Lucie Archer

Two men stranded on a deserted island – in the tropics, no less – is an extremely romantic setting in and of itself. Add the fact that these guys do not see eye to eye (to put it carefully) and that both of them have a lot to learn, and this novella ended up as more than a “beach read” for me. Oh, and I got to learn more about Bermuda than I’ve been able to pick up from travel brochures as an added bonus. As far as I am concerned, ‘My Paradise is You’ is an excellent example of the ‘World of Love’ series – stories that combine great romance with settings from around the globe.

Ian may have grown up with everything he physically needed, may have a great career mapped out for him, and may be in line to inherit a vast fortune – but he is not happy. He doesn’t want to work for a vast hotel and resort chain, he doesn’t want to marry the woman he “somehow” got engaged to, and he doesn’t really want to stay in the closet – but what can he do? Ian has to learn that being complacent may lead to a life free of external conflicts, but it does not give him happiness, peace of mind, or love. And Marc is just the man to teach him a few truths… painful though the process may be.

Marc has to work hard to be able to afford living “in paradise”, as he calls Bermuda, but he has a giant chip on his shoulder when he first meets Ian. Ian is also his boss’s son – but that doesn’t mean Marc respects him in the least. Rather than getting to know the man he is supposed to take scuba diving, he makes a ton of assumptions based on his prejudice about trust-fund kids. Marc has a lot to learn as well… and, mostly, he is as slow on the uptake as Ian.

With two men who come from opposite sides of the wealth spectrum forced to work together if they want to survive, sparks were bound to fly. And they do! The suspense around the robbery, their marooned state, the boredom, and the many, many personal differences they have to navigate before they can admit that they are actually really attracted to each other – the author combines all of these factors into a colorful adventure. One I enjoyed as much as finding out about both men’s decisions coming out of their situation.

If you like stories set in exotic locations, if two men who come from opposite ends of the spectrum and don’t get along very well at all are your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as entertaining as it is exacerbating at times, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (altro)

This newest story in the ‘States of Love’ series with its stories of romance that span every corner of the United States, is set in Alaska. Right from the start it pulled me in with descriptions of wide open spaces and mountains, small towns where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and distances large enough that an air taxi service is considered the norm if you want to go anywhere beyond your own town. With two men who start off on a less than amiable foot - one a born Alaskan and the other a recent, if temporary, transplant - there are many opportunities to see the kind of life available in the state with the nickname “The Last Frontier”. I have never visited so far, but after reading this story, I am determined to make it happen.

JD is a guy in trouble. He is a young doctor who got caught up in taking care of the wrong patients – drug lords – because he needed money. He decided to turn state’s witness and is now in witness protection under an assumed name, working as a nurse, and living very far from the warmth of California. His surprise at finding a bear searching his garbage for edibles is as entertaining as his observations about the size of the local mosquitos and the lack of heat even though it’s early summer.

Jake is a pretty adventurous type, and his career as a pilot flying medical supplies and passengers around Alaska is a good fit for him. Jake also likes variety in his personal life, hops from one bed to the next, and is pretty indiscriminate in whom he sleeps with. It has earned him a certain reputation, and it’s bound to trip him up if he ever decides to be serious about anyone. Not that he can imagine that will ever happen – but from the first moment he sets eyes on JD, everything changes for him.

With JD not being able to tell Jake the truth about who he is, and Jake fighting his reputation, the road to romance is not an easy one for these two men. I was glad to see that both of them are equally stubborn, and between that and friends who decide to get involved in helping them figure out what’s right for them, it is still a very close call.

If you like stories set in places where the great outdoors plays an active role in everyday life, if two men with lots of baggage sound like an intriguing combination, and if you’re looking for a read with lots of local flavor, two guys who are as stubborn as they are hot, and a love story with obstacles of all types, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (altro)