Karen TempletonRezensionen
Autor von Männer und der ganz normale Wahnsinn.
Rezensionen
Pride And Pregnancy (Silhouette Special Edition) von Karen Templeton
Cole has brought his two kids to Maple River to house sit for his parents and to get used to them being a family. He was a weekend dad until his kids decided they were done being low man on their mother's totem pole. Now Cole has custody, and they are all feeling their way through their new dynamics. He wasn't quite ready to run into Bree so quickly after arriving in town.
Best friends from the age of thirteen until they were seniors in high school, their relationship came to a crashing end, leaving guilt and hurt feelings behind. They manage that first meeting pretty well, only brushing lightly against the past, but each is determined not to relive it. However, small towns being what they are, it is impossible to avoid each other completely. They are thrown into each other's company frequently and discover that rebuilding their friendship is easier than they expected.
The development of their relationship was interesting. They are determined to avoid each other at first, thanks to the way their childhood friendship ended. Along with that, Cole has his two kids to worry about, and they don't need another woman in their life who isn't going to stick around. Bree has been burned badly by her previous relationship and is in no hurry to get involved with another man who has kids. But life being what it is, the more time they spend with each other, the more the good memories begin to overcome the bad ones. I loved the scenes in the church kitchen and at the ice cream shop, where those memories bring them closer together. I also liked seeing the switch in their roles from when they were kids. Back then, Bree was the strong one who helped Cole through the rough times of his life. Now Cole is the one who sees past Bree's armor to the insecurities that she hides from everyone else. As their renewed friendship grows into something more, both of them have to fight their fears. I ached for Bree, who ran from what she believed was impossible. Cole had to face a few of his own entrenched ideas, and help came from an unexpected source. I loved his big moment at the end and the solution he came up with. The epilogue was great, too.
I loved the parts that Wes and Brooke played in the book. They are Cole's life and his reason for being in Maple River. Though there were certainly times I wanted to shake Wes, his attitude and fears were realistic. I loved his protectiveness toward his sister, paired with the typical sibling antics. Brooke was sweet, and I ached for the effect her mother's treatment had on her. It was awesome to see the way that she bloomed under Bree's attention.
I loved the opening of the book, with Juliette and Claire bonding a little over the sales. Then Juliette does her bit, manipulating things so that Claire stays for breakfast. Ethan isn't the most welcoming of guys, as this isn't the first time Juliette has tried to set him up. I liked the direct way that they both address the situation, making it clear that neither is looking for a relationship. However, that doesn't affect the zing of attraction that each of them feels.
I loved the development of their relationship. Ethan is still grieving the loss of his wife while trying to keep his children's lives as normal as possible. He barely has time to sleep, much less think about doing anything for himself. The attraction that he feels for Claire disturbs him. First, that he feels anything for her at all makes him feel disloyal, second, Claire is so different that he doesn't understand the appeal. But he figures that he won't see her all that much so he can ignore it. Claire is also confused by the attraction. She understands the physical appeal; after all, he is a good-looking man. But he's the father of four, and she has never seen herself as the motherly type, preferring her quiet life. Fate seems to have other ideas, and Ethan and Claire find themselves thrown together under varying circumstances. I loved seeing them get to know each other. Against all expectations, they develop a pretty solid friendship. I loved their meeting as they conferred on the best way to help two of his football players and discovered that their methods were more alike than they expected. Claire also ended up stepping in to help when Ethan had to take a trip. It was sweet to see her deal with unexpected challenges and discover that she isn't as hopeless as she thought she'd be. As Christmas nears, their feelings deepen, but both try to deny them. Ethan is in no hurry to risk his heart again or to risk putting his kids through any more upheaval in their lives. Claire saw what her mom went through when Claire's father died, and has maintained an emotional distance ever since. It takes some kind but blunt talk from those who have been through it to open both Ethan's and Claire's eyes to the realization that they are letting fear keep them from something special. I loved their big moment at the end and Claire's comment that "it's not crowded, it's cozy."
The secondary characters were terrific. There was a chance to catch up with the brothers from the earlier stories, The Real Mr. Right and More Than She Expected. I also loved seeing more of their father, Colonel Noble, who had a bigger part in this book. I loved the scene with him, the baby, and Ethan, as he uses his own experience to help Ethan. Claire's landlord, Virgil, was adorable. I especially loved the heart-to-heart over Chinese food. But my favorites were Ethan's kids. Bella was too cute for words. The two boys were so spot-on for their ages that it brought back memories of my own son at that age. Juliette was amazing. A teenage girl who has taken on so much responsibility and dealt with it so well. She's not perfect, but she's real. I especially loved the way that she worried about Ethan. I really enjoyed the way that the epilogue was told from her point of view.
The story was pretty weak though. At the beginning I couldn't put it down, but it was slow in the middle because there's only so much of Zoe's "I'm totally off on love and dating" I can take! When Zoe and Mike finally started dating (or "fake" dating), the book only had a few chapters left. The romance part was rushed and didn't feel organic at all. That was a huge disappointment.
Read more of this review and a teaser here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/03/made-grade-jersey-boys-series-...
Val is just trying to make it through one day at a time. She's living in a house that needs significant repairs, raising her two daughters, and embarking on a business as a baker. The last thing she wants is Levi hanging around, reminding her of what she's lost, but he won't stay away. So she agrees to let him do the repairs, but tries to keep him at a distance.
I really liked Levi. He had been a bit of a troublemaker as a kid, but never in a mean or dangerous way. Looking for direction, he decided to enlist, never expecting his recently married best friend to join him. He tried to talk Tommy out of it, but couldn't, and was filled with guilt when Tommy died. He doesn't have an easy time talking Val into letting him help, as he knows she holds him responsible. It soon becomes obvious that there's more than keeping his promise behind his actions. Levi has always had feelings for Val which is an additional motivator for what he does. Helping her out with her repairs has another benefit - it is giving him time to decide what he's going to do with the rest of his life. As more of his past is revealed and faced, Levi is able to move forward and see what he is meant to do. I loved the event that showed him what that was, as it once more showed what a good man he really is.
It took me a little longer to warm up to Val. She was a great mother and doing her best to move through her grief. But her attitude toward Levi really bugged me. He was nothing but nice and helpful and she treated him like he couldn't be trusted. Her attitude slowly changed as she realized how unfair she was being to him. She also had some unresolved issues about her relationship with her husband that she had to work through. I liked seeing her be able to talk about Tommy with Levi and how some of the things he said helped her see what she needed to do.
I liked seeing their relationship grow. Levi was sweet and persistent, doing his best to show Val that he was no threat. His feelings for her were always there, but he didn't think anything would come of them. I liked that he saw her strength even when she didn't. Val slowly began to see that Levi was very different than he had been before and that the new Levi was beginning to mean something special to her. But those growing feelings scared her and made her question things about herself. I liked Levi's patience as he let her work through her issues, though it certainly wasn't easy for him. I loved the ending, as Val's eyes and heart are opened.
I really liked the closeness of the families. Val gets the love and support she needs from her in-laws. I liked her mother-in-law's honesty and kindness as she helps Val work through her grief. She also plays a big part in getting Val and Levi together. Val's daughter Josie was adorable. She is important to the development of the relationship between Levi and Val. For a seven year old kid she has some pretty profound things to say to both her mom and Levi. I also liked Levi's family. The part with his mom about the steak was pretty funny. I loved seeing his relationship with his father change. I liked the scenes with his brothers and look forward to reading their stories.
Laurel has to admit to herself that her neighbor is certainly easy on the eyes, but she's not looking for a relationship. She is pregnant and on her own, except for her grandmother, and has learned to count on no one except herself. Besides, Tyler is younger than she is and not looking for anything permanent in his life.
Both Tyler and Laurel have secrets and old hurts that make them reluctant to pursue any kind of relationship. The man that Laurel had been in love with didn't want children. He had been married before and his kids were grown, so he ended their relationship. She also had some abandonment issues from her own parents, who had married because they had to. When her mother died, her father turned her care over to her grandmother and pretty much ignored her before he died when she was fifteen. So she is determined to be the best single mother she can be. She enjoys Tyler's company, but she has to keep reminding herself that she's not looking for a husband.
Tyler doesn't realize that Laurel is pregnant when they first start getting to know each other. He enjoys her company but she's nothing like the women he's dated so he's a little confused about why he's so drawn to her. When he finds out she's pregnant it brings his own issues to the front of his mind. His mother had lost custody of him when he was ten because of neglect and he was later adopted by the Noble family. He still never felt like he fit in and tended to take out his feelings in bad behavior. Because of the way he was as a kid, he feels that he would never be a good father and is determined that he will never marry. He can't resist doing anything he can to make Laurel's life easier and gets more and more involved in her life.
Laurel's independence issues cause her to push Tyler away once the baby is born and she insists she doesn't need any help. I liked the fact that Tyler tried to give her the space she wanted, but stepped in when it became obvious she did need that help. I loved seeing the changes that Tyler went through as Laurel and Jonny worked their way into his heart. I especially loved seeing his reaction to the baby's birth. It wasn't until Tyler was able to confront his memories that he was able to fully admit his feelings for Laurel and go for the family he hadn't wanted to admit he craved.
I really liked the theme of the importance of family. Laurel was alone except for her grandmother, but was determined to be happy with what she had. Tyler was part of a big family that, even though he didn't always feel part of it, was always there for each other. I loved the way that his family made Laurel welcome from the beginning. I also liked the way that Tyler had begun to repair his relationship with his mother and how much better it got because of Laurel.
I also liked Laurel's grandmother. She was a feisty lady and had a terrific way of cutting through some of the nonsense that Laurel would occasionally come up with. I got a real kick out of her appreciation of Tyler's looks. I also enjoyed seeing her with her friends at the place she lived and the fun they all had.
Kelly's marriage had started out well, but things changed and when her ex-husband couldn't accept that the marriage was over she knew she had to get herself and her kids away. Seeing Matt again has brought those old feelings back to the surface. She has no desire to get involved with another man. She has finally gotten to the point where she is comfortable with her ability to take care of her family without depending on anyone else. She can see losing herself in a relationship with him, coming to depend on him and then losing it all again if he leaves. But she can't resist his friendship, and the kindness he shows her children. There was a lot that Kelly was dealing with. She had to provide a stable home for her children who had been through so many changes in the last couple years. Her son was especially in need of the extra attention. Matt's presence was good for him, but she worried about them becoming dependent on him. Her own heart wanted him in her life, but she was afraid to trust him so she kept a certain amount of distance between them. I loved seeing how a talk with her son about his fears opened her eyes to what she was doing to them both.
Matt is still recovering from his divorce when Kelly reappears in his life. He is the kind of guy who lives for taking care of people, but his ex accused him of smothering her. Matt really wants to help Kelly and her kids, but her insistence on keeping total independence keeps him at a distance. I loved the way that he slowly got involved in her life by trying to keep things at the friend level. One of the things I loved best about him was seeing how good he was with her kids. He was able to be a friend and role model for her son. There was a really sweet scene where he and Cooper had a man-to-man talk about Kelly that really showed what a terrific guy he really was. His feelings for Kelly got to be so strong that he couldn't resist her any longer. But he too had trust issues, for a long time feeling that the only person he could depend on was himself. That by protecting others he was also protecting himself. He had to give himself permission to let Kelly get close to him.
I loved the realistic characterizations in this book. Besides the portrayals of Matt and Kelly, I really liked Kelly's son Cooper. He had the kind of attitude that could be seen in almost any intelligent eight year old. He had moments when he'd talk back, but also times when he was incredibly sweet to his mom and little sister. I also really enjoyed Kelly's mother-in-law and the way she was so supportive of Kelly. Completely loved the push she gave Kelly that got her closer to Matt, and then the scolding she gave Matt when he appeared to have given up was priceless.
Still, it was an emotional read and I enjoyed it, just not quite as much as I have some of her previous novels.
While I enjoyed many aspects of this, I'm afraid I didn't feel the emotional connection to the characters I've come to expect from Templeton. Karleen and Troy were both well drawn characters, and I loved Troy's boys and Karleen's best friend Joanna. But I didn't feel like I was emotionally invested in their story. Yes, I was entertained. But it was missing the strong pull I generally feel when reading Templeton.
I really liked how practical and plain spoken Emma was. She didn't mince words, or beat around the bush, she just told it exactly as it was. That was so refreshing.
Cash had a lot of issues from his past to deal with, and I like that Templeton took her time with both characters.
The kids were adorable. I liked the secondary characters and it was nice to see the other people of Tierra Rosa again.
The twist at the seemed to come out of left field. I understand it was needed to advance the story, but..something about it didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was the way everyone reacted to it that bothered me?
I found myself becoming emotionally invested in these two right away, though I'd say more with Noah than Roxie. I think because Roxie's issues were things that happened in the past that she needed to overcome. Noah's issues were ongoing, which put them more center stage. I was seriously bothered by the attitude his father had regarding him and his personal life. The idea that a man has to be married to be a good, upstanding guy really rankled. The attitude of the rest of the family - hell, the rest of the town - that Noah wasn't to be trusted because he dated a lot was pretty ridiculous.
Aside from that, I really enjoyed the way the relationship developed between Noah and Roxie. They started out as acquaintances, then friends, then..more. Recently someone - I think it was Jane from Dear Author - said they missed the courtship in romance. I think Templeton does a good job of showing us how a romance develops.
This isn't a perfect novel, but the flaws are overshadowed by a slow, simmering love story.
I really liked both April and Patrick. April had had a challenging childhood with parents who were always reaching for the next big thing. As a result she found herself working as a teenager and young adult to help the family. The best part of her childhood were her summers with her cousins at her grandmother's house. The three of them inherited the house when their grandmother died. April decided to buy the others out and turn the house back into an inn, with her cousins helping out. With the death of her husband, April has plenty of capital to make her dream come true. Her strong reaction to Patrick is unexpected, but once they over come their initial meeting both admit the connection. She's not looking for anything permanent right now but is interested in pursuing what they feel. I loved April's open giving nature. She sees past Patrick's scars to the man beneath, who is trying to be the father his daughter needs. There are some fun parts as April works with her cousins and gets to know Patrick's family. There are some incredibly emotional parts where she shares her secrets with her cousins and with Patrick. I loved seeing the way she has gotten to the point where she isn't afraid to go after what she wants, but is also willing to give it up if she thinks it's best for the other person.
Patrick was dealing with a lot in his life. He had been badly wounded overseas, with months of physical and emotional rehab after that. The love of his family and his daughter is what kept him going. After his wife left them because she was unable to deal with it he had pretty well accepted that it would be just him and Lili. He was surprised by his attraction to April, but had no intention of getting involved. His wife's desertion had done a real number on their daughter and he wasn't going to allow anyone to get close enough to do it again. However, the attraction between them was too strong and April was too determined, so they started spending what time they could together. But Patrick insisted on keeping Lili out of it. This caused a deepening stress in their relationship until April finally called a halt, seeing what Patrick couldn't - that his fears were making things worse. I loved the way that everyone tried to explain things to him, but that it was Lili that finally broke through his walls.
There was so much love apparent in this book as well as the ways it was shown. There was the support that April and her cousins gave each other and the ways they cut through the crap to make their points. There was the love that Patrick's family had for each other and the way they all pulled together to help him. The love that Patrick and April had for each other that made it possible for them to provide the healing that the other needed was incredibly emotional.
Its book 3 in Summer Sisters
Three cousins have inheirited thier grandmothers inn. They used to spend thier summers together at her house when they were growing up. They had lost contact for years. Now they are enjoying each other again.
Blythe has helped her cousin decorate the inn she is opening. She is also helping too plan thier double wedding. Her 11 year old cousin Quinn best friend is Jack and lives just a few houses from her. Blythe sees something in Jack that reminded her of herself as a teenager full of anger. Blythe made some really bad choices trying to get her parents to notice her. She does not want Jack to go down the same path as her.
Blythe was asked to help decorate Jack's room. It has stayed the same since his mom decorated it when he was six. With race car bed and all. Jack's mom died a few years ago and right after his dad won his first race as Maryland congressman. He was gone so much of the time. His grandparents moved into his house to help take care of him. Blythe tries to tell his dad that she is concerned about Wes. He asks her if she sees something he does not to please help his son.
Right after that Blythe is taking her cousin Quinn home from Jack's and tells Blythe that she is worried about Jack. How he looses his temper for no reason. That she is his only friend now. Quinn wants Blythe to tell Jack's dad but not her mom. Quinn is afraid her mom won't let them be friends anymore.
Blythe tries to share her past with Jack and let him know some of the stuff she did wrong to help him as she shows him that he is important. Jack sees how his dad is looking at Blythe and that makes him mad too.
This book is dealing with tough issues and thier is not a fast fix. But as they open up and see that they are not alone and can help each other out. It makes me think I hope I did not mess my own kids up too bad. Because no one is a perfect parent or grandparent.
Bad things happen to good people and everyone needs to cope in thier own way. Sharing can help.
I liked the relationships that the cousins are working with eath other and not letting past mistakes keep them apart now. It is always fun to see characters that I have read about show up in other books.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review when done by Netgalley.
Published January 22nd 2013 by Harlequin 224pages ISBN:0373657242
Diese Seite verwendet Cookies für unsere Dienste, zur Verbesserung unserer Leistungen, für Analytik und (falls Sie nicht eingeloggt sind) für Werbung. Indem Sie LibraryThing nutzen, erklären Sie dass Sie unsere Nutzungsbedingungen und Datenschutzrichtlinie gelesen und verstanden haben. Die Nutzung unserer Webseite und Dienste unterliegt diesen Richtlinien und Geschäftsbedingungen.