The particulars: Contemporary Romance, AOS Publishing, available as e-book

The Source: Purchased at Kobo

The Grade: B

The Blurb:

After eleven years of marriage, Léa Laurier knew her husband.  Knew how he could take on responsibility for a world-famous restaurant, a wife, and her two teenage siblings at nineteen years old and never falter, never tire.  Knew his drive and his ambition, that took him to the stars.  Knew how briliant his gray eyes looked when they met hers for just one moment across a host of cameras.  She didn’t know why she was so tired.  She didn’t know why she needed to just get away.  For a while.  Maybe a week or two.  A month.  She’d be back.

After eleven years of marriage, international superstar chef Daniel Laurier knew his wife.  Knew how she could lavish caring on everyone, her siblings, his staff, and most especially him.  Knew the way her face lit up when he won yet another television contest, and the way she hugged him for it.  Knew how her hair smelled when he sank into bed exhausted at one in the morning.  He didn’t know what to do when he came home from a consulting trip to find she’d disappeared to remote South Pacific island:  I just needed to get away for a little while.  A week or two.  I’ll call you.

As the whole solid world under his feet turned into a sandcastle in the tide, Daniel knew only one thing:  whatever was wrong with his marriage or his wife, he wasn’t losing her.  So as a top chef, he did the one thing he always knew how to do:  turn up the heat.

 

The Review:

Laura Florand have been on my TBR list for a long time, but I was a bit reluctant to buy her Kensington novels, since they cost 11 dollar ( And yes, I know they have been on sale, but the sales have been US only). So when I saw this novella, I snapped it up. After reading it, I am glad I did.

No matter what subgenre, the healing of a strained marriage is one of my favorite tropes. So maybe I was pre-disposed to like this story. I enjoyed Lea and Daniel’s story. From the moment Lea just feel she has to get away from her hectic life, to Daniel’s reaction to her sudden decision to go on a vacation. The bulk of this story took place at Tahiti, and it felt like the perfect place for the story. Just the two of them on a tropical island, spending time together, talking, making love. What I liked was that their relationship wasn’t healed over night, that Lea recognized the danger it posed. By taking time, they had time to sort out their misconceptions.

At the end of the book, it felt like both of them had healed, and were devoted to what was important.

The biggest problem I had with this book was Daniel. He felt a bit cold and distant in the beginning of the book, even if I  never doubted that he loved his wife.