Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Dreamweaver Trail plus Rival's Challenge - Review

Dreamweaver Trail by Emily March

Rating: 4 Stars
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Gabi Romano takes a temporary job on a tropical island to give herself time to pick up the pieces after a job switch and a terrible break up.  Little does she know that her neighbor, Flynn Brogan is hiding out with a new name and trying very much to forget his past.  As the two who are trying so hard to forget their past get to know each other their present suddenly starts looking a whole lot brighter and maybe just maybe the future as well.  That is until a shocking act of violence ends everything.

Genre: Romance

Why I Picked This Book:  I liked the cover and I'd been having pretty good luck with the women's fiction type romance so I thought I'd try a new author.
My Impression:
Pros:  I really loved the characters in this one.  I was a little afraid when the book opens during the wedding reception of the couple from the previous book that it was going to basically be a continuous march of characters from past books but it really didn't end up that way.  While a lot of characters from previous books were there we see them mostly with how they relate to Gabi.  I also loved Gabi and Flynn together.  They were both truly nice people who had it rough - though Flynn far more than Gabi - and were still trying to find a connection.  Bismark is a fantastic character throughout the book and any fears I had of something happening to him ended up being groundless.  The only problem is I now want a Newfoundland and I don't exactly live in the climate for that.  These are two people you really root for and they really deserve their happily ever after.  I also found Gabi's interest in glass blowing interesting.  It's not a subject I really know anything about and March gave us a little information without overdoing it.

Cons:  While I think this book could have gotten monotonous if there hadn't been some kind of conflict I think I could have lived with less conflict.  Having Flynn's rather awful past along with the new source of violence just seemed too much.  The almost spiritual discussions of the magic of Eternity Springs was also a bit much at times.  While I like the idea of one town having the power to heal Gabi went on some mystical rambles that I didn't love.  They seemed a bit unnecessary.

Overall:  Despite the flaws I really enjoyed my first experience with Emily March.  She created likable characters and 2 interesting and beautiful settings.  I do wish Flynn had to endure a little less as that did get almost painful to read.  I also liked that this is a series that does not need to be read in order.  I picked this up at #8 and immediately connected with Gabi and Flynn.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes though I will make sure to read the blurb before I read as I know at times she tackles some pretty awful topics.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes.  I think if you like the small town contemporary romance genre you'd like this one.






Rival's Challenge (The Chatsfield) by Abby Green

Rating: 3 Stars
Source: NetGalley

Description:  Antonio Chatsfield has one job - negotiate the takeover of the Kennedy Group hotels to help show the world and the new CEO that the Chatsfield family is still capable of doing business on their own.  Orla Kennedy has to negotiate the takeover for her father but she knows there are other ways to save her family's hotel brand.  The problem is when Antonio and Orla set down for their meeting they each find themselves face to face with their one night stand from the night before.  What makes things more complicated is that they both want more.

Genre: Romance

Why I Picked This Book: To say that I didn't like the prequel to this series would be an understatement.  However, I was intrigued by the idea of a series set within the walls of a luxury hotel so I decided to give this another try.

My Impression:
Pros: Orla is a great character.  She's nice, she's very intelligent and an incredibly hard worker.  She's also spent her entire life trying to prove to her father that she's capable of running the hotel.  As the relationship develops there are really sweet aspects that begin to develop.  These two really understand each other because they've spent their lives in similar situations.  It was nice to watch them both unwind as they got to know each other.

Cons: As frequently happens with these series books this one really suffered for it's lack of length.  It would have been really lovely to see this relationship unfold a little more naturally instead of the rushed feel this book has.  Also, in their first interaction after their identities are revealed his reaction borders on slut shaming and I was very close to putting the book down.  I'm glad I didn't but it definitely affected my overall opinion.

Overall:  While there were a lot of aspects that I enjoyed there were also a number that I didn't.  I think the biggest problem was the length so I'd definitely be willing to try this author in a full length novel.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, if it was a full length book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Unless you're absolutely in love with the premise than probably not.

15 comments:

  1. These both sound good. I've wanted to try one of Emily March's books for awhile and have a couple on my Kindle, but I haven't had a chance to read them yet.

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    1. I enjoyed this one. I think I'll probably be a little careful with her books as she does choose some difficult topics and not all of those work with me.

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  2. I haven't read either of these authors before. I'm especially interested in Dreamweaver Trail after reading your review.

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    1. Both were good but I probably enjoyed Dreamweaver Trail more. The Harlequin series books generally have length issues for me.

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  3. I haven't been reading a lot of women's fiction lately but the Emily March book sounds interesting! Maybe I'll get back into the genre!
    Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. I enjoyed this one and it definitely had a darker edge than many I've read!

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  4. Dreamweaver sounds like a book I'd like, except for the mystical stuff, but I'll pass on the second one. I don't think I've read either author before.

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    1. The mystical babble is easy to skim over so I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's definitely worth trying!

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  5. I would be interested in checking out Dreamweaver Trail. I never heard of either author, but I like the glassblowing aspect, the small town contemporary romance, and the Newfoundland (my parents had one years ago). Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I found the glassblowing aspect interesting and I liked that she was a beginner so we kind of got a look at how you start. I love Newfoundlands but I know they wouldn't do great in the climate here. They've got great personalities!

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  6. Yeah the hotel would have drawn me in too, but I think of the two books I am most curious about Dreamweaver Trail. I love the setting :)

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    1. The length of the Harlequins tend to be a big drawback for me. I definitely look forward to seeing what the author can do in a full book. I really enjoyed Dreamweaver Trail though it was a bit darker than I expected.

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  7. I am not a fan of romance novels - I think they move much too slowly and other than the sexual tension, can be boring. I appreciate your careful analysis of these two books, but am not sufficiently curious to read them.

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    1. Thanks! I enjoyed them but not every genre works for everyone so I can understand them not being for you. I always like seeing everyone else's tastes.

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  8. Good reviews! I have to say that Dreamweaver Trail (which I also enjoyed!) isn't a typical Eternity Springs book. There's not as much violence and heavy drama in most of them, though a few of the characters have really tough experiences in their past. This one really took me by surprise. The spiritual stuff, though, that's definitely part of all the books. I like it, actually -- I have my suspicions about Celeste, but I don't think we're ever going to know for sure, and I'm fine with that. :-)

    I think I'll pass on the other book. I'm not in love with the premise, and my TBR shelf is too full to add anything I'm not really excited about. Thanks for the heads-up!

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