Take an adventure down under in Charming The Outback by Leesa Bow

In Charming the Outback, we get to take a trip to Australia and experience the way they live and their culture. I enjoyed seeing the differences from how things are where I live in the USA. I found Maddy to be a strong woman to want to change her usual ways and embrace the more country and hard working lifestyle of working on a station.

What is a station?
In Australia, a station is a large landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia. The owner of a station is called a grazier (which corresponds to the North American term rancher) or pastoralist.

Charming the Outback is a second chance love story...usually one of my favorite types of romance stories. I enjoy seeing two people find their way back to one another and working through their problems. Which is what Luke and Maddy did. 

The beginning of this story was slow and I didn't feel the connection right away between Maddy and Luke. He was awful to her and a big jerk. She became friends with another guy, Zane. And to be honest, I felt more chemistry between them. They were more flirtatious with one another, joking, and more at ease. When Maddy was with Luke, it was just anger toward one another, which I usually like, don't get me wrong. I like a strong conflict and the hero and heroine having a hard time getting along. I think throwing Zane into the story, made me want to see Maddy with him. I hope that Zane gets a story soon. I'd like to see him find love and settle down from his playboy ways.

*Possible spoiler*

The heroine grows a lot in this story. She matures - which is one of Luke's biggest complaints about her. She shows him that she can be the woman he wants her to be. Until the very end, I never saw Luke changing for her. He was very hard on the heroine and the way she was throughout the story. Thankfully in the end, he wised up and finally saw he needed to compromise as well if things were going to work out with the woman he loved.

*End possible spoiler*

All in all, I enjoyed the story. This is a very sweet story, little to no sex in it. And when there is sex, it's not in much detail. You get the idea they are together and that's as far as it goes. I enjoyed all the secondary characters and will be interested in their stories when they come out. I've not read the first book Winning The Player, but it's not needed to enjoy this story. As they are written as stand alone stories.

My Rating:

The book summary:

When jaded city girl Maddy McIntyre packs up and leaves Adelaide for a new job in the country, it's not only a chance at a fresh start. Six months ago, the first guy she'd ever loved shattered her heart before moving home to Broken Hill. Deep down inside, Maddy is hoping that living in the same town will give her an opportunity to prove to Luke that she's one temptation he can't resist.

But when she arrives in Broken Hill, Luke White is not the same guy she knew in the city. And it soon seems very clear that he doesn't want her there. Although Maddy settles in quickly, excelling at work and partying with her new friends, she can't understand why Luke is remaining so distant. Particularly when all her instincts are telling her that they're meant to be together – and that he feels the same burning attraction.

As Maddy learns more about Luke's family and background, she begins to understand that his mixed messages are caused by balancing what's expected of him with what he really wants. Maddy gave Luke her heart long ago and, despite their differences, she knows she'll only ever be happy with her hot country boy. But how can she convince him that she's the risk he needs to take?

Visit Sunset Villa in Stranger At Sunset by Eden Baylee

A vacation in Jamaica sounds like a great place to escape. Especially a visit to the Sunset Villa, which is the resort in this book Stranger at Sunset.

The writing pulled me into this story. The author writes very well and is easy to follow. I enjoyed her style and would read her again. Stranger At Sunset grabbed my attention starting with the blurb and in to the story. Over all, I enjoyed the story.

There were several point of views to keep up with and at times, I had a hard time, or even wondered why I needed to know what this person was doing on the vacation. I kept reading, figuring I would soon find out. This book was classified as a thriller/mystery. So as I read each scene, I figured there was a reason, the story was being set up. The thriller/mystery genre is one I enjoy a lot. I don't like to say anything negative, but the suspense didn't come in until about 80% of the book had been read, and even then within two chapters, the author let us know who the killer was. I would've liked to see the death come sooner and the suspense held out longer.

With that being said, I did still enjoy the story. I am curious about one of the characters, Kate, and what is in store for her next. The book ends leading me to believe that there will be another, but not in a cliff hanger type way. Everything in this story is tied up with a bow and resolved.

All in all, I would recommend this book to a reader who wants to step away from romance for a bit, and get to know a few sets of characters who have interesting lives. Many of the characters introduced in this story, I am curious where their lives have gone since vacation, so I'm curious to know if the author will use any of them in her next book.

My rating:

Vacation can be a killer.

Dr. Kate Hampton, a respected psychiatrist, gathers with a group of strangers at her favorite travel spot, Sunset Villa in Jamaica. Included in the mix are friends of the owners, a businessman with dubious credentials, and a couple who won the trip from a TV game show.

It is January 2013, following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The luxury resort is struggling, not from the storm, but due to a scathing review from caustic travel writer, Matthew Kane. The owners have invited him back with hopes he will pen a more favorable review to restore their reputation.

Even though she is haunted by her own demons, Kate feels compelled to help. She sets out to discover the motivation behind Kane's vitriol. Used to getting what he wants, has the reviewer met his match in Kate? Or has she met hers?

Stranger at Sunset is a slow-burning mystery/thriller as seen through the eyes of different narrators, each with their own murky sense of justice. As Kate's own psychological past begins to unravel, a mysterious stranger at Sunset may be the only one who can save her.