Review: In Review: Her Summer with the Marine (The Donovan Brothers #1) by Susan Meier
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2014
This is another case that makes me wish I gave half stars. This book was more than a three, but not quite a four, for me. It was a sweet and sometimes sexy romance between two characters who have known each other most of their lives and have always been ultra-competitve.Ellie returns home to her small-town to run the family's funeral home after her dad is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Her former crush, the guy who crushed her and beat her as valedictorian, is back from the Marines and running his family's funeral home as well. They're competitors again after all this time. He wants to buy her out, but she's not giving in. They forge a friendship and grow close again. They can't deny their attraction to each other and come to an agreement to enjoy each other physically, with no strings or expectations, but inevitably, feelings get involved and things become complicated.I really enjoyed both of these characters – as well as the supporting cast of B.B., Ashley and the others. Ellie and Finn had a ton of chemistry and you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. There are a couple steamy scenes in this book, too. It's a great romance and has a good focus on family – as imperfect as it can be at times. There were a couple scenes that made me more than a little emotional, but the book ended on a note that left me smiling.I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.