|
Lucky Harbor Series, Book 2
Jill Shalvis
Hachette Book Group/Forever
April 2011/ ISBN 978-0-446-57162-3
Contemporary Romance
Amazon
Reviewed
by Leslie Halpern
Tara Daniels doesn’t mean to drive people away, but her abrasive
personality – which includes a sharp tongue and “Steel
Magnolia” quality – tends to push away would-be romantic
partners, close friends, and loving family. After her mother’s
death, Tara and her two half-sisters inherited an inn in Lucky Harbor,
Washington. It’s hard enough for the three dissimilar women
to work together fixing up the place, but things get really complicated
when Tara’s old flame (boat racer Ford Walker) and ex-husband
(car racer Logan Perrish) both decide to win her back.
Strangely enough, Tara’s history with Ford goes even deeper
than her former marriage to Logan. Although she and Ford were merely
17 years old when they had a romantic fling, a baby given up for
adoption resulted from their brief encounter. Now, hoping to embark
on a new phase in her life, Tara – a die-hard control freak
– finds herself out of control as both suitors force her to
deal with the past.
Although Tara can be grating at times, Ford seems easy enough to
fall in love with. A hunky athlete with a mantel full of trophies,
he also runs a small restaurant in Lucky Harbor where everyone seems
to congregate (especially nosy old ladies who use modern social
media for matchmaking the young singles in the community). Ford
appears to be a great catch for any woman – any woman who
doesn’t care about commitment, that is. His turbulent past
shapes his current relationships, and the poor guy can’t seem
to settle down for long with any one woman. All that is about to
change, however.
This fun summer romance provides an easy read with lots of clever
dialogue and a minimum of action. Apart from occasional romantic
encounters and some boating scenes, prepare yourself for plenty
of talking. The sisters gripe at each other; the lovers flirt; awkward
reunions between family members transpire; and a comical dating
disaster give the author room to exercise her entertaining verbal
jousts between characters.
|
