Series: Want You #2
Published: August 4, 2020
Source: Berkley Books and Edelweiss
3.75 stars
Gabi was at a crossroads in her career. When an opportunity
for her dream job fell into her lap, she knew she was qualified, but she needed to
polish her look. She cringed at the thought of asking Nolan Lund, her boss’s brother, for
help, but he was a total fashion plate with style for days. They agreed to trade a
favor for a favor and these two pseudo-enemies were off and running.
It was a nice switch to have a female in the athlete role
in this sports romance. Gabi was an incredibly talented hockey player but circumstances had her coaching kids and refereeing part-time to support herself. Being dumped
by her boyfriend was yet another kick to her confidence. Nolan was also having
something of a career crisis. Feeling the need to prove his worth within the
family business, Nolan was under-appreciated and left out of the
decision-making process at the office. I enjoyed the way Gabi and Nolan were
able to be themselves with each other, without pressure or expectations, something
they both needed. Their verbal sparring was so funny and I really liked the
slow-burn aspect of their relationship.
I will say that it was tricky at times to keep track of
the vast Lund family. During business meetings and family gatherings, when so many members of the
family were present, I kind of gave up trying to keep track of all the
relationships and their roles in the company. Overall, Want You to Want Me was
a fun, opposites attract romance with main characters that were easy to like
and pull for.
Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #1
Published: March 27, 2007
Source: Purchased
3.25 stars
Melinda spontaneously decided to relocate to a small town
for a fresh start after the death of her husband. A rocky start had her ready
to turn right back around but the appearance of an abandoned baby kept her in
Virgin River. Mel was a tricky character for me. She was a dedicated nurse and
mid-wife and it was obvious she took her role seriously. But I also found her,
initially at least, to be judgmental of the people in Virgin River. As if their
desire for small town life was a character flaw. She also made some decisions
that seemed completely out of place with a professional nurse with years of experience, and those decisions placed her firmly in the too-stupid-to-live category at times.
The saving grace here was Jack. The owner of the town
bar/restaurant was a prince among men. He was a good man through and through -
sometimes too good to be true, but I didn’t even care. He had made a place for
himself in the small town and was always willing to get involved and lend a
hand. I loved how unreservedly he cared
for Melinda and wanted her to be happy.
I read Virgin River in conjunction with Maureen’s BooksBook Club and, while it wasn’t something I would have picked up on my own, it
was still an enjoyable read and it was fun to discuss it with the group.
HAVE YOU READ EITHER OF THESE BOOKS?
I've seen Virgin River advertised on Netflix but haven't watched it but I might. That would be as close to reading the book as I'd ever get (blasphemy, I know!) as I'm just not sure it would be my kind of reading...
ReplyDeleteI don't have Netflix (I'm not a TV watcher) but I've seen a lot of people say they actually enjoyed the show more than the book.
DeleteSorry no huge hits here for you, but I know I will check back in with the Lunds
ReplyDeleteI didn't *love* Want You To Want Me but it was still a solid read and I'll definitely continue the series. :)
DeleteI remember loving Jack in Virgin River. It's one of the first authors I really got into after starting with Nora Roberts. I bet it wouldn't hold up if I read it now, though.
ReplyDeleteJack was such a sweetheart. :) I don't plan on continuing the Virgin River series but it was an enjoyable enough read.
DeleteVirgin River seems like such a great premise, but her attitude towards small-town life would have irked me for sure. Jack sounds awesome, though!
ReplyDeleteYep, Jack was definitely the saving grace.
DeleteI have seen Lorelei James around and have wanted to try her books. I do have trouble keeping a large cast of characters straight in my mind but this story sounds great. I am not sure about Virgin River but it sounds like it could be worth a try.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the cast of characters but at times I did stop trying to keep them straight and instead just went with it. LOL
DeleteYeah, I didn't follow all the Lund politics that was going on and I read most of the previous series, lol! Melinda did get on my nerves a time or two throughout the series. I love Jack, though. I'm loving the Netflix series, but I wasn't too thrilled about how they went off plot in one regard, though.
ReplyDeleteEven now I'm sitting here thinking: wait, which one was Jack? LOL
DeleteOops, never mind. I just realized you meant Jack from Virgin River. I was trying to work out which Lund family member he was. Haha!
DeleteSo not bad but not amazing either! Bummer Tanya!
ReplyDeleteYeah, kind of middle of the road, but not bad. Guess they can't all be total winners. :)
DeleteI've seen Robyn Carr's books around for years, but have yet to pick one up! This may not be the one for me (I really dislike when character are too perfect!), but her books sound very appealing.
ReplyDeleteShe seems to have several long-running series but I don't think they're really my thing. The one I read leaned toward the sweet side of romance and had an almost old-fashioned feel to it.
DeleteI keep hearing about the Virgin River series probably because of Netflix, but I have yet to try any of the books. Jack sounds like a character I would love. I'm not sure about Mel though. Hopefully she would be a character that would grow on me over time. Sorry to hear that neither of these was a great read for you.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the Netflix series (I don't even have Netflix) but I've seen several people mention that they liked it even better than the books!
DeleteI'm so beyond thankful for your review! So one of my friends started this series, because of loving it on Netflix, and she's loving the whole series. She's not been a reader for the last decade and this has pulled her into loving reading again. My other friend, who I go to book signings with, read and had the exact same feelings as you...she even described Mel the exact same way. My one friend wants me to pick up this book, but I have so many other books I want to read instead. I don't know what to do. And this has totally turned into a Dear Abby column lol, I'm sorry!! Should I pick up or pass? Thank you, Tanya!
ReplyDeleteJen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog
LOL I was laughing so hard reading this, Jen! :) Especially when you said it had turned into a Dear Abby column. Hahaha! I've heard really good things about the Netflix series but I can't compare book to show. I don't have Netflix and I'm not really a TV watcher so... *shrug* I mean, the first in the series that I read was okay, but I don't have any plans to continue the series. So, take that for what it's worth. :) Like you mentioned, there are so many other books that I am genuinely excited to read. I'd rather spend my precious reading time on those.
DeleteGlad I could make you laugh lol! I watch Netflix (tv) extremely sporadically and I want to finish The Vampire Diaries before I even look at another series. I'm verrrrrry behind the times when it comes to TV shows lol. But you not planning to continue the series and my bookish friend who thought the same as you is making me realize that yes, I'd rather read other books before giving this one a try *covers face*. Thank you, hugs!
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