Saturday, June 20, 2009

One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake
TBR Challenge for June

TBR Challenge for June:
Read a book with a 3-word title

Examples from Darla shelves:
Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop
Goddess by Mistake by P. C. Cast
All or Nothing by Claire Cross

Let us know what you read, what you thought about it, and how long it had been in
your TBR pile.
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I chose One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake. This is the first time I read book by Toni Blake. I've been recommend to read her through lot of good friends. But I've delay it since lot of other books get in the way. I must say how sorry I am for taking too long to read Blake's books. Because One Reckless Summer was awesome! Read my review below (beware, there are spoilers!)...



Toni Blake's website
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: May 2009
ISBN-13: 9780061429897
Sales Rank: 47
384pp







Back Book Blurb:

The perfect daughter. The perfect prom queen. The perfect wife. Jenny Tolliver's been the good girl all her life, and it's gotten her nowhere. Now that her marriage has been busted up by her cheating ex, she's decided it's time to regroup and rediscover herself. This summer she's headed back to her hometown of Destiny, Ohio to the very lakeshore cottage where she grew up, to figure out what life holds in store for her next.

She never dreamed the answer would be Mick Brody, Destiny's #1 hellraiser. He comes from the wrong side of the tracks (or in his case, the lake), and he's landed in hot water more times than he can count. He's exactly the kind of guy Jenny's always kept her distance from... but soon the good girl and the bad boy are caught in a raw heat that's out of control. Too bad Mick's got a secret that threatens to tear them apart and ruin Jenny's perfectly, passionately reckless summer...

End Back Book Blurb

My thoughts :
I honestly love this book. And I think it perfect for summer read! It a book that grab you from first chapter and than made you sigh at the ending. It my first book read by Toni Blake and won't be my last.

Jenny and Mick met when they were young at the Destiny lakeshore cottage. It was in a short amount of "heartbeat thumping" meeting between them. But than they never cross path each other again. Not until fifteen years later and this time across the lake where Mick's family lived. It started out as stranger-rough-yelling- at first, but when they both realized who they were - thing got uncomfortable. But than Mick had a secret that he doesn't want anyone to know. Afraid Jenny will discover the real truth about why he return home, he tried to scare Jenny so that she'll go back home. He touched her where no men have ever could make her feel. One thing lead to another. It turn into sexual, steamy hot love affair. They kept their affair from everyone in town, except Jenny told her best friend Sue Ann. And made her promise not to tell anyone. Even to her father who happen to be a cop.

Both Women didn't forget that Mick is bad boy who had a secret that when he finally told Jenny, she began to worry. Breaking against the law is one thing, but fallen in love for Mick is another. She kept his secret because her instinct tell her that sometime doing the wrong thing...is the right thing to do. In her heart, she know. Their affair could causes her reputation ruin and damaged. The town might not even accept her. But than she learn a lot of thing about herself as days gone by and she gotten to know Mick better. He had made her a better person.

The relationship between Mick and Jenny was interesting. The good girl met the bad boy and than they fall in love. Mick think he not good enough for anyone and Jenny finding that being the "good girl" have a bad side to life. I think they made each other to become a better person. You can tell how much Jenny wanted to change her "good girl" image and proof to everyone she not always good as everyone know she is. Her ex-husband made her feel unloved when he tell her that because she not wild enough in bed , he felt she was too boring for him. It just made her doubt herself. And you can also see how much Mick have changed too. He want to prove that to her. But when Mick and Jenny together, their emotions come out so heartfelt and they find the "goodness" and love for each other inside their heart. Their chemistry boil the pages! It very hot and steamy! Excuse me while I go get some cold ices *grin*. They're the couple you would want to remember.

I like the friendship interaction between Jenny and Mary Sue. It really surprise me of how well their friendship are honor and true. They tell each other their secret and promise not to tell anyone else. You can tell they trust each other and that their friendship are important and meant something. I didn't see any backstabbing or bad gossip like I usually see in some of the books I've read over the years. And that was a good change of pace for me. Jenny and Mary Sue always there for each other, no matter how bad they get themselves into. Sometime they even made me laugh. Their friendship are more close than the three other gal-friends they've been friends with since teenagers but lost touch when Jenny left town. Returning bring back old memories for her.

I also like the interaction between Jenny and her father, it was understandable. Jenny's mother pass away when she was younger, and left her husband to become single parent to Jenny. Although he know nothing about being the "mother" to her, he did his best to be the father. You can tell he want to be the good father but yet he also lonely. It was wonderful to see he met a woman and become involved with her too. They were the secondary couple in the story. If her father ever find out about Mick's secret, would he try to break them apart?

The ending was perfect and I see it done no other way. Its made me smile. I love the town and every characters I met. They were likable people who you wish lives in your hometown.

One Reckless Summer is the sensuous, steamy and emotionally heartwarming story. It's about Finding the good in yourself and loving who you are and accepting the person who you with. You can't help but love the main characters deeply and root for them at the end. It also about trust, honor and love and friendship. You would love the book as much as I did. It a perfect summer read! Run and grab a copy!

This is the first book to A Destiny novel, there be more Destiny book coming up soon. At the beginning we met one of Mick's friend. We also learn about Jenny's friend who left town and didn't want to come back to Destiny. There is hint that these two characters well meet on the second book - it's their story. I can't wait!

I fear I may spoiled a lot of stuff, and don't really make a point with what I want to come across. But I hope you enjoy this review anyway. Have a good day! :)

Grade: 5 stars

5 comments:

Melody said...

You'd raved to me about this book earlier so I know how much you enjoyed reading it! Guess I'll have to look out for it. ;)

Julia said...

Yep I raved and I want you to check it out! I hope you grab a copy and when you do, let me know!

Alice said...

I'm so happy to read that you loved this book. It's very evident from the way you wrote the review. :D

ReneeW said...

Oh, yay! Great review. ORS has been on my TBB list for a while. I have read one other by Toni Blake.. The Red Diary and really enjoyed it. I better go looking for this one now.

Julia said...

Hi Alice! - I did truly loved this book and I think you would too. But beware, there are lot of *ahem* scenes in there *LOL*

ReneeW - Hi, thanks for stopping by my blog :) I think you would like this book, a perfect summer read. If you have enjoyed Toni's other work, than you would like this one! :)