Review: Falling for You

I have really enjoyed Barb Curtis’s Sapphire Springs series. The small town romance series was so delightful and I’m a little sad Falling for You is the final book in the series. It was a lovely finale and I really liked hanging out with all the characters Curtis created. I’ll miss them!

Here’s the book’s description:

Just when recently evicted yoga instructor Faith Rotolo thinks her luck has run out, she inherits a historic mansion in quaint Sapphire Springs. Though Faith never imagined putting roots down anywhere, small-town life is growing on her, as is her fixer-upper house. If only her handsome new contractor, Rob Milan, would stop spoiling her daydreams with the realities of a major rehab…and his generally grouchy vibes.
A single dad of two, Rob doesn’t have much time for fantasy wish-list ideas his clients can’t afford. Then again, Faith’s creative energy might be exactly what he needs right now. But while Rob and Faith work to give her home the second chance it deserves, their spirited clashes wind up sparking a powerful attraction. As work nears completion, and Faith’s house becomes the shining jewel of the neighborhood, will she and Rob realize that they deserve a fresh start too?

I had a feeling, especially when reading the second book in the series, that this third novel would feature Rob, Leyna’s brother (her story is in the first book) and I gotta say…I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I knew about his background – he had punched the man his wife was having an affair with and was dealing with troublesome custody issues when he had been the main parent of his two girls during his marriage. I knew he wasn’t a violent man and I could understand why he did what he did but I still had a tough time getting on board. It was like it was unnecessary drama and his story could have been different and still gotten a similar vibe. It was a lot to overcome and I don’t think I quite accomplished it.

That said…I was HERE for the love story. I was rooting for Faith and Rob because they were so right for each other. I also really liked that they got off on the wrong foot – multiple times – before they settled into a friendship (that turned into more). It was a bit like an opposites attract with a dash of enemies to lovers (but not true enemies so I was good with it). Their relationship, with all the ups and downs, really was lovely to read and I was so pleased with their HEA.

The history mystery (rhyme intended) in this story was so intriguing. Faith doesn’t know much about her family’s past and she’s surprised by what she uncovers. I just recently read a historical fiction novel that took place during Prohibition so it was fun to read a romance that referenced it as well. It was a really lovely side story and I enjoyed it so much. I don’t want to say too much about it though because it’ll be more enjoyable for you to unravel the mystery right alongside Faith and Rob.

I had a lovely time reading Falling for You and thought it was a great final book in Barb Curtis’s Sapphire Springs series. I’m sad to say goodbye to this wonderful town and characters but I’m really looking forward to what Curtis writes next!

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

Author Interview: Heather Thurmeier

Today is my last post for the Falling for You tour organized by CLP Blog Tours! So far I've already reviewed  Heather Thurmeier's novel (loved it!) and she wrote a great guest post for the blog yesterday. Today's treat is an interview with the lovely Heather! Enjoy :)

Favourite movie?

Oh, so, so hard to pick just one. So here’s my current top 5:

Die Hard

Armageddon

40-Year-Old Virgin

Tommy Boy

The Notebook

Favourite author/book?

OMG, this is like picking a favorite child. Again, you get my top 5:

Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series

Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series

Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series

**I'm actually going to stop at the top 4 instead because I think there are way too many books/series/authors that could be my number 5.

Favourite (or dream) travel destination?

Paris. I went once with my husband and we have the best week ever! We really want to go back with our girls.

Favourite indulgence (food to eat, store to shop in, etc.)?

Books. Lots and lots of books. Was there supposed to be another answer? Handbags. I really love handbags. I don’t own that many of them (regardless of what hubs says!) but I covet many. It doesn't matter what size or shape you are, a new handbag always fits!

Favourite reality TV show?
I have a top 3 (and a whole bunch of other that I love *almost* as much!):

The Amazing Race

Survivor

Bachelor/Bachelorette

What made you want to write romances?

I don’t know. I wanted to write a book for a long time, but never thought I could. I didn't have an idea for a book, just a desire to write one. Then one day an idea came to me, and it sort of festered in my brain for a while, taking shape. When I finally thought I had an overall idea and characters come together, I couldn't wait to write it. It just so happened to be a romance! I'm not surprised really. I love to watch romantic comedies, I love to read romance and chick lit, and I'm a huge romantic in real life!

Do you ever find characteristics of yourself or your friends and family creeping into your characters?

Yes! I think there is a little piece of me in every single one of my characters in some way or another. None of my characters are based entirely off of people I know in real life… that would be awkward! But each character has a little trait from someone I know, or in most cases, from many people I know.

What is your writing process like? Do you have a favourite place or time of day to write?

I write mostly in the morning and early afternoon while the kids are at school and the house is quiet. I find I'm very motivated in the morning to get my word count in and I usually have lots of energy to sit and focus on writing for a few hours. Once the kids come home, it gets harder to focus because they need a lot of attention. And after they go to bed, I'm beat! I get very little to nothing done in the evenings!

What’s your favourite thing about being an author?

I have two answers to this. First, I love that being an author allows me to set my own schedule. I like working as much or as little as my family life allows. It great to be able to work and still be home with my kids after school, to run them to activities and take them for playdates. And I love being able to do the job I love from the comfort of my home.  Secondly, I LOVE creating characters and telling their stories. It’s such a good feeling to be able to put down on paper these stories I have in my head and to have people actually read my books and enjoy them! I didn't realize how fulfilling this career would be when I started my first book, but every time I finish a book it gives me a sense of accomplishment I've never felt any other way. Being an author is incredibly rewarding and satisfying. I can’t imagine doing anything else as a career and I feel blessed that this is my job.

What kinds of things do you like to do when you’re not writing?

When I'm not writing I like spending time with my family and friends. We enjoy going to movies, hiking, bike riding, and playing video games. One of our favorite outdoor activities is geocaching. We use a handheld GPS unit and a set of longitude and latitude coordinates to find hidden ‘caches’. Caches are containers that people hide and inside is always a logbook we sign with our geocaching name and usually there are other little trinkets inside too. Sometimes there are tiny toys for the kids that they can take, and sometimes we bring little things with us to leave in the cache as well. The kids call it treasure hunting! The second book in my reality TV romance trilogy is called Stuck on You and it’s a reality show loosely based on The Amazing Race but with a geocaching twist! I can't wait to see what readers think of it! 

Guest Post: Heather Thurmeier

As promised, today I have a guest post from the lovely Heather Thurmeier as part of the CLP Blog Tour for her new novel Falling for You. If you read my review from the other day, you'd know that this book features a show that is similar to The Bachelor so I wondered what her inspiration was for her trilogy and what it is about reality TV that we love so much. I hope you all enjoy this post as much as I did! A big thank you to Heather for writing this post. Stay tuned for an interview with Heather coming up on the blog tomorrow!

Hi, Kaley! Thank you so much for having me here today to chat about my ridiculous love for all things reality TV and especially The Bachelor/Bachelorette!

What is it I love so much about those shows that I was inspired to base a romance novel on the idea of a reality TV show cast and crew? Ah, so many things!

First, I love the drama of the show. I know, it’s awful, but I do. I love watching the drama between contestants each week. Sometimes there’s even drama between the contestants and the bachelor/bachelorette! I love to see the daggers get thrown as contestants clash. Tensions run high on these show and it almost always results in memorable TV moments!

Second, I love the challenges and dates! I love to watch each week to find out what crazy things the contestants have to do next. I love when they do something exciting like bungee jumping or rock climbing. I’m always amazed when contestants who are scared face their fears and do the challenge! The only challenges or dates that I don’t like are the ones where the contestants have to act or sing. I think it’s kinda cruel and unusual punishment to put them through that in such a publically humiliating way! And one of my favorite things to watch is when the Bachelor/Bachelorette takes a contestant on a fabulous date that would never happen in real life. Maybe they get whisked off in a helicopter to some remote island for snorkeling with dolphins and a sunset dinner on a private yacht. Or maybe they hike up the side of a mountain and have a picnic in the crater of a dormant volcano. Whatever they do, these dates are always unbelievable and I love to see what they’ll do next!

Last, I love to watch romance blossom. I love to watch as those initial sparks of attraction ignite. And when they start to come together as a couple, opening up to each other and sharing pieces of their lives with someone they just met… it just makes me happy! Is there anything better than watching two people fall in love? No, probably not. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true. I think I like reading about two people falling in love even more! You can read all about Cassidy falling in love in FALLING FOR YOU, but she may not fall in love with who you think!

CLP Blog Tour: Falling for You

Welcome to my stop on the Falling for You blog tour! I'm so glad I decided to take part in the CLP Blog Tour for Heather Thurmeier's latest novel. I loved it!

Here's the synopsis:

Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show, The One.
But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.
After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.
Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.
But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.

I don't watch a lot of reality TV but the franchise I do watch is The Bachelor/Bachelorette (I draw the line at The Bachelor Pad) so it was a lot of fun to read this novel. I really liked the "behind the scenes" sort of look I got at a similar reality show. Even though I know Thurmeier essentially made up the show, she would have done some research so it was a believable story. As believable as novels and "reality" TV is, of course (and that's not a knock at the book!) :) I watch these shows for the outlandish dates and to see if the contestants can actually find love. This novel was that and so much more. Reading about Brad and the other girls was hilarious - and just what I imagine those shows to actually be like.

I really liked Cassidy. She was a spunky girl and it was quite amusing to read about her adventure as a reality show contestant. I couldn't believe she had ever been with Brad. He was a bit of a...let's call him a twit, shall we? :) Evan, on the other hand, was delightful and their romance was so much fun to read. It was a lot steamier than I expected - an added bonus!

I am so excited that this is a series. The next book, Stuck on You, features Paige, another one of the girls on The One with Cassidy. She was such a sweet character and I really can't wait to read more about her - and find out what Cassidy and Evan are up to.

Even though Falling for You is more of a contemporary romance, I think chick lit lovers would really enjoy it as well. Heather Thurmeier is now one of the authors I stay up to date on because I've now enjoyed two of her novels. I can't wait to read the second book in her reality TV series! Stay tuned for a guest post from Heather and an interview with her coming up in the next couple of days!

Happy reading :)