This is one of my favorite authors, and I am so happy when I see a new release of hers. I recently reviewed the third book in her Blue Mountain series. This time we are back in California for book six in her Cliffside Bay series.
(You can read my review of the first book in the series, Traded: Brody and Kara. I still have to catch up on my reviews of the four in between. I’ll get to them on this blog when I can get my hands on Hermione’s Time Turner. But they can all be found on Goodreads!)
ANYWAY, this latest book introduces us to a new pack of alpha males, the Wolves. Now that the last of the Dogs has been successfully paired off, the focus switches to a group of characters who have been secondary in previous books.
This is a talent of the author. I love how she is able to weave the characters lives together like a real community. And I especially like how she does so in this book, because it gives me twice the reason to be happy to head back to Cliffside Bay.
Rafael, Kara’s bodyguard, has been enamored of Lisa, Maggie’s NYC friend. Even though they each think that they are too different for each other, circumstances allow for them to get to know each other better and (of course) finally realize what everyone else has been able to see for a while.
I have to throw in that Lisa’s mom is one of the most despicable characters I have ever “met.” I had an almost visceral reaction to her, which is strange because I was fortunate enough to have the complete opposite of her for a mom. But man, is Lisa’s mom vile.
I will also say that I felt that the conflict that brings Lisa and Rafael together seemed like it was an effort to be timely, but it took me out of the story, especially when Lisa refers to it later during an interview. I appreciate that characters and situations need to be real, and that is one of Ms. Thompson’s strengths. Her characters are people I would love to know in real life.
But I also like to read small town romances to take myself out of the everyday noise that is sometimes otherwise difficult to escape. So, when something shows up in one of my “escapes” it’s jarring.
That being said, I still love the series and cannot wait to read how the rest of the Wolves complete their pack. My Goodreads review follows.
Missed: Rafael and Lisa by Tess ThompsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The latest in Tess Thompson’s Cliffside Bay series takes the series in a new direction. Now that all of the Dogs are happily paired up, it’s time for us to meet the Wolves. First up is Rafael, the bodyguard hired to protect the Mullen family. He has a thing for Lisa, Maggie’s friend from NYC. The author puts them in a situation that you know is going to make sparks fly. I like how the author manages to keep the familiar characters around, even having a sort of “guest starring” moment with characters from another series, but still allows the main characters to have their time. The switch of focus from Dogs to Wolves is seamless, and you can already tell that this is going to be another series that you can’t wait to revisit because it’s like catching up with old friends. If I had to say anything negative about this book (and I really don’t want to), it would be that there was just a little bit too much “reality” in the plot. I understand that characters cannot live in a vacuum, but sometimes I like to escape and not think about real-life issues when I read, especially in romances. But that’s getting nitpicky because the author handles it tastefully. This is one of my favorite series, and I am excited that there is a whole new set of characters to get to know. 4.5 stars for this one. This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release copy.
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