"Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love." Ripple Effect Romance
Genre: Women's Fiction
Age group: Adult
Publication Date: April 7th 2014
Series: Ripple Effect Romance #3
Pages: 144
Format: Mobi/Kindle
Source: Provided by author for review
Review:
Righting A Wrong was the story I was both anxious to get to and anxious to put off. This one was all about Jace Sutton and after meeting him in Silver Linings I wasn't really fond of him. I knew he had some past pain to overcome and I wanted to know what it was but the way he treated his then girlfriend Eden and his best friend Drew I didn't know if I would like him.
This is when I met Cambri Blaine. She is the source of Jace's angst and his high school best friend turned love interest. The two were an unlikely pairing back in the day. She was the popular girl and he was the quiet, nerdy type but their friendship was solid. He was a shoulder to lean on after her mother passed away and she couldn't connect with her father and she was the ultimate unattainable girl for him. An incident in their senior year ended their friendship and sent Cambri running for the hills and the two spent six years not speaking because of it. This incident was the source of Jace's gruff personality in both Silver Linings and throughout most of this story, so what was it? A kiss. Just a simple kiss between friends that ended in such a catastrophe. Looking a little deeper it was so much more than that.
Finding out there was more to Jace left me feeling a mix of emotions about him but I ultimately started to fall for him. It was a gradual change but it did happen. He's been butt hurt all these years over kissing his best friend and having her leave town alltogether shortly after that without so much as a goodbye. That can really mess with your head of you let and boy did Jace let it. He hasn't had healthy relationships because of it and after losing Eden to his best friend I thought he would become insufferable but I was happy to see when Cambri came back it didn't take long in her presence to warm up to the Jace I knew was under there. At one time he had been a sweet guy with a kind heart and an amazing personality and the change in him after everything happened was staggering. He wasn't an abusive jerk but he was cold and aloof especially when he was dating poor Eden. It's hard to love someone when they are still stuck on someone else and can't give you what you need and I understood why Eden had to leave him.
Cambri was a character I wanted to hate for leaving behind a young and wounded Jace all those years ago but after seeing what she had to deal with I got why she left. Her mothers death was hard on her but it was ten times harder on her father who became despondent and almost mean spirited. His constant nagging of Cambri and belittling her choices in life is what finally made her run off to a college as far away from home as possible. Cambri wanted to live her life and do what she wanted without her father or anyone else's influence to get in her way. Leaving everything you know and finding your own path in life takes guts and Cambri found her reserves deep within herself. She didn't want to be stuck in her small town and left to follow her dreams.
Cambri comes back into town to care for her father after a heart attack and tries to help him get back on his feet. I finally got a taste of what she had to deal with as younger woman alone with her miserable father and wanted to hug this girl. Her dad was a curmudgeon old fart who fought her tooth and nail and whenever she felt herself getting angry with him I too started to get mad right along with her. Her situation reminded me so much of my own in dealing with my mother it was unreal at times how similar her father's character was to my mom. There were times where I was yelling at her to pick up a garden shovel and knock him in the head a few times but she had way more patience than I do. Jace seemed to be able to handled her father a little bit better so it was great to see him help her out and take some of the stress off her hands.
Second Chance romance makes some of the most beautiful stories and I was glad that Jace and Cambri got to clear the air between them. It wasn't instant and it took some time and effort on both their parts but I loved watching them slowly heal their friendship. Jace got his own POV in this book and while it was nice having that inside look at him but I would have liked more from his character. It felt like his parts were few and far between while getting to know Cambri. Righting A Wrong might have been the one I wasn't too excited about at first but the story I got totally turned my opinion around and had me melting by the time I was finished. It's extra special when a damaged guy gets his happy ending.
Quotes:
"You talk of passing friends instead of strangers, but in my experience, friends are really just strangers disguised as familiar faces." Mobi/Kindle 30%
"With everyone else, I always felt like I had to say the right thing, look the right way, and fir the right image. But with you, I could be goofy, stupid, ugly, and silly, and i knew you wouldn't care. You liked me no matter what." Mobi/Kindle 46%
"You don't have to stand in my way to keep me from getting on that plane. I just needed to know that you wanted to." Jace shifted positions, and their knees touched as he faced her. "I do want to. I want to build a blockade, slash the plane's tires, and disconnect the fuel line. But this has to be your choice." Mobi/Kindle 82%
About The Author:
A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
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Genre: Women's Fiction
Age group: Adult
Publication Date: April 21st 2014
Series: Ripple Effect Romance #4
Pages: 144
Format: Mobi/Kindle
Source: Provided by author for review
Lydia was supposed to have an adventurous and exciting summer. Instead she's done nothing more than read and eat takeout. Now it's time to go home, and what does she have to show for it? A big fat nothing. Unless, of course, her trip to the airport somehow turns into something more than just a flight home. Blake feels like he's been sent on a wild goose chase. While work is piling up back in Denver, he's on the other side of the country, hunting for some mysterious box that his grandfather left him. Well, no more. Nothing inside that box could possibly be more important than the opportunity to make it as the youngest partner at his firm. So he's going home, and that's that. But that's before he discovers his flight has been cancelled. When these two strangers meet at the airport, they make a split-second decision to search for the box together. Maybe with both of them on the hunt, Lydia can have her adventure and Blake can find the box. And maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll even find some romance.
Review:
Lost and Found is the story I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the most. Being a huge fan of Karey White I knew her story would be endearing and extremely romantic. One of the main things I have enjoyed about the Ripple Effect Romance series is getting to the end and finding out who the next book will be about. I make it a point not to read any of the synopsis' because I love the surprise of watching the characters being set up and trying to guess who the next one will feature.
Lost and Found is all about Jace's baby sister Lydia Sutton. During Righting A Wrong she befriends Cambri and the two hit it off. Lydia wants a summer filled with adventure in her otherwise tame and somewhat lackluster life and Cambri offers the use of her condo in Charlotte North Carolina for her to stay in. During her three month stay she is to get out, sightsee, get into trouble and have a fling then report back to Cambri with all the juicy details. The funny thing is her adventure didn't begin until her trip home brings her right into the path of Mr. Hottie, Blake Knowles. People meet in all sorts of the strangest places and an airport waiting area is where the magic happens for these two.
Lydia and Blake strike up a conversation while waiting for their flight to board and discover they're on the same flight. Lydia confides in Blake her tale of adventureless woe and he in turn speaks of his adventure to find something his grandfather left him before he died which turned out to be a bust also. When their flight is cancelled Lydia makes a split second decision to stay behind and help Blake with his quest and convinces him to stay for a few days to do it. Before Blake's grandfather died he left a box of mementos with a woman named Gladys he felt Blake needed to have. When his search lead him to Gladys who had passed away shortly after his grandfather he thought his search was over and it left him feeling sad he didn't get to get to this mission sooner. Blake is a workaholic young lawyer aspiring to be partner at his firm working 80 hour weeks with no time for much of anything else. It took him almost four months to break away from his job to be able to finally fulfill his grandfathers last wishes. Blake was my favorite guy in this series and it may be because I'm biased to White's writing but he was just an all around great guy. Hardworking, charming, fun loving and sweet, Blake was an instant favorite of mine. The adventure he takes Lydia on and the events surrounding their journey were heart meltingly adorable.
Lydia being the shy unassuming fifth grade teacher that she is really surprised me throughout the story in several different ways. I could tell right away she was a little sheltered by just brief mentions about her parents who seemed overprotective of her. Yeah she's their only daughter and the baby but it really shed some light on her personality. It seems she's kept herself from experiencing anything really fun from both her insecurities and how it will affect her relationship with her parents. Lydia spent the majority of her three month "Adventure" reading books and ordering take out and talking herself out of doing anything fun while in Charlotte. This was a personality trait I could sympathize with because I tend to talk myself out of fun things all the time. For her, this wasn't just about an adventure but stepping out of her comfort zone and being the kind of woman she always wanted to be. At first she took baby steps with talking to Blake and getting to know a little about him, breaking down her shy barrier. Then later having the guts to go crazy and not overthink her decisions so much. Lydia had a tendency to be goofy and a little bumbling but to me that just made her character so much more likable and relatable.
The adventure aspect of the story between Lydia and Blake was at times exciting and funny to emotional and extremely romantic. Their first fun filled day they go skydiving which had me laughing and a little teary eyed. It was amazing to watch Lydia tackle something so big and conquer her fear all at once. Plus it didn't hurt that Blake was a little rattled by the whole experience. Next they started searching for Gladys in order to find the box his grandfather left him and that ordeal has Lydia going into Nancy Drew mode and nearly committing a felony. Which by the way was hilarious as well. When they were finally able to track down the mysterious box what they find inside was a message for Blake from his grandfather. This was like getting a story inside a story because the letters contained in the box show the journey his grandfather made from young Doctor in love with a woman, to the workaholic he became that ended up taking his life down a path he never intended it to. The message left behind is an eye opener for Blake. This was such a sweet and emotional set of scenes that not only gave Blake the closure he needed but it formed a bond between him and Lydia and solidified the growing attraction between them. These two were so much fun together and their bond was so effortless it was easy to fall in love with them.
A chance meeting in an airport waiting area and a three day adventure full of mischief and romance that brought two people together, Lost and Found was exactly what I have come to expect and thrive on from White. There comes a time in every readers book filled journey where you get too bogged down in character drama, angst, mixed feelings and torn emotions where you have to just STOP. And dive into a story that won't rip you apart emotionally. Something tender and loving that grabs you by the heartstrings in a healthy way. That has you falling in love step by step and leaves you feeling satisfied and not more confused about love than when you started. Sometimes I come across a really good angsty read that gets me riled up and makes me love it and other times I just want something to sooth my ragey nerves. Lost and Found was exactly what I needed, right when I needed it and I loved every minute of it. I've been pleased with each addition to this series and I look forward to to the next set of characters and their story. If you want some good books with sweet romance that won't stress you out and have you questioning why we even bother loving other people then check out the Ripple Effect Romance novellas.
Quotes:
"You're not a psychopathic killer, are you?"
"No. But I certainly wouldn't tell you if I was."
"That's true. That would really up the whole adventure factor, though."
"See, you're braver than you thought."
Mobi/Kindle 12%
When Buster explained what to do in the unlikely event that the chute didn't open, Blake began to wonder if he'd made a mistake. Lydia looked like the Cullen clan had sucked her dry, and she was biting her bottom lip so hard, he feared she might bite through it. Mobi/Kindle 26%
"What?" she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"Nothing."
"Do I have food on my face?" she asked
"Huh uh," Blake said, shaking his head.
"What then? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"'Cause you're nice to look at."
Lydia felt the color rise in her cheeks, and Blake's smile widened.
"Knock it off," she said. "Eat your pie."
Mobi/Kindle 44%
About The Author:
Through the years I've been a student, a teacher, a secretary, a clothing designer and seamstress, a wedding cake maker, a crafter, a scrapbooker, a cook, a housekeeper (alright, this skill I'm still working on) a homework helper (until they pass me in math, somewhere around the third grade), and a calm and ladylike fan at my children's sporting events. Nothing makes me happier than being with family and friends eating good food, sharing good conversation and a few laughs. When I'm with smart and funny people, I could stay there for hours.
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I remember you posting for this series before! It does sound cool and I'm glad you liked it despite your hesitation over Jace.
ReplyDeleteGah the second chance romances totally melt me. I really love watching them feel things out again and having to deal with the past. Sounds amazing! Interesting to see how your opinion can change on them too once you get to know them a bit better and what their lives were like. Thanks for the intro to these!
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