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Firefly Hollow #7
Fern Valley
Rachel Campbell is doing just fine on her own. The forty-seven-year-old divorced single mother of a nearly grown teenager, she's also a shape shifter. She isn't opposed to the idea of love, but she isn't looking for it, either. But then state trooper Lee Harrison moves in across the street. He couldn't be more wrong for her on paper, but he's so attractive and interesting, ever-cautious Rachel is tempted to throw her own rules for dating to the wind.
Lee wasn't expecting his neighbor to be a sexy bookworm, but that's exactly what she turned out to be. She's also twelve years his senior and has a serious bias against getting involved with law enforcement officers. Nonetheless, he's compelled to try to break through her defenses. One of the good guys, he's a man with paranormal abilities he'd prefer not to have. Little does he know that proving how trustworthy he is to Rachel is only the first obstacle they have to overcome to find a happily ever after.
“Fern Valley” is the seventh book in the Firefly Hollow series by T. L. Haddix, romance novels set in Appalachia that follow the Campbell family through different generations. Other titles include “Firefly Hollow,” “Butterfly Lane,” “Dragonfly Creek,” “Cattail Ridge,” “Cricket Cove,” and “Stormking Road.”
Lee wasn't expecting his neighbor to be a sexy bookworm, but that's exactly what she turned out to be. She's also twelve years his senior and has a serious bias against getting involved with law enforcement officers. Nonetheless, he's compelled to try to break through her defenses. One of the good guys, he's a man with paranormal abilities he'd prefer not to have. Little does he know that proving how trustworthy he is to Rachel is only the first obstacle they have to overcome to find a happily ever after.
“Fern Valley” is the seventh book in the Firefly Hollow series by T. L. Haddix, romance novels set in Appalachia that follow the Campbell family through different generations. Other titles include “Firefly Hollow,” “Butterfly Lane,” “Dragonfly Creek,” “Cattail Ridge,” “Cricket Cove,” and “Stormking Road.”
300 pages, ebook
First published February 23, 2015
50 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
T.L. Haddix
40 books229 followersT.L. Haddix is the author of the Firefly Hollow Series, women's fiction romances set in Eastern Kentucky, as well as numerous other projects under various pen names. She's a self-described eccentric, a somewhat reclusive stick in the mud who lives in Eastern Kentucky with her husband and their cat-children. Her hobbies include gardening, cooking, reading, genealogy, casual bird-and-critter watching, and being short.
She writes books about characters who are flawed but who somehow still manage to overcome the challenges thrown in their paths and reach for happiness with their soul mates. And while she can't tell a joke in the real world to save her life, she tries to inject her characters' lives with quirky, unintentional humor that surprises readers at just the right moment.
She writes books about characters who are flawed but who somehow still manage to overcome the challenges thrown in their paths and reach for happiness with their soul mates. And while she can't tell a joke in the real world to save her life, she tries to inject her characters' lives with quirky, unintentional humor that surprises readers at just the right moment.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 26, 2015
Every time I read one of the Firefly Hollow books I say it's my favorite. I can't help it. Right now this one is my favorite. I've loved Rachel's voice since I started reading the books and her book was just the right book at the perfect time for me.
Real life for me has been very crazy this week and I'm glad I had this book to escape into today. YAY for great books!
First of all is THAT COVER!! I love the recent changes to the covers of these books. Love, love, love.
Rachel is leery about getting into a relationship with Lee. She is older than he is and he is a cop. Her ex-husband was a cop, but he was pure asshole.
Well people..my husband is younger than I am and he is a cop. Yes, I'm a cougar. Damn proud of it too.
Their story is as well told as the rest of the books that I've read of TL Haddix books. You can escape into these books and know that you aren't going to get pissed off because the story went into one of the traps that so many authors are using now.
So if you like a touch of magic..run and get these books.
Real life for me has been very crazy this week and I'm glad I had this book to escape into today. YAY for great books!
First of all is THAT COVER!! I love the recent changes to the covers of these books. Love, love, love.
Rachel is leery about getting into a relationship with Lee. She is older than he is and he is a cop. Her ex-husband was a cop, but he was pure asshole.
Well people..my husband is younger than I am and he is a cop. Yes, I'm a cougar. Damn proud of it too.
Their story is as well told as the rest of the books that I've read of TL Haddix books. You can escape into these books and know that you aren't going to get pissed off because the story went into one of the traps that so many authors are using now.
So if you like a touch of magic..run and get these books.
February 17, 2016
Once again T.L. Haddix manages to flip the bird to all the tired tropes and themes that plague the romance genre. Every time I find myself on the verge of rage-quitting it, I dive back into this series to have my faith restored.
In this installment, Rachel, our forty-seven-year-old female lead, is the antithesis of the typical virginal Mary Sues that so frequently grace the pages of the romance genre.
She’s had *gasp* sex before. And isn’t *gasp* ashamed of it. She even has *megagasp* self-confidence. And she *supermegagasp* recognizes the fact that she’s an attractive older woman. She doesn’t cave to society’s expectations and don matronly attire, but she wears cut-off shorts and spaghetti-strap tank tops, because, DAMN IT, she looks good and she knows it. Say it with me now,
HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH.
Instead of slut-shaming and girl-on-girl hate, this book is filled with strong female relationships. It passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. I can’t tell you how frigging happy I was to read about healthy, normal interactions between women for once. Say it with me now,
HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH.
Instead of a mysterious older man, we have a younger male lead. He’s twelve years Rachel’s junior, and in a complete role-reversal, he’s the one who’s awkward around her. He doesn’t bully her, he never threatens her with physical violence, and he doesn’t go beast mode if another dude looks at her. He even trusts her to handle herself, knowing that she can, because she’s a grown ass woman. Say it with me now,
HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH.
Their interactions ran the gamut from adorable, to gut-busting funny. Just look at their first meeting:
“You do not look thirty-five.”
“Yeah, well, I’d talk. Are you really Sawyer’s age?” He grimaced, his cheeks turning red even as she snorted with appalled amusement. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m always putting the wrong foot forward. I’ll go now that I’ve humiliated myself. Nice meeting you.”
With a quick salute, he turned and headed back toward his house.
Rachel, her mouth open with shock, waited for him to stop and come back. He didn’t. She scrambled to her feet and padded barefoot down the walk to the gate.
“That’s it? You’re leaving?”
He stopped on the other side of the street, turning to face her, his hands spread wide. “That was damaging enough, don’t you believe?”
She didn’t quite know what to think. “Um. I’m not insulted if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“No?” He scratched his jaw. “Okay. Then I’d better not push it or you might be before I stop. See you around.”
And that’s this whole book in a nutshell. I read it with a mixture of SQUEEE, Awwwww, and LMFAO! Say it with me now,
HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH.
Lastly, we have the "complication". There’s always one in romance novels. Some thing that keeps the male and female leads from getting together for a little bit. Let me tell you, in this book, you frigging get it, man. It’s not contrived drama that keeps them apart, but deep-seated psychological trauma. But you know what, it’s not drawn out. And the character (I won’t say who, because spoilers) with said trauma is able to work through their shit with the help of their friends, and the person whom they love. SAY IT WITH ME NOW,
HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH.
So if you, like me, are fed up with reading about doormat female leads and the ragebeasts who abuse them, give this series a try. Each and every book in it breaks the mold in so many ways.
This review can also be found at The Book Eaters.
March 2, 2015
What more can I say about these books that I haven't already said. This series is everything I love about the romance genre. I think the best way to communicate my feelings about these books is not in words, but in gif. With the help of the inestimable Ron Swanson.
April 19, 2022
3 Stars.
The Good:
• Rachel's level-headedness
• Easton
• Lee's flubs
The Bad:
• Nothing about their romance
• Same old story
The Book:
Overall, this was a typical T.L. Haddix book. I had to take a break from them since I was getting a little burnt out from the series so I started back up with this one. It was a nice introduction back into the series, it reaquanted me with some of the characters. What I liked what how even keeled Rachel was, she panicked in the right spots but she didn't overreact in this book & was overall a nice character. I liked Easton too, the kids in the previous books were all younger so it was a fresh way to see a kid who was all grown up & actually interacting with their parents (not including Sarah & Owen). I would like to see a book about Easton but looking at the rest of the books in the series it looks like that one isn't in the cards yet. Another thing I liked was Lee's flubs, how flustered he would get around Rachel & just tried to 'nope' on out of there. It was cute & endearing & made me like Lee as a character. I didn't much care for him during Sawyer & Sydney's book (but that just might be because their book didn't really hit me like the others did). But I do wish we saw more of them dating... where they were going to go on their first date & technically that would be the next chapter but then it skips aheads WEEKS. Then they're all comfortable with dating. :\ Definitely would've liked to see that evolve a little more & disappointed that it didn't happen. I was also a little bored by this one honestly, it was cute & nice but it didn't pop out to me & enchant me like Firefly Hollow did so many books ago. I thought maybe I was burnt out on these books & that's why I took a break but I'm writing this review a little late, (after I've read Eli & Noah's books) & their books make me excited for the series again. So maybe this one was just a bummer for me.
The Good:
• Rachel's level-headedness
• Easton
• Lee's flubs
The Bad:
• Nothing about their romance
• Same old story
The Book:
Overall, this was a typical T.L. Haddix book. I had to take a break from them since I was getting a little burnt out from the series so I started back up with this one. It was a nice introduction back into the series, it reaquanted me with some of the characters. What I liked what how even keeled Rachel was, she panicked in the right spots but she didn't overreact in this book & was overall a nice character. I liked Easton too, the kids in the previous books were all younger so it was a fresh way to see a kid who was all grown up & actually interacting with their parents (not including Sarah & Owen). I would like to see a book about Easton but looking at the rest of the books in the series it looks like that one isn't in the cards yet. Another thing I liked was Lee's flubs, how flustered he would get around Rachel & just tried to 'nope' on out of there. It was cute & endearing & made me like Lee as a character. I didn't much care for him during Sawyer & Sydney's book (but that just might be because their book didn't really hit me like the others did). But I do wish we saw more of them dating... where they were going to go on their first date & technically that would be the next chapter but then it skips aheads WEEKS. Then they're all comfortable with dating. :\ Definitely would've liked to see that evolve a little more & disappointed that it didn't happen. I was also a little bored by this one honestly, it was cute & nice but it didn't pop out to me & enchant me like Firefly Hollow did so many books ago. I thought maybe I was burnt out on these books & that's why I took a break but I'm writing this review a little late, (after I've read Eli & Noah's books) & their books make me excited for the series again. So maybe this one was just a bummer for me.
February 19, 2017
3.5***
Rachel Campbell is 47 years old, with a grown son and divorce from an abusive marriage. Like most of the Campbell, she also got unique ability beyond a so call "normal" human. Lee Harrison is a 35 years old cob that got his own dark secret and is badly sscarred and betray by his fiancé and family. As two people come together, they have a spark that both of them can't deny. Will their dark side keep them both apart, or, will their feelings for each other enough to draw them together?
This book is focus mostly on the romance that build between Rachel and Lee, as most of the campbells play the supported role. It also developed the next generation of the Campbells to the story line. as enjoyable as the first book, Firefly Hollow, it is at the same time, different from the first book as it holds not so much of the Mistry or fantasy of the Campbell's unique gift, but more towards a typical love story. It is a good romance, a lite read. compare to the first book, and the ability that I've seen from Haddix's work, I'll give this a good 3 to 3.5 stars rating.
Ps: more reviews of the series will follow soon
Rachel Campbell is 47 years old, with a grown son and divorce from an abusive marriage. Like most of the Campbell, she also got unique ability beyond a so call "normal" human. Lee Harrison is a 35 years old cob that got his own dark secret and is badly sscarred and betray by his fiancé and family. As two people come together, they have a spark that both of them can't deny. Will their dark side keep them both apart, or, will their feelings for each other enough to draw them together?
This book is focus mostly on the romance that build between Rachel and Lee, as most of the campbells play the supported role. It also developed the next generation of the Campbells to the story line. as enjoyable as the first book, Firefly Hollow, it is at the same time, different from the first book as it holds not so much of the Mistry or fantasy of the Campbell's unique gift, but more towards a typical love story. It is a good romance, a lite read. compare to the first book, and the ability that I've seen from Haddix's work, I'll give this a good 3 to 3.5 stars rating.
Ps: more reviews of the series will follow soon
Read
June 8, 2023it was good
September 13, 2023
Great
Rachael falls in love with Lee but his family causes problems. Lee decided to propose to her but freaks out when he discs her secret.
Can he overcome his anger and fear?
Rachael falls in love with Lee but his family causes problems. Lee decided to propose to her but freaks out when he discs her secret.
Can he overcome his anger and fear?
March 20, 2018
A bit of an age gap again but older women and younger man for this book. Cute story and minimal sex.
March 15, 2015
I have loved every book in this series, so I was very excited to see this one pop up as a recommendation on my Amazon. The romance in this series is very sweet, and heartwarming. There is just enough paranormal mixed in to keep it interesting too.
August 15, 2015
Loved the series
My hubby(Caudill) is from down there,so I am a little judgemental of books from about the area. This series is great, strong family,strong men as women and alot of love. I hope this isn't the end...I'll be watching and waiting
My hubby(Caudill) is from down there,so I am a little judgemental of books from about the area. This series is great, strong family,strong men as women and alot of love. I hope this isn't the end...I'll be watching and waiting
March 15, 2015
This was so dorky and boring. Even skipping ahead didn't help.
October 14, 2015
Can't wait for the next book
The end of this one kind of left the rest of the story untold. I'm anxious to read the next book.
The end of this one kind of left the rest of the story untold. I'm anxious to read the next book.
June 13, 2017
almost time for book number 8
January 14, 2017
My least favorite Firefly Hollow series book. The plot seemed too forced and the romantic relationship between the main characters didn't appeal to me.
May 3, 2017
Of the stories so far, this one is the least complicated!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews