Tempting Cameron is the second book in her Lone Pine Lake series which opened with raves. If you haven't read anything by Karen Erickson then let me suggest Tempting Cameron as your foray into her writing. It's that good. This book could be a study about living with guilt and dreading the day when dawn awakens to the truth.

First crushes can be lovely or actually crushing to one's ego and self confidence as well as possibly leaving a gaping hole in a young heart. These holes and woes generally heal or fade away to distant memories as we age, but sometimes they linger. There's no good reason for why they hang in there but sometimes the pull is so strong as to be a bind to the heart and soul.

For Chloe her crush for Cameron was equally sweet and bitter. He never really gave her the time of day. Just saw her as his kid sister's friend who kind of friendly stalked him when they were kids. Chloe wore her heart on her sleeve. Cam wore his disdain for anything remotely warm and loving just as evident.

Two very different people. One with strong ties to hearth and home and the other a runner. Cam fully admitted his shortcomings. But his reasoning was questionable, especially to those who knew and loved him. Just why he harbored feelings of inadequacy around his family and the wide circle of friends in their little town.

In his mind Cameron thought he would never measure up to their standards, a continual disappointment to family and all. His family just thought he marched to his drummer and of course missed having any sort of relationship with their mostly absent son.

Chloe's life went on minus Cam. He remained in her memory as this hero, you know young girl stuff. But as often happens people fail to live up to our memory. Buried deep in Chloe's mind is a memory of a dreaded moment. The moment that nightmare resurfaces it will forever change her life. It will obliterate any pleasant notions of a future with the one man who had won her heart so many years ago. The nightmare will be her new reality.

Karen Erickson takes you on an intriguing journey through the lives of these two characters. She writes about dreams unfulfilled and new doors opening. Her philosophy is simple and yet very rewarding. Erickson's book is a look into the window of life and brims with optimism even when that is difficult to believe in. The dialog is wondrous and real. The characters running dialog is captivating. All this makes Tempting Cameron a winner, definitely a page turner that is surely going to win Erickson new fans and keep her current ones very satisfied.