5 Stars: The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk #1) by Samantha Young

Saturday 20 August 2016 No comments


The One Real Thing by Samantha young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another amazing story from Samantha Young. I'm already desperate for the next instalment!

I absolutely adore Samantha Young’s writing and the stories she tells are beautiful. With so many layers to this book, I found that I was kept on tenterhooks throughout. You know you've found a great story when you don't want to put the book down and The One Real Thing definitely kept me enthralled. 

The story sets out by introducing us to Jessica Huntington. A general surgeon who, having lost her way in her career, now finds herself working within a women's correctional and rehabilitation facility. Jessica thinks that she enjoys her job and she does until she comes across the seaside city of Hartwell. After finding hidden letters within a book from the prison library, Jessica decides to find the recipient of the unposted letters which are now forty years old. 

With leave due, and Jessica’s plans unexpectedly cancelled, she decides to hand deliver the letters in the hope that they can bring some peace to those involved in the emotive story held within them.

Arriving in Hartwell, Jessica immediately finds peace within the boardwalk. Staying in Bailey Hartwell’s Inn, Jessica soon finds a loyal friend in Bailey and the pair quickly become firm friends. But it's Cooper Lawson who really captures Jessica’s attention. After running into him, and seeking an escape from the rain in his bar, Jessica and Cooper experience an immediate mutual attraction. Cooper knows for certain that he's not prepared to let Jessica slip through his fingers and decides to do everything he can to make her his. Jessica though has a casual relationship back home and despite only using Andrew, another surgeon, purely for sex, they had agreed to be exclusive. 

With a close-knit community comes drama though and Jessica realises that there is no such thing as a secret in Hart’s Boardwalk and that's where we meet the key players in this book. From the quiet and secretive Emery, to Iris and Ira, we experience a real feeling of belonging, that is also felt by Jessica, who soon starts to realise that that she can't turn her back on this town and especially Cooper.

With uncertainty comes romance as Cooper decides he is done waiting for Jessica to come to him. From the moment they connect, Jessica knows her life will never be the same as her heart starts to flutter to Cooper’s beat but unbeknownst to Cooper, Jessica has a secret and a painful past that she is reluctant to reveal, that is until the unscrupulous Ian Devlin finds out. The Devlin’s are the town’s painful reminder of its vulnerability as the family try to make the Boardwalk theirs, by whatever methods they choose and that includes blackmail. What they don't foresee is the strength in unity courtesy of the rest of the Boardwalk community.

With the fight against Ian Devlin comes the realisation that for Jessica to stay in Hartwell and with Cooper she must reveal her secret to him and boy is it s big secret. 

I really felt for Jessica throughout this book and when her secret was finally revealed I cried for her pain. Fortunately though her HEA is within her reach but only if she can trust Cooper to accept her for who she is.

Throughout this book, the scene for the next instalment is set and I can't wait to read it. Set to be a romance between bitter hotel rivals: Bailey Hartwell and Vaughn Tremaine. Now that's going to be one teasingly sexy story to read! 

Review: Savage Things

Tuesday 9 August 2016 No comments
Savage Things Savage Things by Callie Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Will we ever get enough of Zeth Mayfair?!!!

For me, absolutely not. Zeth is the epitome of a diamond in the rough as he taunts and teasers readers with his dark and brooding personality.

Right from the very beginning of this book, our heart strings are pulled as we witness yet more pain and suffering for poor Mason Reeves. From a fleeting memory, to the present day battle he faces with his sister’s deteriorating health, Mason struggles to find the money to maintain Millie’s healthcare. With her medical condition seemingly getting worse, Mason, and Millie, find themselves in the care of Sloane. Not knowing of her connection to Zeth, Mason struggles to know what to do for the best to ensure he has enough health cover to fight the even bigger battles he knows Millie will face. Sloane is Sloane though, and not averse to breaking a few hospital rules, offers Mason a lifeline in order to maintain Millie’s treatment a little longer.

As if Mason doesn't have enough to worry about with Millie, he also has Agent Lowell breathing down his throat as she determinedly tries to find evidence against Zeth to link him to the body found in the mountains. Mason is torn between his loyalties but Lowell knows just how to inflict the maximum amount of threat in order to make Mason dance to her tune. When Sloane finds out that Mason is working with Lowell, she immediately tells Zeth and Mason’s problems escalate.

Despite the story focussing mainly around Mason and Millie, we still spend a lot of time with Zeth as he starts to feel pressure himself, from the Barbieri family in New York. After sending an envoy to convince Zeth to join them, Zeth’s now relatively quiet life looks to be one again under threat as war is declared.

To compliment the sharp edges to this story, we also experience sadness and hope as Mason’s pain continues and Sloane finds herself facing a difficult decision herself. Michael, as ever, is always at hand to support both Zeth and Sloane though and with his life as mysterious as always, readers are left wondering just what he is hiding in his love life.

The book ends with some delicious storylines ahead. With Zeth ready to retaliate against the Barbieri family, Sloane and Zeth, looking to the future together, and Agent Lowell’s never ending obsession with Zeth, I for one can't wait for more.

I fear that Callie Hart will never get to escape Zeth Mayfair as his attraction doesn't seem to diminish. Despite this series being a spin-off from the hugely successful Blood & Roses series, it still feels like part of that original series but with different adversaries providing the danger. Mason adds a fresh feel to the story though as we're treated to a bad-boy in training. With his life now shattered, he is likely to come out fighting in an attempt to avenge the darkness he now finds himself in.

This is clearly another hit from Callie Hart. Her writing continues to mesmerize and her storytelling is magical. I can't recommend her books, and amazing characters, strongly enough!

View all my reviews

5 Star Review: The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk, #1) by Samantha Young

Monday 8 August 2016 No comments
The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk, #1)The One Real Thing by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another amazing story from Samantha Young. I'm already desperate for the next instalment!

I absolutely adore Samantha Young’s writing and the stories she tells are beautiful. With so many layers to this book, I found that I was kept on tenterhooks throughout. You know you've found a great story when you don't want to put the book down and The One Real Thing definitely kept me enthralled.

The story sets out by introducing us to Jessica Huntington. A general surgeon who, having lost her way in her career, now finds herself working within a women's correctional and rehabilitation facility. Jessica thinks that she enjoys her job and she does until she comes across the seaside city of Hartwell. After finding hidden letters within a book from the prison library, Jessica decides to find the recipient of the unposted letters which are now forty years old.