Monday, July 28, 2014

Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne: Book Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my tour stop for Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne. This is an adult contemporary romance published by Harlequin.
 
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The tour runs July 21-31 with reviews, author interviews and guest posts.
 
Make sure to check out the Tour Page & Schedule.

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Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne

Release: July 2014
Imprint: Harlequin HQN
ISBN: 978-0-373-77859-1
Pages: 352
 
Description
 
A big-city, high-powered advertising executive and a small-town firefighter learn that no matter where you started or what you’ve lost, if you open your heart, you can find joy and love again. WILD IRIS RIDGE is the latest book in USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s charming Hope’s Crossing series.
 
Lucy Drake and Brendan Caine have only one thing in common. And it's likely to tear them apart. Because it was Brendan's late wife, Jessie—and Lucy's best friend—who'd brought them together in the first place. And since Jesse's passing, Brendan's been distracted by his two little ones… and the memory of an explosive kiss with Lucy years before his marriage. Still, he'll steer clear of her. She's always been trouble with a capital T.
 
Lucy couldn't wait to shed her small-town roots for the big city. But now that she's back in Hope's Crossing to take care of the Queen Anne home her late aunt has left her, she figures seeing Brendan Caine again is no big deal. After all, she'd managed to resist the handsome fire chief once before, but clearly the embers of their attraction are still smoldering…



 
 
 
About the Author
 
Best-selling author RaeAnne Thayne
USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. This led her to a fifteen-year career in journalismas a newspaper reporter and editor. But through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best, romance, and has since published more than 40 titles. RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website, RaeAnneThayne.com.
 
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My Rambles
 
 
Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne is book is the seventh and final installment of the Hope's Crossing series. This is the first book that I have read by RaeAnne Thayne. I was able to follow the storyline easily despite not having read books one through six.

I was initially drawn to this book by it's cover. Is it lovely?  I would love to have a reading chair inside of that flower garden. And Thayne's writing style is as lovely as the cover. I planned to read Wild Iris Ridge over a week's time, but got so engrossed that I read it over a weekend. This story contains frenemies, young children, wayward siblings, and puppies - all in need of saving to some degree. I got caught up in pulling for their happily-ever-afters.

I really enjoyed the build up of the romance between Lucy and Brendan. Their dialogue was smart, funny, and relatable. Although there are no graphic sex scenes (or sex scenes at all for that matter), their sexual chemistry was palpable. Frenemies to lovers is hard to pull off, but Thayne does it successfully with tenderness and humor.
 
Readers love books that stir their emotions. This book does just that.
 
When I finished Wild Iris Ridge, all I could do was sigh. My to-be-read list instantly expanded by seven books. I enjoyed reading about the Caine family and the townspeople of Hope's Crossing so much that I am going to read the previous books in the series. I am also looking forward to the release of Snow Angel Cove (book one in Thayne' new Haven Point series) this fall.  

If you are a fan of romances involving small towns, widowers, or kids, then Wild Iris Ridge is a sweet romance that you won't want to miss. It is a story about surviving tragedy and seizing second chances.
 
So what are you waiting for? Enter to win a book from the Hope’s Crossing series right now! 
 

 
NOTE: I read this book as part of a CBB Book Promotions Tour. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


 
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Giveaway

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Tour Organized by:
 
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3 comments:

  1. Welcome to Kinky Vanilla Romance, RaeAnne. I am happy to have you here.

    Thanks for sharing your photos from the RWA conference on Facebook. The conference looks like it was a lot of fun.

    I hope that you are having a great book tour.

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  2. Thanks so much for hosting a tour stop! Sorry that we couldn't get you the interview, email is a pain sometimes. And then of course RWA happened so everyone was super busy. Your review is wonderful though, and I'm so glad you could review it for the tour!

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    1. No worries. Sometimes things just don't line up :) I am glad to have had the opportunity to read the book.

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