Review: The Way Back to You

Review: The Way Back to YouThe Way Back to You (Blessings, Georgia #9) by Sharon Sala
Series: ,
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on December 31, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 352
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: Heartfelt romance that is rooted strongly in the community of Blessings. I enjoyed the story although it is not entirely focused on the relationship between Sully and Melissa but a holistic story of them as individuals and as members of their community.

THE STORY:  Sully Raines gets a shock upon the death of his mother — he discovers that he was adopted. This sends him on a search for his birth mother and brings him to Blessings, Georgia. In Blessings, he runs into Melissa who was a girl who he liked when they were kids.

OPINION: The Southern small town of Blessings, Georgia is a wonderful community. What I liked best about this book is that the town and its residents are central to this book. This is not a couple who are separate from those around them, but rather, this is about people being part of a community. Sully comes to Blessings, Georgia so this is the story of him finding a place in this town and he does it while building a relationship with Melissa.

I loved that the drama here felt real rather than the full throttle drama in some books (I like those too sometimes so it is not a criticism). Everything felt solid and warm. Sully and Melissa seem to settle things between them so nicely. There are some external issues, but I really liked these two who manage to talk through serious issues.

I also really loved that these two find one another at age 45 and look forward to a life together. Not the same life a couple of 25 or 35 have, but a life that is valuable and can be filled with love and belonging.

WORTH MENTIONING: I loved all the characters in the town and this book really made me want to know more about their stories.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE WAY BACK TO YOU is the ninth book in the Blessings, Georgia series. This book can be read as a standalone (and indeed, I haven’t read any other book in the series). I’m sure there are overlapping characters, but I didn’t feel like I needed to read anything else to enjoy this one.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: A Reluctant Bride

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: A Reluctant BrideA Reluctant Bride (The Shelley Sisters Book 1) by Jess Michaels
Series: The Shelley Sisters #1
Published by Passionate Pen on 7th January 2020
Genres: Historical
Pages: 280
Goodreads
two-stars

FINAL DECISION: This book was just bland to me. Nothing to remember or to really be interested in these characters. Indeed, the sister who runs away is more interesting than anything with this couple. Unfortunately, this was a miss from an author whose books I usually like.

THE STORY: Jasper Kincaid, the Earl of Harcourt, has offered to marry one of the Shelley triplets, but realizes that the wrong sister is masquerading as his fiancee at their engagement ball. When he finds out that his true fiancee has run away, he ends up married to Thomasina instead.

OPINION: This was just a miss for me. The characters felt bland and uninteresting. I really didn’t care about their story and the conflict felt contrived. The book was okay, but in a day I probably won’t remember anything about the book. The most interesting parts of the book are that there are triplets and the disappearance of Thomasina’s sister. Neither of these was enough to sustain the romance or the action in this book.

WORTH MENTIONING: I’m going to give this series a pass and re-read some of my other favorite’s from this author.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A RELUCTANT BRIDE is the first book in the Shelley Sisters series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

two-stars

Review: Closer

Review: CloserCloser: A Stage Dive Novella by Kylie Scott
Series: Stage Dive #4.6
Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated on September 24, 2019
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 107
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I really enjoyed this one with opposites attract. The story was tense with the stalker on the loose, but it also increased the tension between these two as they are stuck together. I loved Mae and Ziggy!

THE STORY: Mae Cooper, plus-sized model, ends up with a bodyguard when she receives a threatening package from a stalker. Ziggy Thayer considers himself a consummate professional until he finds that Mae shatters his non-plussed demeanor.

OPINION: I adored Mae. Sometimes reading one character’s thoughts can be too much, but I loved the quirky way she thought and how positive she was about her curvy self. Because we are reading Mae’s thoughts, it is a little difficult to get to know Ziggy, but his actions are clear. But I ended up absolutely loving the quiet steady man. They are a great match with the differences in their personalities.

The story is a sexy little treat. The pacing of the story worked really well. The characters get to spend a condensed amount of time together because of the stalker threat and so there is definite heat between these two. The sex scene was romantic and sexy and really funny. I thought it was a perfect culmination of these two.

As a fan of the Stage Dive series, I love the chance to get to reacquaint myself with some favorites while getting to meet those around them.

I also really loved that we get to see the Stage Dive crew with some updates on everyone and, of course, I loved seeing Mal.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is a novella and it is told from Mae’s point of view in the first person.

CONNECTED BOOKS: CLOSER is book 4.6 of the Stage Dive series. Although appearances are made by characters in the Stage Dive series, the romance here is self-contained and it is not necessary to have read any other book in the series. This book operates as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars