Tag: Marie Force

Review: Waiting for Love by Marie Force

On By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, Selfpublished, available as e-book

The Source: Kobo

The Grade: B-

The Blurb:

Sometimes the best offense is a good rebound…Adam

McCarthy has had a really bad week. In addition to nearly losing his three brothers in a tragic boating accident, his now ex-girlfriend has double-crossed him right out of the successful computer company he founded in New York City. What he needs is a few days at home on Gansett Island to make sure his beloved brothers are safe and to get back in touch with what really matters—his family, his friends and the tiny island that soothes his battered soul. On the ferry ride home, he runs into an old family friend who’s had her own share of heartache, and Adam helps her through some rough moments, sparking an unlikely alliance.

Abby Callahan has come home to Gansett, single once again after her relationship with Dr. Cal Maitland blows up in her face. After two epic failures in the game of love, she’s decided this is going to be the summer she busts loose and finally has some fun—and she’s shaking things up in a big way! The new Abby swears, drinks, gets a tattoo, sleeps around and generally does anything her kinder, gentler alter ego wouldn’t have dreamed of doing.

Before too long, Adam has appointed himself her guardian and is determined that the only sleeping around she’s doing is with him. That is… unless his brother Grant is willing to risk his newfound happiness with Stephanie to keep Adam from rebounding with his ex. And what happens when Adam and Abby realize their summer fling has taken a serious turn, especially when he gets the chance to return to New York and fight for the company that’s rightfully his? Abby has already followed two men off the island. Does she have it in her to find out if the third time really is the charm?

Another wild summer on Gansett Island is under way, complete with new stories for many of your favorite couples from past books! You’ll also see more of Dan and Kara, David and Daisy, and find out whether Carolina has made peace with her relationship with the much younger and very sexy Irishman, Seamus O’Grady. Ready? Set? Let’s go back to Gansett Island!

The Review:

I hesitated over buying this book. After reading it, I am glad I did. Mostly

It was nice to revisit Gansett Island, and see how it prepared for the onset of the Tourist season. This is the 8th book in the McCarthy series, and this time the focus was on Adam and Abby. Both of their lives were in upheaval at the beginning of the story.  It was intresting to follow their Romance as it turned from a fling, into something more. What I liked was how they didn’t have sex until they had gotten to know each other. Instead, they spent time hanging out with each other. I really liked how Abby slowly rebuilt her selfconfidence when it came to men.

 

This romance unfolds at the same time the McCarthy’s are struggling with the aftermath of the boating accident.  It was touching to see how they become even more close knit. Both when it came to assuring themselves that all of them was still alive, and when it came to Grant, Mac and Evan adjusting to the fact that they still were alive and Steve wasn’t.

 

And, that is also my biggest complaint. As always, there was secondary romances. Normally I enjoy them, but this time they felt superfluous.I wish that Marie Force had scaled them down and let the focus be on the McCarthy’s healing.

Review: Hoping For Love by Marie Force

On By MikaelaIn Uncategorized


The Particulars: Contemporary romance, self-published, available as e-book and in print
The Source: Smashwords
The Grade: B
The Blurb:

All her life, Grace Ryan was the “fat girl.” Taunted and teased and ignored by her peers, she tried every diet ever invented to no avail. Desperate to change her life as her twenties slipped away, she decided it was time for drastic measures and had lap-band surgery. More than a year later, she’s lost 130 pounds and is venturing into the dating world for the first time. During a boat trip to Gansett Island with the new guy in her life, Grace refuses to have sex with him and finds herself abandoned without a dollar to her name at McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina. At home for the summer awaiting the launch of his debut CD, music star-in-the-making Evan McCarthy is performing at the Tiki Bar when he notices Grace looking lost in a sea of happy people. Evan comes to her aid and quickly finds himself smitten. But the last thing Grace needs after all she’s been through is a guy who “doesn’t do relationships.” Will Evan change his ways to win Grace’s heart?

The Review:

I picked up this when Marie Force discounted the Gansett Island novels recently.  And I am glad I did. This book is Marie Force at her best.

Gansett Island… It felt so real. I loved how Marie Force described the upside and downsides of living on an island, with a quaint town, although not all of the buildings are old.
I loved the friendliness the Islanders showed towards strangers, although at sometimes it felt like they were almost gullible.

But what I enjoyed the most was the characters. I loved following Evan and Grace
developing romance. From their first meeting, to their first date.  Both of them struggled, since things moved fast between them ( Sometimes it felt like it moved too fast). I also liked how Grace was determinded to move on with her life, and take the next step.  
But so much more than Evan’s and Grace’s romance happened in this novel.  Tiffany’s marriage hits the rocks. ( And let me tell you: Jim is a jerk). I loved watching Owen and Laura, you could almost feel the growing romance between them.


That said all, no matter how much I enjoyed the other romances,it is the weak point of this books . Since there were secondary romances, it never felt like it the focus of the novel was  the romance between Evan and Grace. Also one minor quibble: The lack of the final formatting touches, in the shape of more professional chapter headlines, and scene breaks. The lack of it made me feel like I was reading an post edits, but pre-formatting manuscripts.