Review: Enjoy the View

I've been having so much fun reading Sarah Morgenthaler's Moose Springs series. I liked Mistletoe and Mr. Right, the second book, a bit more than The Tourist Attraction, the first, and I liked Enjoy the View a bit more than that! I don't know if it's because I'm loving the town more the more I read about it or there was something about Easton and River's story that really drew me in. No matter the reason, I enjoyed reading it!

Here's the synopsis:

A grouchy mountaineer, a Hollywood starlet
And miles of untamed wilderness...
What could possibly go wrong?

Former Hollywood darling River Lane's acting career is tanking fast. Determined to start fresh behind the camera, she agrees to film a documentary about the picturesque small town of Moose Springs, Alaska. The assignment should have been easy, but the quirky locals want nothing to do with River. Well, too bad: River's going to make this film and prove herself, no matter what it takes.
Or what (literal) mountain she has to climb.
Easton Lockett may be a gentle giant, but he knows a thing or two about survival. If he can keep everyone in line, he should be able to get River and her crew up and down Mount Veil in one piece. Turns out that's a big if. The wildlife's wilder than usual, the camera crew's determined to wander off a cliff, and the gorgeous actress is fearless. Falling for River only makes Easton's job tougher, but there's only so long he can hold out against her brilliant smile. When bad weather strikes, putting everyone at risk, it'll take all of Easton's skill to get them back home safely...and convince River she should stay in his arms for good.

As usual, I was both frustrated and understanding of how the residents of Moose Springs were treating River. They need the tourists to be able to stay financially viable but they also want absolutely nothing to do with them. So, they treat River pretty terribly. She, like I, can't quite understand why they don't want their town overrun with tourists so her enthusiasm rubs them all the wrong way. I don't think they need to be assholes though and I felt the same as I did when Lana was butting heads with the entire town as well. And there's even a quick scene with Zoey, the heroine from the first book, is "othered" and treated like an out of towner. Graham may be head over heels in love with her but it's like it physically pains and sickens him that she didn't grow up there. It's the strangest thing.

I've never had the urge to climb mountains. I could barely get my spindly arms to cooperate during rock climbing week in gym class during high school. (I haven't tried it as an adult but since I seem to have developed a fear of heights, I figure I probably shouldn't give it a go.) But. That doesn't mean that I was uninterested in the story as Easton, River, and her team climbed Mount Veil. (Which, as I'm realizing as I'm writing this...doesn't actually exist.) The mountain climbing took up a longer portion of the book than I expected (and maybe a touch too long and technical) and there was a lot of drama. Like absolutely terrifying and I-was-afraid-for-their-lives kind of drama. It added to the suspense of the building romance between River and Easton. It was like climbing the mountain was a giant, long foreplay session. And that was not a bad thing! I remembered that Morgenthaler keeps everything other than kissing behind very closed doors so I liked that the pair flirted and teased each other. It was so fun and sweet to read.

Speaking of love stories. There's a marmot that follows Easton and the group when they're climbing the mountain. It is the most ridiculous thing but I absolutely adored it. Because why not have a rodent fall in love with a tall, bearded mountain man. Honestly, I can't explain how hilarious and adorable it was.

Even though the Moose Springs series hasn't WOW-ed me, I've been having a lot of fun reading Sarah Morgenthaler's novels. Enjoy the View has been my favourite so far and I definitely recommend reading it (and the rest of the books) if you want to armchair travel to Alaska. They're funny and sweet and the small town feel is so great to read (especially for this small town girl). I do hope there will be another book - I want to see Ash, Easton's twin sister, get her love story too!

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

Review: Mistletoe and Mr. Right

 

I read Sarah Morgenthaler's The Tourist Attraction this past summer after I saw all sorts of bloggers and bookstagrammers talking about it. The cover first grabbed me and the description drew me in even further. Once I realized it was going to be a series, I was thrilled and made sure to request a copy of Mistletoe and Mr. Right to read and review. I'm so glad I did because it was so enjoyable - even more so than the first book!

Here's the synopsis:

How the moose (almost) stole Christmas.
Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can't stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana's determined to prove that she belongs...even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town's hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.
And really...how hard could it be?
The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it's not getting any easier now that his dream girl's back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it's clear she needs help, fast...and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It's an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong...together.

If I had to try to explain Moose Springs, I would have to liken it to Stars Hollow but moved from Connecticut to Alaska and with a lot more moose. The townspeople are quirky but loveable and always there for each other. They're very much against tourists and that's why they're hellbent on blocking Lana at every turn. I think that was a really interesting thing to read as the townspeople don't want change nor do they want a bunch of strangers ruining their town. Most of them do know that without tourists their town would start dying but it has to be hard to see your quaint town overrun with people who don't care about what's left when their vacation is over. The thing is, Lana really does care about the town and you can't help but hope the town realizes that her vision does have some merit and that they can all find a way to work together.

I couldn't really remember how Lana and Rick met and there was some allusion to their history that kept throwing me off because I couldn't remember any of it. And I only read the first book in the summer! It wasn't a huge deal but I had to keep reminding myself that they did have history and that was why their relationship was moving as it was. It's a bit of an opposites attract kind of story but I find that kind of insults both Lana and Rick. She's rich, yes, but she knows the important things are friends and family which is why she holds on to her friendship with Zoey and Graham so tightly. And Rick isn't some small town guy with no brain, which he sometimes comes across as - which I don't think was Morgenthaler's intent. He's a quiet guy who observes everything and has a lot of his shoulders, trying to take care of a failing business and raising his ex-wife's nephew, who is now twenty and Rick's roommate.

Speaking of roommates - Rick is a total animal lover (he has a tendency to take in strays and look after everyone which was a bit refreshing since normally it's the female in the romances who has that issue). He has a giant cat, Roger, who often makes his displeasure known but deep down loves his home. AND HE HAS A HEDGEHOG. The set-up to the reader meeting Darla was perfection and I laughed out loud when I got to that part. I'm not a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, exactly, but even I found it too funny that the hedgehog is named after a character in the show.

This book is heavy on the comedy with a sweet romance (no open door sexy time here) and important messages woven throughout. It's not all fun and games when you're trying to: catch a destructive moose, prove to your family that you have a solid business plan for your favourite town, keep your pool hall afloat, keep your nephew out of jail, and just generally save the town.

Sarah Morgenthaler's Mistletoe and Mr. Right is quirky and lovable and I had a lot of fun reading it. I enjoyed the second Moose Springs book much more than the first and I really looking forward to the next book in the series, Enjoy the View. 

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