That doesn’t last long, once Sam and Leo start getting to know each other, and before they know it, they’re close to falling in love. But her past brushes with fame, and his rough childhood, have left both with emotional scars. Will she be willing to take the risks of being involved with a famous rockstar? Can they work out a compromise between his desire to take care of those he loves, and her desire for independence?
This is one of a series of novels involving a number of couples whose lives intertwine throughout, and the characters are all well-established and well-developed. The romance, which is sweetly and tenderly written, is balanced by mischievous humor and playfulness, keeping it from the melodramatic brooding that has plagued romance novels since the beginning of the genre.
The affectionate interplay within the main characters’ families (by birth and by choice) will warm the reader’s heart almost as much as the love story itself. The emotional conflicts and internal growth of the characters are deftly handled, neither overblown nor unrealistic. The romance develops nicely through the book, gaining intensity and feeling over time as Sam and Leo actually get to know each other as human beings, and not only in the bedroom.
For someone unfamiliar with the series, this book might not be the best place to start, though it is certainly able to be read as a standalone. There are a lot of characters with their own subplots either going on, just beginning, or just completed, and there are some internal references which may be lost on the reader who has not read the previous books. The conflicts in the book occasionally feel as though they’re solved a bit too easily, without a great deal of drama or tension, but that is a matter of taste, and may in fact be refreshing to readers looking for a pleasant and relaxing read.
This is a fine example of the romance novel genre, and a cheerful and entertaining read. Perhaps the reader would be well-advised to begin with the first in the series (Come Away With Me), but since the author is clearly able to produce a well-written and charming love story, reading more of her work should be no hardship.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader