Review: A bit confusing at times, but all in all, I liked the story
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2012
REVIEWED BY EMILYTHIRD TIME'S A CHARM takes place in the small town of Holland Springs--partly named after Rose Holland's ancestors. We come around quickly to the realization that while the town is happy to shop for potions and love advice from Rose at her apothecary shop, most of the town thinks that the Holland female family members are all femme fatales--out to get the eligible (and ineligible) menfolk in town. While Rose is definitely not that type of girl, she knows that some of her family is, so she accepts the taunting and veiled comments and tries to just live her own life. She is busy taking care of her infant niece, Ivy, who was dumped on her doorstep, a struggling business of her own, and an aging house in desperate need of care.Sasha Romanov, a man Rose met and had a steamy encounter with a few months back, returns to town to supposedly open a new business. He ends up renting a room from Rose and has ulterior motives that stem from a shady uncle, a very ill mother, and a need to find the source of the magical spring that the town is named after. (There is a hint of a magical/paranormal vibe, just enough to keep things interesting, but nothing too unbelievable or out there.)I want to disclose up-front that I've not read the first book in Marquita Valentine's Holland Springs series, and I think I was at a disadvantage because of this. I had a hard time figuring out what I should've known from a previous book, and what I was supposed to deduce from the current book. Right away, I was a little lost and confused piecing things together, and honestly, I could never get all the way over this. I love me a good series, but I do think that if a book is published as its own story it needs to be able to stand alone. I think THIRD TIME'S A CHARM came close to this, but I finished it still thinking I was missing part of the story.The other part I struggled with was Rose's personality. I had a hard time relating to someone who could let the entire town she grew up in walk all over her year after year. Even her sister and mother take advantage of her. Eventually we see Rose grow a backbone and stand up for herself, but for me it was too little too late.  I had not invested in her enough in the beginning, so I did not care as much for her transformation as I would have hoped.On the more positive side, let's talk about Sasha.  He is a very naughty boy...we hear all his internal dialogue, so we know he has a conscience, but we don't see him use it for much of the story. He does some pretty bad things, but somehow Sasha is likable enough because we know there is an underlying reason for his schemes against Rose. And OK, I'll admit it, everyone loves a bad boy. That is right, I went there. Sasha sounds absolutely delicious. Yes, I know I say that about all the heroes in the books I review, but c'mon, why wouldn't the hero be insanely gorgeous in a romance novel? Sasha definitely is, but he is a fun character in some pretty atypical ways as well. He is a clotheshorse metrosexual who has a sassy mouth and a raging libido. What's not to love?So I know I've mentioned how hot Sasha is. Well, the connection between Rose and Sasha is pretty hot as well. Suffice it to say there is definite chemistry there, and while I may not have understood their entire backstory or loved Rose's meeker traits, I quickly caught on that Rose and Sasha had a pretty serious attraction to each other and both wanted it to turn into something more. I soon caught myself rooting for these two to cut out all their shenanigans and just end up together already!Sasha and Rose go through the ringer in this story. Rose is faced with discovering secrets about both her parents, extreme financial issues, and dealing with a snaky ex-boyfriend who courted her simply to get a piece of the Holland, er, um, let's just say "magic." Sasha, despite trying to face-off against his uncle, is forced to choose between the two women he comes to love--his mother or Rose. I refuse to divulge any spoilers (beyond those found in the standard blurb/book cover that I've already babbled about), but there are a lot of discoveries made and mysteries solved throughout this book that keep you guessing and the story moving briskly along.BOTTOM LINEAll in all, I liked the story line in THIRD TIME'S A CHARM. While I thought it was at times a bit confusing (like we were supposed to know or understand more than we did), and maybe relied on knowing the previous story in the series, I enjoyed it. Sasha's character more than made up for the ho-hum feelings I had for Rose. I got caught up enough in Rose and Sasha's story that I will be adding Marquita Valentine's first book of this series, TWICE TEMPTED, to my TBR list--both to find out how Sasha and Rose initially meet up, but also to catch up with some of the characters mentioned but not featured in THIRD TIME'S A CHARM.RATING: C+ (3 stars)Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.