Review: Waylaid by Sarina Bowen #NewRelease #TrueNorthSeries

WAYLAID
Sarina Bowen
Publication date: July 20, 2021
Genres: Adult/New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Series: True North #8
Format: eARC
Source: Author
4.25 Stars

It’s a tale as old as time: the bad boy meets the good girl. He makes a daring proposition. Then the boy gets a mysterious head injury and loses a year of his life…

The first time I meet Rickie, I don’t know what to make of him. The second time we meet, he doesn’t remember the six hours we spent together. Or standing me up afterward.

I’m not the same, either. I’ve got secrets. I’ve told lies. Bad boys aren’t my type, anyway. Even the ones with seductive gray eyes.

But now we’re roommates. Cue the awkward moments in the hallway when he’s wearing only a towel and a smile. He’s determined to win me over, and his talented hands weaken my resolve.

It’s all fun and games until my past rears its ugly head and his secrets come to light, shaking our fragile connection, maybe even breaking it…


FIND WAYLAID HERE!



I get more excited to return to the True North world with each new release. In Waylaid, it's finally Daphne Shipley's turn, along with Rickie, who was introduced as Dylan's roommate in the previous book, Heartland. While it’s (almost) impossible to play favorites, Rickie definitely nabbed a spot as one of Bowen’s heroes that really touched my heart.

Intelligent, no-nonsense (and sometimes prickly), Daphne is feeling like a failure after transferring to a new university as a senior. A relationship gone bad, and a threat of reprisal, have Daphne floundering. Her pride keeps her from asking for help and she’s determined to keep her secrets.

It’s hard to explain Rickie’s unusual appeal. Every sexy word that comes out of his mouth is infused with humor. Like he’s teasing himself at the same time he’s teasing me. As if he doesn’t mind sounding a little ridiculous if he makes his point.

Rickie is flirtatious and charming but there is so much more going on than the here-for-a-good-time persona he displays. Dealing with the after-effects of an event he can’t even remember – an event that left him physically broken and emotionally traumatized – Rickie has secrets of his own.

I loved Daphne and Rickie as a couple and they way they balanced one another. They were both trying to deal with their pasts and that gave them a unique perspective and allowed them to understand and support each other in a way they truly needed. Rickie’s background, in particular, captivated me and added something of a mystery element to the story. I was so impressed by the amount of research that must have gone into Rickie’s backstory (and recovery) and I lapped up every detail as the past was slowly revealed.

“We’re more alike than you think.”
“We are?” I ask as his hand cups my face.
“Yeah,” he whispers. “Messy lives and greedy hearts. That’s us, Shipley.”

Beyond Daphne and Rickie, there was so much Shipley family goodness to enjoy. Old favorites and new, a wedding, and Grandpa Shipley’s dating antics… it all combined to deliver another top notch entry in the True North series from the amazing Sarina Bowen.


Disclosure: I received a a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.







22 comments

  1. I know my sister has mentioned Sarina Bowen's book universe to me before; I really need to start reading her books!

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    1. She's one of my go-to authors. I'll inhale anything she writes. :)

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  2. I haven't read this series yet but I do enjoy Bowen's books.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. Other than the Him/Us duet, the True North series is my favorite by Bowen. I just love the Shipley clan. :)

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  3. Now I want to know what happened to Rickie. I love that you included the video. It has me pretty excited.

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  4. I read a couple of the Heartland series, but never finished. I like the sound of this and I'm curious about the mystery with Rickie's memory loss. I'll have to look up the audio.

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    1. I loved the way Bowen slowly revealed what happened to Rickie as his memories started to return.

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  5. I am a couple books into this series and can't wait to keep reading. I just love these books!

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    1. I'm so glad you love them, too! It's one of my favorite series. :)

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  6. Rickie was such a great characters. I thought that Daphne and Rickie made a great couple.

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  7. It's been too long since I've given this series any attention. I read the first book forever ago. I really enjoyed it, but just never got to the next book. Glad to see you're still enjoying it!!

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    1. This is one of those series where I inhale each new book as it's released. :)

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  8. There was so much goodness in this one! I loved Daphne and Rickie and all that other Shipley magic. Great review.

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    1. Thanks Deanna! I never get tired of the True North series.

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  9. I've not tried this author yet, but this series sounds so tempting. I love your description of Rickie and Daphne's relationship.

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    1. Sarina Bowen is one of those super-rare auto-buy authors for me. I'll read (and love) whatever she writes. :)

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  10. I have not read this author before, but this series sounds like a must-read! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Sarina Bowen is one of my 100% dependable go-to authors. Love her! :)

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  11. I simply adore this author so much but definitely have fallen behind on her books. The True North world building is wonderful and love how Sarina Bowen has written it.

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    1. This one was so good, Renee! A really great addition to the True North world.

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