Review: Kiss Me in the Rain by Lindzee Armstrong

My rating: 2 stars / It was okay

Synopsis

Will she risk the home she treasures for the man she loves?

Cypress Grove has always been a treasured constant in Layla's perfect life. Now the mansion will be sold to the highest bidder if she doesn’t date an investor's son. The problem? The man she really wants just rolled into town.

Tyler is done being responsible and never going after what he wants. Layla's finally given him the courage to quit grad school and use his student loans to flip houses. And he's decided to move near Cypress Grove to do it.

When Layla happens upon suspicious ledgers at the mansion, her family's financial woes take a sinister turn. As Tyler and Layla work together to find the culprit, the attraction between them threatens to burst into flames. But admitting their feelings could spell disaster for Cypress Grove.

My Review

This story did not capture my interest as I read. I think it began with not being able to connect with Layla and Tyler due to a lack of character development. It might have been different if I had read the previous book they were introduced in. I felt like I started the story halfway through. Things just started happening and I was reading what was going on, but felt removed from it all. Layla came across as snobbish in some ways (judging others as "gauche"), yet didn't understand why Tyler thought she wouldn't be okay dating someone who didn't fit her standard of living. The fake engagement plot felt a little over the top, and I agreed with Tyler when he called it a "crazy alternate reality." I thought it was cool that he wanted to restore old properties and flip the houses, but didn't think that using his student loan money was an honest way to get started. Shouldn't he have gotten a personal loan or business loan for that? It felt like the story jumped back and forth between Tyler's project and Layla's project instead of being more cohesive. Even though I thought this book was just okay, some of my other reviewer friends enjoyed it so you still might want to give it a chance, especially if you read Kiss Me in the Moonlight by the same author.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Part of the Destined for Love Mansions series:

Kiss Me in the Rain by Lindzee Armstrong
Roping His Heart by Jaclyn Hardy
The Princess and The Pizza Man by Cassie Mae
Mending Faces by Lorin Grace
Love Me at Sunset by Lucinda Whitney
Saving Her Plantation by Cami Checketts

Tackle your TBR Update!

It's halfway through the read-a-thon, and I've read 5 out of the 8 from my goal list! Plus two more I snuck in there ;) I'm excited to be able to meet my goal this year since I was much more realistic!

Books Read:  Kiss Me in the Rain by Lindzee Armstrong

Pages Read: 238

Total Books Read:  7

Total Pages Read:  2,494

Finished Books: 

Review: The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Book 1 in the Under Northern Skies series

Synopsis

When Signe, her husband, Rune, and their three boys arrive in Minnesota from Norway to help a relative clear his land of lumber, they dream of owning their own farm and building a life in the New World. But Uncle Einar and Aunt Gird are hard, demanding people, and Signe and her family soon find themselves worked nearly to the bone in order to repay the cost of their voyage. At this rate, they will never have land or a life of their own.

Signe tries to trust God but struggles with anger and bitterness. She has left behind the only life she knew, and while it wasn't an easy life, it wasn't as hard as what she now faces. When a new addition to the family arrives, Signe begins to see how God has been watching over them throughout their ordeal. But after all that has happened, can she still believe in the promise of a bright future?

My Review

This book is about work, work, and more work. I would have thought that the descriptions of the never-ending tasks that fell to Signe would have lost my interest, but I was actually fascinated. It was like Little House on the Prairie for adults. The author skillfully and subtly wove in the myriad of emotions Signe felt, including frustration, compassion, exhaustion, loyalty, motherly love, humor, and exasperation. I couldn't help but admire her work ethic and dedication. It made me take a good hard look at myself and my own housekeeping habits! When it seemed that nothing would change in Gird and Einar, the dynamics began to shift ever so slightly and then more quickly, and I loved the direction the story went. There's not much romance, but we do see the love, support, and admiration Rune and Signe have for each other in subtle ways. So many rich themes in this book are subtle, and it was heartwarming to see the patience and efforts of Rune and Signe pay off in the end. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Under Northern Skies series!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Tackle your TBR Update!

Books Read:  The Promise of Dawn by Lauraine Snelling

Pages Read: 384

Total Books Read:  6

Total Pages Read:  2,256

Finished Books: