C. J. Harte

This novel had some really good parts, and just one t hing that brought it from a five star novel to a four star one.

It's the story of Mia, she works for the State Department in Europe, but when the story starts is in the US because she needs to pick something up, and not to mention figure out how to move on from losing her lover, and how to become her parents' caretaker.

Teri is a bit older. She's the COO of her father's company, and has been for years. She also knew Mia as a kid, and when Mia was 15, Teri broke Mia's heart and humiliated her as well.

They meet again in the present day and we get to see how much they've changed, as well as how much they've stayed the same. And, of course, since this is a romance Teri and Mia find themselves, despite their super turbulent past, falling in love.

Two of the secondary characters, Brenna and Jeremy, were my favorite two characters int he book. They were also interesting because they were both Mia's best friends and Teri's siblings. At first I didn't think that would work, but boy did it ever. (This book had a lot of connections between characters which I found endlessly fascinating.)

What didn't always work was the character of Teri. Some of the time Teri seemed seriously mentally off. The character seemed not quite right psychologically, and that kept throwing me off in the first half of the book. Although I do have to say that in the second half of the book she seemed to stabilize a bit and the character didn't seem so off.

Overall I did really like the book. It was a 'can't put it down, have to read it until I pass out 'cause it's 2 am' sorta book for sure!

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.… (más)

This is the story of Jordan and Drew. Jordan is an undergraduate who needs tutoring help. Oh yes, and she's the daughter of the sitting (and Republican) President of the United States as well. She hires Drew to be her tutor. Drew is a former Rodeo rider going for her Medical Degree in Florida. She's also a lesbian, while Jordan thinks she very, very straight.

There's a ton of back and forth between Drew and Jordan and the novel covers a lot of time, two or three years. There's the not surprising misunderstandings between the two, and the two families' narratives were an interesting addition to the novel. The ways that they reacted to their daughters' stories that were the same, and the ways that they reacted that were different.

I really liked most of the characters. A I said the two families' characters were great. The Brothers, sisters, and parents of both of the main characters were all unique. As was Mark, Drew's roommate, who was gay and totally hilarious. There was also Rob, a really, really small character who I really liked a lot.

Then there was Brandon. I thought that he was a great character. Not in an 'I totally love this character' way, but in a 'that's a meaty and interesting character' way.

The only problem I really had with this book was at the end. In the rest of the book everything was so gradual. The relationship between the two main characters was, the friendships in the book were gradual, and then I got to the end and suddenly the 'happy ending' switch was thrown and 'boom' the book was done. I'm all for happy endings in novels, but this one just seemed so out of left field and just felt wrong compared to the rest of the book.

Still. It's a nice coming of age tale, and a solid three star book (I think it would have been four stars with a different ending too).

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.… (más)