Review: Alaska Dreams

Jennifer Snow’s Wild River series has been so lovely to read. The romances are all enjoyable and the backdrop of Alaska helps sweep me away when I’m reading. Alaska Dreams is the latest in the series and I was really looking forward to reading Selena’s romance. I liked the book but I’m not sure I liked the hero for Selena so that kind of let me down. It’s still worth a read if you’re a romance lover but I find myself hoping the next book will be better.

Here’s the book’s description:

Following a near-death experience, Selena Hudson is finally going after the career she wants. And since casting directors won’t see her as anything but a rom-com queen, Selena signs on to produce and star in her own movie—an edgy psychological thriller. But just as the cast and crew arrive on location in Wild River, Alaska, the leading man drops out of the production.
Reporter Gus Orosco is not hiding out in Wild River—he’s waiting for the dust to settle after his on-camera “overreaction” triggered by watching his ex-fiancee get engaged to a superstar hockey player. Gus doesn’t want to be anywhere near the film crew shooting at his family’s campgrounds, but Selena makes him an offer he can’t refuse: she’ll snag Gus an interview with Sports Beat if he’ll be her leading man. All Gus has to do is learn his lines, hit his marks and somehow ignore the sparks flying between them…even though they’re hot enough to melt the Alaskan snow.

I love Selena. She’s a big name rom com actress who’s trying to break out of the stereotype and prove she can do more than just rom coms (with no disrespect meant for the genre). She’s smart and she has a huge heart. This is why I think Snow let her down with Gus. There’s nothing really wrong with the guy. But here’s a dude who blew up on national TV when he had to report on a story of his ex-fiancée getting engaged to someone else. And then he’s a complete ass when Selena and the film crew show up at the camp. He did lose his job, yes, and his sister did forget to tell him they were coming and he expected solitude but it’s his own damn fault he lost his job because his poor little man feelings were hurt and he couldn’t keep them under wraps while the camera was rolling. And then, near the end, he tries to fix things without discussing them with Selena and then just makes it all worse. I wasn’t here for it. So it’s kind of a real bummer that I didn’t love the romance as much as I wanted to.

For those who like the steamier romances, this one had open door scenes – more, I think, than any of the other Wild River books. I’m kind of curious as to why Snow made that choice but, hey, it made for some good reading!

Part of why I love this series is the small town feel and how everyone knows everyone. I liked getting glimpses into what other characters were up to. I missed them and it was nice to get caught up.

I’m going to keep reading the Wild River series because Jennifer Snow’s romances do always leave me with warm and fuzzy feelings (which is a nice break from, you know, *waves arms at world*). Alaska Dreams was a fun read and I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*