DECEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Narrator Anne Marie Gideon engages listeners with the Christmastime goings-on of the inhabitants of Summer Island, a small island in the Great Lakes. Lila Sloan is taking care of her sister’s bed and breakfast when someone begins bulldozing the trees behind it as part of a new development. When she rushes outside to stop it, she discovers that handsome Beck Grainger is behind the destruction. He agrees to stand down—for that day anyway. Gideon does a good job of expressing Lila’s dismay over the development—and her instant attraction to Beck. She also brings to life the various members of the community—from Beck’s young neighbor, Cade, to Lila’s friends, Dahlia and Suzanne. Listeners can practically see the snow piling up as the holiday approaches. S.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
08/26/2019
A handsome land developer butts heads with the woman safeguarding her family’s trees, Lila Sloan, in this sweet, if overlong, Christmas romance, the second Summer Island contemporary (after The One Who Stays). Lila Sloan, reeling from a recent sexual assault, agrees to watch her sister’s inn on Summer Island, Mich., over the holiday season to assuage her guilt over being absent in the past. Beck Grainger comes to the island to escape the memory of his judgmental father, and hoping to build on the gorgeous land. But when Lila throws herself in front of his bulldozer to protect the trees that were part of her childhood, development halts and sparks fly. Despite their fundamental disagreement, their chemistry is undeniable. Thrown together by the smallness of the island, Lila and Beck grow closer, helping each other to work through past traumas. The back-and-forth between these two stubborn characters is excessively drawn out, but their happy ending is well earned, and the pervasive Christmas atmosphere is sure to put readers in the holiday spirit. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
"[T]he pervasive Christmas atmosphere is sure to put readers in the holiday spirit."-Publishers Weekly
"Toni Blake's engaging Summer Island series highlights her talent for taking vibrant characters on emotional, heartfelt journeys." -JoAnn Ross, New York Times bestselling author
"Toni Blake's romances are so delicious, so intoxicating and addictive, a good night's sleep isn't even an option.... No one does it like Toni Blake." -New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr
"The perfect small-town romance." -Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author of Born to Be Wilde, on One Reckless Summer
"With sizzling sensuality and amazing depth, a book by Toni Blake is truly special." -Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of Driven to Distraction
"Toni Blake's One Reckless Summer is one wild ride! This is just the book you want in your beach bag." -Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Between You and Me
"Sexy and emotional." -Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of Dream, on Letters to a Secret Lover
"A wonderful story of friendship, love and a surprise that will keep readers turning the pages of this well-written tale. Blake is a master of small-town romances." -RT Book Reviews
"Whisper Falls is the enemy of productivity. You start this novel, and nothing will stop you until you finish." -USA TODAY
"A sexy yet also sweet romance that beautifully celebrates friendship, family, and the true spirit of the holiday season." -Booklist on Christmas in Destiny
