I found this very easy reading and a pleasant wander through a nice life. It had a lot of warmth and seemed fairly simple in the story. I think if you like Hart of Dixie this is the sort of book that would appeal ( )

Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot

First I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading Taking Charge, Mandy’s writing is fantastic, the story flowed extremely well and I don’t think I stopped reading this story till I reached the end. Character and plot was well written, easy to follow and you get to know each character. I was so thrilled to see that Mandy had more books published that I could go read. I really enjoyed Taking Charge.

Robyn who father is sick is returning home to the USA after long nine years away. At first we just think it a daughter returning home to be with her sick father, but as you go deeper into the story you find out there is a reason she left home.

On the flight home or should I say in the airport Robyn meets Cole, they both are heading to the same place and Cole helps her with her broken luggage. Both Cole and Robyn have a past and secrets they would rather not think about, but a fantastic friendship develops between these two. I am a huge hockey fan and part of this story has Robyn coaching the town’s hockey team and it was great and you get to meet a few more characters that I hope to hear more about. There are laugh out loud sections of this story. I love Robyn and Cole, Robyn is funny, strong, and independent and gets things done. There are so many characters in this novel that I loved. I am hoping for a few more books in this series.

Besides romance heart break there is also a bit of mystery and suspense. All I will say is read this book and I really enjoyed Taking Charge and Mandy’s writing. I will be adding Mandy’s other books to my to be read list.

Come meet Robyn and Cole, Robyn’s soon to be step mom’s and her father, her father’s best friend Max and the hockey team it’s a great group of characters and I for one cannot wait to read more.

I have rated Taking Charge 4 stars.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

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After spending the last nine years running away from her past in London, Robyn Matthers is heading home to Portage, Michigan after her father falls ill and is admitted to the hospital. She is going to help him out by taking charge of his rundown bar, the Roadhouse and failing hockey team, the Portage Panthers.

Cole Ryan is a hockey player from Chicago, Illinois, who is moving to Portage, Michigan to work for a pharmaceutical company and escape his own painful past.

Robyn and Cole meet at the airport in Chicago while waiting for the connecting flight to Portage. When her backpack's strap breaks, Cole helps her retrieve the items that fell to the floor. They talked during the whole fight, and when they arrive in Portage, Robyn gives Cole a sizzling kiss goodbye and invites him to visit her father's bar. But coming home isn't going to be a bed of roses for Robyn, she's got a lot of issues to deal with and so does Cole. Can Robyn and Cole leave their troubled pasts behind, give into their mutual attraction, and take charge of their future?

Taking Charge is a fun romance novel that will keep you in stitches. Written in the third person narrative, the author weaves a heartwarming tale of romance with drama, comedy, and hockey added in the mix. The story has a lot of depth and emotions as it realistically deals with family and relationship issues, it will pull at your heartstrings. But it also has a lot of comedic relief in the form of the sassy one-liners, and tension filled drama in the hockey scenes.

The author has created a quirky cast of characters who are realistic, engaging and complex people. I absolutely loved Robyn's sassy personality: she's strong, bossy, feisty and demanding, she's a tell it like it is kind of girl! Cole has a laid back kind of personality, he takes things in stride and goes with the flow. But he also is the kind of guy that is fiercely loyal, caring and passionate. The author does a wonderful job with the character development, there are a lot of intriguing layers to both Robyn and Cole, the reader is easily drawn into the many twist and turns, it keeps you guessing how everything will turn out. I really enjoyed reading about Robyn and Cole's deep secrets and troubled pasts, and how their romantic relationship progressed as the story unfolded. The colorful supporting cast of characters, the smooth dialogues and humorous interactions make this one heck of an entertaining read.

Taking Charge is a wonderful romantic story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride with it's dramatic and comedic twists and turns, but ultimately it will leave you with a satisfied smile on your lips.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/taking-charge-by-mandy-baggot-... ( )

You can also read my review here: http://www.turningthepages.ca/2012/05/review-guest-post-taking-charge.html

When your past is full of mistakes and broken hearts, is it really possible to still believe in love at first sight?

The main characters, Robyn and Cole, have both been dealt a losing hand in the game of life. Robyn, a tom-boy with the weight of the world on her shoulders, has run from her past but is now being thrown right back in the fire because of her sick father. Cole, a hockey player turned scientist, is in the process of running from everything he has ever known and looking for a fresh start. When these two meet, it seems that fate has offered a helping hand.

Reading the summary for Taking Charge had me very excited to read the book. I am a big fan of chick lit books and especially those that involve unexpected love but I am an even BIGGER fan of hockey love stories. Yes, I am one of those girls that not only loves to read, but loves a good sporting event - especially hockey! (Hey, I am Canadian after all).

As I began to read, I knew that Taking Charge was going to be much more involved than any of Mandy Baggot's previous books. Not only were we dealing with the frilly love story, there seemed to be a mysterious edge surrounding the whole book. Each of the characters had a flaw and in between the romantic parts, we were left trying to figure out what it was. I found this part of the novel really enjoyable as it is not often that you find an author who has the ability to balance the good with the bad and have everything balance out in the end.

One of the things that I did have an issue with was the 'hockey lingo'. With Mandy being from the other side of the pond (UK) and likely not being surrounded by hockey, I really had a hard time when she was writing about the sport. One of the saving graces was that Robyn had been living the past 9 years in the UK so it sort of made up for her slips but not when the American men of the team talked about netting a goal or referred to the puck as a ball. Nevertheless, most fans of girly fiction won't notice the references but as a hockey fan, I was a little disappointed.

Once again, Mandy Baggot has created a cast of characters that you cannot only imagine but feel as though you know personally. Her writing style is here to withstand the test of time. ( )