Tag Archives: Contemporary romance

The Edge of Heaven by E.M. Lindsey

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Edge of Heaven (Love Beyond Measure #1) by E.M. Lindsey

Title: The Edge of Heaven
Author: E.M. Lindsey
Series: Love Beyond Measure #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Disability, LGBTQI
Dates read: 18th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: SmartyPants Romance
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: Julian huffed.

Synopsis

“And really, what kind of fool goes and falls for their escort?”

In a fit of panic, reclusive English teacher, Julian Pedalino, lies about a boyfriend when he’s coerced into attending his ex-husband’s wedding. And when he realizes he has to follow through and actually bring someone, he’s left with only one option.

Hire a stranger.

He’s expecting the weekend to be a disaster, he’s expecting everyone to see through him, he’s expecting them all to know the truth – that he could never get someone as gorgeous as that to fall for a person like him

What he isn’t expecting is Archer, the charming man with an endless love for the wonders of space, and gentle words that could sweep anyone off their feet. Even Julian, who vowed never to let another man close to his heart, ever again.

It would be a romance made in the heavens… if only Archer wasn’t keeping a secret of his own.

Thoughts

I seriously loved this book. Even though it broke my heart a little. I mean, the cruelties that Julian experiences at the hands of his own family… it seriously broke my damn heart. It was horrible. But, it did all end up beautifully.

There aren’t many LGBTQI+ romances on my shelves. It’s definitely a collection I’m expanding, but it’s a bit of a slow process. The one or two that I have had the enjoyment of reading were honestly nothing on this. There was a lot more adult content within this story than the other M/M books, and I LOVED it.

Alongside having a different sexual orientation leading this story, Julian is also disabled. As someone who works with people with disabilities, I loved how Lindsey approached the difficulties and indignities. And how people’s assumptions about “normal” are generally not okay. And sometimes it’s the family members who make it the worst.

Archer is a great lead as well in this story, and has his own hurtful past that makes you want to reach through the pages and give him a huge hug. But, honestly, for me, it’s Julian and his father (Frederic) that steal the show. And now I can’t wait to dig into Love In Slow Motion for Frederic’s story about moving on from an abusive woman and finding a new sense of happiness.

<- More E.M. LindseyLove in Slow Motion ->

Image source: Goodreads

Take Me Home by Inez Kelley

Book Review, ,
Overview
Take Me Home (Country Roads, #1) by Inez Kelley

Title: Take Me Home
Author: Inez Kelley
Series: Country Roads #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 12th – 15th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Publisher: Carina Press
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Outside his office, phones rang.

Synopsis

Logging manager Matt Shaw is wary when Kayla Edwards, the owner of Mountain Specialty Spices, hires his firm to harvest timber on her Appalachian property. It’s a place he knows better than the back of his calloused hand—it’s his family’s old homestead, lost years ago in a painful foreclosure. He’s hauled himself up from dirt-floor poor since then, and resolves to stay professional… But Kayla’s vivacious beauty makes it hard to focus on his job.

Home. That’s how army-brat-turned-foodie Kayla feels about her new mountain hideaway. What’s more, the hottest lumberjack ever to swing an axe has agreed to manage her timber crop and get the old maple syrup operations back on tap. Matt’s ruggedly sexy ways and passion for the land have her falling hard.

The heat between them grows wild…until Kayla discovers that Matt hasn’t been upfront with her. She feels devastated, and worst of all, used. How can Matt prove it’s her he wants and not her land?

Thoughts

This is an incredibly easy read. The kind of simple, happy romance that makes you feel comfortable and content. It’s the perfect story to read on your ereader when you’re working and have to split your concentration a little. Fun, easy and light. The perfect contemporary romance.

I love that the biggest hurdle for this couple was their pasts. Kayla is caught up in a lack of “home” and feeling betrayed when she wants to trust. Matt is caught up on his pride and the tearing apart of his childhood. Its a nice little reminder that we all have ties to the past that can be difficult to move on from. But that sometimes, we need to at least get them in the open if we have any chance at a future.

I know bits about forestry from my own environmental science background, and I liked how Kelley weaved some interesting forestry facts throughout this story. Even though I don’t know anything about this ecological region, I loved the descriptions of the setting and the economic / ecological benefits for sustainable forestry. Then, there’s the creation of maple syrup… something I’d never even thought about. And now want to know SO much more about!!!

This was a great story. It was cute and sweet with just the right amount of heartbreak. There was a beautiful mountainous setting and a good score of secondary cast members. And at its core a gorgeous and sweet romance that will leave you smiling.

<- More Inez KelleyThe Place I Belong ->

Image source: Goodreads

Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Bring Me Home for Christmas, Virgin River by Robyn Carr | 9780778317630 | Booktopia

Title: Bring Me Home for Christmas
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #14
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 5th – 8th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Something like maybe we’d better get this settled between us and move on.

Synopsis

Welcome back to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…

This year, Becca Timm knows the number one item on her Christmas wish list – getting over Denny Cutler. Three years ago Denny broke her heart before heading off to war. It’s time she got over her silly college relationship and moved on.

So she takes matters into her own hands and heads up to Virgin River, the rugged little mountain town that Denny calls home, as an uninvited guest on her brother’s men-only hunting weekend. But when an accident turns her impromptu visit into an extended stay, Becca finds herself stranded in Virgin River. With Denny. In very close quarters.

As the power of Christmas envelops the little town, Becca discovers that the boy she once loved has become a strong and confident man. And the most delicious Christmas present she can imagine.

Thoughts

Denny’s story was something that came a little put of left field in Wild Man Creek. It was incredibly unexpected, but you immediately fall for the happy, easygoing young lad. I didn’t realise that Bring Me Home for Christmas would be about him. But when I realised that it would be… oh, my heart melted.

Becca is a great female lead. She has so much gumption and independence. The fact that she tricks her brother into doing what she wants to start her whole adventure just made me love her even more. She is so fun and independent. And the perfect woman to go toe to toe with Denny.

I was expecting there to be a bit more of a hang up with Becca’s current boyfriend. But, that whole relationship just kind of… dissolved neatly. It was pretty much no hurdle at all. I’m not even entirely sure why he was there as a plot line. But, it still worked and the angst really wasn’t there. So I suppose it’s not too bad.

This is yet another beautiful Virgin River Christmas story. Its simple and sweet. About two people finding their happily ever after, but also about community spirit and supporting one another. Its always the kind of story that just makes you want to live in a small mountain town in a great community.

<- Harvest MoonHidden Summit ->

Image source: Booktopia

Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Harvest Moon – RobynCarr

Title: Harvest Moon
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #13
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 21st – 26th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: She’s right outside.

Synopsis

Return to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…

The recipe for happiness:
making it up as you go along

Rising sous-chef Kelly Matlock’s sudden collapse at work is a wake-up call. Disillusioned and burned out, she’s retreated to her sister Jillian’s house in Virgin River to rest and reevaluate.

Puttering in Jill’s garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is a far cry from San Francisco. Kelly’s starting to feel a little too unmotivated… until she meets Lief Holbrook. The handsome widower looks more like a lumberjack than a sophisticated screenwriter – a combination Kelly finds irresistible. But less appealing is Lief’s rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She’s the reason they moved from LA, but Courtney’s finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River.

Kelly’s never fallen for a guy with such serious baggage, but some things are worth fighting for. Besides, a bratty teenager can’t be any worse than a histrionic chef… right?

Thoughts

One of the things that I love about the Virgin River series is that there is always a bit of a brief hint or introduction to the romance in the next story. It just makes you want to pick up the next book so much more – because you’ve already begun to feel partly invested within the relationship in the first place. You knew that Kelly and Lief were going to be a match at some point – they had their little stunning moment of realisation in Wild Man Creek. It was subtle, but it was enough to draw me in and leave me feeling somewhat intrigued.

Pulling in a struggling teenage daughter and the death of a mother really helped to raise the stakes in this story. In fact, I found it a little hard at moments to read this. I seriously felt for Courtenay and Lief – they’d not only lost someone, but were struggling to find their new way in the world. I loved that Carr was able to write from both perspectives – you understand why Lief is so confused and hurt by Courtenay’s decisions and actions. But you also get why she’s acting the way that she is. And, ultimately, she’s a teenager – they’re not exactly the most well balanced of people.

Reading this story honestly made me hungry. Food was such a centre point of Kelly’s life that every moment made you want to… well, eat. It was filled with so much delicious morish-ness that I honestly needed a snack for most of the reading of this. And, I kind of need one now that I’m writing my review the morning after finishing this…

I probably didn’t quite connect to Lief and Kelly as much as some of the other Virgin River couples (hence the fact that it lost 0.5 stars for me). But I did still love and enjoy them. I liked how their challenges were totally unique to the others within this series. normally by the thirteenth book in a series, it starts to feel a little same, same, but that isn’t the case with the Virgin River series. Every relationship, every romance, every challenge feels new and fresh.

<- Wild Man CreekBring Me Home for Christmas ->

Image source: Robyn Carr

Moonlight Cove by Sherryl Woods

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Moonlight Cove (Chesapeake Shores, #6) by Sherryl Woods

Title: Moonlight Cove
Author: Sherryl Woods
Series: Chesapeake Shores #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 18th – 21st July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: There’s nothing to indicate that you’re about to be fired.

Synopsis

Welcome to Chesapeake Shores, where New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods weaves a world with compelling characters and heartfelt emotion

Jess O’Brien has overcome a lot – the challenges of attention deficit disorder, the near bankruptcy of her beloved Inn at Eagle Point and her self-perception as a screwup in a family of overachievers. Now she’s ready to share the future with a man. Her friends persuade her to join a dating service – but she gets no takers! Which is fine with her childhood friend, psychologist Will Lincoln, who’s already chosen the perfect man for Jess: himself.

Will has loved Jess practically forever. He knows her faults and her strengths. But for all Will’s sincerity and charm, Jess fears he views her as some psychological case study. With her family and the town of Chesapeake Shores behind him, Will finally makes his case. But is it enough to convince Jess to take the risk of a lifetime?

Thoughts

Jess is most definitely the most damaged and vulnerable of the O’Brien siblings. This just made her story all that much more heart wrenching and sweet. I mean, she has a whole lot more abandonment issues than her other siblings, and she also has some huge insecurities. It doesn’t help that the whole town seems to kind of reinforce these ideas.

I loved that Will is able to look at Jess’ insecurities from the beginning and just… support her. He sees all of her flaws and loves her in spite of them. To me, this is what true love entails – knowing someone’s flaws and loving them in spite of it. It does make this a bit of a one-sided relationship for much of the story. Bu a lot of relationships do start like this. I also love that Will’s support makes Jess finally choose to let go of her crap and take the plunge into trust.

This book may have the best proposal scene in it of the many romances I’ve been reading thus far. It wasn’t necessarily all flowery words and epic sentiments, but it most definitely did have that feeling of love and thought. The idea of snow, bonfires, candles and the beach is just… way too picturesque for me to even deal with. I would love to spend an evening with light snowfall and a bonfire on the beach. Although, I do tend to struggle in the cold… so that may not work perfectly.

I thought that Moonlight Cove was the perfect way to round out the first of the O’Brien batches. It also had a great romance with Uncle Thomas, brining him back into the fold. This novel also helped to really introduce Mack and Susie, the next O’Brien (albeit from a different branch) to take centre stage. I’m both excited and terrified to read Beach Lane, because it mentions a bit of bad news (which I automatically associate with cancer). But I also can’t wait to meet the next batch of insane O’Briens to steal my heart away.

<- Driftwood CottageBeach Lane ->

Image source: Goodreads

Driftwood Cottage by Sherryl Woods

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Driftwood Cottage, Chesapeake Shores Series : Book 5 by Sherryl Woods | 9780778329473 | Booktopia

Title: Driftwood Cottage
Author: Sherryl Woods
Series: Chesapeake Shores #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 14th – 18th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: A tap on the front door had her glancing up to spot Connor with their son in his arms.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods again brings her signature heartwarming style to the community of Chesapeake Shores

Single mom Heather Donovan’s dreams of home an dfamily are tantalizingly within reach when she settles in Chesapeake Shores. The welcoming arms of the boisterous, loving O’Brien clan embrace her and her son. But accepting their support seems to further alienate her son’s father, Connor O’Brien. His parents’ divorce and his career as a high-powered divorce attorney have left him jaded about marriage.

Then everything changes. Will the possibility of a future without Heather make Connor look at love and his career differently? Heather’s just about given up on her old dreams – of love, of family and especially of Driftwood Cottage, the home she secretly wishes were hers. It’s going to take a lot of persuasion – and some help from the O’Brien family – to make Heather believe that some dreams are worth fighting for.

Thoughts

Connor seemed like a bone head from the very beginning of A Chesapeake Shores Christmas. And, as you find out that he has a secret missus and a kid that he doesn’t tell his family about… even more of a bonehead. But, as the story unfolded, you could understand Heather’s love for him. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t really change my bonehead opinion at all. But I did enjoy the story overall.

As someone who is pregnant and with a man that never plans to have a wedding, I found this story really intriguing. The premise that marriage is so important is always in the romances that I read. It’s not necessarily something that I feel myself, but I do kind of like reading these stories which feature this kind of conflict. Our ever-changing social dynamics make it more acceptable (and less) to be unmarried and living together. Although this story ultimately ends in marriage, it was interesting.

Although I really and thoroughly enjoyed this story and like that it offered up some different opinions on marriage, it is also very much pro-marriage. In some ways, I did feel a little uncomfortable with the strength of conviction of the social world throughout it, I did like that it bought up an issue I often deal with. I mean, people aren’t actually as understanding as you would hope about being unmarried – when they’ve found out that we’re expecting after ten years together, the first comment is generally about a ring.

All in all, I think this Chesapeake Shores story hits me the closest as far as my own story. There were a number of moments throughout that I connected with quite strongly. Ones that made me sit back and go “huh”. It was probably the book that’s made me look at my own happiness in a relationship in such a long time. One that actually made me feel incredibly happy and content in my own relationship and life. And grateful that I have a man who isn’t quite as boneheaded as Connor O’Brien.

<- A Chesapeake Shores ChristmasMoonlight Cove ->

Image source: Booktopia

Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Wild Man Creek – RobynCarr

Title: Wild Man Creek
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #12
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 10th – 13th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Of course she had no idea how authentic the seeds were or how the finished fruit or vegetables would taste, but this was the first step – seeds were available.

Synopsis

Welcome back to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…

Sometimes love takes root in unexpected places – if you’ll only let it grow

Colin Riordan came to Virgin River to recuperate from a horrific helicopter crash, the scars of which he bears inside and out. His family is wonderfully supportive, but it’s his art that truly soothes his troubled soul.

Stung personally and professionally by an ill-advised affair, PR guru Jillian Matlock has rented an old Victorian with a promising garden in Virgin River. She’s looking forward to cultivating something other than a corporate brand.

Both are looking to simplify, not complicate, their lives, but when Jillian finds Colin at his easel in her yard, there’s an instant connection. And in Virgin River, sometimes love is the simplest choice of all…

Thoughts

There is something about the Riordan brothers that you honestly can’t help but love. They’re such a wild bunch of Irish lads, but they all have this amazing, honest core that makes you fall head over heels from them from the very beginning. Colin is one of the brothers that is barely mentioned (until you get to Promise Canyon), and I loved finding out a whole lot more about him. Now, there’s only one left… and I can’t wait to get to his story later either!

Jill’s brief appearance in Promise Canyon, along with her sister and two friends definitely drew me in and intrigued me. The more that I found out about Jill, and her impulsive tendencies, the more I fell in love with her. There was just something so lively and filled with gumption about her that made me unable to look away and stop diving further and further into her story. plus, who doesn’t like the idea of leaving behind your life and starting a whole new one? And one farming? I tell you, I have frequent daydreams about it.

I love that Colin and Jill’s story is kind of unique in that there are no outer influences who are trying to make them reunite. Rather, it is Colin’s own realisation and maturity that helps him to realise what is right and good. There were no huge dramas, and I kind of needed that. After all, I read this while on holidays and pregnant – I didn’t want anything that could make me cry. I just wanted easy and happy. This is exactly that kind of story.

As with all of the other Virgin River stories, there are a number of cast members and side stories that help to draw you in. You get to visit with the other Riordan’s again and again. The rest of the town and just fall in love with everyone again and again. There is always something so peaceful about revisiting this well-loved place. And it doesn’t make me want to quit my job and live off the land in the country at all…

<- Promise CanyonHarvest Moon ->

Image source: Robyn Carr

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Geekerella (Once Upon A Con, book 1) by Ashley Poston

Title: Geekerella
Author: Ashley Poston
Series: Once Upon a Con #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Retellings
Dates read: 28th June – 12th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Quirk
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Mark looks between me and my doom with this proud grin on his face.

Synopsis

Geek girl Ellie Wittimer lies and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new II Starfield II movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle is determined to win… unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons – before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another incompetent heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake – until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, GEEKERELLA is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

Thoughts

This was just too cute for words. Cinderella, cosplay, cons… not only was this a fantastic retelling. But it was also a great love story to all of the fandoms and geekdoms out there. There was even a great point in this about the fact that you should NOT judge another fan or their level of fan hood. A fan is a fan, and we get to do it in anyway we want. Something I’m perpetually happy about.

I had to keep pausing in my reading of this story. Mostly, because knowing Cinderella like I do… I kept feeling that point when things were about to be horrible. And I just loved Elle so much from the very beginning. I didn’t want the horrible things to happen to her… even though I knew that they would. But, as with all good stories…. it ended okay.

This was a wonderful teen story. It was one that captured all of that teen angst of finding oneself. That feeling of not belonging and being a bit incomplete. And just… figuring it out. We all do it throughout our lives, but it’s so much more intense in our teen years… I like that this story had characters that were ACTUALLY teenagers. Not characters that were that age… but seem so much more mature. It was fantastic. But yet, not too teen angsty that as an adult you’d want to put it down.

I absolutely adored this story and I can’t wait to get into The Princess and the Fangirl… its looking like another cute and adorable book. One that I know will hit all the same emotional ticks that I love.

<- More Ashley PostonThe Princess and the Fangirl ->

Image source: Fantastic Fiction

Promise Canyon by Robyn Carr

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Promise Canyon :HarperCollins Australia

Title: Promise Canyon
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #11
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 6th – 10th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mira
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: But they ran to him when he arrived.

Synopsis

Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…

After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River’s new veterinary assistant. The secluded community’s wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he’s been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town – everyone II except II Lilly Yazhi.

Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, II traditional II mean within her own aboriginal community, and she’s not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay’s earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. Lilly can’t deny his gift for gentling horses, but she’s not about to let him control her. There’s just one small problem – II she II can’t control her attraction to Clay.

But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere…

Thoughts

It’d been a little while since I’ve had the chance to return to the beautiful world of Virgin River. And, honestly, it was about damn time. I’ve been hanging to throw myself back into this beautiful series. And for the first time in a long time, I actually stayed up past my bedtime reading. I mean, it was a weekend, but still it ft wonderfully indulgent.

I was honestly surprised that this story featured two Native Americans. Pleasantly so, but most of the Virgin River books so far haven’t really had culture and tradition as a huge part of the characters’ background. I really enjoyed this idea! I mean, I’m completely ignorant if these Peoples. But I enjoyed the glimpses I found in Lilly and Clay of how their background constructed their identities.

The bonding over horses for Lilly and Clay really hit my happy spot. I love any story staring animals, and, although I’m not really a horse person…. I appreciated their presence. Plus, it was more than just a story about moving on from the past and falling in love. It was one about falling in love with an animal and all of the comforts that brings.

What I like to think of as the “core cast” was very much present in this story as always. Whilst it was Lilly and Clay’s tale, I was also the town’s… just as it should be. Having all the familiar faces and some teasing hints of new ones really felt like coming home… and luckily I have the next novel, Wild Man Creek, all ready to go in my hot little hand…

<- Midnight ConfessionsWild Man Creek ->

Image source: HarperCollins Australia

Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Happy Trail (Park Ranger, #1) by Daisy Prescott

Title: Happy Trail
Author: Daisy Prescott
Series: Park Ranger #1, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 30th June – 7th July 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Publisher: SmartyPants Romance
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘”Ed wants you to return as soon as possible.”

Synopsis

A man of few words, Ranger Jay Daniels values the calm, quiet solitude of the Great Smoky Mountains. Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.

Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird—any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance—to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince—or broody and taciturn ranger—to save her.

Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?

And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?

Thoughts

For someone who has been loving the Penny Reid books, I have taken a while to dive into the rest of her SmartyPants Romance world. And as the very first furrow into this journey and world…. I think I picked a good one with Happy Trail. This was fun, light and had just enough connection to the Winston Brothers whilst also being an amazing and independent journey on its own.

I really enjoyed how Prescott was able to weave cultural identity and that feeling of being split throughout this story. Jay’s crisis of personhood, being centred around his half Japanese heritage was so well written. And it also highlighted the ways in which we make assumptions about “belonging” based on a person’s looks.

I really enjoyed Olive’s character arc throughout this story. She is fun and quirky and has zero filter (something I too tend to have issues with). Yet, she does a lot of maturing throughout this story. At the beginning of the hike she is another spoilt girl with no clue as to who she is. But, as she hikes and learns how to feel comfortable with herself… she really becomes her own, wonderful strong person. One that I continuously fell in love with.

Even though this story had a bit of an insta love feeling, the relationship is ultimately based on getting to know one another. Alright, it happens in a very short amount of time. But its built on a foundation of conversations, not lust. I also love that although Olive feels the pull of her feelings for Jay, she does hesitate and refuses to just dive right into his life and an identity as his girlfriend. She even finishes her goals before taking that final step. Which all made me very, very happy.

I loved this book. And although I got a free eBook version, within chapters I went online and ordered not only the paperback version, but also the next book in the series… Stranger Ranger. Now I just have to be patient and wait for them to arrive…

<- More Daisy PrescottStranger Ranger ->

Image source: Goodreads