The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr – Review & Excerpt

The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
Four women come together at a tumultuous time in their lives, forging an unbreakable bond that will leave them all forever changed.

Celebrity cooking show host Marni McGuire has seen it all. She’s been married—twice—and widowed and divorced. Now in her midfifties, she’s single. Happily so. She just needs to convince her pregnant daughter, Bella, of this fact. And maybe convince herself, too. Especially after Marni’s efforts to humor her determined daughter result in a series of disastrous dates that somehow prompt Marni to wonder if maybe the right man for her is still out there after all.

Similarly single, Marni’s best friend and colleague is confident she’s content without a man, but both older women soon find themselves leading by example as the young intern on their show appears caught in a toxic relationship—and Bella reveals her own marriage maybe isn’t built to withstand the stresses of the baby on the way.

Suddenly, all four women find themselves at a crossroads, each navigating the challenges of dating, marriage, loneliness and love. Thankfully, they have each other to lean on. The realities of modern love are far from easy, but there’s no better group to have in your corner than friends who will lift you up, no matter what, and hold fast in the face of any storm.

 

 

Review:

The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr is a wonderful stand-alone novel. The story revolves around 4 women in different age groups (who are friends, family or coworker); centered around Marni McGuire.

Marni is a well-known cooking show chef, whose tv show, Marni Cooks, is very successful.  She has been married twice and is now happily single.  Her pregnant daughter, Bella, keeps trying to set up her mother with blind dates, which Marni tries to avoid; especially after her disastrous divorce a few years ago. Bella, who is a lawyer, finds herself overwhelmed by her pregnancy and her marriage is struggling.

Ellen works with Marni, and also loves being a chef, though she likes being out of the limelight.  Ellen and Marni are very close, having worked together for over 20 years, with Ellen widowed and content living alone. Ellen enjoys spending off time with Marni, Bella and Sophia (who also works for the cooking show). Sophia is in college, and works at the television station, in an internship, helping prepare the food in the background. 

These women have a close bond, which also includes Marni’s sister Nettie, and when they get together, they always help support each other. This is a wonderful story about friendship and relationships, as well as helping each other.  Both Marni and Ellen find themselves becoming close to possible relationships. Marni becoming close to Sophia’s father, a local farmer, and Ellen slowly falling for her next-door neighbor.

When Sophia meets Angelo, she finds him very attractive and fun to be with.  But things change drastically, and he shows a very bad side.  Sophia breaks up with him, but now he is stalking her, breaking into her house.  She finally tells Marni and Ellen, and they try to help her, with Sophia staying at Marni’s house; with a restraining order against Angelo, who continues to appear.  They all have each other to get through difficult times, and Sophia, still living in fear, will change her life and move back home to Argentina, where she can be free. 

What follows is a touching and heartwarming story, revolving around friendships, family, violence and love. The Friendship Club was a sweet story so very well written by Robyn Carr.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher



                                                       ONE
“And that’s a wrap,” the director said. “I think I have everything I need. I’ll do some editing and you can review it.”
“Thanks, Kevin,” Marni said. “My sister and my daughter are coming by for a glass of wine. Would you like to join us for a drink to celebrate finishing another season?”

“Thanks, no. I’m on the timer. New baby on the way,” he said.
“Of course! How’s Sonja feeling?”
“Huge,” he said with a laugh. “But the baby’s still cooking. The midwife says she has a few more weeks. Sonja cried for an hour after hearing that.”
“I remember that feeling,” Marni said. “Like it was yesterday. You better stay close to her. Thanks for everything this season. I think we got some good stuff.” Then Marni turned to her intern, Sophia Garner. “But you’ll stay, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “It’s going to be an intervention, I think.”
“Oh, fabulous, I love those,” Marni said with a hint of panic. “If you and Ellen clean up, I’ll put out some hors d’oeuvres.”
Of course she was prepared; just a little fixing up and presentation required. Marni Jean McGuire worked every day and took very few breaks from cooking, writing, studying, traveling and experimenting with new recipes but they only filmed the segments of her show sixty days a year. But filming was intense. Twice a year they’d film for thirty days over six weeks—enough for two seasons. She hosted one of the most popular cooking shows on a cable network. Today marked the last day of filming and they always celebrated.
Marni’s kitchen was essentially a set; all their filming was done in her home as opposed to a studio. She smiled as she watched her producer, Ellen, who was busy cleaning up with Sophia. Ellen was a bona fide chef but she had no interest being in front of the camera. Sophia loved the camera and the camera loved her; after being caught on camera accidentally a few times, she had become beloved by the viewers for her quick wit and delicious accent.
Marni Cooks was very popular but hosting a TV show had never been her lifelong goal. Far from it. It fell into her lap like a glorious miracle. When she was a young widowed mother, she did whatever she could to make a dollar and raise her little Bella. She took a job handing out food samples for a chain of grocery stores. With her baby in a carrier on her back, she turned out to be a hit. She sold out her product day after day, probably because Bella was so funny and flirtatious and Marni, despite the fact that life hadn’t been easy, was personable and approachable. Almost immediately after she began, shoppers came looking for her, engaging her in conversation. They gave her good reviews and told store managers how much they liked her.
Once she filled in for a product demonstrator for the same grocery chain, showing interested patrons how to slice, dice, shred, spiral and chop vegetables. Again, Bella rode along; childcare was impossibly expensive. Her sense of humor and ease with being in front of a small audience charmed people—including the producer from a television station. Marni was hired to demonstrate a couple recipes every week on a local morning show. Along with that she did cooking demonstrations at fairs or exhibits, published a couple of small cookbooks, helped out at catering services, began writing a short cooking column for the newspaper and filled in when other chefs were unavailable as a guest on various cooking shows. Then she landed a full-time job as the on-air chef for a cable cooking show. She had been thirty-two. Her viewing audience grew quickly and soon after she hired Ellen, who was an expert in her own right. Marni was syndicated to a handful of affiliates and her popularity continued to grow. She knew she owed as much of her success to Ellen as to her own hard work. Ellen had a knack for delectable creation but she was such an introvert she would never agree to join Marni in front of the camera.
But in Ellen’s hands the food became a living, breathing wonder and she had become the associate producer over time, thanks to Marni. She knew what a gift she had in Ellen and took very good care of her. And Ellen knew what a great opportunity she had with Marni; no one else in the business would let her just cook without taking on any management responsibilities and yet pay her so well. But every time Marni’s fortunes improved, Ellen benefited as well.
A little over twenty years ago Marni had met Jeff, a news anchor for the local affiliate. Since she lost her young husband when Bella was only nine months old, she hadn’t been optimistic she’d ever find another forever man but fate shocked her by delivering up Jeff. It was a great love, filled with promise and passion. They were a team from the start, both of them being in TV and very visible in the community. They worked together, shoring each other up and urging each other on. Jeff was a fantastic stepfather for Bella and proudly walked her down the aisle six years ago.
Shortly after that something changed. Marni was concerned that a woman Jeff worked with had ulterior motives. She’d been stalking him for years, texting him, asking his advice, professing to be his friend and protégé and constant supporter. Marni had warned Jeff many times that he needed to be careful not to encourage this woman and he always said he could handle things. But his behavior changed and Marni grew suspicious. She caught them making out in Jeff’s car in the parking lot of a local park that sat in the shadow of the beautiful Sierras.
When she realized what she was witnessing, she drove very slowly up close to Jeff’s car and laid on the horn. They jumped apart like two heart attacks. It was divine.
She knew in that moment that her marriage, which she had enjoyed a great deal, was over. Clearly Jeff had been lying and leading a double life for years. The pain of that was excruciating. She also instinctively knew that Jeff and the woman had both gotten what they deserved—each other. Neither was honest nor faithful. In an instant she knew, she would not go a second further with a man who could look her in the eye and deceive her. She told him to leave. He didn’t argue or try to save their marriage, but he did hire a good lawyer and fought for a healthy settlement. At that time they both had solid careers, but Marni was edging ahead. Jeff went after a big slice of that success; indeed, he took credit, as he’d given her so much wonderful advice. At least that was his perspective.
At Marni’s insistence, they settled and divorced quickly. Marni had asked herself if she should pause and think it over, maybe try marriage counseling, but a gut instinct said end it fast. When he asked for a percentage of her future earnings, she knew she’d been right. It had to be over as swiftly as possible. She gave him half, though he hadn’t earned half. Since there were no minor children or businesses involved, he couldn’t possibly do better. She cut him a big check, waved goodbye and ran for her life. She learned you can still sprint pretty well with a broken heart.
After a couple of years of hating him, things settled down. Marni had handed over more money than seemed fair to her, certainly more than Jeff deserved, and that angered her but the relationship was over in her heart. And Karma being a vicious soul, Jeff was demoted in his job while Marni’s popularity soared.
Jeff had used his settlement to open a restaurant, hoping to capitalize on Marni’s notoriety as a television chef. But Gretchen, the other woman, was his business partner and Marni refused to endorse the restaurant. While he was busy trying to cash in on her success, Marni just put her head down, worked hard and became even more popular.
Then there was a sea change. Jeff had not married Gretchen, but he had spent a lot of money on her, found her cheating, and she unceremoniously dumped him, leaving Jeff a broken, much poorer man…with a struggling restaurant. Of course he brought his tons of regret to Marni, begging her forgiveness. Telling her that letting her go was the biggest mistake of his life!
“No doubt about it,” Ellen had said.
“Too little, too late,” Bella said. Bella was, if possible, angrier than Marni about Jeff’s betrayal.
“Men are so stupid,” said Sophia when she heard the story.
Marni had long since stopped complaining to her friends. To Jeff she said, “You broke my heart and tore my family to pieces. Don’t expect any sympathy from me.”
“You don’t understand, Marni,” he said. “I think she used me and turned me against you, the only woman who truly loved me.”
“Oh, I believe I understand completely,” she had said. The story was as old as time. He’d succumbed to flattery and been thinking with his dick. No amount of his regret would change the fact that she’d be an idiot to ever trust him again. She was no idiot.
But she did soften her anger slightly and they were now cordial. Every now and then Jeff would call her or text her or stop by, though the locks on the house had long since been changed. Over the past couple of years he had suggested a few times that they go out for dinner and she always declined. He clumsily proposed she might cook something for him. “One of your favorite new recipes… I would love that.”
“Not in your wildest dreams,” she had replied.
Marni heard the dishwasher start and snapped out of her thoughts of the past. She pulled her pesto canapés from the oven, the artichoke dip from the refrigerator and heard Kevin depart.
The door opened again. “Mama?” Bella called.
“Right in here,” Marni said. “How is the bump?” Bella was five months pregnant and cute as a button. It was a pregnancy hard won through wildly expensive in vitro fertilization.
“A little feisty,” she said with a very proud smile.
The door opened again and Marni’s sister, Nettie, came in from the garage.
Marni put down her hors d’oeuvres and transferred the centerpiece from the kitchen island to the long rectangular coffee table in the great room just as Ellen was bringing in a tray of wineglasses. Sophia followed with a large oval-shaped bucket filled with ice and two opened bottles of white wine. She went back for a chilled bottle of sparkling cider in an ice bucket on a tripod stand for Bella since she was off alcohol.
Marni loved watching them enter the room, her colleagues and loved ones. Ellen came into a room with shy demeanor, standing nearly six feet tall, lithe and graceful. She wore her her once blond and now white-gray hair in a simple pageboy. She always bent her head slightly and Marni wasn’t sure if her height made her uncomfortable or if it was her shy nature.
Nettie, ten years younger than Marni and the mother of two sons, was an English professor at the university in Reno.
Marni brought out a couple more plates of hors d’oeuvres, Sophia placed napkins all around, Ellen pushed over an ottoman for Bella to rest her feet upon, and they settled in. First was a toast. “A very good season, I think,” Marni said. “One of our best. I’m sleeping in tomorrow.”
Glasses were clinked in agreement, small plates were filled, napkins unfolded. And Marni looked around with a feeling of warm satisfaction. This was her happy place. This great room with her closest friends and family. And outside, through the patio doors, reflected in the backyard infinity pool was the sight of the Sierra Nevada mountains, still covered with snow, though it was May. They all lived in Breckenridge, Nevada, a picturesque little town nestled into the base of the mountain range just south of Reno and Lake Tahoe. There was a winding road, not exactly a secret but little known, that went switchback up over the mountains and then down into Lake Tahoe. People who grew up in Breckenridge knew it well.
This was an agricultural and ski town, with the mountains so close, and it was beautiful with its million-dollar views of nature at her best. To Marni, it looked similar to Austria.
Marni had overseen every aspect of the construction of this house, the kitchen being the focal point. She and Jeff were married at the time and while he helped by sharing advice and supervising construction, it was her house. She approved the plans and made it part of her business. And she loved it. Knowing it would be caught on camera, it was beautifully decorated in beiges, browns, pinks and mauves. It was redecorated almost annually for the same reason—updating for the viewers. But the most important thing to Marni was that the house felt like a hug to her, making her feel safe and protected.
When Jeff moved out, she filled the empty space he left in no time at all. Filling the empty space in her heart had taken longer. Even though she had stopped loving him and stopped hating him, there was still a hole there. A black cold hole. It frequently reminded her that she had no talent for love.

Excerpted from The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr. Copyright © 2024 by Robyn Carr. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

 


 


Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.

 

Social Links:

Author website: https://www.robyncarr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robyncarrwriter/
Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/Robyn-Carr-134368309920956/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Robyn-Carr-134368309920956/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robyncarrwriter

 

 

 

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A Family Affair by Robyn Carr – a Review

A Family Affair by Robyn Carr – a Review

 

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Description:
Anna McNichol knows how to take charge. Raised by a single mother, she’s worked to ensure her three children have every advantage she didn’t. And while her marriage has its problems, she values commitment and believes in “till death do us part.” Now an empty nester, she’s at the peak of her career and ready to seize the opportunity to focus on her future.

But life can change in an instant, and when her husband dies suddenly, Anna’s carefully constructed world falls apart. The mysterious young woman at the memorial service confirms her husband had been keeping secrets, and Anna is determined to get to the truth.

For once, she doesn’t have the answers. Her kids are struggling with their grief, her mother’s health is in decline and Anna needs closure. Faced with one challenge after another, she finds support from an unexpected source. And as she puts her life back together, Anna realizes the McNichols may not be perfect but they’ll always be family, and family is forever.

 

 

 

Review:

A Family Affair by Robyn Carr is a wonderful family novel. Anna McNichol, our heroine, lives a successful life as a judge, with three grown up children on their own, and married to Chad, for over 30 years; with their relationship having problems.  The children, Jessie, Michael and Bess having their own issues, and when Chad dies suddenly in a rafting accident, things begin to fall apart, as the children find themselves struggling. At the funeral, Anna spots a young pregnant woman, and knowing that Chad had cheated on her years before, she wondered who this woman was.  In the reading of the will, Chad left Anna the 80%, and the children each got 10%, with another 4th person also getting 10%; everyone is puzzled who the 4th person is.

Anna soon discovers some secrets that Chad had kept, besides his affair. She meets the girl who she saw at the funeral, and learns that he was her father from the affair years before.  The girl has a baby, and Anna realizes that she is the 4th person given a share of Chad’s will.  Anna does not yet tell the children about their step sister, but Anna begins to care for the girl, her baby and her husband; in time Anna will tell their father’s secret.

Jessie was always the angry one, who was a doctor. Michael was the nicest one, but did not know how to handle his father’s death, and loses his girlfriend.  Bessie is somewhat autistic, and as long as she takes certain meds, she is fine. Anna will become closer to Joe, who was a family friend.   As the family struggles, and Anna gets sick, the whole family will bond to help their mother, forming a close-knit group, as well as learn the secrets & sins of their father. Each of the children will change, and learn to move beyond their struggles and find their own happiness.

A Family Affair was a wonderful story that covers grief, anger, secrets, forgiveness and moving forward in their lives. The story also covers many health issues, such as dementia (Anna’s mother), autism, death, adultery, sickness, just to name a few.  Anna was a fabulous heroine, and over time we got to love the whole family, and their significant others.  Very well done.  A Family Affair was so very well written by Robyn Carr.  I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr – Review & Excerpt

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr – Review, Excerpt & Blog Tour

 

 

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Description:
Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…

Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.

When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.

Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.

Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.

 

 

Review:

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr is an emotional and sweet story of family and sisterhood.  Justine and Adele are sisters, but with the 20-year age difference, they are not that close, but they do care about each other.  Justine is a successful attorney, being the breadwinner for the family, and married to Scot, a stay at home dad, with two children. 

Adele was planning to go to college, but when her father died, and her mother had a stroke, she dropped out of school to take care of her mother.  Justine helped staying with the mom once a week to give Adele a break, and giving her money, as well as playing their expenses.  8 years later, her mother dies, and Adele needs to find a way to resume her life.  At the same time, Justine’s marriage is falling apart, as her husband is having an affair, and spending his money on his mistress.  

What follows is a change in both of their lives, with Justine moving forward with a divorce, as well as having to deal with her husband using the money to pay off his mistress debts; and Adele deciding it was time for her to find a job.  It was nice to see Adele accidently fall into a job which helps people, and discovers she is very good at it.  The sisters become closer, as they both must face the new challenges life has given them, and be able to be there to support each other along the way.

 Both Adele and Justine will also find themselves with friends that eventually would grow to a relationship, giving both the happiness they deserved. I liked the many secondary characters Carr created, which included Adele’s work friends and Jake, who was her best friend; as well as Justine’s friend who helped her through the divorce and a new job.  I did not like Scot, nor his girlfriend, who both not nice.

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay was a wonderful heartwarming and emotional story line, very well written by Robyn Carr.   It is a story that revolves around two sisters, in very different stages of their lives, who bond together to embrace their sisterhood and the changes life offers to bring back happiness.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

“Has it ever occurred to Scott to get a serious job?” Adele asked. “I mean, forgive me, since I haven’t had a serious job in my life.”
Justine smiled patiently. “Your jobs have all been serious, and without you we’d have been lost. If you hadn’t dedicated yourself to Mom’s care, it would have cost our whole family a fortune. We’re indebted to you. And I agree it would help if Scott worked more than part-time, but I think that ship sailed years ago. He’s only worked part-time since Amber and Olivia came along.”
Adele adored her nieces, ages sixteen and seventeen. She was much closer to them than she was to Justine.
“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” Adele said. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“Well, the thing is, the future is looking very uncertain. I might need your help,” Justine said.
“What could I do?” she asked.
“Adele, I don’t like to push you, but you have to get it to¬gether. We have to make some decisions about what you’re going to do, what we’ll do with the house. I realize what I’ve given you for your hard work hasn’t been much, but I don’t know how long I can keep it up—paying for the maintenance on this house, the taxes, a modest income for you… I don’t want to panic prematurely,” Justine said. “Maybe I’ll be able to work everything out without too much hassle, but if I run into trou¬ble… Money could get very tight, Addie. All those promises I made—that I’d help financially while you fix up the house, that I’d give you my half of the proceeds when and if you sold it… I might not be able to come through. I know, I know, I promised you it would be yours after all of your sacrifice, but you wouldn’t want me to ignore the girls’ tuition or not be able to make the mortgage…”
“But Justine!” Adele said. “That’s all I have! And I was con¬sidering finishing school myself!” Though if she was honest, she had no plans of any kind.
Justine reached out to her, squeezing her hand. “We’re a long way from me needing money. I just felt it was only fair to tell you what’s going on. If we’re in this together, we can both make it. I swear, I will make this all work out. I’ll make it right.”
But as Adele knew, they had never really been “in it together” in the past, and they wouldn’t be for very long in the future. Addie’s dedication to their parents allowed Justine to devote herself to her career. For that matter, it should be Justine and Scott shoring each other up. At least until Justine had a better idea. But where was Scott today? Golfing? Biking? Bowling?
Adele realized she had some difficult realities to face. When she dropped out of school to help her mother care for her fa¬ther, she wasn’t being completely altruistic. She’d needed a place to run away to, hiding an unplanned pregnancy and covering her tattered heart. She’d never told her family that her married lover—her psychology professor—had broken down in tears when he explained he couldn’t leave his wife to marry Adele, that the college would probably fire him for having an affair with a student. For her, going home was the only option.
At the time Justine and Scott had been riding the big wave and didn’t lust after the small, old house in Half Moon Bay. That house was chump change to them. So, they worked out a deal. Adele had become her mother’s guardian with a power of attorney. But the will had never been adjusted to ref lect just one beneficiary rather than two. In the case of the death of both parents, Adele and Justine would inherit equal equity in the eighty-year-old house and anything left of the life insur¬ance. At the time, of course, neither Adele nor Justine had ever considered the idea that Adele would be needed for very long. But before Adele knew it, eight years had been gobbled up. She was thirty-two and had been caring for her parents since she was twenty-four.
Adele, as guardian, could have escaped by turning over the house, pension, social security to a care facility for her mother and gone out on her own, finding herself a better job and her own place to live. She wasn’t sure if it was her conscience or just inertia that held her in place for so long.
“I just wanted to make sure you understood the circumstances before anything more happens,” Justine said. “And since you don’t have any immediate plans, please don’t list the house for sale or anything. Give me a chance to figure out what’s next. I have children. I’ll do whatever I can to protect them and you. They’re your nieces! They love you so much. I’m sure you want them to get a good education as much as I do.”
Does anyone want me to have a real chance to start over? Adele asked herself. This conversation sounded like Justine was pull¬ing out of their deal.
“I’ll think about this, but Scott has responsibilities, too,” she pointed out.
“He’s been out of the full-time workforce for so long…” Jus¬tine said.
“Just the same, we all have to live up to our adult commit¬ments and responsibilities. And you’ve had a highfalutin job for a long time. You’ve made a lot of money. You can recover. I haven’t even begun.”
“I need your help, Addie,” Justine said. “You need to come up with a plan, something we can put in motion. Make plans for your next step, put a little energy into this old house, make suggestions of what we should do with it, everything. Let’s fig¬ure out what to do before I find myself short and unable to help. I’m sorry, but we have to move forward.”Excerpted from Sunrise on Half Moon Bay, Copyright © 2020 by Robyn Carr. Published by MIRA Books.

 

 



Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.

 

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.robyncarr.com/
Twitter: @RCarrWriter
Facebook: @RobynCarrWriter
Instagram: @RobynCarrWriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/107767.Robyn_Carr?from_search=true

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Wildest Dreams (Thunder Point #9) by Robyn Carr-a review

WILDEST DREAMS (Thunder Point #9) by Robyn Carr-a review

Wildest Dreams

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 25, 2015

Blake Smiley searched the country for just the right place to call home. The professional triathlete has traveled the world, but Thunder Point has what he needs to put down the roots he’s never had. In the quiet coastal town he can focus on his training without distractions. Until he meets his new neighbors and everything changes.

Lin Su Simmons and her teenage son, Charlie, are fixtures at Winnie Banks’ house as Lin Su nurses Winnie through the realities of ALS. A single mother, Lin Su is proud of taking charge and never showing weakness. But she has her hands full coping with a job, debt and Charlie’s health issues. And Charlie is asking questions about his family history—questions she doesn’t want to answer.

When Charlie enlists Blake’s help to escape his overprotective mother, Lin Su resents the interference in her life. But Blake is certain he can break through her barriers and be the man she and Charlie need. When faced with a terrible situation, Blake comes to the rescue, and Lin Su realizes he just might be the man of her dreams. Together, they recognize that family is who you choose it to be.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: WILDEST DREAMS is the ninth installment in Robyn Carr’s contemporary, adult Thunder Point romance series focusing on the people in and around Thunder Point. This is triathlete Blake Smiley, and single mother/home care nurse Lin Su Simmons’s storyline. WILDEST DREAMS can be read as a standalone; any important information from previous storylines is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person point of view WILDEST DREAMS is an ensemble storyline that focuses on Lin Su Simmons and her relationship with the people of Thunder Point-and more specifically Winnie, Grace and Winnie’s new neighbor Blake Smiley. Lin Su is Winnie’s nurse; a health care worker who tends to Winnie’s needs as her symptoms of ALS begins to worsen. With the arrival of Winnie’s new neighbor-triathlete Blake Smiley-Lin Su’s son Charlie begins a complicated friendship with the newest resident of Thunder Point. As Charlie’s friendship with Blake deepens, Lin Su finds herself oddly attracted to the first man in her life in close to fourteen years.

Lin Su is an over protective single mother whose only child has some issues with asthma and breathing difficulties. As Charlie begins to assert his independence as any fourteen year old wants to assert, Lin Su is reluctant to give up control of her son to anyone including Blake Smiley who assigns himself Charlie’s mentor and trainer. Lin Su, like many heroines, has a past clouded in betrayal and heartbreak, and with it comes the inability to trust or open her heart to new possibilities. Lin Su’s acerbic and vitriol attitude towards Blake was off putting and a big negative to my overall enjoyment of this storyline.

The relationship, and thusly the storyline, was very, very slow to develop. Blake’s attraction to Lin Su is immediate but our heroine is less than receptive to Blake’s smile and charms. As a character, Blake felt more like a secondary or supporting character rather than the storyline hero as the majority of the focus was on Lin Su’s relationship with Charlie, Winnie and the people of Thunder Point. The limited love scene is mostly implied.

WILDEST DREAMS is an ensemble storyline that also looks at several continuing stories from previous installments; there are three impending births, and Winnie’s health continues to deteriorate over time. If you are a fan of the Thunder Point series you will enjoy revisiting the cast of characters; if you are new to the series, there may be some confusion as to the ‘relationships’ and connections but Robyn reveals some of the background and history of these other characters.

I did have some issues with this particular storyline. The ending felt a little rushed in comparison to the rest of the book; there was a big reveal and a promise for the future that basically leaves the reader hanging wondering what will happen next. The conflict between Lin Su, Blake and Charlie, once again, revealed a caustic side to the storyline heroine that was troublesome and problematic. The ‘physical descriptions’ of Blake and Lin Su were limited; the character development was interesting but I need a starting point from which to ‘imagine’ my storyline characters. I had a difficult time picturing Blake from the start.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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