Review: Her Summer with the Marine definitely had its cute, fun moments!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2014
Let's face it folks. I'm a sucker for anything having to do with a sexy marine. Oh come on- can you blame me?!  I am also a sucker for a little competition! Her Summer With the Marine definitely had its cute, fun moments, and I admire both Ellie and Finn for doing what they both thought was best for their families.However, I really struggled to see the connection between Ellie and Finn. I think the sexual tension between them was a bit lacking and I didn't feel it was quite drawn out enough to make an impression. That's not to say they didn't have some hot scenes together, because OH BOY did they ever! Whew! I am going to LOVE this Red Hot Bliss line! They definitely had the physical connection, but I really didn't see much of an emotional one. I almost think their initial meetings and interactions were a bit harsh and harder than I would have liked.Ellie left her small town behind to escape the rumors and gossip surrounding her mother, but now she has returned to help her father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. First of all- gosh. I can't even imagine how hard it must be on a person to watch someone you love deteriorate right in front of you. Ellie feels coming home to help her father is the right thing to do, and while I appreciate her good intentions, I feel she wasn't being fair to herself. She knows nothing about running a funeral home, but because it is father's wishes for her to continue on the legacy, she does so. However, Ellie isn't the only one running the mortuary show in town. Former HS rival Finn Donovan is also in the mortuary business and is Ellie's biggest competition. These two have been competing since they were kids and it seems things haven't changed one bit. Ellie spends a lot of the book battling between what she thinks is right and wrong when it comes to Finn. She knows she's attracted to him still and she thinks he's attracted to her, but she has a hard time getting a read on him. She is still confused as to why he didn't contact her after the night they spent together in HS and thought she was being played.Finn on the other hand knows Ellie is his competition and shouldn't mix business with pleasure. However, he's having a difficult time getting his lust under control when it comes to her. Seeing them at each others throats one minute and then practically devouring each other the next was quite amusing and I liked seeing them give in to that pent up passion they've been harboring for years. Finn has had a difficult home life and because of this, has a hard time believing in love or the institution of marriage. I understand his reservations, after seeing his mother endure a situation she never should have and is just now seeking her sons' help to break free. It was never his intention to hurt Ellie as a kid, but being in the position he was in, he simply didn't know what to do.Aside from not feeling Ellie and Finn's connection, I really struggled with the setting of this book. To be honest, I just wasn't feeling the mortuary business. It was cool that Meier dared to be different and gave readers a completely unique scenario, and I definitely commend her for that. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out so well for me. In fact, it was kind of strange to see these two young, vibrant individuals competing over which funeral home would get the business. I do want to mention that I felt Meier's plot was well thought out and I feel she did a good job with her pacing. She didn't get too hung up on any one scene, but rather they seamlessly flowed one into another.While I didn't love this one, I was still able to enjoy it. She wrote some fun, catchy scenes and I really loved the one about the dunking booth. Seeing Ellie and Finn let loose and truly enjoy having fun with one another put a huge grin on my face. I also really liked they had so much lust and longing for one another that they literally couldn't take it anymore. Because those scenes were totally hot. And I do love my sexy scenes!