New Release Review: First Light (Heartsville Series #2) by Christina Lee & Felice Stevens
Blurb:
Two years after the death of his wife, Aubrey Hendricks is still weighed down by grief. He can’t focus on anything beyond working at the family farm, First Light. At the urging of a friend, he takes a step toward resuming a normal life and reopens the bakery his wife once ran. He places a Help Wanted ad in the local paper, and to his surprise, an applicant shows up the next day.
When Oliver Hansen gets a second chance at life, he grasps it with both hands. Leaving his stressful life in New York, he plans to enjoy the simpler things. Driving to Heartsville in the Pocono Mountains to thank his heart donor’s widower is a top priority. But the brusque man with the melancholy eyes strikes a chord in Oliver. So when Aubrey mistakenly believes he’s there to apply for the bakery job…Oliver takes him up on the offer.
As Oliver busies himself with the grand reopening, he and Aubrey establish a tentative friendship, which soon shifts to blazing attraction. Oliver falls hard for him, yet he can’t help but wonder if Aubrey’s feelings are an attempt to maintain a connection to the wife he’s still mourning. And Aubrey is unsure if Oliver will tire of the slow pace in Heartsville and go running back to the city he loves. The two must successfully navigate the stormy waters of grief, doubt, and their very different lifestyles, or they risk losing both their hearts—again.
3.75 Stars!
Two wonderful authors who somehow just didnt quite suck me in as they generally do.
While I often find both Felice Stevens and Christina Lee to be great authors and I enjoy their books, something was missing in First Light for me. There seemed to be a lot of dragging going on and not enough conflict for me. Yes, there was emotion and the two MC’s seemed to have a great connection and I found the premise to be quite intriguing but I almost found myself annoyed at each man for various reasons.
Aubrey was gruff and reserved, still swallowed up in the grief of his wife’s death. He wasn’t the most endearing character for me, especially in the beginning of the story. It was understandable that he was not in good shape. His wife Lisa died two years ago and he was having a hard time accepting it, however, I got this feeling that he was almost inherently unapproachable, even before Lisa’s death.
Oliver was easier to connect with even if I didn’t completely agree with him approaching Aubrey in the beginning. It’s an extremely sensitive situation and my stomach was in knots waiting for the consequences. Luckily for both Oliver and Aubrey, the focus of the story isn’t on Oliver not revealing having received Aubrey’s heart.
Technically, First Light was well written and it’s obvious both Christina and Felice are great at what they do. Each man’s POV is well done and they’re easily distinguishable. I believe these authors make a great writing team. I regret not having read Last Call because I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. I am going to go back and rectify that because I’m anxious to read Quinn’s story. And I’ll be checking out any future books of theirs, I may not have loved this one but I’m definitely a fan of the authors.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
No comments:
Post a Comment