After a week of flu induced silence, I'm so thrilled to break it with today's tour stop for Melissa Foster's Flirting with Love! The tenth book in Foster's The Bradens series and the eighteenth in her larger Love in Bloom series, I came to it fresh. Having never read Foster before, I didn't know what to expect. So very glad I signed up to tour this book because man oh man is this one good! I've already picked up the first two books in the series so I can catch up!
For the rest of the stops on the tour, check out Tasty Book Tours.
The Book
.jpg)
FLIRTING WITH LOVE is the newest addition to the BRADEN series by New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. This contemporary romance series features alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and very relatable to readers who enjoy new adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction.IN FLIRTING WITH LOVE…
Elisabeth Nash has spent years dreaming of returning to the small town of Trusty, Colorado, where she spent summers with her favorite aunt. When she inherits her aunt’s farmette, she closes her Los Angeles pet bakery and pampering business, sure that life in Trusty will be as peaceful and as welcoming as she remembers. But being an outsider in the close-knit town proves to be very different from the happy summers she remembers from her childhood—and falling for Trusty’s hot, wealthy, and sinfully irresistible veterinarian, Ross Braden, sends the rumor mill into a frenzy.
Ross Braden learned long ago that gossip spreads faster than weeds in his small hometown, and Ross loves nothing more than his privacy. For that reason, he doesn’t date women who live in Trusty. But that was before blond, beautiful, and refreshingly honest Elisabeth Nash flew into his vet clinic seeking help for her panicked piglet and turned his comfortable life—and his heart—inside out.
Despite rumors about Elisabeth’s motives toward her aunt’s property, passion brews between Elisabeth and Ross. Every steamy kiss and every sensual touch brings the pair closer together, and when Ross helps Elisabeth try to fit into the town he adores, it makes their bond even stronger. But even Elisabeth’s efforts toward reaching the community, and the love she and Ross so desperately believe in, might not be enough for the protective small town to offer them a future.
Flirting with Love will be available December 15th!
My Review
I haven't read Melissa Foster so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's important to note that this is the tenth book in the Braden series and the eighteenth in the larger Love in Bloom series. So there's lots of familiar faces for people who've been reading along since the beginning.
This was a super sweet story. It belongs to a niche of contemporary romance that I'm calling "gentle romance" - there's conflict but it's all very low key. There's no violence, no horrible secrets from the past rearing their ugly heads. The main characters don't have a love-hate relationship.
The romance between Elisabeth and Ross felt pretty true to life. They meet, there's that zing moment and they find themselves spending more and more time together. They're both ideals, but genuinely nice people and good for each other. The animal-love thread is strong in this one - so if you're not a dog person... well... come on now. I was inspired by Elisabeth's productivity to consider baking a pie. I considered it! I was actually a little surprised by how handily she was able to step into the pie-making business....
I didn't get the best impression of Trusty, given the negativity of the gossip mill, and hostility towards Elisabeth. While I like the idea of a small town (also, I always picture small towns as though they are Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, though perhaps with more ranchers and farmers), with lots of community events and spirits, and people who know and care about their neighbours... I don't know. There was something a bit offputting about the town in this book. I do think I'll come back to read more of the romances in this series as I enjoyed this one so much and perhaps Trusty will grow on me?
I picked up the first Braden book and the first Snow Sisters book (which starts the Love in Bloom series) for free on Amazon last Friday and I'm looking forward to reading them!
The Bottom Line:
Flirting With Love is a very sweet, very soft romance with some gentle ups and downs. There's a nice streak of heat through it.
4 stars
For fans of contemporary romance, low conflict romances, gentle romance
About Melissa Foster
"Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"-- Bestselling Author Jennie Shortridge"What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about... desperately. This is psychological suspense at its most chilling. I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked." International bestseller, M.J. Rose
Melissa Foster is an award-winning, International bestselling author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.
Thank you for hosting today!
ReplyDeleteOh, no! The flu? So glad you're feeling better and that you enjoyed the book. You also picked up two more books in the series--that's great! Thank you for the wonderful review XOXO
ReplyDelete