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Defying Reason
Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.
A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.
A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.
- GenresRomance
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2015
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Seckman
16 books88 followersMulti-published author of romantic women's fiction. I am a former social worker, constant day dreamer, and mother of four fabulous boys.
I have a house in desperate need of cleaning. No set date on completion.
I have a house in desperate need of cleaning. No set date on completion.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 27, 2015
I love Elizabeth Seckman's writing. Defying Reason is a new adult-ish romance, with characters in their early 20s. I haven't read the other books in the series, but this book stands completely on its own. Tanner and Jo leap off the page as incredibly realistic, likable characters. Best of all, the story is completely unpredictable, which I love in a romance! I highly recommend this one, especially if you're looking for a fun summer read!
January 15, 2025
I am giving 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4. This is a book from an author from my hometown. Some of the language was a little much, but I read it in 3 days because I simply, couldn't put it down. It is everything you want out of a romance book! Makes you feel fun! The ending was a little much..shark attack? But, was a very fun read! Thank you Elizabeth. Will be tuning it to your other books soon.
October 24, 2019
What an incredible story! This one wasn't rainbows and fairytales. It also wasn't all doom and heartache. Impressively written to have the perfect blend of happiness and angst with a tab bit of suspense that has the reader engaged and guessing on how things will turn out.
October 22, 2015
I'm a complete dork. Even though I prefer linear thinking, and linear story-telling, I'm reading this series completely out of sequence. I started with the second book in the series, and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so, I gave it a five-star rating and immediately bought the first book in the series. Which, I, um, didn't read. You know how it goes. Lots of other books somehow managed to muscle their way to the front of the line, and book #1 kinda fell through the cracks. Then recently, I got the third and fourth books of the series. You'd think I'd either read #1 or #3 at this point, right? Nope. I read THIS one... the fourth book of the series. Kinda sorta by mistake, but still, all kinds of out of sequence. See? A complete dork.
Know what? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter WHAT order you read these books in, because each one can stand alone quite nicely. The author gives just enough back story to prevent readers from getting lost, but not enough to aggravate someone who's reading the books in their intended order. Which, of course, makes this linear-thinking reader very happy.
This book starts out with Jo, a smart hard-working recent college grad with plans to attend medical school, fretting about the possibility that she might have made a horrible mistake: she might be pregnant. Her mom Gayle, who knows nothing about the pregnancy scare, but does know firsthand how getting involved with the wrong man can ruin a woman's life, pulls up roots and moves them away to North Carolina. For one thing, she wants to get Jo far away from her bad-news boyfriend, and for another, they're going to be working for, and helping out, her old friend Jenna and her family.
Then the story switches to rich underachiever college boy Tanner, whose track record with the opposite sex is so shallow, he's "getting dumped" by a gal he didn't even realize he was in a relationship with. (Now, THAT'S shallow!) Then, while he's still recovering from a hangover, and congratulating himself for escaping from the clutches of that semi-delusional trouble-waiting-to-happen gal, his father shows up at the door as she's leaving. It seems his father has had enough. He's sold Tanner's oh-so-sweet car, and is cutting off the flow of money. Tanner doesn't have much choice. He goes back to North Carolina with his father to work with him and help out the family.
You guessed it. Jenna is Tanner's mom, and the two families are brought together in very close proximity, meaning Jo and Tanner are brought together. Will they be drawn to each other? Do opposites really attract? Come to think of it, are they really all that "opposite?" Two decent caring people can overcome any obstacle, can't they? Or are their differences and misunderstandings doomed to keep them apart?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, too. Now, I'm reading book number one of the series. It tells the story of Tanner's parents, and it's like learning the background story of someone I know... and care about. And ya know what? It doesn't bother me at all that I already know how their story ends.
So, read these books! Read them in whatever order you'd like, but I'd recommend you start at the beginning and read them in order. Don't be a dork like me.
Know what? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter WHAT order you read these books in, because each one can stand alone quite nicely. The author gives just enough back story to prevent readers from getting lost, but not enough to aggravate someone who's reading the books in their intended order. Which, of course, makes this linear-thinking reader very happy.
This book starts out with Jo, a smart hard-working recent college grad with plans to attend medical school, fretting about the possibility that she might have made a horrible mistake: she might be pregnant. Her mom Gayle, who knows nothing about the pregnancy scare, but does know firsthand how getting involved with the wrong man can ruin a woman's life, pulls up roots and moves them away to North Carolina. For one thing, she wants to get Jo far away from her bad-news boyfriend, and for another, they're going to be working for, and helping out, her old friend Jenna and her family.
Then the story switches to rich underachiever college boy Tanner, whose track record with the opposite sex is so shallow, he's "getting dumped" by a gal he didn't even realize he was in a relationship with. (Now, THAT'S shallow!) Then, while he's still recovering from a hangover, and congratulating himself for escaping from the clutches of that semi-delusional trouble-waiting-to-happen gal, his father shows up at the door as she's leaving. It seems his father has had enough. He's sold Tanner's oh-so-sweet car, and is cutting off the flow of money. Tanner doesn't have much choice. He goes back to North Carolina with his father to work with him and help out the family.
You guessed it. Jenna is Tanner's mom, and the two families are brought together in very close proximity, meaning Jo and Tanner are brought together. Will they be drawn to each other? Do opposites really attract? Come to think of it, are they really all that "opposite?" Two decent caring people can overcome any obstacle, can't they? Or are their differences and misunderstandings doomed to keep them apart?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, too. Now, I'm reading book number one of the series. It tells the story of Tanner's parents, and it's like learning the background story of someone I know... and care about. And ya know what? It doesn't bother me at all that I already know how their story ends.
So, read these books! Read them in whatever order you'd like, but I'd recommend you start at the beginning and read them in order. Don't be a dork like me.
March 28, 2015
I read this when I wasn't feeling well and this read couldn't have come at a better time. There were parts where I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the goings on in this book.
Jo Leigh's life is turned upside down when her flighty, dysfunctional mom Gayle moves them to the Outer Banks of North Carolina because Gayle's childhood friend Jenna sells her a cottage dirt cheap in exchange for helping her family out during a family crisis. She also wants to keep Jo away from her no good, verbally abusive boyfriend, Brad. Of course Jo wants no part of this, but she doesn't have much choice until she starts Med school in the fall.
Tanner Coulter is a spoiled rich kid who loves to party and is flunking out of college. His father, Tres Coulter, finally puts an end to it. In one fell swoop, Tanner loses his sports car, credit card, checking account, and the friend with benefits, Becca, who dumps him right before Daddy shows up. Not knowing what to do, he calls his dad as he's driving away and tells him he wants to go home. He thinks it'll be parties at the beach and hot chicks, but Dad feels he needs to learn responsibility. In order to earn back his car, he must work on the family's cottage that his mom Jenna just sold to her friend Gayle. Uh-huh. You see where I'm going, right? :)
Their initial meetings are somewhat awkward, but Jo and Tanner quickly form a friendship that evolves into something deeper. Of course, there are secrets and drama and deceit... Oh, my! But, unfortunately, I can't give any of that away because I don't do spoilers.
The characters felt real and I could relate to them, especially Jo. Her character was well fleshed out physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Though she is beautiful, she has flaws and insecurities that we see manifest throughout the novel. I can't help but root for her because she's angry at her circumstances and her mother is a train wreck, always chasing after her 'donor' father.
The other characters were given distinct personalities and voices, as well. I could relate to most of them in some form or another. Except Becca. No. Just no.
I didn't notice any spelling or grammatical errors. I liked the way the chapters alternated between Jo and Tanner's point-of-view.
My only complaint, if you can call it one, is the ending. When I read a book, I like to imagine what the future holds. That's just a personal preference; I don't know how others feel.
Overall, I loved this book and gave it 4.5 out of five stars. (I always round-up). :) I took a half-star off because of the ending; otherwise, it would've gotten a full five from me.
Jo Leigh's life is turned upside down when her flighty, dysfunctional mom Gayle moves them to the Outer Banks of North Carolina because Gayle's childhood friend Jenna sells her a cottage dirt cheap in exchange for helping her family out during a family crisis. She also wants to keep Jo away from her no good, verbally abusive boyfriend, Brad. Of course Jo wants no part of this, but she doesn't have much choice until she starts Med school in the fall.
Tanner Coulter is a spoiled rich kid who loves to party and is flunking out of college. His father, Tres Coulter, finally puts an end to it. In one fell swoop, Tanner loses his sports car, credit card, checking account, and the friend with benefits, Becca, who dumps him right before Daddy shows up. Not knowing what to do, he calls his dad as he's driving away and tells him he wants to go home. He thinks it'll be parties at the beach and hot chicks, but Dad feels he needs to learn responsibility. In order to earn back his car, he must work on the family's cottage that his mom Jenna just sold to her friend Gayle. Uh-huh. You see where I'm going, right? :)
Their initial meetings are somewhat awkward, but Jo and Tanner quickly form a friendship that evolves into something deeper. Of course, there are secrets and drama and deceit... Oh, my! But, unfortunately, I can't give any of that away because I don't do spoilers.
The characters felt real and I could relate to them, especially Jo. Her character was well fleshed out physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Though she is beautiful, she has flaws and insecurities that we see manifest throughout the novel. I can't help but root for her because she's angry at her circumstances and her mother is a train wreck, always chasing after her 'donor' father.
The other characters were given distinct personalities and voices, as well. I could relate to most of them in some form or another. Except Becca. No. Just no.
I didn't notice any spelling or grammatical errors. I liked the way the chapters alternated between Jo and Tanner's point-of-view.
My only complaint, if you can call it one, is the ending. When I read a book, I like to imagine what the future holds. That's just a personal preference; I don't know how others feel.
Overall, I loved this book and gave it 4.5 out of five stars. (I always round-up). :) I took a half-star off because of the ending; otherwise, it would've gotten a full five from me.
April 6, 2015
I love this series. This book takes us through a relationship between Jo and Tanner, who seem opposite in every way. They also both have baggage in the matter of exes, as well as some kooky family stuff going on. The pacing is just right, and the dialogue and ongoing conflicts make this a fast-moving summertime romance. More Coulter romances, please.
February 15, 2015
I love this series. Tanned has a rough way for a while and finally meet someone worth loving.
March 29, 2015
This book hooked me and kept me reading. Great pacing... realistic, complex characters... lots of twists and turns... and a well-earned HEA.
Five stars.
Five stars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews