Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell

This was one of those kindle freebies that simply caught my eye, partly because of the title. I love tattoos and I think polar bears are cute as hell. And the cover is cute too.. and it was free! However, I didn't expect much from it as my experience with the kindle freebies hasn't always been great.. Boy, was I surprised.

It was one of those weeks in which nothing I picked up held my attention very well.. and I kept coming back to this one. I first read a few pages just to see if it was worth even keeping on my kindle.. and I just kept going. I was hooked by the first person narrative, the honesty, the realness of the heroine, Candice. I also like the writing style, the flow, and I could totally related to what was happening.


Candice has been married to Ian for two years. Like all husbands, Ian occasionally says something hateful to her.. and we all know that once you say it, you can't take it back. Sometimes, we sting from the words for a few days and sometimes.. we never forget. Due to the death of his parents and his blaming Candice for it, Ian crosses that line, says something hateful, and Candice can't get past it. 


To add to an already volatile situation, Ian is leaving for a month... and Candice's ex boyfriend ends up being her latest client in the restaurant business. And this guy.. makes her feel hot, desired, special, wanted... He makes her feel the way all of us wives wish we felt. And the temptation to stray, to break her marriage vows is great.


But, this amazing man wasn't always amazing. He has hurt her before. Can she trust him this time? Or can she forgive Ian and fix her marriage? 


Did I mention this man is also a client? There could be a job loss here if things go too far.


Really, really, really enjoyed this. Candice is real. She has everyday thoughts and problems and desires that all women have. She's not perfect and she makes mistakes. She also adds bits of humor to her narrative.


When at the gym, she loses the chance to use a treadmill, "I decided on the next best thing, a machine that seemed to resemble cross-country skiing..... From the moment I climbed on board, I was like a cat on a hot tin roof. Wearing roller skates. Blindfolded. When I hit myself in the face the first time with the pole, I stunned myself for a second, but that the fifth collision I hardly noticed."


Seriously, fess up, ladies. We've all done that. :)


Quibbles: 1. Her emails to Ian told us a lot about she was feeling.. but where was Ian's emails? I wanted to see what she was responding to. 2. Too much crying at times. Though understandable, it was still irritating at moments.


Four stars and I "bought" this on Amazon Kindle.