Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Rainshadow Road
Lisa Kleypas
Series: Friday Harbor #2
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publish Date: February 28, 2012
Audio Book {8 hrs}
Source: Public Library
Genre: Contemporary
Lucy Marinn, Sam Nolan
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side - a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates - and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over this devastation is multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.

Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on the San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again.

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life - even after are being broken - can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

The romance in this one was slow to start, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Sam and Lucy were cute together, and didn't really have any conflicts, which in my opinion was good. The only problem they had was Sam's fear of committment, but you have that with most men.

The whole relationship started out as a friendship, which was sweet, that eventually turned into more. The love was more sweet than steamy and took time to grow. Even with that being the case, I enjoyed their journey to happily ever after.

As always, I enjoyed the other residents of Friday Harbor. Well except for Lucy's ex-boyfriend and her sister. I know Sam's brother Alex is the hero of the next book, but I'm unsure how that's going to work since he was a hot mess in this installment. If you read Christmas at Friday Harbor, then you were introduced to the little darling Holly. She had me tearing up in some of her scenes and laughing in others. She's always the bright spot in this series.

Read by Tanya Eby

Duration: 8 hours

Brilliance Audio

Narration: B

Tanya does a nice job of capturing the feel of not only the characters, but of Friday Harbor in general.

Waiting on Wednesday {93}: Big Sky Mountain @lindalaelmiller

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. It is showcases upcoming releases of books that I'm looking forward to. It is somewhat similar to one of my previous posts, Anxiously Awaiting. {Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms}

Big Sky Mountain
Linda Lael Miller
July 31, 2012

The "First Lady of the West," #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, brings you to Parable, Montana-where love awaits.

With his rugged good looks, vast wealth and family name, hell-raiser Hutch Carmody is still the golden boy of Parable, Montana. But he's done some growing up-making peace with his illegitimate half brother and inheriting half of Whisper Creek Ranch, which should have been all his. These days, Hutch knows there are some things money can't buy: like the heart of loving, ladylike divorcé e Kendra Shepherd.

Kendra's quiet mansion reminds her of what she wants most-a devoted husband and the pitter-patter of little feet. She can't get Hutch Carmody out of her mind. But a rough-and-tumble cowboy like Hutch, coming home for family dinner? Seems crazy! Then again, crazier dreams have become reality under the vast Montana sky.

And the Winner is...

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Sary R Shadow K

In My Mailbox {95}

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I'll post what books I've received either by mailbox/library/store.

I'll try to post an entry of IMM every Sunday that I receive books by mail/library/store of that week.

Books via Amazon

The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts

Books via Paperback Swap

Love and Learn by Diana Hunter

Books via Publisher

Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr

Big Sky Country by Linda Lael Miller

The Siren by Tiffany Reisz

Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis

Books via Reader Service

Big Sky Country by Linda Lael Miller

Noelle by Diana Palmer

One More Summer by Liz Flaherty

Summer Days by Susan Mallery

Waiting on Wednesday {92}: Tart @laurendane

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. It is showcases upcoming releases of books that I'm looking forward to. It is somewhat similar to one of my previous posts, Anxiously Awaiting. {Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms}

Tart
Lauren Dane
November 6, 2012

Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life running her successful bakery, TART, when Gideon Carter comes back into her life. Returning home to help his grandfather run the family on the farm, Gideon is back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate, and it isn’t long before the former childhood friends play catch up in bed.

That’s not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he’s hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever.

Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio’s scalding liaisons take them places they’ve never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally as complicated emotions, and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she’ll have a choice to make when she returns.

Sourcebooks Launches Discover a New Love

Online Readers Club Focuses on Connecting Romance Authors & Readers (Chicago, IL) April 10, 2011—Sourcebooks, one of romance fiction’s fastest growing publishers, announces the launch of www.DiscoveraNewLove.com, an online readers club that offers members exclusive, early access to some of the hottest new authors, deep discounts on new and bestselling romance ebooks, and a nonstop party for both readers and authors.

At the heart of Discover a New Love are monthly ebook selections that offer members the opportunity to download an ebook from one of the major romance subgenres: contemporary, paranormal, and historical (plus a special “wild card” title thrown in for fun). While many selections will feature sizzling new debuts and rising stars, members will be pleased to find nationally bestselling authors like Georgette Heyer, Grace Burrowes, Catherine Mann, and Carolyn Brown in the monthly mixes.

“Readers have a hard time figuring out what they should try next. It’s an issue of discovery—finding great new authors with amazing stories,” says Deb Werksman, Editorial Manager. “Now, they can choose their favorite categories, and we’ll treat them to something new on a monthly basis, sometimes even before these new books are available to the public.”

Membership to Discover a New Love is offered for as little as $1.67 per book and provides access to the monthly selections, “members-only” deals, sneak peeks of forthcoming titles, and author chats. “For what you’d normally pay for one romance, you can now buy two or three,” says Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks Senior Editor. “It’s a fabulous way to read your favorite authors and get a chance to try new ones without putting a big dent in the book budget.”

In addition to great ebook deals, each month readers can join Barbara Vey, romance fiction expert and blogger of Beyond Her Book, as well as featured authors, for online parties to celebrate their books and discuss all things romance!

“I’m thrilled to be involved in a venture that brings readers and authors together, because what’s more fun than talking about romance with like-minded people?” says Vey, who will be regularly blogging and hosting parties for Discover a New Love. “The only thing better than reading good romance is talking about it with other readers who love it just as much as you do.”

A couple of other notes about Discover a New Love: · In response to reader demand, many of the featured ebooks will be available on a worldwide basis. · The ebooks offered will be DRM free. Sourcebooks wants readers to own the books and for those ebooks to be portable across ereading devices and platforms. · Discover a New Love is starting with Sourcebooks titles, and is looking to work with other publishers to make their authors available on this new model.

“Discover a New Love is a new model built directly in response to what we’ve heard from authors, agents, and readers,” says Dominique Raccah, CEO and publisher of Sourcebooks. “Expect a lot of experimentation from us.”

DiscoverANewLove.com officially launches at 9:00 a.m. CST officially Tuesday, April 10, in time for the RT Book Lovers Convention in Chicago. The featured titles for the month of April are: One Hot Cowboy Wedding by New York Times bestselling novelist Carolyn Brown, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by New York Times bestselling novelist Grace Burrowes (released one month early to members), Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton, and Mariana by New York Times bestselling novelist Susanna Kearsley.

For more information about Sourcebooks, its authors, and new initiatives, visit www.sourcebooks.com. {PRESS RELEASE}

Starting May 1, 2012 the following titles will be available for members to choose from:

Also, a couple of new benefits beginning in May, too:

• Save an additional 15% off the member pricing on the purchase of any additional Featured Selections.
• Get an extra 10% off any title by the authors of our Featured Selections.