Category Archives: Book Review

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Tower of Dawn : Sarah J. Maas : 9781408887974

Title: Tower of Dawn
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Romance, Strong women
Dates read: 2nd – 17th October 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: She straightened.

Synopsis

A GLORIOUS EMPIRE
A DESPERATE QUEST
AN ANCIENT SECRET

Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea’s last hope. But they ahve also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the legendary Torre Cesme for the wounds that Chaol received in Rifthold.

After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help a young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need – and will honour it. But Lord Westfall carries darkness from his own past, and Yrene soon comes to realise it could engulf them both.

And deep in the shadows of distant mountains, where warriors soar on might ruks, long-awaited answers slumber. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival – or doom them all.

Thoughts

I did struggle with this book more than I had expected to. I’ve been putting off the last 2 books of the series. Partly because I know that it will destroy my heart (seems to be a talent of Maas). But, more so, because I just don’t want this series to be over! Sure, I can reread it… but it just won’t be the same. Having said that, I didn’t fall head first into this book like I have the others.

I think that the thing that takes me a while with this story is that Chaol spends the first part just being incredibly whiney. I get that he’s been dealt a hard hand, but my lordy, he’s just a bit too bitter and painful. For those who feel the same… Read on! Once I got to the second part, I started to fall head first into the storyline as expected.

Of all the characters in this, it was Yrene that I loved the most. The fact that she has an intertwined past (like many of the other characters) just makes her all that much better. I love how much of this story involves her fight to get over her horrible past and move forwards with her life. Her story, when Chaol’s was a bit painful made this book still a 5 star I my view.

Whilst I had a few moments of discomfort and “huh” throughout this, ultimately I loved this book. After the first 200 pages, the character development is so wonderful and intense that I couldn’t put it down. And, much of the whiney that was irritating made so much more sense.

<- Empire of StormsKingdom of Ash ->

Image source: Book Depository

Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke - Penguin Books Australia

Title: Up the Duff
Author: Kaz Cooke
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Humour, Non-fiction, Pregnancy
Dates read: 5th June – 17th October 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Viking
Year: 1999
5th sentence, 74th page: According to one American pregnancy book cover, this is when you will wear an Alice band and a hideous lemon doona cover with a Peter Pan collar, and stare out the window holding a cup and saucer like a demented fool.

Synopsis

Kaz Cooke tells you everything you need to know about your pregnancy and birth. No bossy-boots rules, just the best, funniest and most reassuring practical advice, plus lots of cartoons. Up the Duff is backed by heaps of medical and other experts.

Thoughts

The moment I found out I was pregnant I told one of my close girlfriends. She immediately recommended this book. And wow. Am I glad that she did.

This book is realistic and fun. It gives you a whole heap of information without sounding preachy. And it just makes you feel less overwhelmed about the whole first time mother thing. Or at least, that’s what it did for me.

The sass and humour with which this book gives you important information makes some pretty scary topics feel much… less scary. I mean, whole chapters on labour that didn’t make me want to run to the bathroom and throw up. I can’t begin to explain how much better that made me feel.

Any expectant (or wanting to be expectant) mothers really need to invest in this book. Its amazing. It’s informative. And it most definitely made me feel less stressed and scared.

<- More humour booksBabies & Toddlers ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Book Review, , ,
Overview
When Breath Becomes Air: Kalanithi, Paul: 9781784701994: Books - Amazon.ca

Title: When Breath Becomes Air
Author: Paul Kalanithi
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Death, Medical, Memoirs
Dates read: 2nd – 13th October 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Vintage Books
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: The surgeon got to work, passed a small endoscope through Matthew’s nose, and drilled off the floor of his skull.

Synopsis

What do you do when life is catastrophically interrupted?
What does it mean to have a child as your own life fades away? 8 What makes life worth living in the face of death

At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.

When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a medical student in search of what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity – the brain – and finally into a patient and new father.

Thoughts

I knew that I was probably going to shed at least a few tears at the end of this book. I mean, it’s a book written by a man who is terminally ill. It’s going to make you cry. I didn’t quite expect how much I cried though. Partly because I didn’t think that it would be the epilogue written by Kalanithi’s wife that would really set me off… maybe not the best book to read when you’re pregnant and hormonal.

When Breath Becomes Air is incredibly humbling. It is filled with reminders that your world can change in a moment and everything you worked towards can just be ripped away. Yet, even though Paul was writing this in his final months and knew what was coming for him, he writes in such a way that you feel… at peace with his fate. Having been around numerous people with a terminal illness, reading about someone who faced their diagnosis head on like this… as I said, humbling.

The first part of this memoir focuses on Kalanithi’s decision to become a neuroscientist. About his constant battle to find a meaning in life where he isn’t entirely sure there is one. I love that he talks about his love for both literature and science. And how instead of being independent of each other (an assumption I’ve often come up against), they build upon one another. You can feel the passion for both fields streaming off the page as you read about Kalanithi’s numerous experiences and a life well lived.

This is one of those amazing memoirs that makes you feel… well, everything. It definitely left me feeling a little bit raw. But, mostly it just made me feel humble and aware of all of my own faults. But not in a bad way. I know that I couldn’t go through a terminal diagnosis like Kalanithi with the kind of calm and grace that he shows. And it’s kind of nice to read the words of someone who actually was capable of doing so.

<- Lab GirlIs Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) ->

Image source: Amazon

The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Summer Garden (Chesapeake Shores, #9) by Sherryl Woods

Title: The Summer Garden
Author: Sherryl Woods
Series: Chesapeake Shores #9
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 1st – 6th October 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: He suspected that Mick himself would have said far worse.

Synopsis

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sherryl Woods proves once more that home is always where the heart is.

Falling for “Maddening Moira” O’Malley was the unexpected highlight of Luke O’Brien’s Dublin holiday. So when she pays a surprise visit to Chesapeake Shores, Luke is thrilled… at first. A fling with this wild Irish rose is one thing, but forever? Maybe someday, but not when he’s totally focused on establishing a business that will prove his mettle to his overachieving family.

Given Luke’s reaction, Moira has some soul-searching of her own to do. Scarred by her father’s abandonment, she wonders if Luke, with his playboy past, is truly the family man she longs for. Adding to her dilemma, she’s offered an amazing chance at a dream career of her own.

Deep down, though, Moira knows home is the real prize, and that love can be every bit as enchanted as a summer garden.

Thoughts

This kind of feels like the end of the first part of this series. I mean, each of the first nine books feel like they sit within their own trilogy anyway. And then this story just felt like it rounded out the three trilogies. I know that there are more Chesapeake Shores books to go, but Luke’s story finishes out the romances of the first and second generation of O’Briens. And highlights the appearance of a next generation soon to come up the ranks.

As someone who has always been told that she’s incredibly difficult, I kind of loved Moira from her very first appearance in An O’Brien Family Christmas. I mean, I can be rude and surly (especially when I was younger) and often got painted into a specific box. Just like Moira. Of all the women that I have loved thus far in this series (and I’ve loved them all), I think it’s Moira that I most strongly identified with. She’s unsure, confused and there are so many different possibilities laid out before her. However, unlike me, she actually manages to figure out what she wants at a fairly young age. And is able to find ways to fight for it.

One of the things that always confuses me about people and romance is that they have an image of their “ideal” person. Or the “ideal” timeline to fall in love and get married and have kids. In my experience, this is absolute stupidity. There is no ideal time to do any of these things. Rather, life happens and you may as well enjoy it and move forwards with it. Luke most definitely falls into this category of stupid. He just… keeps thinking that if he ticks off his list, he’ll get his happily ever after. To me, happily ever after is the everyday moments and points in life that happen on a daily basis. Luckily, Luke does manage to realise that before its too late.

All in all, this was a good and sweet book. I do enjoy the fact that Kirsten (of fame in Beach Lane) kind of gets a bit of a kick in the butt in this story. I would have liked a little more comeuppance. But, she does get a swift kick in the butt. It just gave an extra sense of joy throughout this story that left me smiling. Nothing better than an entitled brat getting their butt kicked in the name of true love…

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the mad O’Briens at Chesapeake Shores. They’re quite a clan, and honestly, what I’ve always wished family meant / represented.

<- An O’Brien Family ChristmasA Seaside Christmas ->

Image source: Goodreads

Hopcross Jilly by Patricia Briggs

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson: Hopcross Jilly : Briggs, Patricia, Hoskin, Rik, Garcia, Tom: Amazon.com.au: Books

Title: Hopcross Jilly
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercedes Thompson #7.5, Mercy-Verse #23
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Werewolves
Dates read: 30th September 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Dynamite
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: No cops ever come out this way!

Synopsis

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifting coyote and honorary member of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack. When the pack stumbles upon the buried bones of numerous dead children, she shapeshifts into a mystery of the legendary fae – a mystery that draws Mercy’s stepdaughter Jesse into the fray! The supernatural romance series Mercy Thompson continues in this all-new, original story by New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs, exclusively created for the comic book medium!

Thoughts

I’ve been hanging to get to this graphic novel since I bought it. But, since I was trying to do a full Mercyverse reread in order, I kept refraining. Well, I finally got up to it in my reread list. And wow. It was worth the wait. Not only is the storyline amazing, the graphics beautiful, and the pace fast. But this also features Jesse in a much stronger manner.

Jesse is slowly showing up more and more in the Mercedes Thompson books – I mean, it makes sense, since they’ve become a family unit. But there isn’t much that strongly features her by herself. Although this story isn’t just about Jesse, she is smack bang in the middle of the drama. And it just reminds me why I love her and want to see her more in the Mercedes Thompson books.

I love that this storyline shows Jesse in her difficulties at school. I mean, school is tough and kids are cruel. But more than that it shows how tough and honest she is in her ability to rise above all of the crap that is thrown at her.

This is a story that features the next fae that goes bump in the night. The next step in the escalating paranormal war that is sure to be filling the next few Mercyverse books. It highlights the difficulties that the pack face, but more than that it shows how being good can assist in overcoming the evil in the world. Or at least, that’s how I felt about Jesse and those around her.

<- RedemptionNight Broken ->

Image source: Amazon

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Title: Dead Heat
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha & Omega #4, Mercy-Verse #22
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Werewolves
Dates read: 19th – 30th September 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Unable to resist, she lent her song to his.

Synopsis

Transporting readers into the realm of mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham, Patricia Briggs’s Alpha and Omega novels have been praised for being “the perfect blend of action, romance, suspense, and paranormal.” Now a pleasure trip drops the couple into the middle of some bad supernatural business…

For once, werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal. Or at least their visit starts out that way…

Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The fae have started a cold war with humanity that’s about to heat up – and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

Thoughts

This is one of those series that I always wonder if it’s actually not quite as good as I remember. It is WAY better. Each and every time. I mean, the hype in my mind is nowhere near equivalent to the hype and the amazingness of reading one of these books. And, I’m finally at that point in my reread when I’m up to the books that I haven’t actually read yet. Which of course meant that even though I read the prologue and then put this aside, I ended up reading pretty much the whole book cover to cover in one night. It is THAT amazing.

Charles is a beautiful enigma – and I like that this book explores some more of his past. Particularly the fact that it brings forwards some of his past friendships and relationships. Ones that are rare and far between. Friendships are so important, and it always breaks my heart that Charles really doesn’t have any in the Mercyverse. There were moments of tragedy throughout that did pluck at your heartstrings (which is always good in a book), but it was also really sweet and endearing to see the past and some joy in Charles’ life.

It was incredibly interesting that this story starts with Anna trying to figure out why Charles is resistant to the idea of children. I happen to be pregnant while reading this, and they’re discussions that are somewhat familiar. I love that throughout all of the mayhem and magic in this story, Anna slowly starts to untangle his resistance and his feelings. Feelings that even Charles doesn’t know that he has. It’s such a familiar discussion and wonder. Such a familiar untangling of emotions that I was driven by this alongside the actual action to find out the resolution.

The stories I’ve always loved of the fae are those which feature the… less kindly… of the fae. I’ve never really enjoyed tales which try and portray them as benevolent. That’s never really happened in the Mercyverse, but it’s now been taken one step further – with the purposeful release of all the not-so-kindly things that go bump in the night. It perfectly describes and portrays the fae in the ways that I think of them. And, more than that, it is perfectly setting up the next looming war on the horizon.

<- Unappreciated GiftsBurn Bright ->

Image source: Goodreads

Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Dragon Keeper - F.R.R.E.E

Title: Dragonkeeper
Author: Carole Wilkinson
Series: Dragonkeeper #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Chinese mythology, Dragons, Historical fiction, Young adult
Dates read: 5th – 29th September 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Black Dog Books
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: “Danzi will fight.”

Synopsis

Ancient China, Han Dynasty. A slave girl saves the life of an ageing dragon and escapes her brutal master. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter, the girl and the dragon make an epic journey across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected. This is the story of a young slave girl who believes she is not worthy of a name but finds within herself the strength and courage to make this perilous journey – and do what must be done.

Thoughts

This is the first book I’ve ever read that I sat up all night long to finish. So, as an adult, I wanted to see if I was just as hooked as the first time I read it. I wasn’t quite, but I was still very much in love and hooked. The journey is intense, Ping’s journey of self discovery is sweet and the creation of her relationship with Danzi, it was seriously enjoyable. That’s not even to mention the world building and story line that Wilkinson is able to weave.

Dragonkeeper is a great adventure story that will keep you on your toes. Ping and Danzi go on a very epic journey that takes them from mountain to coast. And you are just… swept along with them. The challenges and the difficulties that they face are scary and kind of intense at times. But, when push comes to shove, this is an incredibly G-rated book that, even though it talks about some horrible moments, is filled with a tempering of hope and growth.

I love that this book focuses on a young girl in a world that traditionally ignores girls. And that she is able to not only discover her name and destiny, but find her own strength and friendship. It’s a pretty typical young adult book in a lot of ways having this as a key feature. But it was the first such book I ever read like this. The first book that reminded me that as a girl, I had amazing power and strength. You kind of go on that journey of discovery along with Ping, particularly reading this as a young girl.

Although I didn’t sit up all night long reading this, I did still love it just as much as the first time I read it. The whole knowing what happens in the end made it a little easier to put this aside and actually go to sleep. But, it was still an amazing journey. And now I need to dig out the rest of the books in this series…

<- Dragon DawnGarden of the Purple Dragon ->

Image source: Weebly

Expecting Better by Emily Oster

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Expecting Better, Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong and What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster | 9781409177920 | Booktopia

Title: Expecting Better
Author: Emily Oster
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Medical, Non-fiction, Pregnancy
Dates read: 17th August – 25th September 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text, Novel
Publisher: Orion Spring
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: In one study the miscarriage rate was 4.4 percent for women under 20, 6.7 percent for women 20 to 35 and almost 19 percent for women over 35.

Synopsis

Award-winning economist Emily Oster debunks myths about pregnancy to empower women while they’re expecting.

When Oster was expecting her first child, she felt powerless to make the right decisions for her pregnancy, so she drew on her own experience and went in search of the real facts – by using an economist’s tool.

In Expecting Better she overturns standard recommendations for:

  • alcohol
  • caffeine
  • sush
  • bed rest
  • miscarriage
  • induction

She also puts into context the blanket guidelines for antenatal testing, weight gain, risks of pregnancy over the age of thirty-five, and nausea, among others.

Thoughts

This was an incredibly unique take and spin on the whole pregnancy thing. Most of the time it out and out disagreed with what we see as the conventional wisdom. And, whilst I may not agree with everything in this, I was most definitely intrigued with the ideas and discussions set forth.

Although I didn’t necessarily agree with everything in this book, I did love how the evidence was presented. That, and the fact that as Oster pointed out, everyone has different cost / benefit analyses and so should be equally educated. It also made me feel better about the little bit of caffeine I consume every week in my one or two coffees… that alone made me incredibly happy.

I also loved that throughout this Oster used numbers to weigh up the evidence. I may not be great at doing statistical analysis, but I am good at understanding it and using this to weigh up my decision making. In fact, there’s been a few more controversial topics / decisions in my pregnancy which have used pretty much the same system.

All in all, I found this to be a very, very worthwhile buy. As I said, there were some things I just didn’t agree with, but as Oster points out, she looked at the numbers and made her decision. I (or her friends) look at them and make another choice. It certainly made me feel a lot more settled and comfortable in my pregnancy decision making.

<- More pregnancy booksMore medical books ->

Image source: Booktopia

Stranger Ranger by Daisy Prescott

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Stranger Ranger (Park Ranger, #2) by Daisy Prescott

Title: Stranger Ranger
Author: Daisy Prescott
Series: Park Ranger #2, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 26th – 27th September 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: SmartyPants Romance
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘Sweat has dampened spots on his faded navy T-shirt and he’s wearing jeans, not shorts or hiking pants.

Synopsis

New Park Ranger Daphne Baum is a reformed good girl breaking free from her overbearing family as soon as she turned eighteen, she’s been on her own ever since. The life of a Park Ranger, moving from park to park, suits her just fine. Though still a rule follower, she’s okay with a little sin in her life.

Every generation of Hill men has its black sheep. The general consensus among the family is that Odin Hill is the lucky bastard this go around. At seventeen, he blew out of town like an angry tornado only to return fifteen years later withdrawn and secretive. Living like a recluse in the hollows in the Smoky Mountains, he’s happy to keep to himself and is content to let locals believe he’s the town weirdo. Odin prefers the company of his pet pig to the nosy citizens of Green Valley.

When Daphne discover Odin might be committing nefarious deeds on park land, she vows to find out the truth behind the handsome, yet chaotic, loner. Will the stranger help the ranger discover the difference between being good and doing the right thing? Or will they find themselves on opposite sides of love?

Thoughts

Daphne makes a very, very brief appearance in Happy Trails – she kind of comes in at the end as a new recruit. But she does take some of the spotlight – she’s just too sweet and cute. And very, very quirky. Which just made it all that much more exciting to read a romance that has her front and centre. The fact that the guy she falls for is just as quirky – I mean, who walks a pet pig? Well, that makes me deliriously happy and leaves a huge smile on my face.

Odin is such fun – he’s quirky and incredibly off-kilter. I like that he’s an absolute odd-bod in a town of misfits. That he’s the kind of person who embraces that to his own ends and enjoyment. And that even with his slightly darker past, he finds a way to be happy in and of himself. And that he enjoys Daphne for everything that she is. I like that Prescott’s characters aren’t exactly mainstream – it just makes them all that much easier to bond to and relate with.

Green Valley has got to be one of my favourite places to go to. It is filled with love, fun and quirky characters. Not just that, but the fact that the setting is just overwhelmingly beautiful and easy to imagine. I loved travelling through the mountains and finding peace and happiness in a tiny town in the mountains. This is such an unbelievably beautiful story, filled with great characters and storylines. Beauty and enjoyment that I just wasn’t quite expecting.

Not only is this a great romance, but all of the supporting cast around Odin and Daphne are fantastic. That, and there are so many more potential romances throughout that I’m really hoping are somewhere else in the SmartyPants universe…

<- Happy TrailMore Daisy Prescott ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Wanderer by Robyn Carr

Book Review, ,
Overview
Robyn Carr's The Wanderer Cover Reveal - Harlequin Ever After

Title: The Wanderer
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Thunder Point #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 23rd – 25th September 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The loner stood taller; his shoulders widened a little, ready.

Synopsis

From Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Virgin River novels, comes THUNDER POINT – the highly anticipated new series that will make you laugh, make you sigh, and make you fall in love with a small town filled with people you’ll never forget.

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.

Thoughts

I’ve been putting off starting another Robyn Carr series because I know how obsessive I get about her books. They’re just amazing. Plus, Virgin River has quite a few books in it, and I felt like committing to another series was maybe not a great idea until I actually finished the Virgin River books. But then I saw on the blurb of The Wanderer that Hank Cooper was the leading male in this story. And, since I loved his appearance in Sunrise Point, I just wanted to see how he was going to find his happily ever after. There are no regrets. It was an amazing story, one that I seriously couldn’t put down.

I was wondering if this story would have the same feeling as the rest of the Virgin River books that I’ve read. I mean, it’s a whole new town and a whole new setting, so I was hoping for a new vibe to the story. But, I wasn’t exactly hopeful about the fact. Luckily for me, Carr is a phenomenal author and the vibe of this story was completely unique. A whole new world that I was dropped in. I found the setting of Thunder Point to be one of the first things that I fell in love with. Alright, I also loved all of the characters, but first it was the wind-swept beaches that I fell head over heels for.

Building relationships is difficult at the best of times – but finding a way to build them in an organic way that isn’t just the repetitive Meet Cute, that’s difficult. I like that Coop starts to create relationships slowly with a number of town’s people, but it isn’t until over halfway through the book that he actually meets Sarah. It’s still a romance and it’s still an unbelievably cute story, but it’s also not one that makes you rush headlong into an over-the-top lust fest. Don’t get me wrong, I also love the lust fests. But it’s also nice to have that variety.

This is yet another amazing book from Robyn Carr. It has that beautiful, heart pounding romance. But there is also a fantastic and loyal town at the backbone. I can’t wait to read more about the people of Thunder Point and get to know each and everyone of the amazing people who make up this small town.

<- More Robyn CarrThe Newcomer ->

Image source: Harlequin Blog