Tag: small town (Page 8 of 10)

All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey, narrated by Lauren Fortgang

February 8, 2015 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought this one because I need to catch up on the Kowalskis and my audiobook TBL is smaller. And, I was in the mood for a Shannon Stacey small town contemporary.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Josh Kowalski is tired of holding down the fort – better known as the Northern Star Lodge – while his siblings are off living their dreams. Now that his oldest brother has returned to Whitford, Maine, for good, Josh is free to chase some dreams of his own.

As the daughter of the lodge’s longtime housekeeper, Katie Davis grew up alongside the Kowalski kids. Though she’s always been “one of the guys”, her feelings for Josh are anything but sisterly. And after a hot late-night encounter in the kitchen, it’s clear Josh finally sees her as the woman she is.

Katie’s been waiting years for Josh to notice her, but now that he has, she’s afraid it’s too late. Giving her heart to a man who can’t wait to leave town is one sure way to have it broken. But Josh keeps coming up with excuses not to leave – could it be that everything he’s ever wanted is closer than he could have imagined?

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Josh Kowalski has been stuck running the Northern Star Lodge since his father died. It wasn’t what he wanted or what he chose – it was more that he was the one left standing when the music stopped. When this branch of the Kowalskis series began, Josh broke his leg and the various other family members came home to help him out. It then became clear just how unhappy and trapped Josh felt. Continue reading

Review at AudioGals

January 15, 2015 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals today with a review of Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis, narrated by Lisa Ivaary. It was fun to revisit an old favourite.

November Round Up

December 1, 2014 / Kaetrin

Monthly Mini Review

Holiday Sparks by Shannon Stacey, narrated by Savannah Richards – B I read this novella in the Naughty and Nice anthology when it first came out (scroll down a bit to see the brief reviews). Sometimes when I can’t decide what to listen to next a novella length story is low risk – this one was only a couple hours long so the time investment was small. And, I had fond memories of the story. Chloe Burke is a web designer who lives in Boston but has come back to her small Maine hometown ot housesit for her parents in the weeks before Christmas. Electrical problems lead her to electrician and all round hotty, Scott Quinn. They went to school together but he looked a lot different then (he was a nerd). Sparks fly (heh) and they start a fling. The conflict is that Scott is embedded in his hometown and Chloe is going back to Boston. Given Chloe’s job, it has a relatively easy resolution once they are committed to seeing if the relationship holds to its early promise and it is perfect for a novella length story. It’s sweet, sexy and low angst and I liked it very much.

I hadn’t heard Savannah Richards narrate before. She had convincing deeper tones for Scott and generally a pleasant voice to listen to. However, there was one thing which bothered me and it’s very much a “it’s not you it’s me” thing – articulating it is hard because it is an aural thing. The best I can do is to say there is kind of a lowering of pitch and a kind of … trailing off at the end of many sentences. It bugged me a bit. I’m sure others won’t notice it at all and others who do, won’t mind it but it’s the sort of things that I hear straight off and, over time, it gets a bit like fingernails on a blackboard to me. Fortunately, it’s a short novella so I didn’t have time for annoyance to truly set in. Honestly, the rest of the narration was very good. I think I’m just fussy.

I’m sure I bought this as a stand alone – but my records don’t tell me if it was a special release. All I could find at Audible today was the entire anthology.

BUY IT:
AUDIBLE

Her Holiday Man by Shannon Stacey

November 24, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I was provided with a review copy by the publisher via NetGalley.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Christina Forrester is starting over. After a financial scandal sent her ex-husband to prison, she’s left raising her young son without any of the comforts of their old life. Budgets, coupons, lawn care—you name it, she’s learning to do it all on her own. Well, almost on her own—she’d be lost without Gail Broughton, the kind widow across the street. But when Gail’s son comes home, Christina’s vow to never trust a man again is put to the test.

Will Broughton left town because he was tired of being “that poor man” who lost his wife and unborn child in a tragic accident. But years have passed and, with his dad gone and his mom alone, it’s time to go home. Only his mother’s not alone. She’s taken Christina under her wing, and the beautiful and determined single mother awakens something in Will he thought was buried forever.

As Will and Christina are forced to spend more time together, feelings that are more than neighborly grow between them. And with Christmas coming and a child filling both houses with holiday cheer, it becomes nearly impossible not to embrace the joy—and the love—in their lives.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Oh, man! I needed tissues for this book. Of course it has a HEA (it’s a romance after all) but Will has been through the wringer after losing his wife and their unborn daughter shortly before Christmas a few years before the story begins. He’s stayed away from his hometown at Christmas since then but, after also losing his dad suddenly six months before, he feels he needs to come home to stay and make sure his mother is okay. When he’s doing things like going through his dead wife’s hope chest – well, let’s just say I had convenient dust in my eyes. Continue reading

Carolina Blues by Virginia Kantra, narrated by Sophie Eastlake

November 5, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This is one from my personal library.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Jack Rossi is Dare Island’s new police chief. The laid-back North Carolina community is just what he needs to recover from a rocky marriage and a big-city police department. He’s learned his lesson: no more high-profile women or high-pressure jobs. The last thing he wants is an unconventional alt girl rocking his world.

Grad student Lauren Patterson made headlines when she kept a bank robbery from going bad. She’s fled to Dare Island to clear her head and focus on writing her story. However, sexy Jack Rossi is a distraction that’s too hot to ignore, and it’s igniting an affair too combustible to resist—or quit.

But when their pasts come looking for them, Jack and Lauren find themselves fighting for the future they deserve, whatever the price.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): It took me a while to warm up to the Lauren and Jack combination I think. I liked Lauren and Jack separately but for some reason, I didn’t feel their connection or chemistry immediately. By the end of the story I was convinced but unlike the earlier books in the series, I didn’t feel it jumped off the page (or, I should say, the iPod) from the start.
Continue reading

Review at Dear Author

August 1, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m at Dear Author today with a review of Between the Sheets by Molly O’Keefe. The bad news is that I’m sad I haven’t read this author before (even though I have some of her books on Mt. TBR). The good news is that I can read all of her backlist now. I sense a glom coming on.