Take My Breath Away (Hqn)
The mountain resort town of Blue Arrow Lake has two kinds of residents, those eking out a living in the town settled by their families a century and a half ago, and the Hollywood glitterati with their extravagant mansions who like to party. Poppy Walker, a single mom trying to make a go of rehabbing her family’s dilapidated and almost abandoned resort, rents out a leaky cabin to Ryan Hamilton, a famous bad-boy celebrity she has never heard of who somehow has issues with the entire month of March. A late-season storm isolates them alone together for a time, and when they emerge, a mob of paparazzi forces them to flee to Ryan’s palatial mansion. While Ridgway’s sensual depictions of Poppy and Ryan’s steamy sexual encounters illuminate their relationship and move their story forward in a realistic and believable manner, Ryan’s hidden tragedy and Poppy’s youthful mistakes make them vulnerable and sympathetic. Their relationships with their siblings and Poppy’s five-year-old son, Mason, add depth and texture to this entertainingly romantic tale. --Diana Tixier Herald