Friday, July 31, 2020

Review - Sunshine on Silver Lake

Title
Sunshine on Silver Lake
Author:  Annie Rains
Series:  Sweetwater Springs #5
Genre:   Romance
Publisher:   Forever
Format:  Print ARC
No. of Pages:  432
Date of Publication:  July 21, 2020
My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Welcome back to Sweetwater Springs, North Carolina for a heartwarming second-chance romance between a quirky café owner and a handsome park ranger.

With summer just around the corner, Emma St. James is eagerly planning a 5K run at Sweetwater Springs National Park. But first she needs the help of one charming, rugged, and handsome park ranger. Her brief high school romance with Jack Hershey may have ended in heartbreak, but Emma can't deny that he still gives her butterflies. So when Jack responds to her request with an all-too-tempting plea to pretend to be his girlfriend for the summer, how can she say no?

Jack would do anything for his sister -- even pretend to give up his bachelor life to care for his nephew. Passing his days with his high school sweetheart guarantees one long, hot summer -- but only because every moment together leaves him wanting a real relationship. He can't imagine spending another season without Emma by his side. Can he convince her to give their love a second chance before the summer draws to a close?

Includes the bonus novella A Fairytale Bride!

MY THOUGHTS:

As I am part of Forever Romance advance reader program. I get the honor of reading upcoming books from them. Whenever I see Annie Rains' name in the offering, I immediately request the title. I have become familiar enough with her books that I don't even need a blurb to check the box that says I Want It!

Well, Sunshine on Silver Lake is the fifth book in the Sweetwater Spring series. Other than the novellas, I have devoured this book from the very first one, Christmas on Mistletoe Lane. So I knew I was in for another delightful story.

There are several tropes in romance books. This book employs one of them - second chance romance. Here we have Emma St. James preparing for a 5K run. Through a bit of miscommunication, she has pretty much made it seem like her old flame, Jack Hershey, is her boyfriend. Will Jack go along with it? What about the fact that although high school was years in their past, the two still have a strong connection?

Meanwhile Jack has agreed to help his sister by caring for her teen son over the summer. In so doing readers get to see what actually split Emma and Jack up when they were teenagers. There are some very serious issues in this story that deal with more than one addiction and how addictions can forever alter lives. 

Will Jack and Emma be able to find hope for their future? What about Jack, his nephew and his sister? That story right there is mega important and Annie Rains truly did it justice. Both Jack and Emma were very well-developed characters. Jack really had a lot of depth to him, and a very sweet nature. Emma and her past were heartbreaking. Of course, I just had to see her find joy and love in her life, even with the apparent conflicts. I really loved this story and hope that there is much more to come in this series. If not, I will pretty much read anything else Annie Rains has to offer. 

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

USA Today Bestselling Author, Annie Rains, is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, 

Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband, 3 children and dog, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.



4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this one with us. I love second chance romances. 💛

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  2. I love when you find an author like this :) I'll have to check out her books, as well!

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  3. This sounds lovely, not heard of it before. Great review.

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