too dangerous?

Bridget has a passion for safety and in the world of oil refineries that makes her great at her job. So when her big promotion goes to someone else, she heads out on the town to forget her troubles. Jack Gibbs seems like the perfect man to distract her.

At least until Monday morning when she discovers Jack is her new boss. There’s no way she’s going to keep seeing him, no matter the connection between them. She’s been burned before.

Jack can’t understand why Bridget’s so against their relationship. They positively sizzled during their one night together. He knows he has to be careful now she reports to him, but she tempts him in every way.

Can Jack convince Bridget to give him a chance, or is the risk too high?

Kindle http://amzn.to/1QLGW3T

iBooks https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/break-the-rules/id1092822893?mt=11

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/break-the-rules-claire-boston/1123515994?ean=2940152802382

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/break-the-rules

*****

Excerpt:

Bridget Flanagan’s head thumped in time to the booming dance music. She shouldn’t have let her best friend Tanya convince her to go clubbing.

She sighed. Who was she kidding? Tanya could convince her to do almost anything, and the promise of a girls’ night to dance, drink, and forget her troubles sounded like just what she’d needed.

But her head had begun to throb almost immediately and Tanya had found a new friend. It was a shame Sally and Trish hadn’t been able to come out tonight. At least then she’d have someone to talk with. Bridget scanned the dance floor, spotting Tanya dancing with the guy she’d picked up. So much for the girls’ night.

She shouldn’t be surprised. Tanya did tend to forget everything when a cute guy walked by. Knowing better than to try to drag her out of the club, Bridget headed for the bar and ordered a glass of water. When it arrived, she moved away, taking a sip and willing her headache away. Tanya looked like she was going to dance all night.

“Is that your friend dancing with my brother?” The male voice was loud but sexy and his breath tickled her ear.

Bridget jumped and turned so she was face to face with a man who did not slow her pulse rate at all. He was slightly taller than she was, with thick brown hair and dark eyes that smiled. Yum.

He pointed toward Tanya and leaned closer to be heard over the music. “Is your friend the blonde in the red dress?”

Bridget nodded. “That’s Tanya.”

“I don’t suppose she’ll turn into a pumpkin by midnight?” He had a hopeful look on his face.

Bridget grimaced. “Not a chance. I wish she would.” She put the glass up to her forehead and sighed at the coolness. “What about your brother?”

“His motto is ‘all night long’.” He frowned. “Perhaps we can convince them to go somewhere quieter at least, somewhere with some seating.”

She was intrigued. Why had he come out if he didn’t want to dance? “You don’t feel like partying?”

“I moved back to Houston from Australia two days ago. My body hasn’t quite adjusted yet.”

The mention of his body had Bridget checking it out again. It looked perfectly fine to her. His blue jeans fit in all the right places and the button-down black shirt clung to his well-defined chest. She cleared her throat. “There’s a bar around the corner. The music is quieter but they can still dance if they want.”

“Shall we give it a go?”

“Sure.” Bridget put her glass on the bar and followed him to where Tanya and his brother were dancing. She couldn’t hear what he said but they nodded in response. As he turned back to her, Tanya gave her a very unsubtle thumbs up. Bridget ignored her. All she wanted to do was find some quiet and get rid of her headache.

Outside the club, her ears adjusted to the blissful reduction in noise and she took a deep breath.

“Bridge, this is Hal,” Tanya chirped.

Hal was slightly taller than his brother, maybe six foot two, with the same thick brown hair and dark eyes.

Bridget forced a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Tanya raised her eyebrows, waiting expectantly. “Who’s this?” she nodded to Hal’s brother.

Bridget shrugged apologetically. “We didn’t swap names. I’m Bridget.”

“Jack.” He smiled at her and she forgot her pounding head for a moment. It was some smile, lighting up his eyes and sending a lovely warmth through her body.

“Great. Now let’s find something to drink,” Tanya said, and keeping her hand tightly in Hal’s, she led the way to the bar. Hal didn’t seem to mind.

Bridget walked alongside Jack, not sure what to say. Now she was out of the noise she realized she’d effectively been picked up. Was this some kind of scam the brothers had going? Find two girls and take them somewhere quieter?

She snuck a look at Jack. No, he really did look as tired as she felt.

They walked past a drugstore. “Wait a second, I’ve got to grab something.” Bridget dashed inside, found the painkillers and bought a packet. When she went back outside, Jack was the only one waiting for her.

“Where’s Tanya?”

“They went on ahead. I thought I’d wait.”

Bridget tamped down her annoyance. They’d only just met these guys, and while they seemed nice, they could be anyone. Tanya should be more careful. “Thanks.”

Inside the bar, they found a table away from the music. It was quieter than the nightclub and they could talk without shouting. Bridget ordered a glass of water and a coffee, and took two pills. Hopefully they would kick in quickly.

Tanya put her drink on the table and grabbed Hal’s hand. “I love this song.” She pulled him away to the small dance floor.

Bridget slid on to a chair next to Jack who was nursing his cup of coffee. She had to say something, otherwise this was going to get awkward fast.

*****

Review:

I know that it works for the story but I’m not sure that dating your supervisor is ever in anyone’s best interest 🙂 But Bridget definitely has more reason than most to avoid it, thanks to a horrible experience at her last job. The connection with Jack is strong though and so many things seem to want to push them together, but I’m with her on not wanting to get involved with her boss. Besides her bad luck the last time she did it, she’s already got some troubles being taken seriously by the good ol’ boy contingent. With a less skilled writer, I think that the inter-office problems could easily have been boring, but Boston makes them interesting and you get offended for Bridget every time someone blows her off or says something rude.

Unfortunately for Bridget (but good for us) Jack is really hard to resist. He’s sexy, smart, and kind. He listens to her, takes her & their jobs seriously, and tries to be understanding of her concerns (while still trying to find a way around them, of course 🙂 ). He may not have the hesitation to get involved with a coworker but he does respect her enough to take her concerns into consideration.

Since these two are safety experts at an oil refinery you know that something has to go wrong and when it does it will be big. But, like with everything that Boston does, it is handled in a way that keeps you reading but doesn’t come off as overly dramatic. Sometimes it seems like a story is dangerous or suspenseful just to be sensational but it makes sense here. It is the culmination of everything we see coming but it also means that things are wrapped up nicely and we’re left satisfied.

I’m curious where Boston goes with Bridget’s sisters because they all seem so different. They are sassy and smart and don’t need a man, but that doesn’t mean that their lives couldn’t be better with someone to be there for them and to shake things up!

*****

Author Info:

Claire Boston is the best-selling author of The Texan Quartet. In 2014 she was nominated for an Australian Romance Readers Award as Favourite New Romance Author.

Her debut contemporary romance novel, What Goes on Tour caught the attention of Momentum’s Joel Naoum when her first scene was read aloud at the Romance Writers’ of Australia (RWA) conference in 2013. This led to a four book contract for The Texan Quartet series.

Claire is proactive in organising social gatherings and educational opportunities for local authors. She is an active volunteer for RWA, as a mentor for aspiring authors and the reader judge coordinator.

When Claire’s not writing she can be found in the garden attempting to grow vegetables, or racing around a vintage motocross track. If she can convince anyone to play with her, she also enjoys cards and board games.

Claire lives in Western Australia, just south of Perth, with her husband, who loves even her most annoying quirks, and her grubby, but adorable Australian bulldog.

Website: http://www.claireboston.com

Blog: http://www.claireboston.com/blog

Reader Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Z4-4z

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clairebostonauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/clairebauthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/clairebauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/clairebostonauthor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe9YKmz-ORDtYaNG17hM5BA

Books 1-4 of The Texan Quartet available now.

Book 1 of The Flanagan Sisters, Break the Rules out 21^st April 2016

*****

Giveaway: