Does being nobody's fool mean that you're nobody's love?
Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love... just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart... an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.
But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.
Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love... just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart... an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.
But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.
My Thoughts
4 stars - Love second chance at love stories
First Impressions...
One of my favorite kind of contemporary romance stories are second chance stories. That's what drew me to this one. And that yummy boy on the cover.
The Characters...
Speaking of yummy boys, Lucas is one. Part Puerto Rican, he has my favorite dark looks and quiet personality. You should check my Book Boyfriend post for some heat inducing quotes about him. He's just pure sexy.
What I really loved about him was his character. He grew up on the south side of Chicago in difficult times but his family loved him. He learned to be responsible and work hard. Then his mother died and there were some other issues with his father. He ended up living with his uncle through his teen years. And this is the part that endears him to me. His aunt is an evil witch...yes I mean the b kind. She's cruel to him. I want to slap her and then really take her out. She makes him feel unwanted, unloved and wrong. She buys her own son nice things and resents Lucas getting cheap things. She stuffs him in a windowless closet of a room and makes him unwelcome at family events. She refuses to let him go see his father. But what does he do? He works hard. He's a good student. He does his chores. He helps his cousin. He stands up for people who are being victimized. I so love him.
Now Colleen is kinda hard for me to take. She's got this "I know what's right for everyone else" kinda personality that rubs me wrong. Unable to get her own love life right, she seems to fix everyone else's. I will say that she's about a funny as they come. I was laughing so hard at times, I couldn't breath and my stomach just ached. Her scenes have this sit-com feel to them.
There were lots of secondary characters in this one. Some were from previous books, though this one stands alone. I enjoyed many of them though I do think the sheer number of them caused this book to be a lot longer. I wish it had been about half as long as not quite as complex.
The Story...
I enjoyed Lucas and Colleen's story. It has a lot of mistakes on both their parts and some misunderstandings that tend to make relationships not work until it's cleared up.
It's a little too long for me. I think a good romance should be about 300 pages or so.
The Writing...
This is my second Kristan Higgins book and she definitely is a talented author. I enjoy her style very much.
Could I Put it Down...
I did put it down. That may be because of it's length, 457 pages. I was mostly interested in Lucas and Colleen and some of the side stories had me putting it down.
In The End...
Anyone who is a Kristan Higgens fan will definitely love this one. I think it's a great contemporary romance with that second chance theme and anyone who enjoys those types of stories should give this one a chance.
About the author:
****GIVEAWAY****
I'm giving away my review copy of this book.
North America only
I love second chance love stories, too! And I'm thinking I would love Lucas, and that this should probably be my first Higgins book.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, pal!
To me the most important part is a story line that lets you believe that love comes first and can beat all odds.
ReplyDeleteI love HEA and a little angst to go with it.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed Higgins books in the past, but I agree with you on the length of the book...that's a little long for my taste too. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI love the HEA :) and of course, any Kristan Higgins book has a wonderful HEA. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! This definitely seems interesting!
ReplyDeleteI love HEAs, smexy heroes, and likable heroines. :))
ReplyDeleteI like the relationship to bloom and grow first. Then I feel like the emotions are more realistic
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important things is it being realistic. I don't like when Romance novels have the characters all of a sudden be in love. It needs to form into a relationship, not just all of a sudden be there! :P.
ReplyDeleteThey have to be realistic, not predict able and have a believable connection and chemistry.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, the characters have to be relatable and I love a good HEA at the end if we were to be invested in the story. I love Kristan`s books, and I`m looking forward to reading this one!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! I agree, a good romance for me should be between 200-300 pages, any longer and it drags. Lucas sounds like a great character, and his aunt sounds horrible! I love when a book makes me laugh so much that my belly aches! Excellent Review Val :)
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
Great review, I can't wait to read this one. Kristan's books are always on my wish list! Contemporary romances have to be believable because we might encounter similar situations, and of course have a HEA!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!! I love comedy in romance!
ReplyDeleteChemistry and sexual tension
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this! Sounds great!
ReplyDeleteDebbie
etk229 at yahoo dot com