Review: Great Read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2014
When the book opened with the hero's mother texting him she's to busy on the farm to come to his wedding, on the day before the wedding, I knew this wasn't going to be a contemporary romance like any others I've read. And if I thought the groom-to-be's mother was unlikeable...shortly after, I met his fiancée and her parents and was proven it could be even worse. But rest assured, not all family members/secondary characters were . I really liked Aunt Bridie and friends Olivia (Fiona's) and Jonas (Gavin's). Also I must admit someone I wasn't expecting was redeemed in my eyes and I hope this person (cryptic but don't want to give spoilers) gets their HEA somewhere along time too.After reading a bunch of erotic romances in a row this book was a refreshing welcome. Romance, contemporary romance doesn't always need sexing up to be entertaining. When done right the story, the journey the characters take from the beginning of the book to their HEA and the sensual tension is enough to keep me turning the pages.LOVE AND SHENANIGANS reminded me of the romances I used to read when I was much younger, the Penny Jordans and the Sara Cravens. The focus was on the relationships, not only between the hero and heroine but also their relationships with friends and family. I loved all the small plotlines going on next to the romance, like the bookstore and the stuff with the will.Zara Keane made the small town of Ballybeg come to life for me with her lovely descriptions. Normally I'm not much for descriptive writing as it often hinders the pace and takes me out of the story but in LOVE AND SHENANIGANS it was very well-dosed, functional and complemented the story perfectly. I really liked the writing, it was crisp and clean with an easy flow to it. Funny moments alternated with more emotional and romantic ones, making it a joy to read.LOVE AND SHENANIGANS is a sweet contemporary romance that's a tad heavier on the storylines than on the romance, especially in the first part of the book . It is wonderfully written with great characters that left me wanting more and luckily for me there will be more!