THE ONE REAL THING by Samantha Young is Book 1 in the
author's latest series - Harts
Boardwalk. Samantha is author
of the very popular and successful Dublin
Street series. I
had read the Dublin Street reviews and been meaning to pick
up the series for quite a while now. When I saw the chance
reviewing the 1st book in the author's latest series, I knew
I had to get it and I am glad I did. IF there was one word
to describe how I found reading my first book from Samantha
Young it has to be -- Addictive. It is a romance no doubt,
the basic template is the same for all romances but then you
know how they say -- same ingredients different taste
depending on the hands that cooked them. That's exactly what
came to mind when I read THE ONE REAL THING. There's love,
friendship, heat, conflict, some intense and ugly emotions
all coming together beautifully in the end. Samantha Young
has a way with words which pull you in and keep you hooked
all the way to the end of the story.
THE ONE REAL THING is set in a small tourist beach town
Hartwell in Iowa. The lead characters are Dr. Jessica and
local bar owner Cooper Lawson. Jessica has a dark secret
from her past which makes her break away from her family and
move to a different state. Years later her only tie to her
family town is her best friend Matt and the ghosts form past
which haunt her occasionally. Jessica's secrets are so
painful that despite being a qualified surgeon she chooses
to serve the sick at a women's correctional facility -- a
place where her secrets aren't as painful but manageable. On
a chance discovery of old letters in the prison diary
written by a now dead inmate she sets off on a quest to
unite the letters with its recipient. This quest brings her
to Hartwell, Cooper and makes her question the niggling
voices in her mind which she has been ignoring for a long
time now. She decides to wait in Hartwell till the letters
are handed over to its rightful owner, she decides to make a
vacation of it and tries to relax and enjoy herself. While
in Hartwell, which is a typical small community with
everyone's nose in everyone's business she finds friends,
warmth, attraction and love. She finds pieces falling in
places in her life, things she didn't even know she missed
or was looking for. Being a small community it's not long
that the newcomer makes a small place for herself and
inevitably her past threatens it all. What follows is how
Jessica untangles the dark, twisted knots of her past and
avoids disaster striking her future happiness; All with the
help of her new friends and delicious beau Cooper Lawson.
What's noteworthy is there is an element of excitement,
hints of mystery and heightened anticipation as the story
unfolds. Cooper and Jessica have a feisty attraction from
the word Go; theirs is a chemistry which heats up with every
encounter. With so much sparks flying around and heat
simmering between the two, you can imagine how sizzling their
first kiss could be. It's hot, dirty, rough and rugged and
yet there is certain sweetness and warmth in their intimacy.
I was hooked on to the story and found it hard to put down.
It was as addictive as eating sweet, salty caramel popcorn
and your favorite movie on the screen. I was lost in the
characters of Hartwell and its strong sense of community.
Every character makes a mark and together they make you wish
to be a part of a close knit group. I loved everything about
Hartwell and have my own list of characters whose story I
would want to read next which is why I am looking forward to
what or rather who's next in the limelight on Harts Boardwalk.
The New York Times bestselling author of On
Dublin Street is back with the first in a sexy new
romance series set in a small town on the Delaware
coastline.Welcome to Hartwell, a quiet seaside escape where
uncovering old secrets could lead one woman to discover the
meaning of a love that lasts…
While Doctor Jessica Huntington engages with the inmates at
the women’s correctional facility where she works, she’s
always careful to avoid emotional attachments in her
personal life. Loss and betrayal taught her that lesson
long ago. But when she comes across a set of old love
letters in the prison’s library and visits the picturesque
town of Hartwell to deliver them to their intended
recipient, she finds herself unable to resist the town’s
charm—and her attraction to the sexy owner of a local bar
proves equally hard to deny.
Since his divorce from his unfaithful ex-wife, Cooper Lawson
has focused on what really matters: his family and the
boardwalk pub they’ve owned for generations. But the first
time Jessica steps into his bar, Cooper is beyond tempted to
risk his heart on her.
Yet as their attraction grows hotter and Jessica remains
stubbornly closed off, he begins to realize it will take
more than just passion to convince her there’s only one real
thing in life worth fighting for….
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