Reviewed by Desere
Blame! It's done everyday. Whether you are the one being blamed or whether you are the one blaming yourself, either way it is something that eats away at your soul. You cannot simply get rid of it by placing it in the back of your mind till such time you feel like dealing with it, because it never goes to the back, it always stays the number one thing on your mind, constantly whispering for you to do something about it.
In the new Sandra Marton this is the focus in life for the main characters Lissa and Nick. Once they both had promising careers, Lissa as a promising chef making the most mouth watering dishes and Nick as a kick-ass actor making all the girls knees go weak. But fate steps in and instead of living the dream, they are thrown together in the most unexpected of places.
Whilst each one tries to deal with their new circumstances they find that getting back to their careers is the furthest thing from their minds, because their passion for each other overshadows any other thoughts, that is until reality shows up at the front gate.
The character of Nick was a real ass, the man is as horrible as he his gorgeous. I found myself wanting to hit him on more than one occasion and at other times I felt so sorry for the lost man he has become that I wanted to hold him tight and just say anything I could to make him feel better, there was also of course the times that the man was so extremely sexy and I wanted to smother him in kisses. Him blaming himself for the an incident that led to the end of his career was a very touching tale. I have heard it many times before in the of work I do, but it never stops to amaze me just how much of an impact one incident can have on a person, so badly that it turns them from sunshine to a walking rain cloud that can erupt in seconds. Through this character the author showed, that anything can change our lives in a number of seconds, but it takes an entire lifetime to come back from the brink of insanity.
The character of Lissa, also blamed herself for the loss of her career however, her reason was less emotional, but this did not make her any less interesting. I found myself wanting to congratulate the woman for standing up for herself but I also wanted to scald her for not doing it properly. Through this character the author showed that when we stand up for ourselves we are not meant to do it only halfway, think of it as baking only half of an apple pie, no one will want to eat it and it's the same when we only stand up for ourselves halfway. We will be known as a person of reckoning but never a person of stature. When you fight for your right, do it all the way or don't do it at all.
The backdrop settings were very stunning, the author described the land with such exquisite detail I could honestly feel the cold seeping into my skin and feel the wind blowing away my hair. I loved the book from start to finish, I was swept away by the intense attraction between Lissa and Nick and simply could not get enough of them, I wanted the story to go on and on and never end, and afterwards I sat for almost a full three minutes to try and pull myself from their world and back to my own.
I am taking away a message of blaming yourself for mistakes is never the answer. Yes if you are guilty then that's it, try to make it right instead of just trying to push it away. And yes there will be times when we will be blaming ourselves when in fact it was never our fault to begin with, this is just human nature and can be overcome, but if you refuse to listen to the voice of reasoning when it comes walking through the door, then there truly will never be an end to your suffering. Be courageous enough to listen instead of just following your own set of voices.
I highly recommend this read for any of Sandra Marton's fans. The read was an emotional roller-coaster ride filled with blazing passion, heartache and self-discovery and and an ending you will never see coming!
5/5 star review
"Sugar and spice come together to create the most memorable dish of love"
******************************************************************************
Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan
The age old adage was right. “If it
sounds too good to be true, it usually is”. That's what Lissa found
out with this latest “executive chef position”. With a deadbeat
job, no better prospects in the future and her professional
reputation in shreds, the position quoted from her agent sounded
perfect. Only the hype and the reality were not the same. Hype: live
at a fancy dude ranch or fancy resort where the rich went to have fun
with hot tubs, fire pits and luxury accommodations, be able to do
American cooking with locally grown ingredients, and make contacts
with potential restaurant owners. Reality: live at a broken-down
ranch, feed six starving cowboys, tolerate one grouchy, arrogant,
sexy, reclusive owner and accommodate a big, beautiful Newfoundland.
Reality was a whole lot different from the hype, but was that all she
found there? She didn't think so. Had she finally found the “ONE”
or would he turn out to be just like all the others, selfish and
self serving?
Disillusioned and injured, Nick had
returned to the family ranch. With the shattering of all his dreams,
he had become rude, insolent, despicable, and elusive from all who
knew him. Oblivion was what he was chasing: from the memories of the
accident, the sudden ending of his career, fear of an interfering,
pitying public, and the bombardment of too many regrets for what he
had lost, but a blonde, green eyed, feisty, and determined dynamo
changed all his perceptions. From the first sassy, indignant
greeting, she had begun to change all his perceptions. Was the bubble
they existed in destined to be a step to forever or would reality pop
the thin membrane and come flooding in? Could there be a “happily
ever after” for them or would unforeseen circumstances force them
apart?
From the first pages of Lissa's “pity
party” to the last climatic firework ending, this exciting story
was written in the famous Sandra Marton style. A well written plot
was inter-weaved with very well developed characters. This story was
a constant page turner. Secondary characters, including the famous
“Wilde Clan” provided a perfect background to the story of
searching for that elusive eternal love. I laughed, cried, and
sympathized with both Lissa and Nick on their incredible journey to
this love.
And the ending...what a fabulous
surprise!!!! Can't wait to read future novels by this amazing author.
Well done, Sandra Marton,well done!!!
I would recommend this to all romance
readers.
5/5 stars Just what had she
gotten herself into...???
***************************************************************************
Reviewed by Maria
Reviewed by Maria
The story of Wilde
Child no. 6, Melissa, or Lissa, rather, is as absorbing as the previous
episodes in Sandra Marton’s family saga of the Wildes of El Sueno.
Lissa is the Wilde
child who has broken out on her own and walks a lone path. Independent, outspoken and proud, one thing
that Lissa will never do is admit to having failed while out there in the big,
bad world. Win or lose, she’s a Wilde
and that means that failure is not an option in that family of achievers.
A string of failed
romances and a career which has hit a downer fails to dampen her spirit. Men?
Who needs them? Her loss of
romance can be compensated for with chocolates, ice cream, a slew of romantic
movies and if it comes to that, mechanical help! Well, it may not come to that, but if it
does, she’s ready. The loss of a five
star job and having her name blackened in her industry doesn’t faze her
either. She shovels chicken in a
takeaway, keeps smiling and never calls her family for help. Not even once. But all that’s about to change. A job offer in cowboy ranch land comes her way. She thinks she’s going to be a chef in a
resort which offers ranch-style holidays to discerning (meaning: rich)
holidaymakers. What she does not bargain
for is the fact that the job is on a real ranch and instead of serving up haute
cuisine to high class ranch tourists, she’s called to serve up pork and beans
to real, honest-to-God cowboys and ranch hands.
And the boss? Don’t even mention that laconic, bad-tempered SOB.
But that SOB is
familiar looking. He bears a strong resemblance to a certain celebrity who
went missing over a year ago and Lissa starts to notice this. Soon, the whole game changes and it looks as
if Lissa’s life is about to change too, for the better.
And if that isn’t
quite enough, there’s a twist at the end of the story to make fans of the Wilde
series sit up and take notice.
A very hot and
romantic read, told with wit, style and humor. Sandra Marton fans, readers of romance and
fans of this series will be well pleased.
5*
