Book: The Palisade
Series: Lavender Shores #1
Publisher: Wings of Ink Publications LLC
Publication Date: June 20, 2017
Length: 243 pages
Reviewed by Michael
Synopsis
Confident businessman Joel Rhodes sees the small California town of Lavender Shores as nothing more than a business opportunity and a final stepping stone to the position he’s been working toward his entire life. It was supposed to be just one night in town to close the deal, and sleeping with one of the local men, no matter how gorgeous, meant nothing more than a few hours of fun.
Andrew Kelly is perfectly content with the life he has in his hometown. So much so that the only thing missing is someone to share it with. Going to bed with a tourist was never meant to be the answer to his dreams, just a beautiful distraction. He could get back to looking for Mr. Right the next day.
Both Andrew’s and Joel’s worlds are turned upside down when a few hours of pleasure get extended to a couple of days. Even that shouldn’t have been a big deal. You can’t fall in love in that amount of time. That isn’t how it works. However, if destinies collide, a few short days may be all it takes to find your soul mate. Even so, when secrets and motivations get tangled, fate may do nothing more than leave two hearts in pieces.
Review
So, here's a little-known fact about romance novels: they have a lot in common with fairy tales. Both genres deal in love at first site, magical locations where anything can happen, and, when well written, can make you believe in love at first sight.
Fiction in general, and fairy tales and romance specifically, are built on the notion of taking something intangible and making it real. Lavender Shores is like a fairy tale "realm" (to borrow from a popular television program), complete with majestic locations and colorful characters.
Andrew is an idealist and a romantic. He has his entire life planned out and is simply waiting for that one man to come along and sweep him off his feet. His very own Prince Charming, if you will.
Joel is more practical. He comes to Lavender Shores for business, and with a secret.
When the two lay eyes on each other across a crowded bar, the connection is instant and magical. It might sound cliché, but trust me, it works.
"He smiled at me. 'It's nice to meet you too.'
Simple words. Said to every person who'd ever shaken hands during a first meeting. Words I'd just said seconds ago. But the way he said them...Like there was relief. Like he'd been waiting. Waiting for me."
I'm not often prone to highlighting passages from books. But this one? Absolutely. There are so many beautiful lines, crafted in such a manner that you can feel the connection between Andrew and Joel. Even though they may not understand it, they can't deny it's there. Almost as if it were a living thing.
"My soul recognized his. My body felt instantly at home.
I just knew."
Some readers may not like insta-love, and that's fine. I, however, am a great believer that when you find "The One", you just know. Andrew and Joel both struggle with this, not quite sure if what they feel is real or fleeting. I was glad of that. It added a sense of realism to the fairy tale.
The Palisade itself (yes, it's an actual place) is described in such vivid detail that you can almost see the colors and smell the lavender, further lending to the fairy-tale aspect of the story. The supporting characters are just as colorful as the landscape they populate.
Holding true to every fairy tale, there is the main villain. However, it's not who you would expect, nor are they revealed in the manner you would think. For that, I was glad. I was fully expecting the story to go in one direction and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't.
Like every good fairy tale, it should come as no surprise that there’s an HEA. But it's hard fought, and not without sacrifices from both Andrew and Joel.
Truthfully, I cannot do justice how good this book was. It's such a tender first outing for a new series. I really look forward to seeing what other magic can be woven.
Because of Lavender Shores, dreams really can come true.
Because of Lavender Shores, dreams really can come true.
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Wow! This looks like such a sweet & romantic story. I haven't got much reading done lately as I've been in the process of moving, but I can't wait to sit down with a good book & a hot cup of coffee!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I didn't come across too many great books in May. One that I did enjoy was What Can Be by Mary Calmes. Now, I'm reading the Anchor Point Series by LA Witt.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and much success!
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