There's nothing like the first time . . .
In Carnal, Colorado, Faye Goodknight is the town's quiet, shy librarian. She may also be Carnal's last remaining virgin. For years, Faye has had a crush on Chace Keaton, but the gorgeous cop has always been unattainable. She's resigned to live contentedly with only her books for company-until Faye suddenly meets Chace alone in the woods...
Chace doesn't think he's the good guy everyone believes him to be. He's made a lot of choices he regrets, including denying his feelings for Faye. Through his choices, he's come to believe the pretty librarian is too good for him, but after their time in the woods, Chace realizes that she may be his last chance for redemption. Soon, their long simmering desires grow to a burning passion. Yet always casting a shadow over their happiness is Chace's dark past...
While reading Lady Luck I had my doubts about Chace Keaton. I honestly thought he was a dirty cop, though I was also confused about his relationship with his wife Misty, which really wasn't one. Still no one deserved what was being done to her, and it doesn't sit well with Chase. He can not let it go and is still looking for the perp. With his head stuck in a bad place, the last thing he thinks he needs is for sweet innocent Faye to meddle in his business.
Faye has had a crush on Chase for the past thirteen years or so. While she mostly has her nose in a book, it doesn't mean she's unaware of what is going on around her, certainly when Chase is nearby. She never knew what drove him to mary Misty and it kind of broke her heart. Now things have changed and it seems this little librarian is on his radar. Faye sees he's hurting and when circumstances seems to keep throwing them together, the connection between them becomes undeniable.
With all the bad in his life, Faye might just be what Chase needs. Someone good, sweet, honest and tempting. Chase wants to give them a chance, but he's also afraid. With all what has been happening recently, Carnal isn't the safest town anymore. Also not everything is completely out of the woods yet. There are still people who want to control him and the people in town. He has given in to that for a long time, though hated every minute of that. It was all to protect those he cared about, but it was destroying him. No longer can he do that, he still feels so much guilt over that past it's nearly eating him alive. With Faye by his side, he can slowly let that go if only they would let him.
Even though these books all go through the same pattern; with two main characters falling for each other carefully, one of them usually has a bad past, that's not done interfering, some criminal element to up the drama and tension, and in the end a happily ever after which they had to work for very hard and there are definitely tears involved. It's a pattern that I love. I just get swept into the story and I find it wonderful that the stories are long, so I get to enjoy them for a good while. Usually I try to read one book each week for a series, but this is the fourth book I read in one week.
The characters were once again wonderful. Like I said, I had some doubts about Chase, but he was able to convince me in the end. The way he treates Misty wasn't really right, but the circumstances he was pushed into, I believe many would have done and acted the same. Now I'm just so glad he got to let all of his past go and give real happiness a chance. Faye is so recognisable. She's a total book geek and I thinks she's awesome. The fact that she waited for the one was kind of admirable, and some might even say romantic, though I think she mostly took a very big risk. She put all the stakes on one horse and she was very lucky that in the end it played out well. Realistically Faye was on her way to become single cat lady. In book world she got exactly what she wanted all along, her own happily ever after.
Colorado Mountain - Reading order and purchase links
The Author
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
