Book Review – The Reunion

08 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Jennifer Haymore, Sugar Cay series, The Reunion

A woman who has it all…

Zoey Hanson has moved on since her breakup with Nathan Richards three years ago. She’s independent, she has a career she loves, and she’s in the market to buy her first house. Everything is perfect—absolutely perfect. Now she’s off to Sugar Cay, the most beautiful island in the world, to spend spring break with her best friends. If only her ex wasn’t going to be there too. Hopefully this time he won’t have a runway model draped on his arm.

A man who knows what he wants…

The worst mistake Nathan ever made was walking away from Zoey. Now, he’s determined to win her back, and there’s no better place for seduction than on the romantic island of Sugar Cay. There’s one minor problem, though—Zoey and Nathan live and work on different coasts. But Nathan is an optimist by nature: first he’ll reel her in, then he’ll convince her move to San Francisco. All goes according to plan until Zoey realizes she’s falling hard and fast for Nathan all over again. Then all hell breaks loose…and Nathan must reevaluate his strategy, or he just might lose Zoey forever.

I’m not usually a big reader of New Adult novels but I have to say I enjoyed this one. Novella length it was a quick read and I enjoyed getting to know this group of friends.

Zoey and Nathan were college sweethearts who went separate ways after graduation. Three years later and they haven’t really moved on, as much as they’ve tried. On Sugar Cay for the annual get-together with their friends, those feelings quickly come to a head.

I liked the lead up to these two falling back into bed together – the conflicting emotions and the trouble they’ve had getting over their previous relationship. Haymore has a great writing style and the pages just seemed to fly by. The characters are interesting and there is a great dynamic amongst the group, plus an opportunity for more great stories. I’m just not sure how I feel about the ending. Part of me thinks that it wrapped things up too quickly but part of me thinks that it works. So I’m going to leave it to you guys to decide … Give the book a chance and then come back and let everyone know how you liked it.

The Reunion

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Dan Walsh, The Reunion

Dan Walsh’s The Reunion is an amazing story of love, faith, family and hardship. Aaron Miller is one of those people that quietly influences the people around him. But he hasn’t always been like that. In the Vietnam War, he was injured while heroically saving the lives of three young soldiers. When he got home, he had the typical adjustment issues of veterans, except society turned its back on that war and those it left behind. Without the help that he needed, Aaron quickly found himself addicted to drugs and alcohol, without his wife & kids, and living on the streets. When he finds God a few years later and gets back on his feet, it is too late to salvage a relationship with his family. More years pass and he is now the handyman in a trailer park, but still managing to touch the lives of those around him. When a reporter writing a book on Vietnam vets comes looking for him and his story, is he willing to be brave enough to be found?

This is a quick read, smoothly told from multiple perspectives, with a conclusion that leaves readers more than satisfied. The characters have depth and believability, with such detail that it makes you feel like you know them personally. The pain and heartbreak that these people experienced is so realistic and raw that it leaps off the page and settles in your chest. I just wanted to find these people and give them a hug, to do anything I could to make it better for them. I was so caught up in the story that I found it hard to remember that this was a work of fiction.

Walsh does a fantastic job of weaving a multi-faceted tale that will please a large audience. I feel comfortable recommending this story to anyone – young, old, male, female. Those who enjoy a well-told story will find something they like in The Reunion.