R. S. Kovach

The Last Resort by R.S. Kovach is a 2017 Pocket Star publication.

At first glance, Ali Barros has it all. She has a high-powered career, is successful, smart and confident- until for some reason, after a horse riding accident embarrasses her, leaving her with a broken wrist, she suddenly finds her confidence shaken to the point where she’s unable to focus on her job. Finally, her bosses insist she take a sabbatical, or else, which is how she ended up at the Pebble Creek Lodge, hoping the resort will help her regain her mojo.

Hank, a sexy cowboy, working at the resort, seems to hit it off with Ali and the two start up a fun and flirty banter, which is something Ali really needs, because she tends to take herself a bit too seriously.

But, as time passes, the couple takes one step forward and two steps back until they finally reach a kind of sorta understanding. Maybe now they can now lay the groundwork for what will hopefully be a long and happy life together.

First of all, Congratulations to R.S. Kovach for winning the XOXO After Dark flash fiction contest! Obviously, this author shows much promise, and this book certainly gave me a glimpse of her talent.

The story has an interesting premise, but it was a little buggy here and there. Nothing terrible, just a few kinks that kept it from reaching its full potential.

Ali’s overreaction to her accident is puzzling. I’m thinking it was more the humiliation that the broken wrist that bothered her, but why she dwelled on it to the point of distraction, didn’t really jibe with her projected image. Underneath all that ‘confidence’ was a girl who needed to work on her insecurities and had a lot of growing up to do.

Hank was the perfect guy to guide Ali on that journey, especially since he’s had to cope with issues considerably more series than Ali’s, by comparison. He’s sweet and patient, but as Ali remarked, he’s not exactly verbose, and therein lies the rub.

There was a serious communication breakdown with this couple, something that could have been avoided had they been a little more mature. After a good deal of hemming and hawing they realize they have something that’s worth making a few sacrifices for, to see where things might lead.

This is not exactly a swoon worthy ending with tearful declarations of love, but considering the emotional growth that still needs some work, this may be the best place to leave this couple, realistically. I think the outlook is a positive one for Hank and Ali and I did enjoy their journey, even it was a bit unorthodox.

Overall, this one was a little wobbly and unsteady at times, but it is a light, easy, and enjoyable read from an up and coming author, that contemporary romance readers might want to take a look at.

3 stars

* I received a copy of this book as an XOXpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark.… (altro)