Review: Excited to see this series!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 13, 2013
This was such a great read! Cate Ashwood is a talented storyteller, and Brokenhearted is a wonderful showcase for that talent. Her description of the quaint town of Hope Cove makes it incredibly easy to visualize, and her characters are very well-written and likeable. And, ohhh boy are Mack and Oliver ever sexy!We first meet Oliver, a struggling sous chef, who is living alone in Seattle with no family, and seemingly no friends to speak of. Though he is extremely gifted in the kitchen, he is obviously just going through the motions every day as he hopes for some restaurant owner to overlook his lack of credentials, and give him a shot at an executive chef position.On his way home from work, Oliver literally trips over a body on his doorstep, who turns out not to be his neighbor’s boyfriend, as he initially guesses; but is instead the sheriff of a small town in Maine, who is there to tell Oliver about a sister he never knew existed. The sheriff – Mack – convinces Oliver to come back to Maine with him, to see where his sister lived, and try to figure out if there might be a life there for him as well.While Oliver is exploring the town, and trying to get to know his sister, Maggie – through reading her journals and learning his way around her bakery – he and Mack are quickly developing feelings for each other. Their attraction is obvious from the get-go, and even though being with another man is a new thing for Mack to wrap his mind around, he seems very comfortable with Oliver right away. Oliver mistakes Mack’s feelings and actions, and worries that he is just a substitute for his sister, who was Mack’s best friend since grade school.When Oliver and Mack get unexpected and potentially frightening news from the coroner who worked Maggie’s case, they need to decide whether they can overcome this new obstacle. Also, Oliver has decisions to make regarding Maggie’s estate, and a possible partnership with her friend, Haydn.Ashwood does a fantastic job in every aspect with this book. The pace is great, the characters are engaging, the plotlines are superbly woven together…the ONLY problem with reading this came from me! I was worried about the title from the beginning (Brokenhearted??? Oh no!), and found myself looking for trouble where there was none. ;)I’m VERY excited that this is a series. We get more of the charming Hope Cove and its residents in both December, and January! I definitely recommend this book, and can’t wait for more from this author.