No Place Like You - Contemporary Romance Review

No Place Like You (A Cloud Bay Novel) By Emma Douglas (Amazon Link)

Rating:  Good
Source: Publisher 

Description:  Leah Santelli always knew that Zach Harper, son of a rock legend and her best friend's brother, was painfully out of reach. Then, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, Leah shocked herself by asking for--and receiving--the gift she wanted: one night of passion with Zach before he left town to pursue his rock star dreams. Now, years later, Zach is back in Cloud Bay to record his first solo album. His return could also be Leah's big chance to step up her own music career. But getting the producing credit she needs means spending long hours with Zach in the recording studio...and falling back into the habit of longing for him, for better or worse.
Zach used to believe that a man must put his past behind him. But coming back home for Cloud Bay's famed music festival has allowed him to finally make amends with his family and, much to his surprise, reunite with Leah. He might have left her once but now it seems he can't stay away. Trouble is, even though the heat between them burns hotter than ever, Leah has old wounds in need of healing before she can give Zach a real chance. Can he find a way to convince her that they can make more than just great music together--and that she's the one that he wants for all time?

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  I really liked the first book in the series and I love the best friend’s older brother trope.

My Impression:  This was fun!  I love a destination setting and Cloud Bay with its rock stars, music festival and miles of beaches definitely made for a fun destination.  I also loved the inside peek at the world of music production.  I had no idea how big of an influence a producer could be or the difference between a sound engineer and a producer.  I can’t swear by the accuracy but it was definitely fun to read!

I loved Leah right from the start.  She’s smart, good at her job, and independent.  Zach took a bit longer to warm up too but I think that was intentional.  He’s been a self absorbed jerk despite never making an actual appearance in the previous books and was keeping the streak alive   He wasn’t mean or cruel though which made him able to redeem himself in my eyes.  And redeem himself he did!  There was a lot of sweetness mixed in with the heat and it was fun to read.

My only issue was very minor and very subjective.  While I really liked the characters I didn’t feel a huge connection with them.  They never became characters that I missed when I wasn’t reading the book though they did come alive while I was reading.  However, this is a series I’m looking forward to continuing and based on the hint dropped at the end of this one I’m really excited for book 4!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I’ll be keeping an eye out for the next book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy contemporary romance this is a great series.  If you enjoy second chances and best friend’s older brother tropes you could jump in right here with no problems.