Published by Pinkity Publishing Genres: Adult Fiction, Contempory, Fiction, Romance
Format: ARC, eBook
Woohoo!!! A romance where the characters are in my age group! Plus, the talk of boom boxes, mixed tapes, and’80’s music put a HUGE smile on my face! I also loved the romance between two people who are essentially starting over, finding their footing, falling in love, and having hot sex!
Ashley Cooke (46 years old) is doing her best to save Bluebird Basin Ski Lodge, the ski hill that her father once owned. Her ex-husband is determined to buy the ski hill from her, but Ashley is determined to save it no matter what. When her mother suggested that Ashley hire men from a local sober living home, she begrudgingly decides to meet with the owner as a means of cutting costs. The snow is about to fall, and she needs the ski hill ready.
Matthew Madigan (53 years old) is a silver fox and a former rock star and recovering addict. He is the owner of Little Timber, the sober living home, and is determined to assist the men in getting back on track. He jumps at the chance to get them some work, keep them busy and hopefully see their sense of self-worth and confidence grow.
Ashley and Madigan both thought romance was behind them. That was until they met. Madigan finds the beautiful and flustered Ashley to be attractive. Ashley tries to keep her eyes off the muscle bound, tattooed, bearded man who has charmed her.
We all know where this is going to go. It’s all about the journey and what a nostalgic and steamy journey this was. I loved both characters and rooted for them. Both had confidence issues. Ashley’s ex-husband cheated on her throughout their 16-year marriage, and it has affected her self-esteem. Madigan’s years of addiction and prison time have also left him feeling less than confident. He hasn’t had a real relationship with a woman since he has been sober.
Both characters are dealing with real life issues, and I enjoyed how the characters tackled them head on. There are discussions about addiction, grief, divorce, insecurity, intimacy, aging bodies/changing bodies and how it affects sexual performance, relationships, and love.
I smiled throughout this entire book. It was charming, uplifting, and sweet. I love books about starting over, under dogs, falling in love, and finding confidence. I also appreciated how the author showed how addiction affects not just the addict but those in their lives.
Jess K. Hardy came on my radar when I read Missing Charlie. When I was offered the chance to read this book, I jumped at it. I’m so happy I did. As I stated earlier, it was nice to see a book with the main characters being in my age group. Plus, I enjoy the author’s writing and characters. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
The only thing missing in this book is John Cusak holding a boom box! Seriously, I loved this book and the ’80s references.
Highly recommend!
Thank you to Pinkity Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.