Review: Sweet Read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 23, 2013
I previously enjoyed the first two books in the series and have come to love all the characters so I couldn't wait to get to know quiet, broody Chris Henderson better!That One Summer can be read as a standalone, it is very much Chris and Tammy's story although you would have a better picture of the whole gang if you read the series from the beginning. I liked the fact this book was set away from Onslow as that is where the first two books have taken place and who doesn't love a road trip?Chris has always been the older, more serious one of the 'Onslow Boys' and he would probably not even class himself as one of them. Having just taken on the Onslow hotel, Chris doesn't do anything just for fun, so the group agree to go away to celebrate New Year. With a little bit of meddling from friends it turns out Chris is left to drive his cousin Amy's friend Tammy. So it's just the two of them in the van, travelling for three days. It's either a recipe for disaster or fun!I do like road trip stories, there are so many fun mishaps that often happen on the way. In this case it was a chance for Chris and Tammy to get to know each other. There was underlying attraction but they both had preconceived ideas about the other so it was great to see them each let their walls down. There were some really sweet moments when Chris looked after Tammy and went out of his way to make sure she had everything she needed. We got to see rare glimpses of Chris' sweeter side.The romance element was low in this book. I don't mean the physical side, I don't mind if that is present or not but it was the actual chemistry between Chris and Tammy. I understand the pace was moving slow to build up a friendship first, but the sparks and butterflies were missing for me. Chris was depicted as moody and he played his part well. Usually you can get sexy moody alphas but in this case I felt Chris was just a plain grumpy guy. So I didn't get that swoon worthy book boyfriend vibe from him. This element of the story really lacked for me. At times it was more about the group of friends going on a road trip rather than the romance. Maybe that was the intention, I just always like romance to take the lead in the books I read.That One Summer was a sweet tale of self discovery and acceptance. Tammy started off as a whiny and insecure girl but I was glad to see by the end her confidence had grown. There was plenty of drama to be had by this gang and a really sweet ending. For fans of the series this will be another great addition. ~Ava*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*