July 2016 Book of the Month & Giveaway
August 5, 2016 07:27 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
My favorite read from July is an oldie (it was first published over 20 years ago) but a goodie. Just like with my June Book of the Month, the hero is a bad boy and the heroine is good girl and his perfect foil. However, this time it’s a contemporary romance that full of the emotion and passion that I love, while still having a suspenseful mystery on the side that’s constantly lurking in the background begging to be solved. The story contained a lot of my favorite romance tropes, like older woman/younger man and opposite sides of the track. The supporting cast was stellar, showing the darker of side of small-town life. Overall, it was yet another perfect read that left me with a smile on my face and a sigh at the end.
Johnny spent ten years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Everyone in his hometown thought he was guilty as sin, because he was a bit of a hellion in his teenage years and came from the wrong side of the tracks. He had a terrible life growing up, filled with abuse, but inside he’s a good and decent person. Nobody saw that, though, except his former high school teacher. She was one of the few who staunchly believed in his innocence when he was convicted. Johnny went into prison little more than a kid, but comes out a full-grown man. Not surprisingly, he has a bit of an attitude problem too. Because she believes in him, his former teacher gives him a job in her family's hardware store so he can make parole. Johnny has loved her from afar since he was just a teenager, and she’s pretty much the only thing that brought him back to town. It’s through her love and acceptance that he’s able to open up and be vulnerable, and she also inspires him to be a better man.
While Rachel was Johnny's English teacher, she saw the sensitive side of him that took secret pleasure in poetry and literature. That’s why she couldn’t believe that he would ever commit such a heinous crime. She remembers a sullen teenage boy, but Johnny returns a wildly sexy and brooding man, who wreaks havoc on her libido. She finds herself attracted to him in a way she never has been before, but she knows that to get involved with him would rock their small town with scandal to say nothing of her wealthy family. The few previous relationships she’s had never stirred her passion the way Johnny does, so In spite of knowing what the consequences might be, he's irresistible to her. He’s everything she wants in a man, even though he comes with a lot of baggage, and she soon finds herself prepared to brave all those complications for a shot at a true and lasting kind of love.
This book was an emotional roller coaster ride, which is exactly the way I like my romance. It was also filled with passion and longing, with love scenes that are quite steamy for a romance first published in the 1990’s. I related extremely well to both Johnny and Rachel. Despite the age difference and all the complications Johnny comes with, it was obvious that he and Rachel were meant for one another. The mystery was engaging too, keeping me guessing who the real killer was. I loved every part of this book and wouldn’t change a thing. That’s why I'm naming Karen Robards' One Summer as my July Book of the Month. If you enjoy contemporary romantic suspense with a bad boy hero, a good girl heroine who is his perfect foil, and an emotional love story that will make you sigh then you should definitely give this book a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
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Cover Blurb- He was pure, unadulterated trouble. Johnny Harris is home again, his too-tight jeans and damn-your-eyes belligerence honed to perfection by a ten-year stretch in federal prison for murder. Now he's out on parole and ready for the job Rachel Grant has promised to help him begin a new life. Unlike the rest of the town, Rachel has always believed in her former student's innocence. But one thing has changed... |
Then the killer strikes again. All evidence points to Johnny Harris, but Rachel knows he is innocent. And she knows she is next...as a shattering truth is uncovered and dark passions explode in the relentless summer heat.
Read my complete review of One Summer.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of One Summer to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. One lucky winner will receive their choice of an eBook or print copy of the book. If the winner chooses an eBook, I will gift it to them via the eBook retailer of their choice (Amazon, B & N, or AllRomance). If the winner chooses a print copy, I will have it mailed directly to them via Amazon. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but please note that not all eBooks are available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. If this is the case, Amazon does offer an option to trade for a gift card (I'm not sure about B & N or AllRomance). If you choose print, I can mail it to you via the Amazon website that services your country, pending availability and cost. Otherwise I will mail it to you via Amazon's standard international shipping, but it may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive, and I won't have the capability of tracking the package.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Karen Robards
