A sexy, generally affecting romance. This is the first entry in a two-book series. It was originally self-published in 2012.
Taylor and Hunter are inexplicably thrown together as roommates in a college dorm; drawn to each other despite—or perhaps because of—deep-seated wounds, they develop a close bond that leads to romance.
On move-in day of her sophomore year, Taylor Caldwell discovers that she has been assigned a male roommate. And a dangerously sexy one at that. Taylor has generally avoided men since a traumatic childhood experience left her distrustful of them, so sharing a room with one of the most gorgeous males she’s ever seen is disconcerting. The fact that he is also charming, talented and clearly attracted to her makes him terrifying. When it becomes apparent that he has his own traumas to overcome, the two forge an unexpected friendship that is complicated by blazing sexual tension. Taylor is convinced she’ll never want a man, and she's determined to never need one. At first, Hunter views Taylor as a challenge, but he soon decides she’s his once-in-a-lifetime mate, without even sleeping with her. The few sizzling kisses they share are evidence enough of a physical connection, and his emotions just keep getting more and more entwined with the prickly girl who refuses to get close to anyone. But Hunter is on a mission—he’s known heartache and once believed all was lost, so he recognizes the symptoms in Taylor. He wants to remind her how to trust and love. And when a shadow from Taylor’s past threatens to overwhelm her, he’ll stand by her side, no matter what. New adult author Cameron is a smooth writer who has a great feel for story and character. She deftly moves the pace along through realistic dialogue and a well-balanced narrative. However, readers could find the premise of the story—that an unknown male would be assigned to a dorm room with a coed and she wouldn’t deal with it immediately—far-fetched. Also, the buildup to Taylor’s trauma is so tensely drawn that it ultimately proves anticlimactic when readers find out what it is. Overall, though, a fine effort.
A sexy, generally affecting romance. This is the first entry in a two-book series. It was originally self-published in 2012.Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-373-77829-4
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Harlequin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2013
Not Woods’ best, but a smoothly written, beach-themed story with a happy ending helps forgive the weaknesses.
When Samantha, an established-yet-struggling actress, comes home to act as maid-of-honor in her sister’s wedding, the family unabashedly tries to pair her with the best man, Ethan, her teenage crush and now a local war hero.
Samantha is the oldest Castle, and while her two sisters found true love in quick succession, she’s in New York with a struggling acting career and no Mr. Right on the horizon. Coming home to Sand Castle Bay, N.C., for youngest sister Emily’s wedding, Samantha is continually thrown in the path of Ethan Cole, local football champion–turned–war hero. Samantha had a huge high school crush on Ethan but is surprised to learn he lost a leg in Afghanistan, and his then-fiancee abandoned him soon after. Spending time with him now, Samantha realizes what a wonderful man he is, but the association is tainted by the humiliating lengths her family is going to in order to get them together. And while Ethan is a great and honorable man, his post-war romantic experience has left him gun-shy and determined to avoid relationships. At a crossroads in her own life, Samantha has to decide whether she’s going to stay in Sand Castle Bay or go back to her sputtering career in New York—and what her hopes are with Ethan. The two navigate insecurities and misunderstandings as they fall in love and fight for their happily-ever-after. Woods' latest is slightly off-key. Great writing and deft characterization can’t save a thin romantic conflict, and the more Ethan clings to his “I’ve given up on love” position, the less heroic he becomes. Some secondary storylines offer similarly shrill undertones that denote a disturbing lack of communication, unrealistic expectations and waffling with annoying justification. Still, in the end, love conquers all in satisfying ways for everyone concerned, and this ties up a few loose ends for the trilogy.
Not Woods’ best, but a smoothly written, beach-themed story with a happy ending helps forgive the weaknesses.Pub Date: May 28, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1446-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
As the plot grows more complicated, it also sheds believability, leaving sex and witty banter to carry the day.
Brown (Mean Streak, 2014, etc.) ticks off the boxes that elevate her books to the bestseller lists in this sexy romantic thriller set in Texas.
Rock-jawed hero with a dark past: check. Strong-willed, beautiful woman who resists his charms: check. A Whitman’s Sampler of bad guys: check. And finally, a convoluted and not always plausible plot: check. In this latest outing, readers meet TV journalist Kerra Bailey, whose family was torn apart years ago by a hotel bombing that killed 197 people in Dallas. Just in time for the 25th anniversary, Kerra scores an interview with the notoriously private Maj. Trapper, who saved her life, among others, when he emerged from the blast to lead the survivors out of danger. There's an iconic, prizewinning photo of the major carrying a little girl from the wreckage, but the child has never been identified—until now, when Kerra goes public with the information that it was her. Just after they finish filming the interview in his home, the major is shot, and an injured Kerra escapes in the confusion. The major’s son, disgraced Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent John Trapper—a name M*A*S*H fans will appreciate—steps in, igniting a chain of events that leads to murder, intrigue, betrayal, and a series of dark revelations. As with most of Brown’s heroes and heroines, there’s palpable sexual tension between Trapper, whose taut rear occupies ample literary real estate, and Kerra, who when dealing with Trapper feels “like he’d lightly scratched her just below her bellybutton” when he’s not making her “pleasure points throb.” The complex plot plays out in a round of reveals that don’t always make a lot of sense, but that’s not why Brown’s fans read her books. They check in for the witty, pitch-perfect dialogue and fluid writing. A master of her genre, Brown knows how to please her most ardent readers but relies too often on the same basic formula from novel to novel.
As the plot grows more complicated, it also sheds believability, leaving sex and witty banter to carry the day.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4555-7210-6
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
