Review: Because stories like this...is why I love reading.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 16, 2014
This is such a sweet, sweet story, that will have anyone who reads it, fall absolutely head-over-heals in love with it! Midsummer Sweetheart is the second book in the Heart of Montana series that focuses on Katrin Svenson and Erik Lindstrom, if you've read the first book in the series By Proxy , you'll recognize this is Jenny Lindstrom's brothers story! What's also great, is that Katrin is Jenny's husband Sam's cousin! I love reading books that have returning characters, and that we get to keep up with what's going on in their lives!! Kind of makes it feel like the book doesn't completely end...okay maybe that's just me. :)Also wanted to add how much I love the scenery that the author draws out for us, I want to either visit or live in Montana now!!!!I adored Kat's character, everything about her! She's strong, witty, playful, smart, and extremely classy. There needs to be more characters like her in our real world, that's for sure.I felt such a strong connection with Kat from this book, namely because it seems she and I sort of share the same history. We both were in a long-term relationship with our high-school flames, both which ended pretty nasty, although mine wasn't in a violent manner like hers was. I just wish I had some tall, blond, Nordic man to whisk me away on an adventure like she did!And an adventure they had!Erik Lindstrom is your run-of-the-mill player who likes to have his fun with women, but doesn't like the idea of commitment or the old ball-and-chain. That is, until his friend Ingrid, asks him for a favor - which involves driving Kat up north to a new town, new job, and a new life away from her violent ex-fiance, Wade – who in the beginning of the book, we see that he is a belligerent alcoholic who doesn't know how to let go of Kat – it's not like the drive is out of Erik's way, since he is starting a new job close to the area of Kat's destination. So he sort of begrudgingly agrees to play chauffeur, but then his childhood friend/Kat's sister-in-law tacks on the idea for Erik to also check in on her once a week...And let the romance begin!I really enjoyed seeing Erik open up to the possibility that love does, indeed, exist. From their first handshake upon being properly introduced, to when they were in the car on their way up north, and she would she would touch his arm in a friendly manner, there was this sort of spark, this gravitational pull, something he couldn't explain, yet he knew that he wanted more. Then, once he did drop her off at her temporary house and met her new boss. It was a whole new ballgame for Erik Lindstrom. Or just a new game of Finders Keepers, lol!The text messages Kat would receive from Erik actually made me giggle out loud like I was the one receiving them. I loved their witty and flirtatious banter. What really made me laugh in the beginning was how Erik was basically trying to tell himself he didn't need to get involved with Sam's Plain Cousin, Poor Little Thing. She's too vulnerable after a wretched heart break, etc...then he sees her all dolled up, as this sexy little blonde. Now it's Erik's turn to say to himself Poor Erik. Poor Thing... I died LOL, how true was that? His heart never stood a chance for not falling for Kat!This book had me grinning from ear-to-ear the entire time, I love it when I read something and it actually makes me sigh out-loud, or voice an opinion out-loud. Getting lost in stories like this, is why I love to read.AlsoPPS...Yes, Ms. Regnery, Hallmark Channel should look into making a movie out of By Proxy *grin*