Review: Sweet and sexy summer reading
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 9, 2013
As a beach bunny from way back the idea of coastal romance (as opposed to rural romance) has a lot of appeal and if Victoria Purman's debut novel, Nobody But Him, is an example of what we can expect from the genre, I am sure more will be added to my burgeoning reading list in short order.This is the first book in Purman's The Boys of Summer trilogy, a sweet and sexy romance set in a small fictional town on the coastline of South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula.Julia Jones left Middle Point at eighteen and never looked back. Now thirty three, a successful career minded woman, she is forced to put her life in Melbourne on hold and return to deal with her mother's estate. The last person she expects to run into is Ryan Blackburn, the boy she loved and left behind.Ry Blackburn is stunned to find Julia waitressing in his pub, it's been fifteen years since she broke his heart and though the hurt and anger at her desertion still lingers, so does his desire.There is plenty of heat between this couple from the first moment they reconnect and though in the way of all romances there are misunderstandings and miscommunications, Julia and Ry's unresolved history gives the overwhelming attraction credibility. The romance is sweet, flavoured by the nostalgia of their teenage infatuation, but the intimate scenes sizzle.The development of Julia's character rests on her reexamining the reasons she left Middle Point and recognising the flaws in her perception and I think Purman does this well. Julia is likeable and sympathetic, even with the giant chip on her shoulder. Ry is perhaps a more static character, needing only to admit that Julia is who he wants and be willing to fight for her.The setting for Purman's series is wonderful, I grew up in a beachside suburb in Western Australia and now live in a small town just minutes away from the coast in New South Wales. I liked the way in which Purman brought attention to some of the issues coastal communities face, like the influx of tourists each summer, necessary for the economy but disruptive for the permanent residents, and the way in the character of the town changes as city dwellers replace humble homes with million dollar beach houses.I really enjoyed Nobody But Him, it is an easy and engaging romance ideal for a summer's day reading. I'm looking forward to the next story from Victoria Purman - I'm guessing it will be Lizzie and Dan who will find love next.