Book Review: Jane of Austin

Title: Jane of Austin
Author: Hillary Manton Lodge
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Pages: 312
Format Read: Book
Standalone or series: Standalone
Where I got the book: Friend
Date finished reading: April 6, 2020

Goodreads Description: Just a few years after their father’s business scandal shatters their lives, Jane and Celia Woodward find themselves forced out of their San Francisco tea shop. The last thing Jane wants is to leave their beloved shop on Valencia Street, but when Celia insists on a move to Austin, Texas, the sisters pack up their kid sister Margot and Jane’s tea plants, determined to start over yet again.

But life in Austin isn’t all sweet tea and breakfast tacos. Their unusual living situation is challenging and unspoken words begin to fester between Jane and Celia. When Jane meets and falls for up-and-coming musician Sean Willis, the chasm grows deeper.

While Sean seems to charm everyone in his path, one person is immune – retired Marine Captain Callum Beckett. Callum never meant to leave the military, but the twin losses of his father and his left leg have returned him to the place he least expected—Texas.

In this modern spin on the Austen classic, Sense and Sensibility, the Woodward sisters must contend with new ingredients in unfamiliar kitchens, a dash of heartbreak, and the fragile hope that maybe home isn’t so far away.

My Review: I am a sucker for all things Austen, including retellings. Jane of Austin was no exception. I will admit that Sense and Sensibility is not my favorite Jane Austen, but I always loved the sisterly bond of the Dashwood sisters. That bond is prominently displayed in the relationship between the Woodward sisters in Jane of Austin. Their tale of love and loss is assisted with a great cast of interesting supporting characters, including a three-legged dog named Dash.

The Woodward sisters are founders of a tea business called Valencia Street Tea. When their landlords in San Francisco force them out of their location, the sisters decide to pack up and move themselves and their business to Austin. I am a proud coffee lover, but I really appreciated the care Jane Woodward gave in preparing her teas, and I loved all the recipes that were provided throughout the book, many of which included a special tea ingredient. These recipes included cakes, scones, kolaches, etc. This book definitely made me hungry for all baked goods.

Let me face the ultimate reason that I enjoyed Jane of Austin, because I am 100% biased. This is more than an ode to one of Austen’s classic stories, this is an ode to Austin, Texas, one of my favorite cities. As I now live in Texas, I got many of the Texas references. Before moving here, I had never tried a kolache or had brisket. I also just made my first Texas sheet cake a couple months ago. All these Texas dishes were mentioned in the book. I loved the shoutouts to Torchy’s Tacos and Amy’s Ice Cream too.

This sweat and enjoyable novel was exactly what I was needing in my life right now. Maybe I will now have to try some of those amazing recipes in the book, especially the Raspberry Cream Cheese Kolache!

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

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Book Review: My Greek Island Summer

Title: My Greek Island Summer
Author: Mandy Baggot
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: April 2, 2020
Pages: 380
Format Read: Ebook
Standalone or series: Standalone
Where I got the book: NetGalley
Date finished reading: April 4, 2020

Goodreads Description: Becky Rowe has just landed her dream job house-sitting at a top-end villa on the island of Corfu. What could be better than six weeks laying by an infinity pool overlooking the gorgeous Ionian waters while mending her broken heart.

Elias Mardas is travelling back to Corfu on business whilst dealing with his own personal demons. Late arriving in Athens, Becky and Elias have to spend a night in the Greek capital. When they have to emergency land in Kefalonia, Becky’s got to decide whether to suck up the adventure and this gorgeous companion she seems to have been thrown together with or panic about when she’s going to arrive at Corfu…

Finally reaching the beautiful island, Becky is happy to put Elias behind her and get on with her adventure. Until he turns up at the villa…

My Review: This is a fun, light book for sure. I really appreciate getting a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I did enjoy the second half of the book, but the first half was a struggle for me. I didn’t like the way the characters were introduced. During the beginning of the book, I kept thinking like I was missing something, like I was suppose to understand more about the characters than what was written about them.

Books that use current celebrity names or fads in language bother me, because that immediately means this book will be dated and will not stand the test of time. For example, they mention The Masked Singer, which is a brand new show that I do not believe is going to last long. Also, I think a comparison was made to a famous magician that I had never heard of, so of course I didn’t get the comparison that was trying to be made. However, I should admit to the fact that I did get all the Hallmark movie references. I might be a fan of Ryan Paevy as well.

There was an airport scene with a missed connection that just dragged on. The characters really annoyed me in that scene. People miss connections. It should not have taken up as many pages of the book as it did. Also, for all my missed connections in my life, no airline has ever put me up in a 5-star hotel for free.

After the characters leave Athens, I really thought the book got much better. More of the characters’ backgrounds came to light, which helped them become more likable. I found Petra an annoying character at first, but by the end of the book, she would turn out to be my very favorite character. It made me wish I could be young and carefree again. The scene where Petra and Becky arrive at their accommodations in Corfu and find a menagerie of unwelcome animals, including a flamingo, was very amusing.

Overall, I enjoyed the new found love, the sisterly bonding, and especially the Greek scenery. A nice way to feel like your traveling from the comfort of your own home.

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦

Book Review: How to Catch an Errant Earl

Title: How to Catch an Errant Earl
Author: Amy Rose Bennett
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
Pages: 336
Format Read: Ebook
Standalone or series: Book 2 of The Disreputable Debutantes series
Where I got the book: Netgalley
Date finished reading: March 19, 2020

Goodreads Description: After being expelled from a young ladies’ academy, it seems Miss Arabella Jardine will never find a well-connected husband. Not that she minds. A bluestocking at heart, she’d rather bury her nose in a medical text than wed. When Arabella is forced to accompany her family on a Grand Tour in Switzerland, she unexpectedly encounters the irresistible rakehell-in-exile, Gabriel, the Earl of Langdale. Arabella soon realizes the only thing worse than getting married to a charismatic but unrepentant rake would be to fall in love with him.

Dubbed the Errant Earl by the ton, Gabriel Holmes-Fitzgerald is no stranger to scandal. However, when Gabriel is caught in flagrante with the utterly delectable Arabella Jardine, he’s obliged to offer for her hand. He’ll endeavor to do the right thing even though he’s not a prize catch. He’ll certainly never let Arabella get close enough to discover the demons of his dark past. Indeed, there is one particular demon out to destroy Gabriel by exposing a long-buried family secret.

Soon Gabriel and Arabella find they are not just battling overwhelming desire, but in a fight to save their future together.

My Review: I am really grateful for nice period romance to help keep my mind off of reality. This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley.

How to Catch an Errant Earl is book two of a series. I had not read the first book in the series. While there were parts of the storyline I was curious about and was sure to have been explained in the first book, I felt that a reader could still engage with the romance between Gabriel and Arabella as a standalone.

While I did enjoy the characters of Gabriel and Arabella and their spicy romance, I felt that the pacing of the plot was a bit off. The first third of the story seemed to be telling a backstory of the characters without really revealing much, so I was a bit bored. However, the scene where Gabriel and Arabella meet for the second time, and Arabella fixes Gabriel’s dislocated shoulder is a great scene. It truly shows Arabella’s strength, which is what I believe is part of the reason that Gabriel is drawn to her. Then there is a crazy amount of action in the last quarter of the book: Gabriel’s mom shows up, Gabriel was spotted with an old flame, and Arabella is kidnapped. The kidnapping scene was exciting, but I found it hard to believe that any woman who had just been kidnapped and banged up because of her husband would just ignore the fact that her husband had been spotted with another woman just because he saved her and told her that he loved her, but maybe that is just me. I would have asked more questions.

I thought it strange that certain characters just disappeared. Gabriel spends half the storyline searching for his mother. When his mother appears, that character gets just a few pages and then we barely hear about her going forward. I would have also enjoyed bringing back Arabella’s horrible aunt just to see if someone would put her in her place.

I would have also been happier if Arabella’s “charitable” endeavors had been more defined. On more than one occasion she goes to spend time with an influential doctor to learn how she can move forward with her charitable endeavors, but we never really get to experience that interaction or what she intended to do in any real way that lives up to the character’s intelligence and ambition. She couldn’t be in charge of a clinic at that time, because she was a woman, but maybe she could have ran an orphanage. In the end it sounds like she more or less just threw some money around.

Though I found some weaknesses in this particular storyline, I believe the characters are strong enough to have a series based on them. I hope Olivia gets her man next…

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ 

Book Review: Christmas in Vermont

Title: Christmas in Vermont
Author: Anita Hughes
Genre: Romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Pages: 304
Format Read: Ebook
Standalone or series: Standalone
Where I got the book: NetGalley ARC
Date finished reading: October 15, 2019

Goodreads Description: Emma can’t believe her luck when she finds an open pawn shop on Christmas Eve in Manhattan. She’s there to sell the beautiful bracelet her ex-boyfriend gave her when a familiar looking watch catches her eye. It’s the same engraved watch she gave her college boyfriend, Fletcher, years ago. On a whim, she trades the bracelet for the watch and wonders at the timing.

Practical Emma thinks it’s just a coincidence, but her best friend Bronwyn believes it’s the magic of synchronicity that caused Emma to find the watch. Fletcher was the one that got away, and somehow Emma never quite moved on.

When Bronwyn finds out that Fletcher is in snowy Vermont at a romantic inn for the week, she can’t help but give synchronicity a push. She signs Emma up to help the inn keeper as the children’s activity coordinator. Emma agrees that a week filled with quaint shops and maple syrup would do her good… and maybe Fate really does have a Christmas gift in store for her. That is until she sees Fletcher with his daughter and fiancée.

Suddenly, the fairytale trip seems doomed to fail… much like the innkeeper’s dwindling cashflow. It will take a miracle to save her heart and the inn. And that just might be what Fate has in mind.

Christmas in Vermont is a delightful and charming love story about the magic of second chances during the most festive time of year.

My Review: I was very excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley of Christmas in Vermont. I love a good Christmas romance. Before I dive in to writing down my thoughts, I want to take a brief moment to mention that this was poorly edited. I realize that I received a proof, but this was the worst ARC I’ve ever received as far as grammar. The grammar mistakes were constant. I think the publisher should have fixed at least some of the mistakes before releasing the proof. The timeline headers were incorrect at times; there were many errors with incorrect words (such as “hear” instead of “heart”); and the worst was during a dialog when it stated that Emma was speaking when it should have been Lola, because Emma was not even in that room or conversation. Those errors truly distracted me from the actual story. Is this typical with ARC copies?

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I think Emma finding the watch that she gave Fletcher at the same pawn shop where she is selling a piece of jewelry that an ex-boyfriend had given her was definitely a sign or fate. It was a strong start, because it sucked me in to want to know who Fletcher was and why that watch was in a pawn shop. Then having Emma’s best friend, Bronwyn, stalk Fletcher on social media and set up a plan to have Emma vacation at the same hotel in Vermont as Fletcher for the holidays was quite entertaining. Emma ends up connecting with Fletcher’s daughter, Lola, before she connects with Fletcher. When Fletcher first sees Emma again after many years since their college romance, she is playing the piano in a talent show as accompaniment for Lola’s singing. It is a wonderful scene.

I don’t know how much I enjoyed the book after that. Lola was a great character. She was so witty for a nine year old. Her relationship with Emma was so adorable. Betty was a sweet character as well. I was not sure I cared much for the other supporting characters though. I guess Megan was a strong enough character. One of those characters that you love to hate. However, those scenes where Fletcher is talking to his best friend, I don’t see how that character or those scenes added to the story.

Once Megan was gone, the story really fizzled for me. Of course, you want Fletcher and Emma to be together, but I just did not feel that spark. There could have been more romantic moments with them. I felt that their connection seemed stronger when the story would revert to a decade earlier and share moments from their original romance in college than the present day romance. I am still happy that Fletcher and Emma ended up together in the end, but I think I would have also liked an epilogue that jumped forward 364 days as assurance for the reader that Emma did not bail on this relationship like she did in her previous relationships.

This story had some strong characters and scenes. It made me want to visit Vermont. I did like it, but I did not love it.

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ½

WWW Wednesdays – October 2, 2019

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Time for another WWW Wednesdays, which is brought to you by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. If you too want to participate, answer the above questions and post that link on Sam’s page.

I completed a full month of reading Stephen King (see full review here). Having only read one short story by Stephen King (just last year), I didn’t know what to expect and am shocked at how much I ended up enjoying his work – though not without some nightmares. I will be moving on to reading Shirley Jackson next as part of my Focus on Authors Challenge.

Currently Reading

Recently Finished

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – audiobook = ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Focus on Authors Challenge: The Shining by Stephen King – ebook =

*Click on the titles for full reviews. The Shining review is part of a full month of reading Stephen King review.*

Reading Next

What are y’all reading? Any plans to read some creepy novels for October?

HAPPY READING!!!

Book Review: The Kiss Quotient

Title: The Kiss Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 30, 2018
Pages: 333
Format Read: Audiobook
Standalone or series: Standalone
Where I got the book: Library Hoopla app
Date finished reading: September 25, 2019

Goodreads Description: A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…

My Review: As far as romance novels go, this was not high on my TBR list, but I needed to find an audiobook to listen to that would offset the scary horror books I have been reading, and this one popped up on the screen, so I thought I would give it a try. As it turned out, I ended up loving it. It is a steamy romance with quirky characters and an actual realistic plot. It was very much like a modern day Pretty Woman or Wedding Date. Stella, the main character, has Asperger’s and so sees the world and relationships differently. When she hires Michael to teach her about dating and sex, she realizes that those two things can be enjoyable and wonderful with the right person, which may in fact be Michael. Stella’s honesty and openness were refreshing. I am a little jealous of that character’s realistic look at things and the ability to say what she thinks and feels. This is more than a story of two people who find each other and fall in love. It is a story of human relationships and connection with a side of nerdiness.

“Math is the single most elegent thing in the universe and economics is what drives the human world.” said by Janie (Michael’s sister)

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

 

Book Review: The Trouble With Christmas

Title: The Trouble With Christmas
Author: Amy Andrews
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
Pages: 400
Format Read: Book
Standalone or series: Book 2 of Credence, Colorado series
Where I got the book: BookishFirst
Date finished reading: September 21, 2019

Goodreads Description: All Suzanne St. Michelle wants is an over-the-top, eggnog-induced holiday with her best friend in Credence, Colorado. But when her hoity-toity parents insist she come home for Christmas in New York, she blurts out that her sexy landlord is actually her boyfriend and she can’t leave him—Joshy loves Christmas. The more twinkle lights the better.

Rancher Joshua Grady does not love Christmas. Or company, or chatty women. Unfortunately for him, the chattiest woman ever has rented the cottage on his ranch, invited her rich, art-scene parents, and now insists he play “fake rancher boyfriend” in a production of the Hokiest Christmas Ever. And somehow…she gets him to agree.

Apparently, he’ll do anything to get his quiet life back. At least there’s mistletoe every two feet—and kissing Suzy is surprisingly easy. But in the midst of acres of tinsel, far too many tacky Christmas sweaters, and a tree that can be seen from space, he’s starting to want what he lost when he was a kid—a family. Too bad it’s with a woman heading back to New York before the ball drops…

My Review: This book becomes available to the public today! Even though this book is the second book in a series, it works pretty well as a standalone. I think the first book might just give you a bit more background into the town and some of the supporting characters in The Trouble With Christmas. I think my favorite part of this book was the town and its interesting characters, so I feel the author has got the setting right for sure.

Suzanne St. Michelle escapes New York City for a holiday in Credence to inspire her to create her own artwork (legal art forgery is a thing and is Suzanne’s main job in NYC). She ends up renting the cottage at the ranch that Joshua Grady runs. The attraction between the two main characters, Suzanne St. Michelle and Joshua Grady, is definitely there, but it takes so long to get there. The first 100 pages were slow and somewhat boring. Much of the character development actually happens when the story picks up, so I don’t really see the need for such a long plot setup. The one big plot point from the first 100 pages that plays a recurring role throughout the story is that Joshua Grady appears to be Suzanne’s muse, so she paints him A LOT. She paints him as Michelangelo’s David, Da Vinci’s The Vitruvian Man and even on a cherub. Once he discovers these paintings, he is horrified and wants those paintings (I assumed to dispose of). She ends up using the paintings as a bribe to get him to play her fake boyfriend for her parents over the holidays. I can get behind the fake boyfriend concept, but the paintings were a bit much. If I found out that someone painted me without my permission, I would definitely do what I could to legally take them and destroy them. It’s creepy and a bit stalker-like. It was a plot point I found a hard time moving passed, but I can admit that it is unique for sure.

When Suzanne’s parents arrive, the story really picks up and becomes a lot of fun. The side story is that Suzanne’s parents’ marriage is on the rocks, and so they are in Credence for their relationship as well as for their daughter, and you can’t help but support their reunification. At this point in the story, the two main characters really start to display their attraction for each other, and the line between this being a fake relationship and a real relationship gets blurred. At the end, Suzanne uses her paintings again to manipulate Joshua, and it works one more time to give the reader a nice happy ending.

I think I would have loved the story a bit more if it was just a bit shorter by cutting much of the first 100-150 pages. However, it is a romantic story with a holiday setting filled with snow and Christmas decorations. It is a nice way to start getting in the holiday spirit!

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ½

Book Review: Once Upon a Bad Boy

Title: Once Upon a Bad Boy
Author: Melonie Johnson
Genre: Romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Publication Date: June 25, 2019
Pages: 384
Format Read: ebook
Standalone or series: Book 3 of Sometimes in Love series
Where I got the book: NetGalley ARC
Date finished reading: June 24, 2019

Goodreads Description: NEVER SAY NEVER
Sadie Gold is ready to take her career to the next level with the role of a lifetime. Finally, she can shake her reputation as a pretty face with more wealth and connections than talent. But Sadie is not prepared for the wild turn her own life is about to take. The man in charge of training Sadie for her most demanding role yet is none other than her first real boyfriend—the one who took her heart and ran away.

WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
Bo Ibarra is as good-looking and irresistible as ever. Maybe even more so, now that everything once worked against them—Sadie’s pampered and privileged upbringing and Bo’s childhood in a family struggling to make ends meet—is in the past. But the future is still unwritten…and getting there, together, means coming clean about painful secrets and slashing through nasty tabloid rumors while trying to control the attraction that crackles between them. Maybe it’s finally time for them to walk off into the sunset and into a true and lasting love?

My Review: The Sometimes in Love series follows five close friends – Cassie, Bonnie, Sadie, Ana and Delaney – and their romantic escapades. I recently read Bonnie’s story, which was Book 2 and enjoyed it. Once Upon a Bad Boy is Book 3 in the series, and I enjoyed it even more than the one before. This story focuses on Sadie and what happens when her childhood boyfriend reenters her life. Can they move beyond the past and the secrets to have a second chance at love?

This story was entertaining, humorous, touching and quite steamy at times. I enjoyed the relationship Sadie has with her grandmother, as that is something I can relate to in my own life. I also laughed pretty hard when Sadie’s co-star, Ryan, talks about being afraid of bananas. The supporting characters, such as Sadie’s girlfriends, Bo’s family, and the cast/crew of the movie Sadie is starring in, may not have added much to the romantic story of Sadie and Bo, but those characters added some more excitement to the story and helped you get to know Sadie and Bo a bit better.

It was a very enjoyable read! I will definitely read the next book in the series when it comes out!

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ½

Book Review: The Seduction Expert

Title: The Seduction Expert
Author: Saya Lopez Ortega
Genre: Romance
Publisher: VSP Publishing
Publication Date: June 26, 2019
Pages: 174
Format Read: Ebook
Standalone or series: Series (Book One of The Seduction Expert)
Where I got the book: NetGalley ARC
Date finished reading: June 2, 2019

Goodreads Description: She’s the seduction expert.

Women contact her to take over their love lives. She steps in when they’re lost, she’s supposed to succeed where they failed. She handles their single status, their relationship, their breakup, and very often their partner’s affairs. Her job is a life priority, she spends most of her time at the office or between two flights in business class and the fact of having a sports car that can reach one hundred kilometers in less than six seconds often make her feel like a super-heroine in service to women.

Anyway, take her card.

You’ll see, it’s much better than spending holidays in St Barts.

My Review: I was really excited to get this book from NetGalley. It looked like it could be a fun, short read to enjoy as we head into the summer months. Short it was. Fun? Not for me.

One of the things that intrigued me about this book was the fact that the main character was a powerful, successful and ambitious woman, called the Baroness. By the description, I thought she was really helping a lot of women have successful relationships. However, I was immediately turned off by her cold demeanor. The Baroness was harsh to her clients (who often are going through difficult marital problems and possibly divorces), her employees (who work very hard) and her fiancé (whom she appears to only be marrying for money and status). She seemed incapable of sympathy and/or love. I disliked her future mother-in-law a lot, and yet I almost cheered her on for trying to destroy the Baroness’ business and relationship with her son. I almost always have to like at least one of the main characters to really like the book, and I just didn’t with this one. I don’t understand why a female character has to be cruel and manipulative enable to have her success and power.

Also, how is this classified as a romance? Is it a romance just because the main character got engaged? I felt no love or passion in this book unless the love and passion was for obtaining money and power.

This book should be out at the end of the month. While some of the early readers gave it some love on Goodreads, this one fell flat for me. The author did have an intriguing transition to the next book in the series, but I just don’t think I want to continue with these characters

My Rating: ♦ ♦ 

Book Review: Smitten by the Brit

Title: Smitten by the Brit
Author: Melonie Johnson
Genre: Romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Pages: 384
Format Read: ebook
Standalone or series: standalone
Where I got the book: NetGalley
Date finished reading: May 26, 2019

Goodreads Description: English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene—and quickens Bonnie’s heart.

With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer—conveniently close to Theo—she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she’s falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo’s life makes Bonnie feel like she’s wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?

My Review: Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a feel good romance and this definitely fit the bill. You are rooting for the main character, Bonnie, right from the start. You want her to have her happy ending after her she catches her fiancé cheating on her. I love the cast of girlfriends. Their interactions are so amusing. The perfect thing for a romantic comedy. The reader feels the ongoing steamy attraction between Bonnie and Theo with an added bonus of an English countryside setting and quotes from Shakespeare, Austen and other English authors. Unfortunately, even when I just want a good romance story, I can’t just turn off my realistic sensibility. Is it really a good idea to have a main character go immediately from one long term relationship to jumping so quickly into spending the rest of her life with someone else? Seems too soon, even though Bonnie appears to be very mature and confident in herself. Maybe I could have overlooked that if the end was a bit stronger. Theo had his own family obligations and responsibilities that prevented a long term commitment to Bonnie, and yet in couple pages those obligations and responsibilities just disappeared and all was good. I would have liked further development in Theo’s family dynamics, especially since his family was full of interesting characters. Overall this was a quick and enjoyable read.

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ½