THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake #1) by Juliana Stone-a Review and Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Released April 2013

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans

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REVIEW: THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME is the first storyline in Juliana Stone’s new Bad Boys of Crystal Lake contemporary romance series focusing on a small town group of childhood friends who are brought back together at the funeral of one of their own. Future storyline heroes are introduced, each with a haunted past, but The Summer He Came Home is Cain Black’s story.

Cain is the epitome of a rock and roll star: tattoos, sexy starlet for a wife, and a lifestyle conducive to tabloid rumors and innuendo. But the day he returned to Crystal Lake for his friend’s funeral, all bets are off. Reeling from a double betrayal at the hands of his wife and a fellow band mate, Cain is instantly drawn to Maggie O’Rourke-a beautiful single mother who works hard and keeps to herself in the small Michigan town. But Maggie’s move to Crystal Lake comes with a few secrets, and if her whereabouts ever become public, Maggie will lose more than her freedom-she could lose her son as well.

The Summer He Came Home has the usual romantic storyline push and pull of the forbidden attraction. Juliana Stone writes a story with a build-up of the relationship, not jumping too quickly into the sex and morning after regrets. But if you are looking for the bad boy of rock and roll image, Cain’s character (back home) is nothing like what fuels the tabloid pages.

There are a few unanswered questions regarding Cain’s future and music career, especially as it pertains to his relationship with Maggie and her son, but perhaps these issues will be resolved in a future storyline when one of his childhood friends has his story told. There is also the fact that Maggie and Cain’s ex-spouses are still very much in the picture-hopefully there is some resolution on the horizon.

The Summer He Came Home is a storyline of betrayal and loss, finding yourself and being able to love again despite a history of failure in the relationship department. Juliana Stone introduces a cast of characters right from the pages of Small Town, USA and forges a bond between the reader and her hero/heroine and friends. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Sourcebooks is offering a paper copy of THE SUMMER HE CAME HOME to one lucky reader at The Reading Cafe.

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3. Giveaway is OPEN to US and CANADA only.

4. Giveaway runs from April 30 to May 3, 2013