Review: Just like a man........
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 1, 2012
At Peace was not a peaceful read. It was an awesome read that went on and on and on....as I was reading I felt like the kid that ask his parents repeatedly while on a long road trip "are we there yet". I never thought this book would end, the author left no unanswered questions or stones unturned in telling the story of Joe and Vi's romance. You get it all, the good the bad and the ugly. Vi lost her husband tragically, she is forced to leave her old life behind and relocate her family to a small town in Indiana. Unfortunately for Vi and her girls trouble follows and more heartache is instore. They will get through it with the help of the King Kong next door named Joe. Joe is alpha all the way, but he is an alpha with some serious issues that he holds close to his chest. Poor Vi she didn't know what she was getting into when she hooked up with Joe. It was like running into a buzz saw and your only hope is you will be able to pick up the pieces when he's done.  At times I hated Joe, he was so real, his actions saying one thing but his mouth was saying something different. And then pushing Vi away and reducing their relationship to a booty call when he thought she was getting to close. And the ultimate no -no using another women as ammo to end a relationship instead of manning up and saying it was over. Vi was a bit clueless at times but she was a sweetie. She married her high-school sweetheart and had no experience in playing the field and it really showed. She was a teenager when she went from her parents house to her in-laws home. Let's give a shout out to the single hard working moms, they can be sexy and have a love life.  It is so refreshing to have an older h that has kids and able to juggle a HOT relationship while struggling with keeping her family above water.  Joe was ridiculous at times with his chest pounding. There was some manly groveling and Joe made up for his bad behavior in a way that will melt your heart.This is my first book by this author and it will not be the last. You can tell as your reading that the plot was  planed very carefully and executed extremely well. The small town Indiana vibe was perfect. I live in a small town in Indiana which is probably the same for all small towns when it comes to the nosey neighbors, everyone knowing whole families including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We are also house proud and yard envy runs deep.  KA did a superior job in letting the reader experience the world she created in At Peace. The only thing I had a problem with was the fear. Vi's fear of Joe made no sense. I could understand her fear of rejection considering what he did to her. But he was  never physically abusive to her in anyway, therefore I did not understand the fear she had when he looked a certain way or expressed himself forcefully. Maybe it was a plot device the author used to make the point that Joe was hardcore alpha. It made me think if you are scared of him no matter how good the sex why are you with him. It would be like dating a pit bull, you couldn't relax because you never knew when they would turn. Bottom line At Peace is a solid contemporary romance.