Monday, March 31, 2014

Blog Tour: See Jane Fall (Heart Of Montana #3) by Katy Regnery {Review + Giveaway}




Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Publication Date: March 29th 2014
Series: Heart Of Montana #3
Pages: 425
Format: PDF
Source: provided by publisher for tour



When Trend magazine contracts Lindstrom & Sons to manage a fashion shoot in Yellowstone, easygoing Lars Lindstrom rolls his eyes. “Babysitting” supermodel Samara Amaya’s assistant sounds like a snore, even amidst the park’s lush wildlife and scenery. Little does he know that Jane Mays, Samara’s down-to-earth, smart-mouthed assistant and cousin, will be the most exciting person he’s ever met. Her smoky voice and surprisingly sweet heart rock his world. Jane has been hurt before, but this time it’s right. From loving the same music to their effortlessly sexy sparring, her handsome new tour guide gets her—and Jane is getting Lars right back until Samara blows into town. Used to living in her cousin’s shadow, Jane knows Lars will be nothing more than a notch in a bedpost if the spoiled supermodel has her way. In the past, maybe she would have stepped aside. This time she’ll find the strength to stand up to Samara once and for all…and trust that Lars will be there to catch her if she falls.




My Review:



I've read all the Heart Of Montana series books and loved them all. I can't really say I was looking forward to this one anymore so than I did with the others. Each set of characters bring something new to the table that has kept me on the line with anticipation. With that said I was absolutely excited to get to this book because I was anxious for Lars Lindstrom's story.



He's called "Lucky Lars" for a reason. He's the middle son in the Lindstrom clan and along with his father and oldest brother Nils they run a tour guide business in Yellowstone National Park. The lucky part comes in when beautiful tourists come through looking for more than just the scenery. Now that his youngest brother and past wingman Erik is out of commission with a wife and children, Lars is on his own when he wants to find some after work park tail. When Jane blows into town early to set up a photo shoot for her super model cousin Samara Amaya, Lars gets knocked on his ass and his world is turned upside down. I was excited to see Lars finally meet someone to settle down with. The blond haired, blue eyed swede was the biggest player in the family. All he wants in life is to be able to work in his beloved park and enjoy the company of a beautiful woman now and then. I fell in love with Lars in Midsummer Sweetheart. Being closer to his brother Erik he had several scenes that gave me a glimpse into his character. I knew going in that he was the more free spirit of the Lindstrom clan. Playful and fun he always seemed less serious but there is more to him I found. He's starting to evaluate his life and the role he plays in the family business. The photo shoot he sets up for the supermodel is his chance to prove himself.



Samara Amaya is the most beautiful and irresistible woman in the world. Nobody knows that more than her cousin/assistant Jane Mays. After the death of both her parents, Jane had no other choice at ten years old than to move in with her cousins family. She's spent the last 15 years in the shadow of her more beautiful cousin. Her fresh faced, girl next door looks are no match when she's near Samara. She almost becomes invisible. Jane knows what it feels like to lose, not just her family but no man stands a chance whenever they meet Samara. After being hurt by a past fling with a guy she met while setting up another photo shoot when Samara stole him away Jane vows to never let that happen again. When she comes into Gardiner to set up the locations for the new shoot she meets Lars. Her defenses are useless as she finds herself in another deja vu moment.



See Jane Fall went in a whole new direction than the previous books. It was more dramatic, more intense, and a little more emotional all around. I already knew I loved Lars but getting to know Jane was an experience I wasn't expecting to draw out such an emotional response in me. Her story broke my heart several times over. She's used to losing to her cousin in all things so when she forms a deep connection with Lars before the shoot she tries to keep her guard up. She confides in Lars everything she's been through with her cousin and shares her fear that once Samara arrives she is afraid Lars will forget her and go after her cousin. His assurances that he isn't that guy do nothing to assuage her fears.



 It wasn't hard to put myself in Jane's shoes and I couldn't figure out exactly why until I got halfway into the book and the light bulb went off. I have lived this exact scenario with my own cousin in the past. Like Jane I was the plain, funny, girl next door type that always lost guys to my more beautiful cousin who mistreated me much the way Samara does to Jane. She's skeptical that Lars can withstand her cousin's beauty and charm so she breaks things off in a hopeful move that he can resist. And if by the end of the week he has maintained such resistance she would be willing to open herself up to him. I loved Jane very much and felt a stronger connection to her the more I went through with her. She was strong despite the heartache she felt and kept her head up even when faced with her cousins nasty tirades. I think what made it bearable to see her being so mistreated was knowing she had amazing friends by her side helping her cope. Ray, the token black guy who is also very flamboyantly gay made me laugh several times while trying to cheer her up. She also made friends with some local natives Maggie and Paul so that was another big bonus for me to see her have allies. Maggie became almost a surrogate mother/sister type that helped her figure out everything even the times when Jane was being stubborn. I can't wait for Maggie's story!



I was extremely disappointed in Lars for a long time in this book. After all the heartfelt confessions Jane shared with him, his thought process when meeting Samara made me ill. I totally understand that he was hurt that Jane broke things off but his automatic assumption that Jane was jealous of her cousin crushed me inside a little bit. For several chapters I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat seeing how much pain Jane was in watching Lars fall all over himself with her cousin. Of course Lars only saw the outward flirtation and attraction he felt for her. He didn't see just how hateful and deceitful Samara could be...at first. What he feels for Jane is totally new to him and watching him sort out his feelings between the women was really hard to swallow for a while. I know men are what they are and while his thought process was typical male in Samara's presence I was relieved to watch him figure things out on his own. He didn't just rush into what his sausage wand was telling him but actually used the brain at the north end of his body. Going from being the jokester to the serious man falling for a nice girl was exactly what I expected would happen.

 Samara was a terrible character and before even meeting her, I hated her! Just from Jane's memories and past encounters with her, that was enough to vilify her in my eyes. It became evident that Samara purposefully took these guys from Jane and gained a sick pleasure from it. This almost had a Cinderella-esque feel to it with the wicked step sister. I always hated how mistreated she was so Jane's situation tugged at me even more. She could have quit so many times but she felt indebted to her uncle because they took her in and being her fathers twin was the only connection to her dad she had left. She couldn't bring herself to disappoint him by leaving. There is a scripture somewhere in the Bible (YES, I read the Bible you assholes!) that says "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed." It isn't long before Lars FINALLY sees the real person Samara is and realizes Jane has made more of an impression on him than he was prepared for. Although Lars overcomes the obstacle of his fleeting attraction to Samara both he and Jane face more adversity in their budding romance as Samara plays a devious hand and they face their impending separation when the shoot is over.



Full circle is a very rare concept in my experience not many authors can accomplish with me. In fact I can count on one hand how many times I've hated, loathed, and ABHORRED a character only to find the author has totally redeemed them to me. Regnery is now one of those "Needle In A Haystack" authors. It wasn't enough to make me hate Samara, I wanted to garrote that bitch with her own intestines! The journey from point A to point B was very painful at times. Reliving past feelings through Jane, all those stomach churning moments knowing you would lose something you loved were tough and brought tears to my eyes. Redeeming a character as nasty as Samara is not easy. It takes talent and a slow hand. IT can't be rushed either. You have to balance everything out just right and I was surprised at how easily it was to forgive her as the story came around fully. I was also extremely pleased at how her story played out. She got exactly what was coming to her in a rather sexy twist of fate. What were at one point tears of sadness and disappointment became tears of extreme joy and love. It's not often I cry during a book but See Jane Fall hit so close to home it just snuck up on me.



The Heart Of Montana series just gets better with every book. The characters are wonderful and I always love seeing my favorites from past books again. So far See Jane Fall seems to be the most emotional of the series. I loved Lars and Jane both together and independently. I loved the complexity that made them up. I'd be remiss not to mention again, how much I adore the way the Lindstrom men use their native Swedish language to communicate their feelings to their beloved. It's unique to each person and the one they end up with. I love the tender moments between her characters because I always find myself smiling painfully at any given moment. This is hands down my favorite book in this fantastic series. We all want the "Happily Ever After" but it's the stuff in the middle, the guts if you will, that makes a Happily Ever After that much more special. Regnery has definitely given us a strong love story with a much fought for and satisfyingly beautiful ending. After connecting with this book on an emotional level I'm excited to see what's next. Don't miss out on all the love and romance these books offer. You have to get into The Heart Of Montana series today!




Quotes:

A wise woman wouldn't have let Lars kiss her today. A wise woman wouldn't be going out on a date with him tomorrow night. Because, let's face it, a wise woman wouldn't set herself up for such a big fall. ARC 22%

Her eyes that were painted with the same brush god had used on the greenest parts of Yellowstone searched his, and he remembered his promise never to lie to her. ARC 74%

"Sometimes you have to take a chance on crazy. Maybe crazy could be the best decision you ever made. Maybe crazy would change the course of your life." ARC 82%

"You know what the saddest word in the world is, Jane?" Jane shook her head. "Regret." "Regret," she whispered. "Saddest word there is. Try to live without regrets, girl." ARC 95%




{Click for Goodreads descriptions}

Hootie's Reviews:












Giveaway:










About The Author:
KATY REGNERY, winner of the 2013 NECRWA First Kiss and 2013 Maine RWA Everything But the Kitchen Sink contests, has always loved telling a good story and credits her mother with making funny, heartwarming tales come alive throughout her childhood. A lifelong devotee of all romance writing from Edwardian to present-day, it was just a matter of time before Katy tried her hand at writing a love story of her own. As it turned out, one love story turned into a series of five Heart of Montana romances, following the love lives of the Yellowstone-based Lindstrom siblings. In addition to small-town contemporary romance, Katy is presently writing a paranormal romance that takes place in northern New England and the forests north of Quebec. Speaking of forests, Katy lives in the relative-wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut where her writing room looks out at the woods and her husband, two young children and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories of all are the messy and unexpected ones. 

Links:

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3 comments:

  1. Completely beautiful, thoughtful, heartbreaking review. I loved every word - as you know - and am so grateful for your talent as a reader and reviewer, Amanda. Thank you for loving my books. xoxo

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  2. Whoa. This gave you lots of feelings, huh? I liked Lars too, in the first book, and bet he is a great MC. I love that you loved and hated him at the same time. Jane sounds like a really great heroine. Great review!

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