Review: Believe in Me by Laura Moore

Believe in Me
Laura Moore

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: January 26, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.409}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Jordan Radcliffe, Owen Gage
Challenge: 50 States, 100+
My Rating:

After learning of her husband’s affair, Jordan Radcliffe is crushed, but she knows she must stay strong for her three young children. So she moves back to Rosewood, the idyllic horse farm where she grew up. Wishing only to recover and reassess her life, Jordan feels an undeniable attraction to architect Owen Gage—and does her best to ignore it. Her heart is too fragile to love again.

Yet when Owen, who himself is wary of any romantic involvement, offers her a job she badly needs, Jordan has no choice but to accept, even though it means she’ll be working alongside him every day. And that closeness could intensify the connection between them—a desire as unnerving as it is powerful.

Jordan has divorced her cheating husband and moved back home to Rosewood. She is trying to put her life back together by starting her own interior design business. This is how she meets architect Owen Gage. His firm lands an interior design account Jordan was hoping to get to establish her business.

Owen and Jordan both feel the immediate sparks between them upon meeting. But Jordan is weary of all men and Owen doesn't want all the complications that come with being involved with a single mother. With every overture he makes toward her, she lashes back with rudeness and anger. Most of that anger and rudeness is because she doesn't like the fact that he makes all her girlie parts sit up and take notice in ways her husband never did.

I liked the interaction between Owen and the rest of Jordan's family, especially with Jade. Margot and Jade took an instant like to Owen as well did her three children. Although at times Jordan's children made Owen uncomfortable, he did eventually kind of warm toward them. I think that whole situation was handled nicely because if Owen automatically took to her children, it would have felt rather fake.

Jade made a major growth from Remember Me, but she did suffer a brief setback when learning some shocking news. I so look forward to Jade's story, Trouble Me. I really want to see who she'll be paired up with, Robocop or Brian.

Overall, Believe in Me was a great addition to the trilogy. Laura writes her ranch scenes and interior design scenes with such vivid detail that it's like your living it instead of just reading it.

Book Beginnings & Friday 56: Believe in Me

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice. Check out the rules and join in the fun.

Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
Turn to page 56.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog. Post a link along with your post back to this blog.

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by A Few More Pages. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence, or two, of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

Book Beginnings:

"And how do you feel Jordan? Do you believe Richard's been doing everything he can to prove his commitment to making your marriage work?"

Friday 56:

"Speaking of mature, I ran into Officer Cooper at the gas station. It seems somebody's signed him up for a Doughnut of the Month club. You happen to know anything about that?"

Teaser Tuesday: Believe in Me by Laura Moore

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. To participate, all you have to do is the following:

• Grab your current/upcoming read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2-3 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers! (You do not want to ruin the book for others.)

Share the title & author so that others who enjoy your "teaser" may add the book to their TBL pile.

"I've got better ways to waste my time, like going bowling with God. Speaking of which, I gotta fly. The Rev had to bring his car into the shop so I'm driving. Think Robocop will give me a ticket if he catches me speeding with the Lord's main man as my copilot?"

"You could have the whole heavenly host crammed into that car and Rob Cooper would still nail you, so don't even think about it," Margot fired back.

Owen cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I know this is none of my business, but I have to ask. What is bowling with God?"

page 139; Believe in Me by Laura Moore

Review: Night Swimming by Laura Moore

Title: Night Swimming
Author: Laura Moore
Published: April 29, 2003
Publisher: Ivy Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 422
Source: Public Library
Characters: Lily Banyon, Sean McDermott
My Rating:

Synopsis

The deeper you dive, the sweeter the reward

When college offered an escape, Lily fled her hometown of Coral Beach and never looked back. Now a marine biologist, she must return there on a job to preserve the reefs that give the town its name. But going back means dealing with her past, her family, and worst of all, Sean McDermott. As teens, while Lily passed through an especially awkward phase, Sean—attractive and self-assured—was her constant tormentor. Lily doubts that things will have changed. But Lily’s awkward phase is long over . . . and though she finds that Sean still makes her blood boil, it’s for very different reasons.

As mayor, Sean knows how important it is to maintain the town’s natural beauty—and if the return of Lily Banyon is the price he has to pay, so be it. He can overlook her cold shoulder and give back as good as he gets. What’s harder to disregard is the fact that Lily has grown into a smart and beautiful woman, as passionate about saving Coral Beach as she once was about leaving it. While working closely together, it becomes obvious to Sean that if he and Lily can put the past behind them, they could have a passionate future. . .

The "idea" of the book was great! Two people who have secretly been in love with each other for 10 years unbeknownst to the other. But upon reading it, it fell flat for me. The only interaction I really enjoyed between Lily and Sean were in the flashback scenes. To me that part of their relationship was more interesting. There was a lot of miscommunication and assumptions by both parties.

The subplot with the reef study was too long and dry, and I found myself skimming the majority those aspects. Also, Lily's relationship with her mother was also lacking. With Lily and her mother, Kaye, having problems in the past, I wasn't expect such a quick fix to those problems.

After reading Remember Me, I was expecting more from this author. But since this is one of her earlier works, I didn't hold it against her. I will continue to read this author, as a matter of fact I have In Your Eyes sitting on my shelf to be read and Believe In Me on my wishlist.

Teaser Tuesday: Night Swimming by Laura Moore

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. To participate, all you have to do is the following:

• Grab your current/upcoming read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2-3 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers! (You do not want to ruin the book for others.)

Share the title & author so that others who enjoy your "teaser" may add the book to their TBL pile.

His hands began to knead the nape of her neck, and Lily's limbs turned to jelly. "You and I have unfinished business. By my count, I owe you two orgasms."

page 265; Night Swimming by Laura Moore


Please leave a comment with a link back to your teaser posts or post your teaser in my comment section if you do not have a blog.

The Friday 56: In Your Eyes by Laura Moore

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Tonya @ Storytime With Tonya and Friends. Check out the rules and join in the fun.

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
• Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
• Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"Now, will you please close those gorgeous eyes?" Shaking her head, Gen did as requested. What had her family done now? she wondered.

In Your Eyes by Laura Moore

Review: Remember Me by Laura Moore

Title: Remember Me
Author: Laura Moore
Published: January 26, 2010
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 416
Source: Personal Library
Characters: Margot Radcliffe, Travis Maher
My Rating:

Synopsis

A rising star in the modeling world, Margot Radcliffe hasn’t forgotten the hurt that sent her running from Rosewood, the beautiful Virginia horse farm where she was raised. Travis Maher, a ruggedly handsome rebel and gifted trainer with a hard-knock past, had once captured Margot’s heart—and then gave it back to her broken.

But when Margot’s family is struck by tragedy, she is forced to set aside her skyrocketing career and return to a place she never expected to see again, where the legs everyone is interested in belong to thoroughbreds not supermodels. Now Rosewood’s success is dependent on Margot, and the only person she can count on for help is the very man who taught her the meaning of sorrow all those years ago.

As Margot and Travis join forces to save Rosewood from ruin, their wild natures clash and passions surge. But will this hard-hearted horseman be able to find a way to express his desire for the one woman he’s ever loved before she’s lost to him forever?

This is my first Laura Moore novel, and it most definitely won't be my last. I just hate that the next book in this trilogy won't be released until January 2011.

The Prologue of this book was so heart-wrenching watching Margot try to find her place at Rosewood and the world in general. The book overall was great, my only complaint was Travis and Margot didn't seem to communicate they just assumed. Of course that was always blowing up in their faces, but without that aspect I guess there wouldn't have been any conflict.

Not only was the romantic aspect of the story great, but also the whole side story of running a horse ranch. Plus all the trails and tribulations Margot faced when it came to her family. The relationship between the three sister was great to watch develop into something more than strangers who happened to be related. Jordan and Margot had always been close, but they weren't so close with their half-sister Jade. By the end of the book I felt that the sister had come a long way in the development of their relationship. It most definitely has me anxiously awaiting the release of Jordan and Jade's stories.