Find Me at Whisper Falls (Oaksmith)-BoT-Small Town Romance-Available Now

I am a big fan of this author’s books. The characters are usually relatable, the settings are lovely, and the stories are charming.

This book is no exception.

You can find descriptions elsewhere, but in a nutshell, Freya and Trent were rivals in vet school. And then they find themselves both vying for the same job in small-town Whisper Falls.

It’s a romance, so you know what’s supposed to happen in the end, but as usual, the joy and fun is in following the path with them as they try to get there.

I will say that this one was a little interesting for me because I had a difficult time connecting with Freya. I felt that she was a little colder than past heroines in this author’s stories. I guess she was just more prickly than usual?

Regardless, that coolness made it difficult for me to root for her at first. I get that it was probably in response to past experiences, but I found myself feeling more for Trent than for her. It seemed like she brought her frustrations all on herself.

I was amused at how Trent dealt with her. I think he felt the same way I did about her – she was prickly in vet school, and now he has to compete with her for a job. But I also think he was more patient with her than I would have been.

There are the usual small-town characters that add color to the story, but they’re never overbearing or distracting. It’s all just part of the background. The author has either lived in a small town or done her research because a lot of it was familiar.

Not because I’d read the story already, but because I’ve lived in small towns, and in many ways, they’re similar: cast of characters, distrust of newcomers, eager to preserve their town the way they know and love it.

That was a unique aspect of this book as well. The author has an added plot line about tech companies buying land to build data-mining offices. It seemed a little random, but it was an interesting side story.

Anyway, it was different to root for the guy instead of the girl for a while and that side plot kept it from being boring. Not that her books ever are. It was just a different spin than usual.

As always with this author, I recommend this charming small-town romance.

Author Bio:
Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today and Kindle bestselling author of the Blue Hills Series, featuring the Alvarez family. After graduating from Smith College and attaining her MFA from The American Film Institute, Ellyn began her writing career as an award-winning screenwriter in Hollywood. Her books explore the same themes as her screenplays: grit, humor, family and love. Ellyn lives on one of Seattle’s many hills with her husband and spends as much time as possible on the water as part of a competitive rowing team.

Long Walk Home (Oaksmith)-Books On Tour-Feel Good Romance-Available Now

By now, visiting Chelan feels like a refreshing quick vacation to a memorable location. The Alvarez sisters are still working to save Blue Hills Vineyard, succeeding in little steps.

In this book we get Lola’s story. She’s the youngest, and even though she was in the first two books, this is the first time that I really felt that I got a grasp of who she was.

I’m pretty sure that the author plotted it that way, giving each sister the focus deserved in each of the books. I like how this was done, because it not only gave each of the sisters the spotlight, but it also laid the groundwork for the family drama.

And boy, does that play a part in this one.

Lola has some great ideas to help expand the success of the winery, but as the youngest, she isn’t taken very seriously, especially by Carmen (the oldest).

There’s some typical sibling rivalry here, as well as some stereotypical characterizations. The hard-headed oldest sister, the free spirit younger sister fighting for her voice to be heard…anyone with siblings will recognize the dynamics.

It doesn’t help Lola that her first love, Gus, has come back to town, making it difficult for her to concentrate on her plans to show Carmen how profitable her ideas can be.

As a fan of cooking shows, I especially liked the scenes in the kitchen. Neil was an especially memorable character because he was just like several well-known tv chefs.

Blue Hills Vineyard reminds me of the vineyards in Northern Virginia – I have many fond memories of tastings and overnights there. The descriptions in the book are vivid enough for me to picture the entire layout in spite of being in a different state.

Shout out to Daisy as well. I felt a special affinity for her because I have a dog with one blue eye and one brown eye. So yeah, I related to a dog in the story.

The romance is sweet, the characters are realistic, and the setting is idyllic. Sometimes that’s all you need for the perfect read.

Author bio:
Ellyn Oaksmith is the USA Today and Kindle bestselling author of addictively fun love stories. She has never run a winery, been attacked by drones or nearly drowned someone but she loves putting her characters in challenging situations. Ellyn also enjoys chatting with readers on social media. Especially when she should be writing.

Ellyn began her writing life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles which, outside of writing hours, is exactly as crazy as it seems in the movies. After hightailing it back to her native Seattle, Ellyn began writing comedic romances and never looked back.

Ellyn lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s part of a competitive rowing team. You can often find her on Lake Sammamish rowing in the dark.

Author website: www.EllynOaksmith.com
Facebook: @EllynOaksmith
Instagram: @EllynOaksmith

The Perfect Hideaway by Alys Murray- Books on Tour (Review)

I have become a huge fan of this series. Don’t believe me? Check out my reviews for The Magnolia Sisters and Sweet Pea Summer!

I love the setting (small town), I love the characters (family-oriented and real), and I love flowers. Those are really the three requirements. This time out, we skip the third Anderson sister and get Annie’s (Luke’s sister) instead).

Annie has been a force to be reckoned with through the first two books. Her demeanor and zeal for making people happy is apparent and flows from the pages. In this book (the third of the series), we get to know her better, and it turns out there’s a lot more than she wants people to see.

Annie is a people-pleaser. She wants to make sure that everything is perfect for the people she loves. Her professional “career” as a social influencer is indicative of that need to be picture perfect. She lives by that because she knows that her followers will pick apart every single detail.

However, as she sees her brother get married (no spoiler, it literally starts the book) she realizes that her life is all surface and very little depth.

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That’s exactly what George sees. He’s a reporter for the local Hillsboro paper, and a total throwback to the news journalists of the 30s (I could practically see him working in a smoky newsroom, suspenders and fedora, hollering “Stop the presses!”). Pretty sure that’s how he sees himself as well.

He’s convinced that Annie is nothing but shine and gloss with no depth of character. As they wind up working together on a project (not telling you how that happens!) he can’t figure her out. He’s set in his ways and perspectives. But as he sees more of Annie’s interactions with people, he starts to realize there might be more there than he originally thought.

The author always does an excellent job of creating the environment of Hillsboro, so that it feels natural to be moving throughout it with the characters. It’s a tad on the idyllic side, but (then again) many small towns do still have that feel.

Underneath the bucolic nature, though, the author also addresses a current theme. Through Annie, we get a cutting commentary (wrapped in the sweet romance of opposites attracting) regarding the obsession with social media and the need for the approval of strangers that is so prevalent in today’s society.

Annie’s constant need to be liked by everyone (evidenced several times, but particularly starkly with George’s assistant Mynette), covers for the unhappiness she feels deep down. The author addresses this subtly, and it gives great insight into the depth of her characters. I love this series, and I can’t wait for Rose’s story. That has to be next, right?

Author Bio
Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories! Currently splitting time between her home state of Louisiana and London, she enjoys kissing books, Star Wars, and creating original pie recipes for all of her books. Tobey Maguire is her Spider-Man. 
https://alysmurray.com/
https://www.facebook.com/alysmurrayauthor

https://www.instagram.com/writeralys/
https://twitter.com/writeralys

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