A down-on-her-luck city girl searches for new purpose among the shelves of a failing bookstore in the quaint town of Pine Ridge, New York–until a forbidden love tempts her to go off-book.
When life sets fire to your happily ever after, you ditch your cheating boyfriend, trade in the city life for the off-the-grid seclusion of your mother’s bookstore in the mountains…and try to resist your attraction to the brooding town mechanic you accidentally got into a fender bender with outside the local bar. Sydney Walsh might be falling head over heels for the romance novels she’s stocking up to rebuild The Loving Page, but she has no delusions about actually starring in one. That chapter has closed.
Beneath Sam Kirkland’s gruff mountain-man exterior lies a gentle heart and a burning desire for the woman he knows he can’t have. He’s made promises that anchor him to the past, making romance off-limits. And he accepted that–until Sydney came crashing into his life.
Sam can’t do a relationship right now. Sydney doesn’t have the wherewithal to believe in one. But when you meet the right person, the wrong circumstances don’t matter. Even when the world seems to be doing its best to keep them apart, their real, one-of-a-kind love is worth fighting for.
MY REVIEW
Wild Love is the debut novel for author Lauren Accardo and follows the story of Sydney and Sam. When Sydney’s life gets turned upside down, she decides to trade her city life for the mountains. Seclusion is just what the doctor ordered. But, what Sydney didn’t plan on was Sam. At first glance, Sam is broody with a gruff exterior. But, once you get past all that, you’ll see that he truly has a heart of gold. Falling in love is the last thing these two characters expected, but sometimes, fate has to intervene and put you on a path you never saw coming.
Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I enjoyed the idea of the story and was sucked in right away. I really liked the small-town vibe and how everyone looked out for one another. I appreciated that even though Sydney’s life was a mess, she stepped up and tried to help save her mom’s failing business. I thought Sydney and Sam had great chemistry and I loved that they were both flawed and imperfect. I enjoyed their banter. and looked forward to their next encounter. They totally rocked the enemies to lovers vibe and I lived for those will they/won’t they moments.
However, I did have a couple of issues with this book. I do feel like as the story progressed it lost some of its spark. At times, I didn’t feel as engaged as I did at the beginning of the story. Also, I felt like the story ended quite abruptly. After everything these characters went through, I was left wanting and needing more from them.
In the end, I think this is one of those reads that will work for some, but be a total miss for others. For me, it was just an ok read. That being said, this book is a debut novel for this author, so I do see the potiental there. So while this wasn’t a 100% hit for me, I’m glad to have checked it out and would be open to checking out more from this author in the future.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren Accardo writes steamy contemporary romance featuring strong women and the men who love them. Originally from Western New York, Lauren now lives in Queens with her stand-up-comic husband. She loves karaoke, cake, and the Adirondack Mountains, where her series takes place.
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