Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
Feisty, fun-loving, in your face good time, local B&B owner, Justine Hoffman was a strong independent woman pleased with her choices and loving her life’s ride in the previous entries but she morphed into an almost a new character, going to extremes for not having true love and happiness herself.
Arrogant, manipulative, reclusive software designer, Jason Black stays at Justine’s B&B while his house is being built and they’re instantly attracted to each other. With Jason’s issues of control especially in the bedroom he came across as an extremely pale Christian Gray. Unfortunately with Justine playing a reluctant witch, she twists herself into the worst imitation of Samantha Stevens possible.
That cannot be good…and it wasn’t. The leads were thinly presented and lacked chemistry for this reader’s taste, it brought to mind the range of emotion, lust and control paper dolls would have. A brief glimpse of Zoe and Alex provide the continuity link to the series but underscored the drastic difference in Justine’s character on her very own unique journey to HEA.
The previous entries of what was a light, whimsical series were soft romances with a hint of conflict wrapped around the smallest supernatural kernel possible and dusted with possibilities of miracles happening. This read steps away from the familial glow of Friday Harbor and is entertaining on its own but the minor link to previous characters feels false and not linked to the series.
Rating: 3.5stars
Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
Youngest Nolan brother, construction developer Alex is bitter and angry at the world. His defining work project has been de-funded, his wife divorced him and got most of their assets, he’s turning into his alcoholic father, a gorgeous woman he was unjustly nasty to bakes like a dream, he’s feeling guilty for not offering to help his brothers take care of their orphaned niece and he’s being followed by a ghost!
To ease the guilt for not helping his brothers, Alex decides the least he can do is make sure the Rainshadow Road property is habitable and save his brother money and bad contractors. But when he’s checking out the property he’s followed by the property’s ghost who has no idea who he is, nor when or why he died. Now Alex needs to move into the property and hopefully get his life on the right track.
First Zoe Hoffman’s father left to start a job with a promise of sending for her instead he got a new family and Zoe learned to bake with her grandmother. A year into marriage, her husband left to be with his boyfriend and Zoe busied herself in her cousin, Justine’s, bed and breakfast kitchen. In the meantime, Justine has devoted plenty of energy to finding the guy for Zoe
But Zoe gets word her grandmother is deteriorating and has to leave the assisted living apartment in preparation for living in a lockdown facility. Before that day comes, Justine promises to have the cottage retrofitted so Zoe can live there with her grandmother and Alex Nolan has a reputation for doing great work.
While the ending is telegraphed way early in this two for one romance tale, it’s sweet and enduring. The twist of an ending is somehow fitting for this romance series kissed with paranormal.
Rating:4.5stars
Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas
Lucy Marinn’s childhood was great until her sister Alice almost died. When Alice survived, she became the center of attention and happiness of the household at Lucy’s expense. Adult Lucy’s made a successful career of her fascination with art glass, she’s in love and bought a house with her fiancée, Kevin. Life’s great until Kevin comes home and tells her she has to move out so Alice can move in.
Alice doesn’t see the issue since she’ll be a better girlfriend than Lucy could ever be. Lucy feels uneasy as she sits on the deserted beach and Sam nears her with his dog. Unsure if he’s safe, Lucy scurries away and gets scuffed. Local vintner Sam Nolan catches up and after a curt greeting he helps her stop the bleeding and asks her out coffee. She refuses but tells him her first name before they part.
Lucy stays on his mind as Sam goes about making repairs on his dilapidated house. Shocked, betrayed, grieving, confused, angry and homeless, Lucy moves in with friends. Two months later, she’s blindsided when she hears Kevin and Lucy are getting married. Stopping for a drink, Lucy sees Sam. Walking Lucy home, Sam presses hard for a date and after a scorching kiss Lucy feels the need to get away.
With the family torn apart over Alice’s actions, she convinces Kevin to find Lucy a new boyfriend. Kevin asks Sam to romance Lucy. Unaware the men were friendly, Lucy’s furious when she finds out but is grateful Sam was with her when she saw Alice and Kevin for the first time as a couple. Lucy needs Sam’s help a situation kicking them from flirty acquaintance to budding romance.
This reader connected with Lucy and Sam in this emotionally charged sophomore effort from the first paragraph. Mark, Maggie and the not precocious or obnoxious Holly were around for continuity as Alex teed up for his star turn. Overall this full length read offered a more solid foundation for the series than its predecessor and this charming read was so engaging it was hard to put down or want it to end.
Rating: 4.5stars
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
When Mark Nolan’s sister died, he went from being six-year old Holly’s uncle to being a single father. But the brothers have a big challenge ahead of them since Holly’s no longer speaking. Knowing he couldn’t do it all on his own, Mark enlisted his brother, Sam to help and the trio moved into Sam’s fixer upper in Friday Harbor to begin healing.
Widow and toy shop owner Maggie Conroy is attracted to Mark and drawn to Holly as soon as they come in the shop. Maggie peaks Holly’s interest but Mark isn’t happy how it was done. As pragmatic Mark shares his displeasure, Holly begins to speak, replacing Mark’s peevishness with gratitude. The brothers ponder a more mature Holly when they learn she wants a mom for Christmas.
This fun, soft and sweet holiday read is a bit longer than a novella and easily read at poolside or in a rainy hour or so. It’s a Kleypas effort but for this readers taste, the shallow characters coupled with rushed pacing skimmed pieces, hurt the storyline and laid a flimsy series foundation ultimately costing rating points.
Rating: 3.25stars
Dreaming Of You by Lisa Kleypas
Derek Craven, product of a self-directed life on the mean streets of London from a young age, has built his fortune and his reputation. He’s now Derek Craven, owner of one of the most powerful and popular gaming houses in London. Remarkably he makes Ms. Sara Fielding’s acquaintance during dire straits.
At Craven’s gaming hell, Derek’s man, Worthy, is smitten and so is fledgling novelist Sara. Except Sara’s eye turns to Derek while he recovers from a bad relationship. Derek starts to sneak glances at Sara as she spends time in his gambling hell gathering info for her book and talking to his staff and live-in ‘help.’
Glimpses of Derek’s rough upbringing and journey to the man he became were in the previous installment but it goes deeper here. Independent Sara is a woman to be admired in both this setting and today’s as a woman determined to live her life her way with no interference from others. Her determination is great.
Within a few paragraphs, the reader is transported to the smelly alley where Derek and Sara first meet and caught up with this pair and the supporting cast. This outing followed its predecessor in kicking my personal bias </spoiler> boyfriend code</spoiler> which affected my outlook of the hero. That put this read firmly in the like but not love category because I no longer trusted the hero.
Rating: 4.25stars
Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas
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No matter that outrageous and lovely Lily Lawson has scandalized her family to the point of estrangement, she’s decided to prevent her younger sister Penelope, from making the tragic mistake of marrying Alex Raiford, Earl of Wolverton when she loves someone else and well, everyone knows an Earl needs a wife and any will do plus she’s heard unsavory things about Alex.
Alex has determined his fiancé wouldn’t be daring and he’d stand firm when she risked herself and most of all he wouldn’t love her. He’d settle for a timid, obedient and pretty woman to wife, someone suitable and Penny would never be demanding. Putting her plan in play, Lily arranges a glimpse of Alex and is shocked to discover she’d seen him at the water party when he looked at her with distain!
Lily and Alex both attract and repel each other. Alex was a man who loved too much and Lily was a woman who loved too little. They’re both attracted to and repelled by each other. The pair’s journey to love-land takes them through secrets, unsuitability issues, an attraction neither is willing to admit and a battle of wills neither is willing to concede.
The secondary characters added a different type of drama as they supported the leads and made the read more interesting. I confess, I had doubts this read would be to my taste at the outset, but in Kleypas fashion, it came through.
Rating: 4stars
Brown Eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas
Wedding planner Avery Crosslin has it all. Insecurity, trust issues, self-esteem issues, abandonment issues, commitment issues and seldom seen or discussed, Joe Travis’ undivided attention. Making a memorable entrance, Joe steps up to “rescue” Avery’s damsel in distress from a vicious scorpion. Within a few sentences, I wanted to Joe whispering his personal ode to brown-eyed girls in my ear.
All sex appeal and persistent, Joe doesn’t take Avery’s rejection easily. He’s determined to wear her down so he can wear her out. Avery on the other hand does her best to make herself as unattractive as possible and rejects every overture from the opposite sex, since her last boyfriend not only broke her heart, he humiliated her while he did it.
As expected from this author, this is an easy to get into read with likable characters. Though part of a series, the stories are not dependent on each other. This reader easily fell under Joe’s spell but found Avery’s character one I wasn’t fussed to know about. Also, given the series is Travis, I’d expected more focus on him but the title is truthful that the story is more hers in this by the numbers romance.
4 Star Read
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