Review: Fun read with romance and some steamy scenes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
The past always has a way of catching up with you, and sometimes what you thought you knew becomes re-written when life brings you full-circle - and for Ellie that was face to face with Finn Donavan. Growing up, Ellie and Finn competed against each other in everything - who knew that when fate brought them back together in the town they both left to escape their pasts, that they would both learn that things aren't and weren't always what they seem.This was an interesting read, mostly because of the setting - not sure I would have ever guessed that I would find the main setting for a romance novel to be centered around the funeral home business, and for me the dialogue around competing for business was a bit odd, but I really enjoyed the story and the interaction between the characters.I loved Ellie and Finn - their lifelong competition provided such a great back-drop to all the drama in this story and could really be seen in how they have lived their lives."Good Lord, she'd been a pain in the butt. Always competing with him. Half the time beating him out of prizes that should have been his, and the other half making him work his tail off to get the ones he did win. She was like an energetic muse who wouldn't let him rest.Of course, he credited surviving boot camp and a tour in Afghanistan to the tenacity and discipline she'd worked into him. Competing with her had made him sharp. Tough. Resilient. Without somebody as intent as he was to be the best, he never would have reached his full potential. Even their silly tormenting and teasing in the halls kept the spirit of competition he needed. His favorite was sitting with her at lunch before a big exam, both of them being snarky, punching up each other's confidence to prepare for the test."You could feel the tension and see the sparks on the page every time the two of them got together, and I was really rooting for the two of them to realize the truth of their situations and the honesty of their feelings."I know. But I feel like the past - our constant competing - is making you do things out of habit, and you're holding out when I know this is what you want."The family relationships were also wonderful. You could really feel just how deep the bonds of Ellie and her dad's relationship went, and I thought that the depiction of his illness was so touching and real. It was hard not to tear up reading some of the exchanges between Ellie & her dad..."Besides, I don't want you to go back to Pittsburgh permanently." He raised his hand to her hair and stroked softly as if mystified by her. "I may only recognize you ten more times, but I want those ten times."And Finn and his family had me laughing and sighing - his banter with his brothers had me laughing out loud and his protectiveness of his mother was so sweet.Overall, this was a fun read with lots of romance and some steamy scenes, witty banter and lots of colorful, small-town characters that kept me turning the pages and rooting for a HEA!I received an complimentary copy from the Publisher for an honest review.