Reviewed by Nas
DATE WITH DESTINY is a Harlequin Special
Edition release for August 2013 by author Helen Lacey.
Grace Preston is a top-shot financier in
New York city. She left small town Crystal Point behind when she left for New
York. She had also left small town cop Cameron Jakowski behind as well. Now she
was back.
She didn’t really came back to stay though.
She was just here to regroup and go back to her job after her life threatening
accident.
But would Cameron let her go now that she
was here? What would happen when Cam finds out about her accident? Would Grace
ignore the feelings brewing between them? Can she walk away from Cameron and
all she feels for him the second time?
DATE WITH DESTINY has a unique mixture of
emotional and sensual tension. It will enthrall readers. The tight plotting and
storytelling will captivate them. Author Helen Lacey delivered an emotionally
compelling story that would keep readers engrossed from the very first page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewed by Nancy Crocker
Date with Destiny (Harlequin Special Edition) by Helen Lacey
Grace Preston thought she was holding it together after an accident which took the life of a colleague. But when she falls apart in front of a client she is ordered by her boss and therapist to take a much needed break and return to her family and friends in Crystal Point. She agrees to take care of Dunn Inn for Evie while she is on her Honeymoon. But Grace has never felt like she fit in with her family. A brilliant mind as a child she was sent away for gifted children. Where life was not easy for a young girl who excelled even at her gifted school.
Cameron Jakowski is a police officer for Crystal Point and he has been in love with Grace since she was 16. Now that she is back for a while he wants to try to make it permanent. He has always wanted a family and children and he has wanted those things with Grace.
When the author describes what Grace went through during the accident, I felt as though I was in the car also. I think Helen Lacey also did a really good job of explaining why Grace was like she was, not only after suffering from PTSD. But her having a brilliant mind, it also explained why she was so awkward around others.
I was so very happy that these two got there HEA, but it was not an easy road to travel. It took almost 20 years. I Also loved that close friends and family members did not even realize that these two had been involved. While the story was not quite the emotional roller coaster as the last book in the series, this is still a great story.
5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the series:
Made for Marriage
Marriage Under The Mistletoe
His-And-Hers Family
Date With Destiny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewed by Desere
We have all been there, a life changing event pushes us to push harder in order to hide our feelings of despair, hurt and anger. We either drown ourselves in work or for some they go for alcohol or drugs, some even hit the gym as a form of punishment anything to keep your mind from thinking and you feeling that you should not be the one to find happiness, you deserve hurt and you will take it all.
We all also know that this is not the way to handle it , finding an outlet for the stress and worry yes is always a good thing but pushing past the problem by pushing yourself too hard will only result in a breakdown and sometimes on such a huge scale that we might not be able to get back up and face life.
In the new Helen Lacey read this is the case for Grace, holding it together as best she can by pushing fourteen hour days in New York after a accident killed a collogue. But she hits rock bottom when she breaks and in front of a client of all people. She is order by her boss to take a break and return back home to Crystal Point and a life she left behind years ago.
She hits even more of a low when she walks straight into her past in the form of local cop Cameron. Cameron has loved Grace from the first moment he saw her and this time he is not going to back down till he gets her into his life on a permanent basis no matter the cost, for love is worth fighting for.
Both the main characters of Grace and Cameron were written by the author with such strong and intense emotions but the author that it truly felt as if I was connected to them both in some manner, like I wanted to be apart of their lives just to be able to feel and touch the strong and very vivid emotions they both encounter.
The dialogue and backdrop settings were as in all other books from the fabulous author, strongly described in vivid details, powerful and so emotionally moving it brought me to tears and I simply found myself yet again bawling my eyes out as this author always manages to make me do.
The story behind Grace's trauma was one that yes has been told before but the author did such a remarkable job at it all that I felt sure she had done her research before taking on this project which to me as reader is very important as it proves she wants to tell the story with a level of truth in order for the reader to still be able to find the story realistic and as true to real life as can be.
I highly recommend this read for all Helen Lacey fans that as I have fallen in love with Crystal Point and the characters that show us the road to happiness. A sweet, sensual and emotional read.
4.5 star review
" The past conjures up a destiny so sweet your heart will melt"
I received an ARC of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
______________________________________________________
Review by TashNz
Sometimes I feel that I cant find the words to do a story justice and I'm like that with Helen Lacey's gorgeous story Date with Destiny so I'm going to describe how it makes me feel and the picture it evokes in my mind. The feeling you get when you're all snuggled up in the middle of winter in front of a roaring fire. The wind and rain may howl outside but you're oblivious to everything because you've got your nose in a darn good book. That's the feeling I feel when I read Date with Destiny.
I first have to acknowledge Crystal Point, a beautiful little town in the heart of Australia somewhere. Helen has written some beautiful and emotional stories about its town folk. To help you understand a bit more about Crystal Point read this entry by Helen over at my fave blog LoveCats Down Under and here.
Grace flys home to Crystal Point from America where she's been all her adult years working herself to the bone. She's home for her sisters wedding, or so everyone thinks. Within the couple of pages she runs into Cameron, town policeman and her first love. And so begins an emotional and fully capturing story of Grace and Cameron and their second chance at love.
Grace is hiding the real reason she's home from her family. She's been involved in a car accident and had a breakdown as a result of it. She's pretty much been ordered home by her boss and her therapist. Rest and relaxation is on the menu but things don't pan out like that really. She looks after her sister's B&B while she's on her honeymoon and is soon caught up in the lives of the townsfolk and and kids Emily and Dylan who need help with their maths.
Cameron has never forgotten Grace and now that she's home he launches right in to try and convince her what she's missing. Poor guy takes one step forward and two back when dealing with Grace and slowly he begins to unravel why she's really home and what's really gone on in her life that led her to America and why she wont stay in Crystal Point.
Date with Destiny is a magnificent love story with two characters that are so believable it's like I'm standing next to them. Cameron wants nothing but the best for Grace. Grace is an amazing person written with such originality. The descriptive words of Helen Lacey's writing and the way the story was weaved had me oblivious to the world as I read it.
I love meeting the towns people of Crystal Point and I hope to meet more in the future :)
Reviewed by Maria
Helen Lacey's Crystal Point Series in Harlequin Special Editions is a series of well written novels, set in a small town in rural Australia, with a romantic central story surrounded by community, family, kids and pets. The series is almost a saga now, with various members of the Crystal Point community taking the centre stage each time a new story appears.
As much as I enjoy the series, I frankly admit that this story got off to a slow start for me. Grace Preston's visit home to attend her sister's wedding actually has a much deeper purpose. The author doesn't reveal the purpose too soon, but when she did, the story started to make beautiful sense. From then on, I was riveted. The ice maiden, prickly character of Grace suddenly became more attractive. Suddenly, you could see what has made her that way.
As a child, Grace had been sent away to study. With her high IQ and ability to attain excellent grades, it was obvious to all from an early age that her destiny was somewhere other than a small town community, much to the disappointment of Cameron, the young man who loved her. Grace left him to pursue a high powered career in the bright lights of New York City. But when Grace, now considerably older, returns to the heart of the community she left long ago, she realizes that what she really needs just might be right here.
Cameron is what you might call a beta hero. Sympathetic, kind and caring, he isn't too proud to tell the haughty Grace how he feels about her, but he has a self respect that is obvious. He's a community minded individual who really cares about people. Will Grace understand how special and wonderful he is before it's too late?
A story about finding out who you really are - and how it's not late to change your mind even if it is nearly two decades later.
_______________________________________________________________
Reviewed by Shirley
Life is like a tapestry woven on a giant loom. On the one side, there is an intricate picture slowly appearing from the interlocking threads. On the other side, there are thread ends: sometimes loose, sometimes knotted and sometimes just tangled. The interconnecting lives of Grace and Cameron through their families, their jobs and their choices was one such tapestry. Could they unravel some of these threads, the loose, the knotted, or the tangled and change the emerging picture or were the bindings on the threads too hard to break?
Twenty years ago, Grace Preston made a heart wrenching decision and left for New York to carve a successful career in finance to repay her family for all the sacrifices they had made for her schooling, placing the budding love she felt for Cameron in a locked box in her mind. Treating him with a polite, but cool demeanor when she visited, she has been able to keep the memories contained. Now, at her boss's and her therapist's insistence, she has been ordered to go home to heal from recent tragic events. But being around Cameron on a consistent basis has made her begin to question the choices she made in the past. A kiss...a simple kiss...and the lock has popped off that box in her mind, and memories are now surging forth, but will he want her now with the baggage she carries? Should she try to heal and return to her life in New York or should she stay and rework the picture emerging of her life?
A member of the police force in Crystal Point, Cameron Jakowski strives to improve his small seaside town. He upholds the law, supports the community activities, and helps those less fortunate. Only one thing would make his life more perfect: Grace...his first love, his only love. He has managed during all her visits home to conceal with playful banter and subdued friendship how he felt about the choice she made so long ago, but a kiss...a simple kiss...has unlocked the tight control he held over his passion for her. Can he influence her to choose him this time, or will he lose her forever?
An outstanding book of love surviving the test of time. Well written characters traversed a well formed plot to bring the rekindling romance, difficult choices, and ultimate decision to life on the pages. Helen Lacey has brought another compelling book to print in this fourth installment of the Crystal Point series. Although Grace and Cameron waited twenty years for their happily ever after, it cemented the saying. "True love always wins".
I would highly recommend this book to all romance readers. Engrossing, emotional and thought provoking, it was a real page turner.
I received a copy from the author for an honest review.
5/5 stars "True love may sometimes sleep, but it never dies."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewed by Nancy Crocker
Date with Destiny (Harlequin Special Edition) by Helen Lacey
Grace Preston thought she was holding it together after an accident which took the life of a colleague. But when she falls apart in front of a client she is ordered by her boss and therapist to take a much needed break and return to her family and friends in Crystal Point. She agrees to take care of Dunn Inn for Evie while she is on her Honeymoon. But Grace has never felt like she fit in with her family. A brilliant mind as a child she was sent away for gifted children. Where life was not easy for a young girl who excelled even at her gifted school.
Cameron Jakowski is a police officer for Crystal Point and he has been in love with Grace since she was 16. Now that she is back for a while he wants to try to make it permanent. He has always wanted a family and children and he has wanted those things with Grace.
When the author describes what Grace went through during the accident, I felt as though I was in the car also. I think Helen Lacey also did a really good job of explaining why Grace was like she was, not only after suffering from PTSD. But her having a brilliant mind, it also explained why she was so awkward around others.
I was so very happy that these two got there HEA, but it was not an easy road to travel. It took almost 20 years. I Also loved that close friends and family members did not even realize that these two had been involved. While the story was not quite the emotional roller coaster as the last book in the series, this is still a great story.
5/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the series:
Made for Marriage
Marriage Under The Mistletoe
His-And-Hers Family
Date With Destiny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewed by Desere
We have all been there, a life changing event pushes us to push harder in order to hide our feelings of despair, hurt and anger. We either drown ourselves in work or for some they go for alcohol or drugs, some even hit the gym as a form of punishment anything to keep your mind from thinking and you feeling that you should not be the one to find happiness, you deserve hurt and you will take it all.
We all also know that this is not the way to handle it , finding an outlet for the stress and worry yes is always a good thing but pushing past the problem by pushing yourself too hard will only result in a breakdown and sometimes on such a huge scale that we might not be able to get back up and face life.
In the new Helen Lacey read this is the case for Grace, holding it together as best she can by pushing fourteen hour days in New York after a accident killed a collogue. But she hits rock bottom when she breaks and in front of a client of all people. She is order by her boss to take a break and return back home to Crystal Point and a life she left behind years ago.
She hits even more of a low when she walks straight into her past in the form of local cop Cameron. Cameron has loved Grace from the first moment he saw her and this time he is not going to back down till he gets her into his life on a permanent basis no matter the cost, for love is worth fighting for.
Both the main characters of Grace and Cameron were written by the author with such strong and intense emotions but the author that it truly felt as if I was connected to them both in some manner, like I wanted to be apart of their lives just to be able to feel and touch the strong and very vivid emotions they both encounter.
The dialogue and backdrop settings were as in all other books from the fabulous author, strongly described in vivid details, powerful and so emotionally moving it brought me to tears and I simply found myself yet again bawling my eyes out as this author always manages to make me do.
The story behind Grace's trauma was one that yes has been told before but the author did such a remarkable job at it all that I felt sure she had done her research before taking on this project which to me as reader is very important as it proves she wants to tell the story with a level of truth in order for the reader to still be able to find the story realistic and as true to real life as can be.
I highly recommend this read for all Helen Lacey fans that as I have fallen in love with Crystal Point and the characters that show us the road to happiness. A sweet, sensual and emotional read.
4.5 star review
" The past conjures up a destiny so sweet your heart will melt"
I received an ARC of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
______________________________________________________
Review by TashNz
Sometimes I feel that I cant find the words to do a story justice and I'm like that with Helen Lacey's gorgeous story Date with Destiny so I'm going to describe how it makes me feel and the picture it evokes in my mind. The feeling you get when you're all snuggled up in the middle of winter in front of a roaring fire. The wind and rain may howl outside but you're oblivious to everything because you've got your nose in a darn good book. That's the feeling I feel when I read Date with Destiny.
I first have to acknowledge Crystal Point, a beautiful little town in the heart of Australia somewhere. Helen has written some beautiful and emotional stories about its town folk. To help you understand a bit more about Crystal Point read this entry by Helen over at my fave blog LoveCats Down Under and here.
Grace flys home to Crystal Point from America where she's been all her adult years working herself to the bone. She's home for her sisters wedding, or so everyone thinks. Within the couple of pages she runs into Cameron, town policeman and her first love. And so begins an emotional and fully capturing story of Grace and Cameron and their second chance at love.
Grace is hiding the real reason she's home from her family. She's been involved in a car accident and had a breakdown as a result of it. She's pretty much been ordered home by her boss and her therapist. Rest and relaxation is on the menu but things don't pan out like that really. She looks after her sister's B&B while she's on her honeymoon and is soon caught up in the lives of the townsfolk and and kids Emily and Dylan who need help with their maths.
Cameron has never forgotten Grace and now that she's home he launches right in to try and convince her what she's missing. Poor guy takes one step forward and two back when dealing with Grace and slowly he begins to unravel why she's really home and what's really gone on in her life that led her to America and why she wont stay in Crystal Point.
Date with Destiny is a magnificent love story with two characters that are so believable it's like I'm standing next to them. Cameron wants nothing but the best for Grace. Grace is an amazing person written with such originality. The descriptive words of Helen Lacey's writing and the way the story was weaved had me oblivious to the world as I read it.
I love meeting the towns people of Crystal Point and I hope to meet more in the future :)
Reviewed by Maria
Helen Lacey's Crystal Point Series in Harlequin Special Editions is a series of well written novels, set in a small town in rural Australia, with a romantic central story surrounded by community, family, kids and pets. The series is almost a saga now, with various members of the Crystal Point community taking the centre stage each time a new story appears.
As much as I enjoy the series, I frankly admit that this story got off to a slow start for me. Grace Preston's visit home to attend her sister's wedding actually has a much deeper purpose. The author doesn't reveal the purpose too soon, but when she did, the story started to make beautiful sense. From then on, I was riveted. The ice maiden, prickly character of Grace suddenly became more attractive. Suddenly, you could see what has made her that way.
As a child, Grace had been sent away to study. With her high IQ and ability to attain excellent grades, it was obvious to all from an early age that her destiny was somewhere other than a small town community, much to the disappointment of Cameron, the young man who loved her. Grace left him to pursue a high powered career in the bright lights of New York City. But when Grace, now considerably older, returns to the heart of the community she left long ago, she realizes that what she really needs just might be right here.
Cameron is what you might call a beta hero. Sympathetic, kind and caring, he isn't too proud to tell the haughty Grace how he feels about her, but he has a self respect that is obvious. He's a community minded individual who really cares about people. Will Grace understand how special and wonderful he is before it's too late?
A story about finding out who you really are - and how it's not late to change your mind even if it is nearly two decades later.
_______________________________________________________________
Reviewed by Shirley
Life is like a tapestry woven on a giant loom. On the one side, there is an intricate picture slowly appearing from the interlocking threads. On the other side, there are thread ends: sometimes loose, sometimes knotted and sometimes just tangled. The interconnecting lives of Grace and Cameron through their families, their jobs and their choices was one such tapestry. Could they unravel some of these threads, the loose, the knotted, or the tangled and change the emerging picture or were the bindings on the threads too hard to break?
Twenty years ago, Grace Preston made a heart wrenching decision and left for New York to carve a successful career in finance to repay her family for all the sacrifices they had made for her schooling, placing the budding love she felt for Cameron in a locked box in her mind. Treating him with a polite, but cool demeanor when she visited, she has been able to keep the memories contained. Now, at her boss's and her therapist's insistence, she has been ordered to go home to heal from recent tragic events. But being around Cameron on a consistent basis has made her begin to question the choices she made in the past. A kiss...a simple kiss...and the lock has popped off that box in her mind, and memories are now surging forth, but will he want her now with the baggage she carries? Should she try to heal and return to her life in New York or should she stay and rework the picture emerging of her life?
A member of the police force in Crystal Point, Cameron Jakowski strives to improve his small seaside town. He upholds the law, supports the community activities, and helps those less fortunate. Only one thing would make his life more perfect: Grace...his first love, his only love. He has managed during all her visits home to conceal with playful banter and subdued friendship how he felt about the choice she made so long ago, but a kiss...a simple kiss...has unlocked the tight control he held over his passion for her. Can he influence her to choose him this time, or will he lose her forever?
An outstanding book of love surviving the test of time. Well written characters traversed a well formed plot to bring the rekindling romance, difficult choices, and ultimate decision to life on the pages. Helen Lacey has brought another compelling book to print in this fourth installment of the Crystal Point series. Although Grace and Cameron waited twenty years for their happily ever after, it cemented the saying. "True love always wins".
I would highly recommend this book to all romance readers. Engrossing, emotional and thought provoking, it was a real page turner.
I received a copy from the author for an honest review.
5/5 stars "True love may sometimes sleep, but it never dies."
