Kris Fletcher

It takes an excessive amount of energy to play the clown. To paste on a smile and put on a compelling show, when the world is falling apart around you. Oh, to be that girl. Kris Fletcher gives a front row seat to the roller coaster drama that Is Jenna Elias' life. From the good time girl who can turn on the charm. To the broken woman working to bounce back after numerous heartbreaks and tragic circumstances. To the woman on the verge of starting a scandal, Jenna is never dull. Jenna, may be a wild child but her spirit and heart are what I liked most about her. Cole was the spark that lit the fuse that brought joy, laughter and some of that fight back into Jenna's life. Life of the Party mixes wit with drama and delivers a gritty story of scandalous love and redemption.… (mehr)

Brynn has come to Comeback Cove to help out her cousin Taylor. She is living in a vacation cabin owned by Hank. Brynn does a lot of temporary jobs as she likes the variety and doesn't like to stay in one place too long. She is also devoted to her family and feels compelled to assist when any of them are having a problem.

Brynn is a fixer. She hates to see someone struggling if she can help. With her cousin claiming to have fallen out of love with her fiance and into love with his brother, Brynn's idea is for Taylor to immerse herself in all things Ian to remind her of why she loved him to start with. Meanwhile, Brynn is getting settled into her event planning job. Living in one of Hank's cabins, she frequently finds herself entertaining Hank's daughter Millie. Millie is adorable and Brynn really enjoys being around her. Hank is a single father who sometimes seems overwhelmed, so Brynn offers to help out whenever she can.

Hank is the youngest of the brothers and is often frustrated by his family's frequent interference in his life. It has caused him to pull away from them somewhat and try to assert his independence. It also means that he resists asking for help from anyone, even when he really needs it. He finds it easier to accept help from Brynn. He is attracted to her, but doesn't want to get involved with someone who won't be staying. He really doesn't want to risk Millie getting attached, only to be left behind.

It was hard to see Brynn trying to "fix" Taylor's relationship with Ian. It was so obvious that she didn't have a clue about the depth of Taylor's feelings. I just wanted to shake her and tell her that you can't force it. I could see the potential for disaster as the book went on. Brynn also had her developing relationship with Hank to deal with. I could see how much she was really starting to care for him and Millie, but her fears were holding her back. She has to learn to trust herself and others. I loved seeing her go from ready to run when things got intense, to wanting to stay because her love for Hank and Millie made all the risks worth it.

Hank also had some growing to do. He had to learn that sometimes it's better to face your fears than to hide away from them. I loved his relationship with his daughter and how everything he did was to try to make things better for her. It was great to see him think back on his marriage and the aftermath and realize that he has the ability to move on thanks to the feelings he has for Brynn. I loved how her influence has him opening up more to his family than he has in years. The dance scene at the end was fantastic and showed just how much of an effect Brynn had had on all of them.

One of the best things about the book was how real the emotions and actions felt. From Taylor's misery over what was happening to her love life, to the mess that happened at the end, it was easy to feel that it could really happen that way. The interactions among all the family members also felt real. There was obviously plenty of love, but there were also frustrations and the occasional hurt feelings. I loved the grandmother, Moxie, and the ways she used to get people to do what she wanted. I also really had fun at the beginning, when Taylor was explaining how good Brynn is at getting things done, especially in regards to her brother and his hockey team.… (mehr)