Book Blurb:
Lizzie Howard's life is close to perfect, until her father's death brings her world crashing down around her. With her reputation and heart in tatters, she reluctantly agrees to temporarily take over her best friend's practice in scenic Jewell Cove, Maine—a position that's a world away from the high pressure career she once loved.
Josh Collins is no stranger to pain. After losing his wife, he moved home looking to start over. One of two doctors at the town clinic, his sleepy coastal practice is just what he needed. Until Lizzie Howard arrives. Lizzie is everything Josh wanted to get away from: brash, ambitious and not interested in a quiet life in a quiet town. But as the sparks fly between these two doctors, they realize that sometimes opposites really do attract.
Josh Collins is no stranger to pain. After losing his wife, he moved home looking to start over. One of two doctors at the town clinic, his sleepy coastal practice is just what he needed. Until Lizzie Howard arrives. Lizzie is everything Josh wanted to get away from: brash, ambitious and not interested in a quiet life in a quiet town. But as the sparks fly between these two doctors, they realize that sometimes opposites really do attract.
My Review:
Donna Alward pulled me in to small town life in Jewell Cove and made me feel like I could be right there with all these characters! I loved the setting and Donna's descriptions of the small town, the water, the treasure island, and the storm (to name a few!) made it easy to picture and feel Jewell Cove. The place and the characters really made this a romance I enjoyed reading.
Lizzie and Josh had a bit of a rough start when they first met, but the chemistry was there regardless. Both of them are hurting inside, trying to heal and move on...and neither is looking to get involved with anyone. But working together and living in a small town means they spend a lot of time together. Lizzie doesn't know what she wants, she can't plan for her future while her past still haunts her. She decides a summer fling might be just what she needs...but Josh isn't looking for a secret summer fling, no matter how attracted he is to Lizzie. I liked the pace of their relationship, the realistic bumps they encountered, the struggles they have, and the differences they had. I liked how neither of them pushed the other, but neither was afraid to say what they thought either. They have vastly different views of the future...but are they really that different? I felt the characters were well developed, and the emphasis of the plot is not just on the relationship between Lizzie and Josh, but on the healing both of them must go through to move on in their respective lives. This carries through the plot well and realistically.
I really like how Donna brings in characters from other Jewell Island books in a way that they are relevant to this story, making Summer on Lover's Island a stand alone book. There are a lot of great secondary characters in this book who give us glimpses of sides of the main characters we might not see otherwise.
I also really like how Donna brought in a local legend in Jewell Cove. This was an interesting addition to the plot and fit in well with the evolution of Lizzie and Josh's relationship.
A small coastal town, a legend and a romance are the perfect makings for a good read. I'd recommend Summer on Lover's Island to any contemporary romance reader.
4/5 stars
Purchase from Amazon.com
No comments:
Post a Comment