Review: Atmospheric New Adult Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 22, 2013
How lush is that cover?!?!This is fairly short, it weighs in at about 129 pages, but it's an engaging read all the same.  I love this kind of set up - sleepy old town, nothing happening when a gorgeous and mysterious stranger rolls in to disturb the status quo.This is exactly what we get with Ben.  He gets off the bus in Winter (the town not the season!) and Kate and Jane can hardly believe their luck.  After a bit of convicing he decides to stay at Jane's grandmother's house in return for board and lodging.  Kate, Jane's best friend, has got her sights set firmly on Ben but he's a reticent soul - he hasn't got a lot to say for himself and he's obviously harbouring some fairly dark secrets but she can see the pain in those sorrowful eyes and is desperate to know more about him.  Ben, for his part, is convinced that he is not the kind of guy that Kate needs to be involved with and resists her very determined onslaught for as long as is physically possible!As I was reading this, and the story played out in my imagination, I got the strong impression that it was like watching a Nicholas Sparks movie adaptation of one of his novels - small town USA, secrets to be revealed and a gorgeous, soulful hero.I loved Ben - I did actually guess his secret exactly although I think it was a lucky guess, it's not obvious from the text.  He's a man holding back all his emotions - he's got a lot of demons in his past and he doesn't want to let anyone in or allow himself to become attached.  He's looking for answers, a place to feel he belongs and he's desperately in need of someone to care about him.My only problem with the novel was that I didn't much like Kate.  I did eventually warm to her but it took the whole novel.  I found her to be brattish, sulky and I hated the way she treated her parents.  But it's a minor gripe and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.Her best friend Jane and her very ornery grandmother were great secondary characters.  I'd very much like to see Jane find a man to care for her when all she seems to do is care for everyone else.  She needs her very own hero - hopefully in the next book!So, a great beginning to an intriguing new series, a delicious hero and a plot with a few twists and turns and surprises waiting for you.3.75 stars