Review Catch Up - TBR Style

I went diving into my TBR pile! I'm so glad I did!

Southern Player by Jessica Peterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ms Peterson is a newer to me author- Southern Charmer was my first book of hers and she had me hooked. I was looking forward to Southern Player after meeting Luke and Grace in the first book and they didn’t disappoint!

One of the best parts of the story for me was the message that Grace (and Luke) didn’t have to be anything or anyone other that who they really were to find and be loved.

Mixed in with that message is a sweet and sexy story about friends becoming lovers. All of the characters are easy to like and easy to cheer for. Eli and Olivia (from Southern Charmer) are key secondary characters, so reading their story first would be useful, but not necessary as this is a standalone work. This fun read has me looking forward to Southern Gentleman.

Amazon

 Before I Knew by Jamie Beck

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a well written exploration of grief, conflict, and second chances. Colby and Alec were once childhood friends separated by tragedy, grief, and secrets.

While this has a romantic element focusing on Colby and Alec rekindling a friendship then more, the main theme of the story is one of putting tragedy behind the respective people and families.

This is also the first book in a series, so there is a lot of world building going on. That means several secondary characters have prominent roles and story lines are hinted at, but left unresolved in preparation for future books.

Amazon

 Echoes From The Heart by Shirley Wine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Copy Provided for Review

I enjoyed the premise of this story, but I struggled with the execution.
Anna is a 20 something, successful artist when she discovers a family secret. Learning more about that leads her away from home and into the arms of Slade.
What I liked: the idea that something positive could come from facing the past. Several wounded souls could find the healing they need and move forward.
Where i struggled:
The set up of Anna staying in Slade’s home - the logic of how she got there didn’t make sense to me.
The time line: there is very little to let us know time is passing, so situations don’t always make sense.
There are also places where emotional reactions don’t seem to be proportionate to the experience or emotions swing from hot to cold very quickly.
There are several things that just didn’t sit right, but I think some of them may be a style preference on my part.
Overall this is a decent read. I appreciated the emotional growth Anna experienced. This was my first read by this author. I don’t know if they was a strong enough read for me to seek her work out, but I wouldn’t skip her backlist if I came across it.

Amazon

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