Half Moon Hill by Toni Blake

Trying to escape her troubled past, Anna Romo has come home to Destiny determined to carve out a place for herself. When she buys the old Victorian house on the hill with the intent of furnishing it into a Bed and Breakfast, she’s thrilled by the possibilities.

Ex-biker-gang member Duke Dawson is as much a fish out of water in Destiny as Anna, but he’s handling it fine until an accident scars not only his body but his mind. When Anna stumbles across him in an old cabin in the woods near her newly acquired house, at first she’s terrified. But they work out a deal - she’s willing to keep his solitary living arrangement a secret if he’s willing to help her with some of the heavy lifting at the house.

Working together on the rennovations, romance brews between Duke and Anna. That is, until war hero Jeremy Sheridan returns home in a blaze of glory and sets his sights on Anna. Suddenly torn between the outgoing and charming Jeremy and the intriguing Duke, Anna’s heart is torn between two paths and left with only one solution.

*************

This sixth book in Toni Blake’s Destiny series is a sweet, poignant, sexy story. Even though I adore this series, I was a bit apprehensive about this book because, to be honest, I had a bit of a problem with Anna in Willow Springs, and wasn’t sure I’d feel much differently about her now.

Hah! Silly me! I should have known better, because this is Toni Blake, after all.

Anna’s story is sort of a two-parter, told between Willow Springs and Half Moon Hill, and as I said, I really didn’t like her much in the previous book, but upon reevaluation, I guess it’s not so surprising, after all. I mean, there wasn’t a lot to get happy about with her coming between Logan and Amy at every turn, and even though Logan was somewhat clueless, Anna was not. She knew about Amy and still made a move on Logan, and that did nothing to endear her to me, so yeah… wasn’t sure I’d be able to get behind her story, this soon, but what I learned about Anna changed that.

If you’ve followed the series you know that Anna is Mike and Lucky Romo’s little sister, the one who went missing when she was just 5 years old, leaving her family without answers as to what had become of her. Well, she finally came home in Willow Springs and did everything she could to fit in, find acceptance, and come to grips with her past while facing her future. To me she seemed selfish, arrogant, ungrateful… but in truth, she was just lost, and that’s what I learned about her, and why I was able to come to care about her.

Duke Dawson is such a fantastic hero, but everything about him makes you want to run for cover - he’s gruff, crass, scarred inside and out, and looks like he’s devolving into a caveman. His story, which comes out in bits and pieces, is heartbreaking! I’m not sure many women would be able to love a man like Duke, but with Anna’s past, with all she’s been through, she’s able to see the man he truly is. Over time, she finds the chink in his emotional armor and sets him free, and for that reason alone I care about her and respect her.

This is a really nice addition to the series, and I truly enjoyed spending a lot of time with the other couples. In addition to watching Anna and Mike work out their problems and become the family they should have always been, there are a couple of side stories that were tugging at my heartstrings, and I love how they all worked out.

The bottom line: Toni Blake is such an amazing storyteller! The Destiny books are very sexy, some bordering on erotic, but there’s so much story there… so much life and love! Even with all the passion and sex, Ms. Blake's stories never fail to evoke deep, powerful emotions, and I know that once I've turned the final page, I'll be left with a smile on my face and a sigh in my heart.

My thanks to Avon Books for providing me with a copy of Half Moon Hill in exchange for an honest review.

Willow Springs by Toni Blake

THE AVON AFFAIR IS A 14-DAY AVON BOOKS REVIEW EVENT
ORGANIZED AND HOSTED BY CURRENT AND ALUMNI MEMBERS OF
THE AVON ADDICTS.

Today I'm reviewing Toni Blake's Willow Springs!

This lovesick matchmaker has finally met her match! 

        

Amy Bright might be the best matchmaker in Destiny, Ohio, but she's desperately shy when it comes to her own love life—and helpless when it comes to Logan Whitaker, the best friend whom she's head-over-heels in love with. So Amy decides to become Logan's secret admirer, sending him sensual love letters steamy enough to unseal their own envelopes. One letter leads to another, one thing leads to another, and then comes an unplanned kiss…

Overcoming a tragedy from his life as a firefighter, Logan needs a friend. Thank goodness for Amy. But when a woman from Logan's past resurfaces right as some anonymous letters send Logan's pulse hammering, suddenly he doesn't know what he needs—a reliable friend, or a passionate lover? One smoking-hot kiss could change everything…but will it ruin a one-of-a-kind friendship, or show Logan and Amy that they've already found everything they need, right here in Destiny?

 *****

 
Willow Springs is the fifth book in Toni Blake’s Destiny series, and one emotional story. I’ve never shed so many tears while reading any book as I did with this one, and it’s not even story of hardship, illness or death. This is a tale of “first love” and all the pain, heartache, hope and joy that comes with it, even when that love doesn’t find you until you’re 30 years old.

Let me get this out of the way right up front – this is not a light read. It’s angsty, dark, and heartbreaking… but it’s also comforting, hopeful and romantic. There were times I was so angry with both Logan and Amy that I wanted to scream, and other times I was completely understanding of their actions. Times I cheered for them because I could see what they could have, times I wanted them to throw in the towel and just move on because they couldn't see what they could have. And as hard as this was to read sometimes, I never even once considered giving up because I knew once it finally came, their happily ever after would be worth every minute it took to get there.

There were people and things I liked, people and things I loved, and people and things I could have done without, but any book that can evoke such strong feelings, a book that keeps me up until 3:30 in the morning and then is the first thing I think of a few hours later when I wake up... that's a story I won't soon forget because it touched me deeply. Through the tears, the smiles, the anger, the understanding… I couldn’t stop reading, just had to find out what would become of Logan and Amy, and that is the beauty of Toni Blake’s writing.

Because I so related to Amy's feelings of being just average - not gorgeous like her friends, not talented, not special, I’m going to leave you with my favorite scene, one that was heartbreaking, but so filled with hope. What makes this my favorite? It's because this is when Amy finally understood that she deserved better. That she was worth more than she was getting.

****SLIGHT SPOILER****

“Logan, what you said about figuring out what you want to do about us—you don’t have to figure it out. Because . . . I already did. I don’t think I’m interested anymore.”

She could feel his surprise, even without glancing his way. “Interested in what?”

“You. Us. That way. Romantically.” She opened the door now, preparing to go.

But his shock was so great that it practically filled the car, even if she saw his eyes widen on her with only her peripheral vision. “What do you mean?”

“The thing is,” she began, “if it’s such a hard decision . . . well, I’d rather be with somebody who doesn’t have to decide, who just knows. Who knows I’m amazing. Who knows I’m the best thing that ever happened to him. Who takes me with my faults. That’s what I deserve. And if you’re not that guy—then a relationship with you would never be enough for me.”

And with that, she got out of the car in her bikini and sarong, said, “Thanks for the ride. Goodnight,” then shut the door and walked away. 

****END SPOILER****

My vision of Logan Whitaker

 

 Check back tomorrow for my review of Again the Magic, by Lisa Kleypas!

And be sure to visit the other blogs participating in The Avon Affair:

A Tasty Read
Rusticating In The Tropics
Toot's Book Reviews
S.O.S. Aloha
The Book Queen's Personal Book Palace
Romancing The Readers
The Book Cellar
Blithely Bookish
The Romance Reviews
Tempting Reads

Holly Lane by Toni Blake

Toni Blake’s Destiny series is the perfect blend of contemporary and erotic romance, making each story tender, feel good, and incredibly sexy. I guess I'm pretty demanding, but even in my erotic reading I want a believable story and a good solid relationship with people I can care about. I want to feel an emotional connection - to laugh when they laugh, to cry when they cry, and to sigh when they sigh. Well, Holly Lane gave me all that, and more.

From the cover:

The weather outside is frightful, but kisses by the fire are so delightful …

Sue Ann Simpkins is working hard to rebuild her life and find some holiday spirit. A weekend away from Destiny in a cabin on nearby Bear Lake seems like the perfect Christmas gift to herself—until her ex's best friend, Adam Becker, shows up at the door, claiming the cabin is his! And if that's not trouble enough, how had she never noticed how gorgeous he was?

Alone for the holidays and forced to play a reindeer at the local department store, Adam's been feeling rather Scrooge-ish himself. But finding the smart, sexy woman he's admired since elementary school waiting in the house he rented is helping to brighten his humbug mood. And when a sudden snowstorm strands them together in very close quarters, leading to one very hot night together, Adam soon realizes that what he really wants for Christmas is a second chance at love. Now all he has to do is convince Sue Ann…

I’m being totally honest when I tell you that Sue Ann was not a character I ever thought I’d care about because she just seemed so perfect… too perfect, in fact. Perfectly dressed, perfectly married to a perfect husband, being everyone’s perfect friend with a perfect life - perfect, perfect, perfect… So even when I heard about this story, even when I learned that her perfect world was falling apart, I still wasn’t sure what to think, whether or not I’d become invested in her enough to care what happens. Boy, was I ever a fool to doubt Toni Blake’s ability to not only make me care, but to make me care deeply.

From the very first pages my heart broke for Sue Ann who’s learned that her husband has fallen in love with another woman and wants a divorce. She never saw it coming, and now she has to not only put her life back together, but find a way to build a future for her and her daughter, Sophie. So, was the perfect Sue Ann really perfect? Nope! Did I want to slap her silly sometimes because she was being too stubborn? Yep! But these things, her imperfections and her stubbornness... they were actually part of what made me love her. Her struggles, her heartbreak, her trials and triumphs… I was right there with her, cheering her on, getting to know this woman who was able to overcome her own insecurities and was capable of accomplishing anything!

If you've read much of her writing, you know that Toni Blake has a knack for taking everyday characters who’ve just been floating around the peripherals of a story, of bringing them in, and making them shine. That’s exactly what she did with Adam. What an amazing man he is! Understanding, compassionate, caring, hard working, unconditionally devoted – and of course, sexy as sin! I enjoyed watching him put his own past behind him and open himself up to the possibility of loving again. And it was a delight having the opportunity to see he and Sue Ann grow closer as their relationship transformed from one of friends-since-childhood to lovers, and then to something more.

Another real treat was visiting with Jenny and Mick and getting a glimpse into their married life. They have come so very far together, and their future is looking brighter and brighter.

The bottom line: Holly Lane is a Christmas story, it’s true, but this much love, this much happiness, hope and passion should be celebrated all year 'round. I’m so very glad I finally took this off the shelf and spent this Valentine's Day surrounded in the magic of Christmas in Destiny, Ohio.