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Something to Talk About
Taking chances is never easy--especially when the whole town is watching.
Ellie Morgan is trying to stay below the radar in a small town. Her break-up with her football coach boyfriend and growing interest in her best friend's
widower are grist to the local gossip mill. Her friendship with the local psychic and the return of her prodigal mother are the cherries on the cake.
Add a meddling preacher, a water-loving dog and a man trying to shake off his past, and Ellie's got more than enough on her plate in her quest for
love.
Ellie Morgan is trying to stay below the radar in a small town. Her break-up with her football coach boyfriend and growing interest in her best friend's
widower are grist to the local gossip mill. Her friendship with the local psychic and the return of her prodigal mother are the cherries on the cake.
Add a meddling preacher, a water-loving dog and a man trying to shake off his past, and Ellie's got more than enough on her plate in her quest for
love.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2011
2 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 16, 2011
Something to Talk About is the novel that officiates M.J. Fredrick's position in my favorite authors list, authors that are must-buy as their stories are so very worth it. There are no blazing guns, no hair raising adventure in this as in the two novels Don't Look Back and Breaking Daylight by the author that I have read and reviewed prior to this. Rather, Something to Talk About is a contemporary romance that nevertheless packs into it a story that any romance lover ought to read because this is a novel that swept me away on a journey towards a happily ever after that I very much rooted for right from the very beginning.
Something to Talk about takes place in the small town of Winchester Cove, California where 30 year old Ellie Morgan has ended her latest relationship with the golden boy of the town and high school football coach Trey Berenger. Knowing that she wants much more from a relationship than Trey's self-centered nature allows him to give, Ellie cuts off ties with the man whom she had been seeing for almost a year - a personal best for her where relationships are concerned. What Ellie didn't expect to happen upon her breakup is for everyone in town to once again start talking around corners, whispering behind her back and painting her in the same light as that of her mother who had left a husband and three children behind 14 years ago and never looked back.
35 year old Noah Weston is just starting to recover from the blow that fate had dealt him when his wife had brutally being snatched away from his life, just when they were happily anticipating a new addition to their family. Almost a year and a half had passed by and Noah was starting to notice the vibrancy that has always been part of his wife Lily's best friend Ellie who lights up his otherwise grey world with her mere presence. Wary of a desire that seems to grow stronger rather than abate as the days go by, Noah wills himself to take a chance amidst the fanfare of small town life that supports and berates his choice to move on with his wife's best friend.
Ellie doesn't recall just when and how her libido and emotions had started going on instant alert whenever Noah is around but Ellie knows that its a passion worth risking her heart for if the answering fire of need that simmers in Noah's eyes is anything to go by. As their desire explodes and makes each of them embrace new heights in a physical relationship that neither of them was expecting, other emotions start getting involved lending their relationship a fragility that could break the bonds that bind them together so very easily.
With Noah battling his fear of starting over and trusting his heart to guide him in the right path and with Ellie fighting her need to become anything but the center stage of Winchester Cove's gossip central, both Ellie and Noah certainly lead the reader on an emotionally wrenching journey towards their happily ever after made infinitely that much sweeter because of the fact.
Something to Talk About is definitely landing in my favorite reads of this year as M.J. Fredrick completely took me by surprise with the turn of each page, bringing forth emotions that I didn't think I was even capable of feeling. Noah Weston with his killer dimples, his intensity that can fry the brain cells of any woman and his quiet strength is a hero worth savoring and worth allowing into your dreams, yes because he is the stuff that dreams are made out of. Ellie is a heroine who made me fall in love with her because she has those qualities that makes a reader root for the heroine right from the very beginning. Beautiful inside and out with a heart that yearns for a love like her friend Lily had found in Noah, Ellie is a heroine who is willing to fight for what she believes in, even with the whole world frowning down on her.
What endeared the story most to me is the way M.J. Fredrick managed to make Noah and Ellie's love work without sullying up the beautiful relationship that Noah had with his wife Lily, without painting Lily as the good for nothing previous wife who deserved what she got in the end. Rather than doing that, Ms. Fredrick explores the possibility that yes, you can find love in the most unexpected of places and let it be a beautiful one, untainted by a past that is beautiful in its own right. All the secondary characters in the story from the reverend to Noah's charming nieces to the navel-pierced psychic who manages to catch the eye of the reverend all wormed their way into my heart not to be easily forgotten.
With an epilogue that beautifully ties up everything and made me grin and inwardly smile at the same time, this is a contemporary romance that is definitely worth talking about, worth your time and money and comes highly recommended from the sunny side of life.
Memorable Quotes
He stepped inside and caught her fresh scent from the shower. He wanted to drop the toolbox and pin her to the wall behind the door, taste the dampness of her skin, the warmth of her mouth. He wanted to feel her hands on him, but he kept walking.
She made a small sound in the back of her throat as he slanted his mouth over hers, reining in his hunger to concentrate on the taste of her, the feel of her, the rhythm of her breath, of her heart. He wanted to absorb her, to savor her.
Every now and then he’d look her way and smile and she tumbled, just tumbled right over into love.
Reviewer's Note: Though Ms. Fredrick didn't request for a review, she did provide me with a copy of this wonderful romance for which I want to thank her and show her my appreciation. The fact that she gave me a copy had no effect whatsoever on my review or rating of the story.
Rating=5/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
Something to Talk about takes place in the small town of Winchester Cove, California where 30 year old Ellie Morgan has ended her latest relationship with the golden boy of the town and high school football coach Trey Berenger. Knowing that she wants much more from a relationship than Trey's self-centered nature allows him to give, Ellie cuts off ties with the man whom she had been seeing for almost a year - a personal best for her where relationships are concerned. What Ellie didn't expect to happen upon her breakup is for everyone in town to once again start talking around corners, whispering behind her back and painting her in the same light as that of her mother who had left a husband and three children behind 14 years ago and never looked back.
35 year old Noah Weston is just starting to recover from the blow that fate had dealt him when his wife had brutally being snatched away from his life, just when they were happily anticipating a new addition to their family. Almost a year and a half had passed by and Noah was starting to notice the vibrancy that has always been part of his wife Lily's best friend Ellie who lights up his otherwise grey world with her mere presence. Wary of a desire that seems to grow stronger rather than abate as the days go by, Noah wills himself to take a chance amidst the fanfare of small town life that supports and berates his choice to move on with his wife's best friend.
Ellie doesn't recall just when and how her libido and emotions had started going on instant alert whenever Noah is around but Ellie knows that its a passion worth risking her heart for if the answering fire of need that simmers in Noah's eyes is anything to go by. As their desire explodes and makes each of them embrace new heights in a physical relationship that neither of them was expecting, other emotions start getting involved lending their relationship a fragility that could break the bonds that bind them together so very easily.
With Noah battling his fear of starting over and trusting his heart to guide him in the right path and with Ellie fighting her need to become anything but the center stage of Winchester Cove's gossip central, both Ellie and Noah certainly lead the reader on an emotionally wrenching journey towards their happily ever after made infinitely that much sweeter because of the fact.
Something to Talk About is definitely landing in my favorite reads of this year as M.J. Fredrick completely took me by surprise with the turn of each page, bringing forth emotions that I didn't think I was even capable of feeling. Noah Weston with his killer dimples, his intensity that can fry the brain cells of any woman and his quiet strength is a hero worth savoring and worth allowing into your dreams, yes because he is the stuff that dreams are made out of. Ellie is a heroine who made me fall in love with her because she has those qualities that makes a reader root for the heroine right from the very beginning. Beautiful inside and out with a heart that yearns for a love like her friend Lily had found in Noah, Ellie is a heroine who is willing to fight for what she believes in, even with the whole world frowning down on her.
What endeared the story most to me is the way M.J. Fredrick managed to make Noah and Ellie's love work without sullying up the beautiful relationship that Noah had with his wife Lily, without painting Lily as the good for nothing previous wife who deserved what she got in the end. Rather than doing that, Ms. Fredrick explores the possibility that yes, you can find love in the most unexpected of places and let it be a beautiful one, untainted by a past that is beautiful in its own right. All the secondary characters in the story from the reverend to Noah's charming nieces to the navel-pierced psychic who manages to catch the eye of the reverend all wormed their way into my heart not to be easily forgotten.
With an epilogue that beautifully ties up everything and made me grin and inwardly smile at the same time, this is a contemporary romance that is definitely worth talking about, worth your time and money and comes highly recommended from the sunny side of life.
Memorable Quotes
He stepped inside and caught her fresh scent from the shower. He wanted to drop the toolbox and pin her to the wall behind the door, taste the dampness of her skin, the warmth of her mouth. He wanted to feel her hands on him, but he kept walking.
She made a small sound in the back of her throat as he slanted his mouth over hers, reining in his hunger to concentrate on the taste of her, the feel of her, the rhythm of her breath, of her heart. He wanted to absorb her, to savor her.
Every now and then he’d look her way and smile and she tumbled, just tumbled right over into love.
Reviewer's Note: Though Ms. Fredrick didn't request for a review, she did provide me with a copy of this wonderful romance for which I want to thank her and show her my appreciation. The fact that she gave me a copy had no effect whatsoever on my review or rating of the story.
Rating=5/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
October 4, 2015
3/3.5 stars
A nice little read. I felt the ending lacked a little something but all in all a decent enough story. It was nice how the reader saw from the POV of both H/H.
Not a huge amount happened aside from the relationship and it was just trivial stuff of a small town life.
There were a couple of bits where I thought the dialogue was odd and abrupt/rude which seemed a bit out of character - for instance between Ellie and Delinda when discussing the church fair. It wasn't anything major but there were just a couple of bits like this of odd conversation where it stopped the flow of the story a little for me and made me think "huh, that's a bit odd".
I would read other books by Fredrick as I quite liked the writing style.
Oh and there were pretty hot/steamy sex scenes too!
A nice little read. I felt the ending lacked a little something but all in all a decent enough story. It was nice how the reader saw from the POV of both H/H.
Not a huge amount happened aside from the relationship and it was just trivial stuff of a small town life.
There were a couple of bits where I thought the dialogue was odd and abrupt/rude which seemed a bit out of character - for instance between Ellie and Delinda when discussing the church fair. It wasn't anything major but there were just a couple of bits like this of odd conversation where it stopped the flow of the story a little for me and made me think "huh, that's a bit odd".
I would read other books by Fredrick as I quite liked the writing style.
Oh and there were pretty hot/steamy sex scenes too!
June 26, 2011
Something to Talk About!
The whole town definitely likes to talk. I really felt sorry for Ellie. She falls in love with her best friend’s widower. How will she ever be able to fill Lily’s shoes? It won’t be easy, especially with the meddling townspeople keeping track of her every move. I enjoyed the family dynamics and how the author shows how each family member deals with a “situation” in their own way. Well done!
The whole town definitely likes to talk. I really felt sorry for Ellie. She falls in love with her best friend’s widower. How will she ever be able to fill Lily’s shoes? It won’t be easy, especially with the meddling townspeople keeping track of her every move. I enjoyed the family dynamics and how the author shows how each family member deals with a “situation” in their own way. Well done!
February 4, 2012
interesting around 3,5
June 11, 2020
3 stars.
It was a good book and definitely well written. The author definitely paid attention to detail and the setting was good. I loved that the main characters felt like they had a nice rounded life outside of each other. The side characters and even the town itself felt like living breathing entities.
The hero, Noah, was very sweet without feeling beta and the heroine, Ellie, was very relatable and feisty without being obnoxious. I could have used a little less of the Hero's deceased wife. She was brought up more than I would have liked. The first half was fine but after the second half I was like: Can we move on from this chick?
The romance was slow burn and steamy albeit exhausting when they kept breaking up every time either of them got scared. The last quarter or so... after the h's mother returns, I felt the story started to rush to the finish line. It didn't really deal with the mother's return as it related to the h as an individual, and I felt like it's only purpose was to illustrate her parent's situation as it paralleled her relationship with Noah. It bothered me because up until this point the main characters were able to have lives and issues outside of each other. Though it was a good parallel and it was nicely thrown in without feeling like a different story, I wish the author had spent more time ALSO delving into the h's INDIVIDUAL issues with her mother, since she the first quarter or so of the book, she struggled too much with not wanting to be anything like her. I could also have used a more extended epilogue, specially with the constant fear of the H on having children.
I didn't like the introduction of the psychic chick at all! She added nothing to the story, in my honest opinion, and I felt like suddenly them being all BFFs felt extremely out of place. The heroine already HAD a BFF that was familiar with her entire history and instead of going to her for advise she kept coming to this new chick that pulled out her tarot cards and said nothing but cryptic bullshit. I just didn't get this friendship at all other than to give Matt, the Hero's BFF, someone to be with. This friendship would have been more apt had the character had only Lily, the H's dead wife, as a BFF, but with Bev there I didn't understand why she would rather spill her guts to someone she's known for 5 minutes other than someone she's known for a lifetime (Bev). It would have at least been nice to have included Bev and made them a trio. Alas, it just didn't work for me and it cost the story an entire star, it bothered me that much.
It was a good story and I would definitely read more by this author. I understand it was her first romance only novel and for that I feel she did a good job.
It was a good book and definitely well written. The author definitely paid attention to detail and the setting was good. I loved that the main characters felt like they had a nice rounded life outside of each other. The side characters and even the town itself felt like living breathing entities.
The hero, Noah, was very sweet without feeling beta and the heroine, Ellie, was very relatable and feisty without being obnoxious. I could have used a little less of the Hero's deceased wife. She was brought up more than I would have liked. The first half was fine but after the second half I was like: Can we move on from this chick?
The romance was slow burn and steamy albeit exhausting when they kept breaking up every time either of them got scared. The last quarter or so... after the h's mother returns, I felt the story started to rush to the finish line. It didn't really deal with the mother's return as it related to the h as an individual, and I felt like it's only purpose was to illustrate her parent's situation as it paralleled her relationship with Noah. It bothered me because up until this point the main characters were able to have lives and issues outside of each other. Though it was a good parallel and it was nicely thrown in without feeling like a different story, I wish the author had spent more time ALSO delving into the h's INDIVIDUAL issues with her mother, since she the first quarter or so of the book, she struggled too much with not wanting to be anything like her. I could also have used a more extended epilogue, specially with the constant fear of the H on having children.
I didn't like the introduction of the psychic chick at all! She added nothing to the story, in my honest opinion, and I felt like suddenly them being all BFFs felt extremely out of place. The heroine already HAD a BFF that was familiar with her entire history and instead of going to her for advise she kept coming to this new chick that pulled out her tarot cards and said nothing but cryptic bullshit. I just didn't get this friendship at all other than to give Matt, the Hero's BFF, someone to be with. This friendship would have been more apt had the character had only Lily, the H's dead wife, as a BFF, but with Bev there I didn't understand why she would rather spill her guts to someone she's known for 5 minutes other than someone she's known for a lifetime (Bev). It would have at least been nice to have included Bev and made them a trio. Alas, it just didn't work for me and it cost the story an entire star, it bothered me that much.
It was a good story and I would definitely read more by this author. I understand it was her first romance only novel and for that I feel she did a good job.
August 28, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/08/rev...
When Ellie Morgan breaks up with the town’s football coach, all she hears is the old refrain, “She’s just like her mother-never happy.” Ellie doesn’t know exactly what she wants in a relationship but she does know she wants more than a self absorbed man who puts her second to his career. So Ellie cuts him loose after a year (a personal best for her) and attempts to go on with her life and ignore the accusations and disapproval from the town.
Noah Weston is still recovering from the shattering blow of his wife Lily’s death. She died suddenly, along with their unborn child. After a year and half, Noah begins to emerge from his self imposed seclusion and notices Ellie holds a similar vibrancy and light that Lily did. Noah is confused and unsure as his feelings grow stronger the more time he spends around Ellie. Noah begins to find himself at odds with a town that isn’t ready for Nick to move on-especially with his dead wife’s best friend.
As Ellie and Noah begin to explore their fragile emotions, the heat and sexual tension that simmers between them threatens and overwhelms them in it’s intensity. When their new relationship takes a serious turn, Ellie and Noah have to figure out how to make peace with the past in order to have a future.
Something To Talk About is a sweet, heartwarming, and very,very sexy contemporary romance about a young woman who is relationship shy due to her past and a widower who is fighting the guilt of wanting another woman. The story is set in a very small town whose residents long memories are only matched by their ability to hold a grudge. Ellie‘s mother left her family 14 years ago. She raised her sisters and now watches her father pretend that his lover doesn’t spend the night with him every night. She finds herself unable to commit to anyone because she’s not sure what drove her mother away and strives to not be like her. I found myself drawn to Ellie. She’s smart, courageous, and while everyone thinks she’s flighty in love she’s not. She knows exactly what she wants and refuses to just “settle.” The town has painted her with the same brush they painted her mother and sadly, I never see anyone defend her BUT Noah.
Noah have been friends with Ellie for over 8 years. He married her best friend and they all absorbed him into their circle. When Noah’s wife dies, it leaves them all at a loss; especially Noah. When Noah begins to “see” Ellie in a different light and Ellie reciprocates his feelings, it opens a whole new aspect in their relationship as guilt, sadness, and old memories overwhelm them both. Noah feels his falling in love again betrays Lily and Ellie feels that she will never be anything be second place to Lily in Noah’s heart.
I adored both Ellie and Noah. Ellie with her quick smiles and obvious love of life and Noah’s smoldering sexuality and quiet charm makes the chemistry between them burn hot and bright through out the story. Ms. Fredrick’s does a fabulous job of facilitating Noah and Ellie’s romance amongst the disapproval of the town. Legitimate concerns are addressed and nothing is skimmed over to make the story more aesthetically pleasing. It’s an emotionally heartbreaking journey that realistically shows us the pain and grief these two feel as they try and find their way down a very rocky path to love. As with love and relationships in the real world, nothing is perfect and we aren’t sure till the very end if Ellie and Noah will be able to accept the second chance they have been given. Ms. Fredrick also doesn’t take the easy way out by painting Lily in a negative light in order to give Noah a plausible excuse to love Ellie. Noah falls in love with Ellie because of who she is and in doing so he doesn’t cheapen his feelings for her or Lily. Rather, Ms. Fredrick explores the possibility that you can find love more then once in life and that you don’t have to erase or forget a special time or person in your life in order to move forward. The heart is boundless in it’s capacity to love and that is the best lesson of all in here.
All in all Something To Talk About is a delightfully romantic contemporary that packs quite a powerful punch for only being 162 pages. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Noah and Ellie and being a part of their lives and look forward to reading more of Ms. Fredrick’s stories.
Overall Rating: B
When Ellie Morgan breaks up with the town’s football coach, all she hears is the old refrain, “She’s just like her mother-never happy.” Ellie doesn’t know exactly what she wants in a relationship but she does know she wants more than a self absorbed man who puts her second to his career. So Ellie cuts him loose after a year (a personal best for her) and attempts to go on with her life and ignore the accusations and disapproval from the town.
Noah Weston is still recovering from the shattering blow of his wife Lily’s death. She died suddenly, along with their unborn child. After a year and half, Noah begins to emerge from his self imposed seclusion and notices Ellie holds a similar vibrancy and light that Lily did. Noah is confused and unsure as his feelings grow stronger the more time he spends around Ellie. Noah begins to find himself at odds with a town that isn’t ready for Nick to move on-especially with his dead wife’s best friend.
As Ellie and Noah begin to explore their fragile emotions, the heat and sexual tension that simmers between them threatens and overwhelms them in it’s intensity. When their new relationship takes a serious turn, Ellie and Noah have to figure out how to make peace with the past in order to have a future.
Something To Talk About is a sweet, heartwarming, and very,very sexy contemporary romance about a young woman who is relationship shy due to her past and a widower who is fighting the guilt of wanting another woman. The story is set in a very small town whose residents long memories are only matched by their ability to hold a grudge. Ellie‘s mother left her family 14 years ago. She raised her sisters and now watches her father pretend that his lover doesn’t spend the night with him every night. She finds herself unable to commit to anyone because she’s not sure what drove her mother away and strives to not be like her. I found myself drawn to Ellie. She’s smart, courageous, and while everyone thinks she’s flighty in love she’s not. She knows exactly what she wants and refuses to just “settle.” The town has painted her with the same brush they painted her mother and sadly, I never see anyone defend her BUT Noah.
Noah have been friends with Ellie for over 8 years. He married her best friend and they all absorbed him into their circle. When Noah’s wife dies, it leaves them all at a loss; especially Noah. When Noah begins to “see” Ellie in a different light and Ellie reciprocates his feelings, it opens a whole new aspect in their relationship as guilt, sadness, and old memories overwhelm them both. Noah feels his falling in love again betrays Lily and Ellie feels that she will never be anything be second place to Lily in Noah’s heart.
I adored both Ellie and Noah. Ellie with her quick smiles and obvious love of life and Noah’s smoldering sexuality and quiet charm makes the chemistry between them burn hot and bright through out the story. Ms. Fredrick’s does a fabulous job of facilitating Noah and Ellie’s romance amongst the disapproval of the town. Legitimate concerns are addressed and nothing is skimmed over to make the story more aesthetically pleasing. It’s an emotionally heartbreaking journey that realistically shows us the pain and grief these two feel as they try and find their way down a very rocky path to love. As with love and relationships in the real world, nothing is perfect and we aren’t sure till the very end if Ellie and Noah will be able to accept the second chance they have been given. Ms. Fredrick also doesn’t take the easy way out by painting Lily in a negative light in order to give Noah a plausible excuse to love Ellie. Noah falls in love with Ellie because of who she is and in doing so he doesn’t cheapen his feelings for her or Lily. Rather, Ms. Fredrick explores the possibility that you can find love more then once in life and that you don’t have to erase or forget a special time or person in your life in order to move forward. The heart is boundless in it’s capacity to love and that is the best lesson of all in here.
All in all Something To Talk About is a delightfully romantic contemporary that packs quite a powerful punch for only being 162 pages. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Noah and Ellie and being a part of their lives and look forward to reading more of Ms. Fredrick’s stories.
Overall Rating: B
January 1, 2012
Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
Small town life is nicely encapsulated in this whimsical story.
Ellie’s been friends with Noah for years. They helped each other through the sudden death of Lily, Ellie’s best friend and Noah’s wife. So why is she suddenly having inappropriate thoughts about him? She’s barely broken up with the local high school coach (something the people in town may never forgive her for as it seems the team’s game is off).
Noah can’t figure out why things changed either, but they have. He’s feeling happy for the first time since Lily’s death, and it’s all because of his new feelings for Ellie. In theory, theirs is a romance that should have been simple and easy. Until you factor in Ellie’s past (and her mother’s, with whom she is constantly compared). She has a history of not "sticking" in a relationship, and no one wants to see Noah hurt. Especially not Ellie.
And then there’s Noah’s severe fear of loving and losing again. Not to mention the ghost of Lily that lingers between them.
While I found both internal conflicts believable, I also thought they were dragged out too long. After a bit I felt like a yo-yo. They’d get past their problems, then suddenly they would let them intrude again. Then they’d get past them, and then they’d intrude. Again and again.
Regardless, the author’s skill with the written word and her distinctively interesting and diverse characters kept me turning pages.
Perhaps because of the many other books I’ve read and enjoyed by this author, I hold her to a very high standard. I’ve come to expect the best from Ms. Fredrick. While this story may not have been my favorite of hers, it still entertained me with its cast, its sexual tension (one thing this author especially excels at), the spicy love scenes and the satisfying, sigh-inducing ending.
If you haven’t added M. J. Fredrick to your auto-buy list, you should. I have yet to be disappointed.
Small town life is nicely encapsulated in this whimsical story.
Ellie’s been friends with Noah for years. They helped each other through the sudden death of Lily, Ellie’s best friend and Noah’s wife. So why is she suddenly having inappropriate thoughts about him? She’s barely broken up with the local high school coach (something the people in town may never forgive her for as it seems the team’s game is off).
Noah can’t figure out why things changed either, but they have. He’s feeling happy for the first time since Lily’s death, and it’s all because of his new feelings for Ellie. In theory, theirs is a romance that should have been simple and easy. Until you factor in Ellie’s past (and her mother’s, with whom she is constantly compared). She has a history of not "sticking" in a relationship, and no one wants to see Noah hurt. Especially not Ellie.
And then there’s Noah’s severe fear of loving and losing again. Not to mention the ghost of Lily that lingers between them.
While I found both internal conflicts believable, I also thought they were dragged out too long. After a bit I felt like a yo-yo. They’d get past their problems, then suddenly they would let them intrude again. Then they’d get past them, and then they’d intrude. Again and again.
Regardless, the author’s skill with the written word and her distinctively interesting and diverse characters kept me turning pages.
Perhaps because of the many other books I’ve read and enjoyed by this author, I hold her to a very high standard. I’ve come to expect the best from Ms. Fredrick. While this story may not have been my favorite of hers, it still entertained me with its cast, its sexual tension (one thing this author especially excels at), the spicy love scenes and the satisfying, sigh-inducing ending.
If you haven’t added M. J. Fredrick to your auto-buy list, you should. I have yet to be disappointed.
July 14, 2011
I loved this book. I come from a small community, so the 'something to talk about' theme really resonated for me. The author does a great job recreating that claustrophobic, fishbowl feel, yet she doesn't villify the townspeople in the process. Kudos! Which brings us to the romance. Whoo-boy, it was a good one! Lots of chemistry, lots of reasons why these two should get together, but the why nots are really stacked against them. Ellie is freshly out of a relationship, and Noah is finally, after a year and a half, emerging from numb grief over the loss of his wife in an accident. But here's the kicker - his dead wife was Ellie's best friend Lily. How can Ellie measure up in anyone's eyes, especially Noah's? And how are they ever going to have a chance when everyone thinks Ellie is wrong and/or bad for Noah?
January 24, 2016
I would give this book 3,5 stars. Well written but too long. The small town factor was a bit strange for me: I felt that these people were sometimes quite rude and meddlesome and the heroine's acceptance of it was strange. I liked the hero, well done. I will be looking for other books by this author, I bought this one influenced by a Trish Milburn's review and I don't regret it.
February 12, 2016
I liked this, but I felt like the characters kept stepping back in exactly the same ways and it got frustrating after the umpteenth time. I get that it was a complicated emotional situation, but I wanted them to either stick and build or break up and realize they both needed more time to be ready for each other.
February 25, 2016
Ellie and Noah have quite a history together. Ellie decides to move out of her boyfriend's house and her friend, Noah offers to help her. These two realize that they have feelings for each other. They decide to move their relationship forward without letting anyone in their small town know. Both have stuff from their pasts come back and they have to deal with. This was a good book!
April 29, 2016
Ellie Morgan is restless. She wants more, but what? Noah Weston wants more, too. More of Ellie. She's been untouchable until now. When she breaks up with her boyfriend, Noah sees his chance. Great book.
March 5, 2016
(Read as part of Hometown Heroes Box Set)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews