Review: Lost Without You

Lost Without You is the newly released final book in a great romance series by Heather Thurmeier. I read and loved the first two novels, Falling for You and Stuck on You (links lead to reviews), and couldn't wait to see how the series turned out!

Here's the synopsis:

Zoe Oliver never wanted to be on another reality TV show… until Chip Cormack made an offer too good to refuse. He’s guaranteed her a payday this time and a chance to redeem herself in America’s eyes. But Zoe worries she won’t be able to focus as her desire for Chip grows and her strength to resist him weakens. When she learns she’ll be roughing it in the woods with Chip and without luxuries like indoor plumbing and electricity, she’s instantly on edge, feeling naked and terrified that her scars will be exposed and her secrets revealed. When Zoe’s past turns up on the show, she fears she’ll lose not only the life she’s sacrificed everything else to have, but also the affections of the only man she’s ever trusted with her heart.

The thing that makes this series different than a lot of other romance books is the setting. Each novel takes place during a reality show. How fun is that? The final book features a Survivor-esque show that really pushes the contestants to the limits. What makes it different than the other books is that Zoe, the heroine of book three, isn't actually a contestant, she's the host. The show still plays a large part in the story as she does have to watch each challenge and even participate in small ways (I don't want to think too much about the cooking she had to taste during one challenge). This made things fun and it complemented the other part of the story - the romance!

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Chip and Zoe getting together. I pictured him as a pretentious and snobby (redundant?) producer and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read about him. Turns out I was wrong about Chip. As soon as the book started I was assured that he was absolutely crazy about Zoe and had been trying to hide those feelings for years. I liked that Thurmeier touched on how he had changed which helped reconcile the two Chips I had in my head. As I read on, I realized that the relationship between Zoe and Chip totally made sense and I found myself rooting for them. I could see that they had great chemistry. Of course, the scene in the waterfall didn't hurt matters! ;)

I had told Heather that I couldn't wait to read the final book because I wanted to get the full story about Zoe's past. We got hints of it in the second book, Stuck on You, and that helped me see that Zoe wasn't the huge bitch that I thought she was. She's just intensely guarded. That impression was confirmed as I read this book. I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't read the previous two books but just know that Zoe really is a good person. She was sexy, sarcastic, and real and I really loved reading her story.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Lost Without You. Heather Thurmeier did a great job of sharing Zoe's story and wrapping up the series. I'm sad to see these characters go but I'm happy they all got the endings they deserved.

Happy reading! :)

*A copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*