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.*

Review: Under an Alaskan Sky

Back in December I read a holiday-ish novel, An Alaskan Christmas (review here). I was completely enthralled so I was really happy when I realized Jennifer Snow would be writing it as a series. Under an Alaskan Sky published earlier this year and I read it at a time when I needed to go back to a place that was lovely and familiar and get caught up in another love story.

Here's the synopsis:

Allowing himself to love always seemed too dangerous. Now it might be his only salvation…
Single dad Tank Wheeler has vowed to keep his heart shuttered in the name of keeping his young daughter’s life stable. But lately, the chemistry between him and his adrenaline-loving best friend, Cassie Reynolds, has been getting him a little hot under the collar. And then, with one scorching birthday kiss, these best friends are instantly more.
Exactly the wrong time for Tank’s ex to show up in Wild River, Alaska.
Cassie is pretty sure she’s having a waking nightmare. Not only is Tank’s gorgeous ex hoping to reclaim her family, but a new megastore is threatening the wilderness-adventure business she’s spent five years building. But Cassie never backs down from a fight. And now it’s time to make the most terrifying leap of her life—and hope that Tank catches her…before she falls too far.

I'm not really a big fan of love triangles so I was a bit worried about where Snow was taking the story when Tank's ex came back to town. Without giving much away, I really liked how the story played out. Montana says she's coming back for her daughter but you gotta believe she wants another shot at Tank. She could have been painted as a totally evil witch-with-a-b but Snow manages to portray her so, so well. Which I'm thankful for because the next book in the series will be about Montana and someone else in town.

The other reason I was so wary of Montana was because I had already fallen in love with Cassie and Tank in the first novel. Their solid friendship was so lovely but you absolutely knew it had to eventually become much, much more than a friendship. While it's admirable to think of the child in the relationship - Cassie had become like a surrogate mother to Tank's daughter - if the pair had been open with each other, they could have avoided a whole lot of heartbreak and slammed doors and runaway daughters. But where's the fun in that, right?

I adore Cassie. She is small and spunky and with a heart of gold that is head over heels in love with Tank. I admired her entrepreneurial spirit and how she worked so hard to do the very best for her business - even when it was hard and made others question her decisions (and really, they were only questioning them because they loved her so much and wanted to keep her safe).

Tank was such a great father - which was refreshing to see in a romance novel. I think the single dad trope is getting stronger so we'll probably start seeing a few more out there. It's not one I'd normally seek out, to be honest, because single parent stories just aren't my jam. (I'm childless for a reason and know what I like when it comes to romance novels. And it doesn't include babies.) But. I liked Tank. Even though he needed to give his head a shake and realize that keeping things buried and Cassie at arm's length was not helping anybody, especially not him.

All in all, Under an Alaskan Sky is just what I like in a romance novel. Jennifer Snow's novel swept me away and I enjoyed every second I spent with Cassie and Tank in Wild River. I'm really looking forward to the third novel, A Sweet Alaskan Fall, so I can get back to the small town to see how everyone is doing.

*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.*