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Hellcat Canyon #3
Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap
She was a naive country girl. He was a billionaire's spoiled son. He was her first crush, her first heartbreak...and now her sworn enemy.
As Avalon Harwood's fortunes soared, Maximilian “Mac” Coltrane's plummeted, and he had to fight his way back to where they both began: Hellcat Canyon. Now Mac and Avalon will play dirty—in more ways than one—to get what they each want: the glorious old abandoned Coltrane mansion. But when Avalon snaps the house up at auction, she discovers there's something awfully familiar about the extremely hot caretaker...
Mac might have a heart of stone, and the abs to match, but Avalon—the dazzling girl whose heart was always too big and too reckless for her own good—was always his Kryptonite. And just like that, the stakes change: suddenly they're fighting not just for a house, but for a magic they tasted only once before and never since—long ago, with each other, at Devil's Leap.
“Julie Anne Long’s books are sexy and adorable!”
—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis
As Avalon Harwood's fortunes soared, Maximilian “Mac” Coltrane's plummeted, and he had to fight his way back to where they both began: Hellcat Canyon. Now Mac and Avalon will play dirty—in more ways than one—to get what they each want: the glorious old abandoned Coltrane mansion. But when Avalon snaps the house up at auction, she discovers there's something awfully familiar about the extremely hot caretaker...
Mac might have a heart of stone, and the abs to match, but Avalon—the dazzling girl whose heart was always too big and too reckless for her own good—was always his Kryptonite. And just like that, the stakes change: suddenly they're fighting not just for a house, but for a magic they tasted only once before and never since—long ago, with each other, at Devil's Leap.
“Julie Anne Long’s books are sexy and adorable!”
—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2017
77 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Julie Anne Long
38 books2,948 followersWell, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
February 26, 2018
First, let me take this moment to congratulate myself on reading a BOOK THREE in a series where I haven't read the first two yet. This is the first time I've ever done that. I'm so ocd about those kind of things that I will occasionally read an entire series if the book I want to read is in a spin-off series. I've read over 20 books just to get to a book I wanted to read before. So, this is progress. I'm a little less crazy today, folks. Just a little.
See, it's mystique. Stop trying to give me pills to kill my mystique!
Here's what I discovered during this not-crazyathon: it didn't matter. I read this book without any feeling of not having all of the information needed. So, now I am in an existential crisis. Did all of those shitty books I read just to get to the book I wanted to read mean nothing? Could I have been doing this all along? Cheating works? It's like my whole life is a lie.
See? I didn't even know this. I wonder what else I don't know.
Alright, I know, you aren't here to read about my not-craziness. You want to know why I gave a book with THAT cover a 5-star review. I mean, that cover? Come on! My dog could have drawn a better cover. Oh, or that painting elephant? I love that guy!
What the hell? Another elephant picture? You're so obsessed with yourself!
Selfie-elephant should get hired by Ilona Andrews too. Oh, and the people who made this book cover:
Jesus? Are you back? Why did you come back as a bigfoot? And, who's that girl?
Oh yeah, the book. I got distracted for a minute by the beauty of that last picture. So many questions.....
Our book starts with the caught-the-boyfriend-schtupping-the-intern scene, so our heroine, Avalon, takes off into the wilds of middle-California where the west is still wild, but you can still get a good gluten-free, vegan soy latte. She's not an animal. While she is sleeping in her old twin bed at the parent's house, she finds out that there is a big old house for sale, and it just so happens to be the former home of her teenage crush. It's a good thing her ex decided to do the intern yesterday because a day or two later and she wouldn't have had the chance to make a stupid decision and buy the house of her old boyfriend. I guess it could have been worse.
She could have decided to read this instead:
*shudder*
Wait, is the word sexual really on the cover of that book?
*shudder harder*
Oh, and the coincidences! They keep coming!
It just so happens that her teenage loverboy is ALSO back home and wants to buy the house! What were the odds?
She wins the auction. Because, you know, girls are better than boys.
But, don't be dismayed, he lives on the same spot of land. So, you know, they can cute-fight over the property.
He and Avalon get into an epic show-down of pranks, and that is part of what makes this book totally worth it. It was hilarious!
And, then they were hilarious together.
Hilarity ensued.
There were nudists, manure, and the worst song ever known to the 1980's. I couldn't help but admire the ways they made each other suffer.
Of course they start hooking up! You knew it was coming the whole time. And, they were even funny then.
“We are really good at it,” she allowed...
“Yeah. I liked the way we kept affirming each other. ‘Yes, oh yes!’” he mimicked.
She gave a quick shout of laughter.
I loved this couple. The story was cheesy, but I didn't care at all. The writing was great. The dialogue was absolutely awesome, and the HEA made me happy.
Call me crazy, but this was one helluva fun book.
Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Thanks.
See, it's mystique. Stop trying to give me pills to kill my mystique!
Here's what I discovered during this not-crazyathon: it didn't matter. I read this book without any feeling of not having all of the information needed. So, now I am in an existential crisis. Did all of those shitty books I read just to get to the book I wanted to read mean nothing? Could I have been doing this all along? Cheating works? It's like my whole life is a lie.
See? I didn't even know this. I wonder what else I don't know.
Alright, I know, you aren't here to read about my not-craziness. You want to know why I gave a book with THAT cover a 5-star review. I mean, that cover? Come on! My dog could have drawn a better cover. Oh, or that painting elephant? I love that guy!
What the hell? Another elephant picture? You're so obsessed with yourself!
Selfie-elephant should get hired by Ilona Andrews too. Oh, and the people who made this book cover:
Jesus? Are you back? Why did you come back as a bigfoot? And, who's that girl?
Oh yeah, the book. I got distracted for a minute by the beauty of that last picture. So many questions.....
Our book starts with the caught-the-boyfriend-schtupping-the-intern scene, so our heroine, Avalon, takes off into the wilds of middle-California where the west is still wild, but you can still get a good gluten-free, vegan soy latte. She's not an animal. While she is sleeping in her old twin bed at the parent's house, she finds out that there is a big old house for sale, and it just so happens to be the former home of her teenage crush. It's a good thing her ex decided to do the intern yesterday because a day or two later and she wouldn't have had the chance to make a stupid decision and buy the house of her old boyfriend. I guess it could have been worse.
She could have decided to read this instead:
*shudder*
Wait, is the word sexual really on the cover of that book?
*shudder harder*
Oh, and the coincidences! They keep coming!
It just so happens that her teenage loverboy is ALSO back home and wants to buy the house! What were the odds?
She wins the auction. Because, you know, girls are better than boys.
But, don't be dismayed, he lives on the same spot of land. So, you know, they can cute-fight over the property.
He and Avalon get into an epic show-down of pranks, and that is part of what makes this book totally worth it. It was hilarious!
And, then they were hilarious together.
Hilarity ensued.
There were nudists, manure, and the worst song ever known to the 1980's. I couldn't help but admire the ways they made each other suffer.
Of course they start hooking up! You knew it was coming the whole time. And, they were even funny then.
“We are really good at it,” she allowed...
“Yeah. I liked the way we kept affirming each other. ‘Yes, oh yes!’” he mimicked.
She gave a quick shout of laughter.
I loved this couple. The story was cheesy, but I didn't care at all. The writing was great. The dialogue was absolutely awesome, and the HEA made me happy.
Call me crazy, but this was one helluva fun book.
Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Thanks.
February 23, 2023
I would never have chosen to read this book on my own. Neither the title nor the cover particularly appeal to me. But I read some recs and reviews and thought I'd try it. And it's lovely!
Avalon is very competent at her high-powered job in the tech-gaming industry, although she's in the shadow of her business and personal partner, the talented Corbin. But one day the cliche comes true. She comes home unexpectedly to find Corbin in their bed with his intern...... :/
This storyline is nothing new (and sadly it's doubtless nothing new IRL either!) But Ms Long's writing is fresh and appealing, and right from the start, you really care about Avalon, and you feel her shock and disappointment.
And the writing is also very funny. Especially in the early chapters, but also right through the book, there are plenty of hilarious moments and witty one-liners.
So, Avalon runs for home, right back to the small town of Hellcat Canyon. But unbeknownst to Avalon, another former resident has also returned home - Mac. Avalon and Mac were passionately in love as intense teenagers, although they never went beyond the kissing stage. But something drove them apart, and as adults they have lived totally separate, different lives. Until now, when they see each other again. And wow! There's still that magic between them.
Avalon is delightful. She has been hiding her light under a bushel, as Corbin, her former partner, takes all of the glory in their business partnership. And sadly, how common a picture is that? The competent woman propping up the man by managing all of the vital details while he glories at the top. I could really feel the truth in that scenario. But it takes a while for Avalon to realise how she has been undervaluing herself in that toxic partnership.
Mac is also a very likeable MC, and very suited to Avalon.
Ms Long has a delightfully light and humorous touch, while seeing right into the hearts of her characters. This book is a satisfying romance, as Mac and Avalon slowly work their way through their differences and issues from the past to find their lovely HEA.
Avalon is very competent at her high-powered job in the tech-gaming industry, although she's in the shadow of her business and personal partner, the talented Corbin. But one day the cliche comes true. She comes home unexpectedly to find Corbin in their bed with his intern...... :/
This storyline is nothing new (and sadly it's doubtless nothing new IRL either!) But Ms Long's writing is fresh and appealing, and right from the start, you really care about Avalon, and you feel her shock and disappointment.
And the writing is also very funny. Especially in the early chapters, but also right through the book, there are plenty of hilarious moments and witty one-liners.
So, Avalon runs for home, right back to the small town of Hellcat Canyon. But unbeknownst to Avalon, another former resident has also returned home - Mac. Avalon and Mac were passionately in love as intense teenagers, although they never went beyond the kissing stage. But something drove them apart, and as adults they have lived totally separate, different lives. Until now, when they see each other again. And wow! There's still that magic between them.
Avalon is delightful. She has been hiding her light under a bushel, as Corbin, her former partner, takes all of the glory in their business partnership. And sadly, how common a picture is that? The competent woman propping up the man by managing all of the vital details while he glories at the top. I could really feel the truth in that scenario. But it takes a while for Avalon to realise how she has been undervaluing herself in that toxic partnership.
Mac is also a very likeable MC, and very suited to Avalon.
Ms Long has a delightfully light and humorous touch, while seeing right into the hearts of her characters. This book is a satisfying romance, as Mac and Avalon slowly work their way through their differences and issues from the past to find their lovely HEA.
March 15, 2018
Finally! It took me forever and a day to finish this book. Actually no, it took me about two days, only spread out over the time of a couple of weeks.
While the first one in the Hellcat Canyon series felt wooden, the second one dragged a little in the middle, Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap (slightly silly title, imo) was JAL as I knew her from her days writing HR's. Hilarious, cute and hot! Oh yes, hot! But in a good way hot. Not the generic sort of hot. Hotty hot.
I'm babbling.
I'm gonna be a lazy bum because quite a few of my GR friends have already read it and written wonderful reviews. I know it's not the first time I'm doing this but honestly I don't see where I could add anything new to it, so I'll link to them.
Sam's review
Jan's review
Joanna's review
Hollis's review
Blackjack's review
Amanda's review
I'm so looking forward to the next one.
Did I mention it was hilarious, cute and hot. I mean nice hot, good kind of hot. Hot, you know....
While the first one in the Hellcat Canyon series felt wooden, the second one dragged a little in the middle, Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap (slightly silly title, imo) was JAL as I knew her from her days writing HR's. Hilarious, cute and hot! Oh yes, hot! But in a good way hot. Not the generic sort of hot. Hotty hot.
I'm babbling.
I'm gonna be a lazy bum because quite a few of my GR friends have already read it and written wonderful reviews. I know it's not the first time I'm doing this but honestly I don't see where I could add anything new to it, so I'll link to them.
Sam's review
Jan's review
Joanna's review
Hollis's review
Blackjack's review
Amanda's review
I'm so looking forward to the next one.
Did I mention it was hilarious, cute and hot. I mean nice hot, good kind of hot. Hot, you know....
February 2, 2018
Buddy read with Joanna Loves Books. Thanks Joanna! It was fun.
..I'll link to her review when it's up.
This is fast becoming one of my favorite series....I can't tell you how many times I've reread parts of book 2!
I thought the first one was, well, weird, and I really only liked the hero...And from this one there was a (thankful) noticeable absence of an annoying oak tree. Where Wild at Whiskey Creek may have felt a lot longer, this one was a snap. Maybe too much of a snap. It was still beautiful, the characters were still complex, but I did think the conflict was slightly weak and based on about a lifetime ago. Ultimately, the resolution felt really rushed, but at times I didn't get the motivations behind everything.
The shining light of this novel was the hero, Mac. The heroine has a big heart, and is a tough, bold, loved and loving sort. The book begins like many others, with Avalon catching her boyfriend fucking the intern in their bedroom. She does the obvious thing and heads out of town. I've read so many contemporaries set in rural areas that start exactly this way, but Julie Anne Long does a great job at painting Avalon as looking like she's got life conquered but is really adrift. As usual, the familial and town interactions were rewarding, though a little short-changed in this book. And I'll begin to illustrate some of the highlights and issues I had with this book under the spoiler tag.
The book was hot, hot, hot. Wonderful sexual tension, wonderful sex scenes. I seriously think one was 10 pages long and I would've read 10 more. The characters were a great pair with what I understand is a JAL hallmark, flying and funny dialogue. Ultimately, this doesn't get a five star from me for some weak plot points including the conflict and too much rush at the end.
..I'll link to her review when it's up.
This is fast becoming one of my favorite series....I can't tell you how many times I've reread parts of book 2!
I thought the first one was, well, weird, and I really only liked the hero...And from this one there was a (thankful) noticeable absence of an annoying oak tree. Where Wild at Whiskey Creek may have felt a lot longer, this one was a snap. Maybe too much of a snap. It was still beautiful, the characters were still complex, but I did think the conflict was slightly weak and based on about a lifetime ago. Ultimately, the resolution felt really rushed, but at times I didn't get the motivations behind everything.
The shining light of this novel was the hero, Mac. The heroine has a big heart, and is a tough, bold, loved and loving sort. The book begins like many others, with Avalon catching her boyfriend fucking the intern in their bedroom. She does the obvious thing and heads out of town. I've read so many contemporaries set in rural areas that start exactly this way, but Julie Anne Long does a great job at painting Avalon as looking like she's got life conquered but is really adrift. As usual, the familial and town interactions were rewarding, though a little short-changed in this book. And I'll begin to illustrate some of the highlights and issues I had with this book under the spoiler tag.
The book was hot, hot, hot. Wonderful sexual tension, wonderful sex scenes. I seriously think one was 10 pages long and I would've read 10 more. The characters were a great pair with what I understand is a JAL hallmark, flying and funny dialogue. Ultimately, this doesn't get a five star from me for some weak plot points including the conflict and too much rush at the end.
April 4, 2018
So, I was a total judgey boob over this cover but considering this was so highly recommended at AAR I decided to give it a shot. If nothing else I figured it would probably be silly and fun and cleanse the palate between reads.
"That little girl is going to be president one day."
"I think she wants to be a rock star."
"Well, it's really only a matter of time before a rock star is elected president, so."
And it was both of those things, all of them. Both silly and fun and yet so so much more.
Why did their conversations always devolve into something that sounded like an exchange between two kids on the playground?
I try not to read books out of order, even if they are only connected by setting and background characters, but I can absolutely say that reading book three in the Hellcat Canyon series doesn't feel like you're missing anything. Not only did I fall in love with this book, this couple, but also Long's writing. This is my first by her and I'm absolutely one-hundred-percent diving into the backlist for this series.
While DIRTY DANCING AT DEVIL'S LEAP has a summary riddled with typical romance cliche tropes, this doesn't read like one. Long's writing is vivacious, hilarious, sweet, sexy. And so are her characters. They feel so real beyond their archetypes -- he's the son of a billionaire who loses it all and has to start fresh, she's the sweet big-hearted daredevil who loves animals with dreams of being a teacher, yet ends up working a corporate job.
Mac knew you needed to leave before you really understood whether you belonged in the first place.
After ten years they reunite, quite accidentally, when Avalon's cheating boyfriend sends her fleeing San Francisco for her small-town home in California. She hears that the house of her sorta-not-really teenage boyfriend, her best childhood friend, is up for auction and impulsively she buys it. Not knowing she's completely sabotaged said-sorta-not-a-boyfriend, her childhood best friend's, plans. He had lost everything when his father's scandal destroyed their fortunes, but had enough to buy back the property. And once he hears of Avalon's idea to renovate and turn it into a corporate retreat, he unleashes sabotage on her. Which of course forces her to retaliate.
"Good morning, Mac! What fresh hell have we today?"
"Fresh manure. Not fresh hell."
The back and forth pranking between these two? Fucking. Hysterical.
"Might get a horse, too. A sad deaf horse that needs some love, maybe. And maybe an eagle that can't fly because it hurt its wing. And a dog and an owl who are best friends."
"Are you by any chance having woman problems?"
"Why else would I be drinking like a fool and spouting nonsense if I didn't have woman problems!"
But there's a definite emotional, angsty, current and yet for all their childish games, the communication between them, when they get to it, is so mature. So adult. So real. The hurt between these two is so painful because they not only know each other so well, but they know themselves, too. And it's just.. gah. Also, did I mention the sexy? Hoo boy.
I don't want to say I'm an insta-fan after one book but I think I'm an insta-fan after one book. Are they all this good? Damn. Where have I even been.
Highly recommend!
4.75 "every little girl needs a merit badge for Revenge" stars
"That little girl is going to be president one day."
"I think she wants to be a rock star."
"Well, it's really only a matter of time before a rock star is elected president, so."
And it was both of those things, all of them. Both silly and fun and yet so so much more.
Why did their conversations always devolve into something that sounded like an exchange between two kids on the playground?
I try not to read books out of order, even if they are only connected by setting and background characters, but I can absolutely say that reading book three in the Hellcat Canyon series doesn't feel like you're missing anything. Not only did I fall in love with this book, this couple, but also Long's writing. This is my first by her and I'm absolutely one-hundred-percent diving into the backlist for this series.
While DIRTY DANCING AT DEVIL'S LEAP has a summary riddled with typical romance cliche tropes, this doesn't read like one. Long's writing is vivacious, hilarious, sweet, sexy. And so are her characters. They feel so real beyond their archetypes -- he's the son of a billionaire who loses it all and has to start fresh, she's the sweet big-hearted daredevil who loves animals with dreams of being a teacher, yet ends up working a corporate job.
Mac knew you needed to leave before you really understood whether you belonged in the first place.
After ten years they reunite, quite accidentally, when Avalon's cheating boyfriend sends her fleeing San Francisco for her small-town home in California. She hears that the house of her sorta-not-really teenage boyfriend, her best childhood friend, is up for auction and impulsively she buys it. Not knowing she's completely sabotaged said-sorta-not-a-boyfriend, her childhood best friend's, plans. He had lost everything when his father's scandal destroyed their fortunes, but had enough to buy back the property. And once he hears of Avalon's idea to renovate and turn it into a corporate retreat, he unleashes sabotage on her. Which of course forces her to retaliate.
"Good morning, Mac! What fresh hell have we today?"
"Fresh manure. Not fresh hell."
The back and forth pranking between these two? Fucking. Hysterical.
"Might get a horse, too. A sad deaf horse that needs some love, maybe. And maybe an eagle that can't fly because it hurt its wing. And a dog and an owl who are best friends."
"Are you by any chance having woman problems?"
"Why else would I be drinking like a fool and spouting nonsense if I didn't have woman problems!"
But there's a definite emotional, angsty, current and yet for all their childish games, the communication between them, when they get to it, is so mature. So adult. So real. The hurt between these two is so painful because they not only know each other so well, but they know themselves, too. And it's just.. gah. Also, did I mention the sexy? Hoo boy.
I don't want to say I'm an insta-fan after one book but I think I'm an insta-fan after one book. Are they all this good? Damn. Where have I even been.
Highly recommend!
4.75 "every little girl needs a merit badge for Revenge" stars
February 3, 2018
4.5 Stars - BR with Sam (AMN Reader)
For me, this was the best in series to date, and I am officially hooked. Just as JAL’s books were a driving force in my Historical Romance obsession, this book/series have me giving the contemporary romance subgenre a second look. Each has been better than the last in my opinion.
One of my primary gripes with this series has been the incongruous “small town” descriptions that I won’t go into details here on, but that was thankfully absent. Most of this story takes place on an estate and its grounds, with a few of the local character fixtures making an appearance—most notably the heroine’s parents are the owners of the Misty Cat. They are wonderful parents, btw, the always-there-for-you-in-a-pinch kind. Avalon, their daughter, is in a pinch, sort of. The book starts with her coming off a high of giving a great speech, she comes home to a shock of her live-in boyfriend cheating. She gets in the car and heads home to her parents’ house in Hellcat Canyon. On the way, she remembers another fateful day with her first love and passes by the House of said fateful day. Her parents let drop that the house is going up for auction the next day at 9 AM. In a spur of the moment decision, she decides to go in and make an offer for the house, having a business idea for it. The current owner, the hero Mac,of the house does not truly want to sell it, and was hoping to win the auction by proxy. When Avalon win, this sets off the back and forth conflict of the book, as he remained the grounds keeper and lived on the neighboring parcel. It is a second-chance romance.
Their interactions and dialogue is great in true JAL style, but the winner of the story is Mac. He’s a hero that gets all the stars. He’s a hero that gets a shelf named after him. Seriously. Am crushing so hard. I got this from Overdrive, and I am buying this book because of him. Vulnerable, honest, true, and gorgeous to boot. Avalon was a strong but lost, relatable heroine too, but I did have some minor quibbles there. And I did ask a few times why she couldn’t see how wonderful Mac was. In the end, I think Mac was just better drawn, and more time could have been spent understanding her views and motives. Is this a page limit problem, I wonder? Because the ending was also a bit too neat and rushed.
Another major plus is this book had some of the most beautifully written, sensual love scenes. Just Devine. And can I read more, please? JAL usually does well in this department, but sometimes she out does herself, and this was one of those times. I really had trouble putting this book down. It was a very easy read, and I can highly recommend it.
For me, this was the best in series to date, and I am officially hooked. Just as JAL’s books were a driving force in my Historical Romance obsession, this book/series have me giving the contemporary romance subgenre a second look. Each has been better than the last in my opinion.
One of my primary gripes with this series has been the incongruous “small town” descriptions that I won’t go into details here on, but that was thankfully absent. Most of this story takes place on an estate and its grounds, with a few of the local character fixtures making an appearance—most notably the heroine’s parents are the owners of the Misty Cat. They are wonderful parents, btw, the always-there-for-you-in-a-pinch kind. Avalon, their daughter, is in a pinch, sort of. The book starts with her coming off a high of giving a great speech, she comes home to a shock of her live-in boyfriend cheating. She gets in the car and heads home to her parents’ house in Hellcat Canyon. On the way, she remembers another fateful day with her first love and passes by the House of said fateful day. Her parents let drop that the house is going up for auction the next day at 9 AM. In a spur of the moment decision, she decides to go in and make an offer for the house, having a business idea for it. The current owner, the hero Mac,of the house does not truly want to sell it, and was hoping to win the auction by proxy. When Avalon win, this sets off the back and forth conflict of the book, as he remained the grounds keeper and lived on the neighboring parcel. It is a second-chance romance.
Their interactions and dialogue is great in true JAL style, but the winner of the story is Mac. He’s a hero that gets all the stars. He’s a hero that gets a shelf named after him. Seriously. Am crushing so hard. I got this from Overdrive, and I am buying this book because of him. Vulnerable, honest, true, and gorgeous to boot. Avalon was a strong but lost, relatable heroine too, but I did have some minor quibbles there. And I did ask a few times why she couldn’t see how wonderful Mac was. In the end, I think Mac was just better drawn, and more time could have been spent understanding her views and motives. Is this a page limit problem, I wonder? Because the ending was also a bit too neat and rushed.
Another major plus is this book had some of the most beautifully written, sensual love scenes. Just Devine. And can I read more, please? JAL usually does well in this department, but sometimes she out does herself, and this was one of those times. I really had trouble putting this book down. It was a very easy read, and I can highly recommend it.
February 10, 2018
This is third in a series, but you don't really need to have read the others to get this one. Yes, there are mentions of places and people, but I doubt you'd feel like you were missing anything if you started here.
Getting this out of the way up front: this is a really stupid title with all sorts of wrong connotations and expectations built into it.
Anyway, there were some rocky bits in this story, but it worked out well-enough in the end. I was worried by the beginning because Mac had things a little too much his own way for a bit too long for me to be comfortable. The book starts as something of a battle of wits (with outstanding banter) and it's almost a quarter into the story before I felt like Avalon was up to his fighting weight. When a romance depends on the protagonists starting from confrontational positions, I much prefer things to be at least moderately even. So I was relieved when that finally started to materialize.
The characters themselves were what kept me going throughout. Mostly Ava, because she was just so excellent. I liked her determination and that she took things methodically and passionately but also with an eye on compassion. And that's hard to pull off because that compassion can be the key to manipulation by others, so I was glad to see how strong she was and her core of not taking crap from the manipulative or lazy.
Mac was more problematic, but I think that's because his character doesn't really work very well. Long establishes his strength and compassion as well, but she also lards him up with a huge case of negative motivation* that somehow only manifests with regards to Ava. We're asked to believe that he's wary of others and protects himself emotionally due to his past and yet he has all these ties to friends and neighbors and over the course of the story we see the depth at their heart. So assertions of his self-protective, stony heart come across as kind of hollow and either the result of a huge case of self-deception or authorial manipulation. Since nobody calls him on it (as they would if it were something actual), I'm calling author manipulation.
Still, the banter was great and there are some laugh-out-loud moments. So I'm rounding the 3½ rating up to 4 stars.
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes, but they aren't terribly long. They are, however, pretty hot, so this is edging above the middle range of my steam tolerance.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
Getting this out of the way up front: this is a really stupid title with all sorts of wrong connotations and expectations built into it.
Anyway, there were some rocky bits in this story, but it worked out well-enough in the end. I was worried by the beginning because Mac had things a little too much his own way for a bit too long for me to be comfortable. The book starts as something of a battle of wits (with outstanding banter) and it's almost a quarter into the story before I felt like Avalon was up to his fighting weight. When a romance depends on the protagonists starting from confrontational positions, I much prefer things to be at least moderately even. So I was relieved when that finally started to materialize.
The characters themselves were what kept me going throughout. Mostly Ava, because she was just so excellent. I liked her determination and that she took things methodically and passionately but also with an eye on compassion. And that's hard to pull off because that compassion can be the key to manipulation by others, so I was glad to see how strong she was and her core of not taking crap from the manipulative or lazy.
Mac was more problematic, but I think that's because his character doesn't really work very well. Long establishes his strength and compassion as well, but she also lards him up with a huge case of negative motivation* that somehow only manifests with regards to Ava. We're asked to believe that he's wary of others and protects himself emotionally due to his past and yet he has all these ties to friends and neighbors and over the course of the story we see the depth at their heart. So assertions of his self-protective, stony heart come across as kind of hollow and either the result of a huge case of self-deception or authorial manipulation. Since nobody calls him on it (as they would if it were something actual), I'm calling author manipulation.
Still, the banter was great and there are some laugh-out-loud moments. So I'm rounding the 3½ rating up to 4 stars.
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes, but they aren't terribly long. They are, however, pretty hot, so this is edging above the middle range of my steam tolerance.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
January 14, 2019
JAL is one of my favourite HR authors. This is the first CR book of hers, that I have sussed out. The book features one of my fabourite tropes of a second-chance romance. Avalon and Mac grew up roaming the land around Devil's Leap, where Mac's wealthy family had their vacation home. It's where they challenged one another to wild stunts and races, and later where their pulses raced as their friendly competitive games somehow evolved into stolen kisses and caresses. It was also where the youthful Mac broke Avalon's young heart and she subsequently disappeared from Devil's Leap and his life to mend whatever was left of that tender organ.
Avalon is now back, once again licking her wounds after her business partner/boyfriend did the dirty on her with their intern. Devil's Leap is on the market and Avalon in a fit of nostalgia impulsively bids for it not realising that the person she has out-competed at the auction is none other than Mac, her first love. Mac's life has undergone dramatic changes since they were last together. His family fell spectacularly from grace after his father was convicted of fraud and they lost their fortune and all their assets. After a stint in the National Guard, he is back at the one place he found comfort in during his childhood and youth, Devil's Leap. He has been the acting groundskeeper for his old family property biding his time to seize control of the house and land and now that it is within his reach again, he cannot lose it to another. Even if that other person is Avalon, the girl who has remained entrenched in his memory after all these years. Avalon who too is now finally within his reach again...
True to form, the book is solidly written, has plenty of romantic and sexual tension and sweet moments. It was great but did not quite soar the way some of her HRs did.
He was scared, too. Standing-on-a-crumbling-cliff’s-edge scared. And yet he would do just about anything to make her feel safe in the world. And in light of that, his own fear underwent an alchemical reaction akin to spinning straw into gold. His fear became courage. Her fear became his cause.
Merged review:
JAL is one of my favourite HR authors. This is the first CR book of hers, that I have sussed out. The book features one of my fabourite tropes of a second-chance romance. Avalon and Mac grew up roaming the land around Devil's Leap, where Mac's wealthy family had their vacation home. It's where they challenged one another to wild stunts and races, and later where their pulses raced as their friendly competitive games somehow evolved into stolen kisses and caresses. It was also where the youthful Mac broke Avalon's young heart and she subsequently disappeared from Devil's Leap and his life to mend whatever was left of that tender organ.
Avalon is now back, once again licking her wounds after her business partner/boyfriend did the dirty on her with their intern. Devil's Leap is on the market and Avalon in a fit of nostalgia impulsively bids for it not realising that the person she has out-competed at the auction is none other than Mac, her first love. Mac's life has undergone dramatic changes since they were last together. His family fell spectacularly from grace after his father was convicted of fraud and they lost their fortune and all their assets. After a stint in the National Guard, he is back at the one place he found comfort in during his childhood and youth, Devil's Leap. He has been the acting groundskeeper for his old family property biding his time to seize control of the house and land and now that it is within his reach again, he cannot lose it to another. Even if that other person is Avalon, the girl who has remained entrenched in his memory after all these years. Avalon who too is now finally within his reach again...
True to form, the book is solidly written, has plenty of romantic and sexual tension and sweet moments. It was great but did not quite soar the way some of her HRs did.
He was scared, too. Standing-on-a-crumbling-cliff’s-edge scared. And yet he would do just about anything to make her feel safe in the world. And in light of that, his own fear underwent an alchemical reaction akin to spinning straw into gold. His fear became courage. Her fear became his cause.
Avalon is now back, once again licking her wounds after her business partner/boyfriend did the dirty on her with their intern. Devil's Leap is on the market and Avalon in a fit of nostalgia impulsively bids for it not realising that the person she has out-competed at the auction is none other than Mac, her first love. Mac's life has undergone dramatic changes since they were last together. His family fell spectacularly from grace after his father was convicted of fraud and they lost their fortune and all their assets. After a stint in the National Guard, he is back at the one place he found comfort in during his childhood and youth, Devil's Leap. He has been the acting groundskeeper for his old family property biding his time to seize control of the house and land and now that it is within his reach again, he cannot lose it to another. Even if that other person is Avalon, the girl who has remained entrenched in his memory after all these years. Avalon who too is now finally within his reach again...
True to form, the book is solidly written, has plenty of romantic and sexual tension and sweet moments. It was great but did not quite soar the way some of her HRs did.
He was scared, too. Standing-on-a-crumbling-cliff’s-edge scared. And yet he would do just about anything to make her feel safe in the world. And in light of that, his own fear underwent an alchemical reaction akin to spinning straw into gold. His fear became courage. Her fear became his cause.
Merged review:
JAL is one of my favourite HR authors. This is the first CR book of hers, that I have sussed out. The book features one of my fabourite tropes of a second-chance romance. Avalon and Mac grew up roaming the land around Devil's Leap, where Mac's wealthy family had their vacation home. It's where they challenged one another to wild stunts and races, and later where their pulses raced as their friendly competitive games somehow evolved into stolen kisses and caresses. It was also where the youthful Mac broke Avalon's young heart and she subsequently disappeared from Devil's Leap and his life to mend whatever was left of that tender organ.
Avalon is now back, once again licking her wounds after her business partner/boyfriend did the dirty on her with their intern. Devil's Leap is on the market and Avalon in a fit of nostalgia impulsively bids for it not realising that the person she has out-competed at the auction is none other than Mac, her first love. Mac's life has undergone dramatic changes since they were last together. His family fell spectacularly from grace after his father was convicted of fraud and they lost their fortune and all their assets. After a stint in the National Guard, he is back at the one place he found comfort in during his childhood and youth, Devil's Leap. He has been the acting groundskeeper for his old family property biding his time to seize control of the house and land and now that it is within his reach again, he cannot lose it to another. Even if that other person is Avalon, the girl who has remained entrenched in his memory after all these years. Avalon who too is now finally within his reach again...
True to form, the book is solidly written, has plenty of romantic and sexual tension and sweet moments. It was great but did not quite soar the way some of her HRs did.
He was scared, too. Standing-on-a-crumbling-cliff’s-edge scared. And yet he would do just about anything to make her feel safe in the world. And in light of that, his own fear underwent an alchemical reaction akin to spinning straw into gold. His fear became courage. Her fear became his cause.
December 5, 2023
Mmmm as in mmmmagic or rommmmantic. Avalon and Mac, their banter and their feelings, came across as very authentic to me. Or maybe it’s the way I believe two people should love one another. ♥️
August 8, 2017
ARC provided by Edelweiss and Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rating 3.5
Review to come closer to publication date.
Rating 3.5
Review to come closer to publication date.
September 14, 2018
I liked it, but it was so long and drawn out it became a tedious read. It took 2 months for me to finish. The scenes were cute, but somewhat corny.
July 19, 2018
I'm throwing my hands in the air before I lose my sanity.
This isn't rom commy , it's just juvenile..
This isn't rom commy , it's just juvenile..
February 23, 2021
I do like Julie Anne Long's writing: there's snark, there are lush moments, there's sharp observation. I just didn't like this book.
The MCs (the "hick" and the rich boy) were teenage sweethearts in spite of his father's disdain for her. And they split up (because, CR), then Fate (the jade) brought them together again. We didn't get much of the teenage years, apart from their heartfelt belief they were meant for each other, which was a pity, because JAL makes their connection as adults rooted in the rightness of Young Love. For that hack to work, I needed to see more of their initial connection.
As adults--well, as older versions of themselves, anyway--they are remarkably childish. In the first few chapters, Avalon buys Mac's childhood home out from under his nose, Mac decides she can't do with it what she wants to, and starts a bullying campaign to prevent her. That, Mac dear, is not playing nicely with the other children. Then Avalon reacts equally immaturely so Mac....
I could also take exception to Avalon's remarkably frivolous approach to running a business, except that a lack of knowledge about how businesses actually operate seems to be a given in CR, so I'll give JAL a pass on that one.
My final niggle with this comes from an excellent point Avalon made: if she hadn't come back home and bought the house (not knowing Mac lived next door), Mac would never have reached out to her, Amazing Young Love or not. Equally valid about Avalon too, come to that.
Anyway, I'm making the book sound awful and it isn't, not really. I read it in a sitting and loved the writing. But you know when you make soup, flavoured with a bayleaf or two, and then you liquidise it and forget to take the bayleaf out first? It's like that. Lots of perfectly pleasant soup but every now and then a pesky bayleaf fragment sticks in your teeth.
4* writing, 2* characterisation
The MCs (the "hick" and the rich boy) were teenage sweethearts in spite of his father's disdain for her. And they split up (because, CR), then Fate (the jade) brought them together again. We didn't get much of the teenage years, apart from their heartfelt belief they were meant for each other, which was a pity, because JAL makes their connection as adults rooted in the rightness of Young Love. For that hack to work, I needed to see more of their initial connection.
As adults--well, as older versions of themselves, anyway--they are remarkably childish. In the first few chapters, Avalon buys Mac's childhood home out from under his nose, Mac decides she can't do with it what she wants to, and starts a bullying campaign to prevent her. That, Mac dear, is not playing nicely with the other children. Then Avalon reacts equally immaturely so Mac....
I could also take exception to Avalon's remarkably frivolous approach to running a business, except that a lack of knowledge about how businesses actually operate seems to be a given in CR, so I'll give JAL a pass on that one.
My final niggle with this comes from an excellent point Avalon made: if she hadn't come back home and bought the house (not knowing Mac lived next door), Mac would never have reached out to her, Amazing Young Love or not. Equally valid about Avalon too, come to that.
Anyway, I'm making the book sound awful and it isn't, not really. I read it in a sitting and loved the writing. But you know when you make soup, flavoured with a bayleaf or two, and then you liquidise it and forget to take the bayleaf out first? It's like that. Lots of perfectly pleasant soup but every now and then a pesky bayleaf fragment sticks in your teeth.
4* writing, 2* characterisation
April 4, 2018
I’m finally out of my reading slump!!
So! Ava caught her live-in boyfriend, Corbin, cheating on her with their intern (they own a company together).
She does what any sensible woman does – runs home into the arms of her parents..
- “I’m doing fine, though, Pop. Really.”
Right on cue, a text pinged in from Corbin. She seized her phone and squeezed it like a KGB assassin strangling an enemy spy. The little screen finally went black. Then she slapped it punishingly down on the nightstand.
Her dad watched all this wordlessly. “Yeah, you seem fine,” he said dryly.
She puts her busy life in San Francisco on hold and buys a house that needs a lot of work.
And then she finds out her neighbour is her ex-boyfriend, Mac (from when they were teenagers).
- For an absurd moment, suspended in time, they stared at each other. The sensation was weightlessness, of all boundaries being kicked away. Like taking an underwire bra off after a long day, only infinitely better. (yes, this is what it feels like)
- It was resoundingly clear that the proverbial years hadn’t simply been kind to him. They had pretty much crowned him their king.
Now, this book has a LOT of goodness.
There are animals in abundance. Ava loves animals. Mac loves animals (but he won’t admit it to it out loud). Actually, I suspect Julie Ann Long loves animals.
- “I hear . . . do I hear chickens?” she said suddenly. That muffled, contented little bock bock sound was almost as good as a cat’s purr.
“Those would be my chickens.”
“You have chickens, too?”
“Yep.”
She was silent, and he studied her face as if she herself were the results of a Google search.
“You want to pet them, don’t you? You want to pet them and give them names.”
“No,” she lied, swiftly.
This made the corner of his mouth dent.
- A bird oblivious to the gravity of their showdown trilled like it was Beverly Sills and this was La Traviata.
- “MAC?” she called.
“Avalon? Hey! Out here! Robert Plant has ear mites!” (one of Mac’s goats)
It was entirely possible it was the first time in history anyone anywhere had uttered that sentence out loud.
There is a girls’ scout troop
- “Megan is . . .” Avalon prompted.
“From Hummingbirds,” Eden said. “Ponytails. Little, wiry, and mouthy.”
“Hummingbirds are . . .”
“A sort of scout troop. They do crafts, earn badges, shred my nerves, stuff like that.”
- “I’ll visualize Corbin doubled over from a groin injury. Maybe I can have the Hummingbirds make voodoo dolls and stick pins in him.”
“I’m on board with that. Every little girl needs a merit badge for Revenge.”
- “Hey, Mac. Auntie Ava said she had a hunch you would show us what you’re planting and how you plant it and stuff. We need it for our badges.”
“I’ll just bet she had a hunch. Wait, what do you mean, badges? Are you sheriffs?”
There is banter:
- “I got caught up in the moment. I mean, that green polyester bathing suit with the little frill on it . . . you siren.”
- “I like the music volume,” Mac said, finally.
“What a very specific thing to compliment.”
- “Soooo now that I have you in sexual thrall . . . yooooou will sell me the hooooouse.” He mimicked a hypnotist’s intonation.
It was a foray. He was trying to gauge her mood.
She snorted. “You’re not that good.”
- There were only a few actual books on the shelves: The Big Book of Animal Husbandry was one of them, and it was indeed pretty big. Propped on cinderblocks it would have made an excellent coffee table.
(Ava) “So sweet of you to go looking for husbands for all of your animals.”
- “So . . .” Mac began with a blitheness edged all around in razors.
“I’m your”—he bobbed exaggerated air quotes—“‘er, contractor’?”
“You preferred me to introduce you as the guy I’ve been banging in between coats of paint?”
He considered this. “Yes.”
And most importantly, there’s hotness. Charming and funny hotness:
- They stared at each other, and he looked just as hazy-eyed and astounded as she felt.
“I had to,” he explained, sounding genuinely befuddled. “It’s just . . . you were just . . . and your eyes were . . . and I just . . .”
He kissed her again.
- “Mac . . . I want . . .” And with more of that seamless dexterity he maneuvered her pretty quickly onto his lap. He was an engineer, after all.
- He leaned back and regarded her as if she might be the next course. “That was good.”
“The lasagna?”
“Of course the lasagna. The other thing was . . .” He paused, and gazed, ceiling-ward, apparently mulling, then slowly lowered his head again. “. . . Do you have a thesaurus? Because I’m not sure a word has been invented yet for what that was.”
Her heart flipped over. And their gazes locked.
- There was minimal condom fumbling, thank God, he had that down, too: with a yank of the teeth at the package, a flick of plastic, and a deft rolling on. He looped a hand beneath her knee and pulled her up against him like they were about to tango.
He whispered against her mouth: “This is going to be so. Good.”
- “I was thinking after that I can give them lunch at the picnic table and maybe you could tell them about winter vegetables. What do you think?”
He regarded her pensively for a long, silent moment, as if he were mulling a philosophical conundrum. “I think . . .” he said thoughtfully, “. . . you should take off your shirt. Right now.”
And romance, so much romance
- “You remember that day . . . up in your parents’ room?” she said finally.
“It’s etched on my soul,” he could have said. “It’s the ‘before’ and ‘after’ dividing line of my life.”
He just nodded.
- (Mac) “I thought you were . . . beautiful. And . . . magical. And . . . and the world only felt right when I was with you.”
She went still.
July 4, 2025
The h and H were childhood crushes but he said something hurtful and she ran away. Years later she comes back to town beats him at an auction of his family home and the sparks start to fly. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did the HR books I’ve read by this author.
July 3, 2018
A lot of snark. A lot of sweet. Recipe for a happy reader.
Avalon is reunited with her high school love - who accidentally crushed her. Except now they’re enemies fighting over property. They know each other well which means there are a lot of weapons in their respective Arsenals. Like all the heroes in this series Mac is a lovely combination of macho and considerate. A fabulous read in a single sitting.
Avalon is reunited with her high school love - who accidentally crushed her. Except now they’re enemies fighting over property. They know each other well which means there are a lot of weapons in their respective Arsenals. Like all the heroes in this series Mac is a lovely combination of macho and considerate. A fabulous read in a single sitting.
January 8, 2022
Everything I Want In A Book And More!!
I Think You Are Hot But You Also Annoy Me
Hilarious
Boss Lady
Characterization
Can Be Read As A Stand Alone
I Think You Are Hot But You Also Annoy Me
Hilarious
Boss Lady
Characterization
Can Be Read As A Stand Alone
August 7, 2024
What a delicious setup: Avalon Harwood and Mac Coltrane were close as teenagers, but then he said something that propelled her out of Hellcat Canyon and into San Francisco as the cofounder of a game company with her boyfriend, who is not Mac.
Years later, after her bf cheats on her, Avalon goes back to Hellcat Canyon and beats Mac in an auction of his family’s old summer house. And it turns out that Mac not only lives next door but is also the groundskeeper for her new house. FORCED PROXIMITY, BABY.
This is enemy to lovers in the best way. The conflict is real and important, and even when they’re being so hilariously mean to each other, it’s obvious that they’re LOVING it. They are just having the best time. And we are too.
What do I always say about JAL? She writes the perfect blend of heart, humor and heat. Literally this should be boilerplate on every single one of my reviews of her books.
I love both Avalon and Mac because they’re spiky and smart and funny and hot. And the sense of place is beautiful, as always. Loved it.
Years later, after her bf cheats on her, Avalon goes back to Hellcat Canyon and beats Mac in an auction of his family’s old summer house. And it turns out that Mac not only lives next door but is also the groundskeeper for her new house. FORCED PROXIMITY, BABY.
This is enemy to lovers in the best way. The conflict is real and important, and even when they’re being so hilariously mean to each other, it’s obvious that they’re LOVING it. They are just having the best time. And we are too.
What do I always say about JAL? She writes the perfect blend of heart, humor and heat. Literally this should be boilerplate on every single one of my reviews of her books.
I love both Avalon and Mac because they’re spiky and smart and funny and hot. And the sense of place is beautiful, as always. Loved it.
January 22, 2025
This was clearly written while goats were having an online moment (not mad!) but ugh, great second chance book. King shit.
September 5, 2017
(B+) Such a charming and funny book in many ways! I did laugh out loud more than once as the hijinks got underway. This third book in Julie Anne Long's Hellcat Canyon series is the best of them so far, I think. Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap is at heart a second-chance romance for two childhood sweethearts separated for more than a decade. The reason they are separated and unwilling to reach out to each other remains a bit of a mystery until the final pages, and so I will refrain from stating why Avalon and Mac broke up and why they remained incommunicado for so long. Most of the story is in the present day as Avalon returns to her childhood hometown to recoup after a breakup with a cheating boyfriend.
The breakup and delayed reconciliation did not work as well for me as I hoped, which is why this book falls more into the B range. For one thing, Avalon's plot to purchase Mac's childhood mansion from the auction block was not as fully clear to me as I think it needed to be. Avalon decides spontaneously to buy a mansion, renovate it and flip it, but that impulsive decision felt more like a plot contrivance to bring Mac and Avalon together again. Avalon had no prior experience renovating and flipping homes and no real emotional ties to the property, other than that it belonged to Mac once upon a tie. Does she buy it to recapture a lost love? I never really understood this impulse buy. The book though does introduce both main characters as a bit trapped in their pasts and still longing for each other. However, I did not ever really get a strong enough sense of what they meant to each other in the past. Long also makes a strategic decision to keep the reasons for their separation a mystery for nearly the entire novel, and that did not work for me either. Also, when I did learn why they separated, I couldn't help but feel let down that the reason was not bigger. I wondered why they couldn't have talked to each other and clear things up rather than let a grudge fester for years. And Mac's reason for not seeking Avalon out after her disappearance was frankly just lame. When Avalon accuses him of never looking for her after her abrupt disappearance, Mac says, "You were never anywhere I looked! You were never with your brothers, and they would have given me merciless shit if I asked about you more than once" (342). Sorry, Julie Anne, but that's lame for a hero of a romance novel.
Having said all of that though, the humor here is the best part of the novel. After Avalon purchases the house and low and behold finds out that Mac is onsite as the caretaker, the two take off the gloves and engage in some pretty hilarious pranks to drive the other person out. Each is hellbent on taking over the entire property, which has unbeknownst to Avalon, been parceled off into two segments. In order to stop Avalon from flipping the home as a corporate retreat, Mac is ingenious in his efforts to stymie her. I laughed too imagining how much fun it must have been for the author to plot out these intricate maneuvers. Avalon's though are just as good. Clearly these two know how to push each others buttons. I also really liked how much the two appreciated the one-upmanship and could set aside their own pride to admire each others deviousness. I love too the many animals populating this narrative, especially The Cat and Chick Pea, perhaps the most ridiculous dog in a novel. Long must be an animal lover for such endearing portrayals!
I enjoyed the book and looked forward to it each night, especially for the humor as two lovers find their way back to each other. It lacked the emotional heft I enjoy from some of my favorite Long historical romances though and so it's unlikely to be a book I return to, alas.
The breakup and delayed reconciliation did not work as well for me as I hoped, which is why this book falls more into the B range. For one thing, Avalon's plot to purchase Mac's childhood mansion from the auction block was not as fully clear to me as I think it needed to be. Avalon decides spontaneously to buy a mansion, renovate it and flip it, but that impulsive decision felt more like a plot contrivance to bring Mac and Avalon together again. Avalon had no prior experience renovating and flipping homes and no real emotional ties to the property, other than that it belonged to Mac once upon a tie. Does she buy it to recapture a lost love? I never really understood this impulse buy. The book though does introduce both main characters as a bit trapped in their pasts and still longing for each other. However, I did not ever really get a strong enough sense of what they meant to each other in the past. Long also makes a strategic decision to keep the reasons for their separation a mystery for nearly the entire novel, and that did not work for me either. Also, when I did learn why they separated, I couldn't help but feel let down that the reason was not bigger. I wondered why they couldn't have talked to each other and clear things up rather than let a grudge fester for years. And Mac's reason for not seeking Avalon out after her disappearance was frankly just lame. When Avalon accuses him of never looking for her after her abrupt disappearance, Mac says, "You were never anywhere I looked! You were never with your brothers, and they would have given me merciless shit if I asked about you more than once" (342). Sorry, Julie Anne, but that's lame for a hero of a romance novel.
Having said all of that though, the humor here is the best part of the novel. After Avalon purchases the house and low and behold finds out that Mac is onsite as the caretaker, the two take off the gloves and engage in some pretty hilarious pranks to drive the other person out. Each is hellbent on taking over the entire property, which has unbeknownst to Avalon, been parceled off into two segments. In order to stop Avalon from flipping the home as a corporate retreat, Mac is ingenious in his efforts to stymie her. I laughed too imagining how much fun it must have been for the author to plot out these intricate maneuvers. Avalon's though are just as good. Clearly these two know how to push each others buttons. I also really liked how much the two appreciated the one-upmanship and could set aside their own pride to admire each others deviousness. I love too the many animals populating this narrative, especially The Cat and Chick Pea, perhaps the most ridiculous dog in a novel. Long must be an animal lover for such endearing portrayals!
I enjoyed the book and looked forward to it each night, especially for the humor as two lovers find their way back to each other. It lacked the emotional heft I enjoy from some of my favorite Long historical romances though and so it's unlikely to be a book I return to, alas.
November 15, 2018
I liked this book but didn't love it. Surprisingly the second chance romance part wasn't a problem for me. Yes, there was a 15 year separation, but they were stupid teens when they separated. Yes, the H never looked for the h and they were reunited purely by fate. Yes, they both moved on in their lives and to other people. But the author never tried to sell me the fiction that they were each other's one true love all the while they are living their lives, pining away for the other. I liked this.
Another thing I liked was that they were equally to blame for the end of their relationship. They were both young and didn't truly see the other for who they really were. Ava put Mac up on a pedestal and in an effort at self-protection, she dumped him before he could dump her. Mac was young, rich, and too interested in doing what his dad wanted, to appreciate the treasure he had in Avalon. Really, these two had a much better chance because they waited 15 years to try again.
So why only 3 stars? The writing was engaging, the characters likable, heck, even the house was amazing. But I never felt any connection between the MCs. They were so busy holding back and protecting themselves that it didn't transfer as love or romance to the pages of the book. Sure, there are some sexy scenes, but those came across to me more like f-buddies than a couple in love. I just never felt it with them. (It doesn't help that up until days before they reunite, the h was in a committed relationship. She moved on a little fast for my taste.)
I have to admit that the ending was pretty amazing. They had a real conversation and finally got it all out in the open. There is a grand gesture, and the romance finally kicked in. Too bad I had to wait until nearly the last page to get my feels.
This book was low angst, funny, and pretty fluffy. Try it, you may love it more than I did.
Safety
Another thing I liked was that they were equally to blame for the end of their relationship. They were both young and didn't truly see the other for who they really were. Ava put Mac up on a pedestal and in an effort at self-protection, she dumped him before he could dump her. Mac was young, rich, and too interested in doing what his dad wanted, to appreciate the treasure he had in Avalon. Really, these two had a much better chance because they waited 15 years to try again.
So why only 3 stars? The writing was engaging, the characters likable, heck, even the house was amazing. But I never felt any connection between the MCs. They were so busy holding back and protecting themselves that it didn't transfer as love or romance to the pages of the book. Sure, there are some sexy scenes, but those came across to me more like f-buddies than a couple in love. I just never felt it with them. (It doesn't help that up until days before they reunite, the h was in a committed relationship. She moved on a little fast for my taste.)
I have to admit that the ending was pretty amazing. They had a real conversation and finally got it all out in the open. There is a grand gesture, and the romance finally kicked in. Too bad I had to wait until nearly the last page to get my feels.
This book was low angst, funny, and pretty fluffy. Try it, you may love it more than I did.
Safety
September 1, 2017
Love the title
Love the cover
Love the dedication
Love the storyline
Love the writing style
Love the characters
Love the humor
This series is amazing. Most people know this author for her historical romances. I read one that I enjoyed(and will probably read others) but it's really with the contemporary that I discovered Julie Anne Long and I like how she play with metaphors and comparisons to describe people, landscapes or actions. Her style remind me of Jill Shalvis or Susan Mallery, but she have her own voice and have a way to do things differently. But let's talk about Dirty Dancing At Devil's Leap now.
This one mixed two popular trope : nemesis and second chance romance. I wouln't say that Avalon and Mac were rival, but there's definitively a competition between them, a passive-agressive one that was delightful to witness. The word that come to mind when I think about their banters and contest is exhilarating. It all begin when they were kids. Every summer between the age of ten and sixteen they were competing friends who gradually become more but without puting a word or a status to it. But the day Avalon overheard Mac saying something offensive about her, she did everything that she could after that to avoid him. He never knew why she stopped talking to him and their path split one day.
Avalon made a fortune when she and her future boyfriend invented an App. When she catch him cheating on her, the impulsive girl she always was go back to her hometown and buy at an auction the house where Mac used to live in. But it come with a big surprise for the heroine : Mac is her neighbor and the groundskeeper of the house she just bought.
Once a little rich kid, life changed for Mac when the curious and spirited Avalon disappeared from his life, and even more when his father is convicted for fraud. Even as a child he already was a cynical one but those events drove him to withdraw from others. But Avalon's return bring back a spark he thought he would never feel again. When their little war is over, their bodies have no trouble with communication, but that's an other matter for their hearts.
There was so many things unsaid between Avalon and Mac. They're both proud and stubborn, afraid to make the first move and being rejected. But I think it last for too long. And the romance took a little too long before coming into the scene. I'm not completely okay with Mac's explanation about the past either. There's something there that didn't quite satisfied me even if he did what it take in the end. The passive-agressive games was the best part, but also the cute and funny memories about Avalon's childhood and the moments spent with Mac. I liked the friendly grumpiness of the hero and the heroine's aplomb.
Love the cover
Love the dedication
Love the storyline
Love the writing style
Love the characters
Love the humor
This series is amazing. Most people know this author for her historical romances. I read one that I enjoyed(and will probably read others) but it's really with the contemporary that I discovered Julie Anne Long and I like how she play with metaphors and comparisons to describe people, landscapes or actions. Her style remind me of Jill Shalvis or Susan Mallery, but she have her own voice and have a way to do things differently. But let's talk about Dirty Dancing At Devil's Leap now.
This one mixed two popular trope : nemesis and second chance romance. I wouln't say that Avalon and Mac were rival, but there's definitively a competition between them, a passive-agressive one that was delightful to witness. The word that come to mind when I think about their banters and contest is exhilarating. It all begin when they were kids. Every summer between the age of ten and sixteen they were competing friends who gradually become more but without puting a word or a status to it. But the day Avalon overheard Mac saying something offensive about her, she did everything that she could after that to avoid him. He never knew why she stopped talking to him and their path split one day.
Avalon made a fortune when she and her future boyfriend invented an App. When she catch him cheating on her, the impulsive girl she always was go back to her hometown and buy at an auction the house where Mac used to live in. But it come with a big surprise for the heroine : Mac is her neighbor and the groundskeeper of the house she just bought.
Once a little rich kid, life changed for Mac when the curious and spirited Avalon disappeared from his life, and even more when his father is convicted for fraud. Even as a child he already was a cynical one but those events drove him to withdraw from others. But Avalon's return bring back a spark he thought he would never feel again. When their little war is over, their bodies have no trouble with communication, but that's an other matter for their hearts.
There was so many things unsaid between Avalon and Mac. They're both proud and stubborn, afraid to make the first move and being rejected. But I think it last for too long. And the romance took a little too long before coming into the scene. I'm not completely okay with Mac's explanation about the past either. There's something there that didn't quite satisfied me even if he did what it take in the end. The passive-agressive games was the best part, but also the cute and funny memories about Avalon's childhood and the moments spent with Mac. I liked the friendly grumpiness of the hero and the heroine's aplomb.
March 21, 2018
3.5
Ahhh I've missed JAL's writing!
Ahhh I've missed JAL's writing!
September 9, 2017
I think it's safe to say now Julie Anne Long, author of one of my favorite historical romance series, has a solid place in contemporary romance fiction. It's hard for me to believe sometimes that it's the same author who wrote about Pennyroyal Green because I find her voice much different in contemporary romance. But I mean this in a good way. I've learned so much more about her as a writer with this series, and I look forward to what I'll see from her in the future.
The first book was quirky but it suffered a bit from having to set up the small town where this is all set. The second book built on this, using the author's love of classic rock as the background, and it is still my favorite in this series. But this book was definitely the funniest one so far. I wasn't quite expecting that.
I liked both of the main characters, and I liked the interactions between them and their relationship in the present day. But I guess where this book fell a little short for me was the development of their backstory and of them as individual characters. The previous book was also about childhood friends (though not childhood sweethearts), and I thought it did an excellent job of showing the reader what their connection was as children and weaving in flashbacks with the present day. That was lacking for me here. As childhood sweethearts, we know early on that Avalon and Mac were separated somehow, but the reason why is withheld for a good portion of the book.
When we do learn what made Avalon leave Mac when they were teens, I was...let down? And when she confronts him about it toward the end of the book, his explanation for his behavior was even more anticlimactic. I was left thinking...that's it? Why couldn't they just talk? There weren't enough glimpses into their backstory to make me really care about their reunion, and I almost feel like this story could've worked better as protagonists meeting for the first time in the present day, with the grumpy groundskeeper/homeowner dynamic the basis of their relationship.
As a second chance love story, this really wasn't her strongest work. There were also some editing issues that distracted me. However, I'm going with 4 stars here because JAL is such a talented writer and I did overall enjoy this.
The first book was quirky but it suffered a bit from having to set up the small town where this is all set. The second book built on this, using the author's love of classic rock as the background, and it is still my favorite in this series. But this book was definitely the funniest one so far. I wasn't quite expecting that.
I liked both of the main characters, and I liked the interactions between them and their relationship in the present day. But I guess where this book fell a little short for me was the development of their backstory and of them as individual characters. The previous book was also about childhood friends (though not childhood sweethearts), and I thought it did an excellent job of showing the reader what their connection was as children and weaving in flashbacks with the present day. That was lacking for me here. As childhood sweethearts, we know early on that Avalon and Mac were separated somehow, but the reason why is withheld for a good portion of the book.
When we do learn what made Avalon leave Mac when they were teens, I was...let down? And when she confronts him about it toward the end of the book, his explanation for his behavior was even more anticlimactic. I was left thinking...that's it? Why couldn't they just talk? There weren't enough glimpses into their backstory to make me really care about their reunion, and I almost feel like this story could've worked better as protagonists meeting for the first time in the present day, with the grumpy groundskeeper/homeowner dynamic the basis of their relationship.
As a second chance love story, this really wasn't her strongest work. There were also some editing issues that distracted me. However, I'm going with 4 stars here because JAL is such a talented writer and I did overall enjoy this.
September 30, 2017
It's no secret that I've been a fan of Julie Anne Long's writing for many years but with the first three books in her new contemporary romance series, she's taken that writing to a new level of excellence (her command of the English language is breathtaking) and my love of her stories to new heights. I adored this book! The characters are so well drawn, beautifully flawed, continually evolving, and realistic.
I loved Mac and Avalon's tug of war of one-upping each other. I laughed uproariously at their antics. I appreciate that Long gave them depth and didn't make this second chance easy for either of them. The secondary characters excelled in helping to move the story along while providing comic relief, conflict, and opportunities for growth. I especially enjoyed Avalon's 11-year-old niece, Annelise. The scene featuring Mac, Annelise, and her inquisitive, non-stop talking Hummingbird troop, in addition to being one of the funniest I've read in ages, convinced me I was going to fall head over heels in love with Mac, right along with Avalon. I can't wait for Annelise's mom's story. I won't be surprised if Annelise, that little scene stealer, steals the whole book!
Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap is funny, endearing, emotional, and oh, so romantic. The final chapter had me sighing, crying, and sighing some more. It's one of my favorite books of 2017 and going straight to my "I'm going to re-read this over and over keeper shelf."
I loved Mac and Avalon's tug of war of one-upping each other. I laughed uproariously at their antics. I appreciate that Long gave them depth and didn't make this second chance easy for either of them. The secondary characters excelled in helping to move the story along while providing comic relief, conflict, and opportunities for growth. I especially enjoyed Avalon's 11-year-old niece, Annelise. The scene featuring Mac, Annelise, and her inquisitive, non-stop talking Hummingbird troop, in addition to being one of the funniest I've read in ages, convinced me I was going to fall head over heels in love with Mac, right along with Avalon. I can't wait for Annelise's mom's story. I won't be surprised if Annelise, that little scene stealer, steals the whole book!
Dirty Dancing at Devil's Leap is funny, endearing, emotional, and oh, so romantic. The final chapter had me sighing, crying, and sighing some more. It's one of my favorite books of 2017 and going straight to my "I'm going to re-read this over and over keeper shelf."
September 25, 2017
The attic scene had me laughing so hard, I had to quit reading it at work during lunch because everyone was looking at me like I was a loon. It was so funny and I could see it happening in my head. I don't know how the next one could top this, because I just loved it.
September 5, 2017
I really liked this book! I always enjoy a good romance with a plot like this one: 2 former childhood best friends/first loves who had "something" come between them and then find themselves back in each other's lives. I enjoyed their banter, their antics, and the stories of when they were young. Both characters were very likable and funny. I felt like the climax left a bit to be desired, and I needed a bit more groveling from Max, so I was a bit disappointed in that, however, I smiled a lot throughout this book and really rooted for both of them. The side characters were also super cute and endearing! I hope we get Eden's story soon!
February 7, 2019
"He'd had nothing but good-natured scorn when she'd told him about her fantasy of slow dancing on Devil's Leap to what she thought of as her namesake song, Roxy Music's 'Avalon', 'Of, Avalon. That's just ridiculous. No one actually does that kind of thing in real life.'"
FINAL DECISION: Another simply lovely addition to the Hellcat Canyon series. Long has such a lyrical and beautifully emotional way of depicting characters who have come to Hellcat Canyon with their world ripped apart. A second chance at love romance filled with humor and deeply emotional moments, Avalon and Mac's story is a welcome addition.
THE STORY: Avalon Harwood has (temporarily) returned to Hellcat Canyon after her perfect relationship and business partnership has blown up and she needs time to make decisions. She comes home and finds an opportunity in purchasing the Coltrane estate. She intends on flipping the house as part of her dealing with her heartbreak. The estate has memories for Avalon. Her younger self worshiped the rich son Mac Coltrane until he broke her heart. After his father was convicted of fraud, the family fell apart. Mac has returned and when Avalon snaps up the house under his nose, he is determined to convince her to change her mind.
OPINION: I can hardly express how much I love the Hellcat Canyon series. Each of the books has such a different romance. This book is a second chance at love story. Avalon and Mac had a chance together when they were younger, but Mac was spoiled and insecure and unable to recognize the value of what he had.
But he has recognized it in the intervening years.
"It took him a long time to adjust to her absence. He hadn't realized that she was the lens he'd begun to see nearly everything through. That even though she was kind of a secret, she was also, in a way, his center of gravity. And when it was clear he was just never going to see her again, life had taken on a peculiar, almost dreamlike quality. What he did had ceased to matter because nothing had consequences in a dream."
Both Avalon and Mac in this story have lived a non-consequential "dream" world in the intervening years. Life has happened to them. When they reunite, it is like they wake up and rediscover a life of meaning and value.
The story really revolves around the idea of living a life of active participation. Avalon sees her "perfect" world fall apart and finds herself yearning for a life that reflects what decisions she makes -- what she actually decides she wants rather than what happens to her.
Mac, too, has had to confront the absence of meaning in life. Growing up privileged, Mac accepted everything that his privilege entailed and tossed away those things that could bring meaning. Losing everything has forced him to figure out how to start from the bottom and create a life that he wants. He has done this in the financial world and in his business life, but it takes the reappearance of Avalon for him to find out what actually has meaning in life.
I loved these characters and I loved their interaction. A book that is almost entirely centered on the estate, the "claustrophobia" of Mac and Avalon's interaction allows them to have some of the funniest banter and one-ups-man-ship that I have read. These two are completely competitive with one another and they know one another so well (and yet they have so many secrets and mysteries from the intervening years), that they can needle one another. I laughed and snickered at Avalon and Mac's antics.
In a wonderful manner, the humor and lightness turns into deeply emotional and revealing events. Mac and Avalon not only know one another, but they have hurts which can only be healed by one another.
As the title itself expresses, this book is about finding meaning. As we learn, Mac has mocked Avalon's dream of dancing on Devil's Leap seeing it as hokey and silly. One might guess that through his examination and refocusing on his life and encountering true relationship with Avalon, he invests Avalon's dream with intense meaning and significance on a personal level between them.
The worst part of this series is having to wait to read the next book.
WORTH MENTIONING: I really missed the Eternity Oak in this story along with the quirky town characters since this book is really focused on the Coltrane estate.
CONNECTED BOOKS: DIRTY DANCING AT DEVIL'S LEAP is the third book in the Hellcat Canyon series. The series has continuing characters, but this romance is completely self contained. In fact, this book is only tangentially related to the rest of the series and most of the continuing characters don't make any appearances so this book can be read completely on its own. (But this series is so good, go ahead and read the others as well).
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.
UPDATE: I re-read this book and I liked it even more. The book is funny and it almost disguised for me the sheer sweetness and gentleness of the romance between Avalon and Mac. I enjoyed the book before but I would tip it more towards 5 stars on the second read.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
FINAL DECISION: Another simply lovely addition to the Hellcat Canyon series. Long has such a lyrical and beautifully emotional way of depicting characters who have come to Hellcat Canyon with their world ripped apart. A second chance at love romance filled with humor and deeply emotional moments, Avalon and Mac's story is a welcome addition.
THE STORY: Avalon Harwood has (temporarily) returned to Hellcat Canyon after her perfect relationship and business partnership has blown up and she needs time to make decisions. She comes home and finds an opportunity in purchasing the Coltrane estate. She intends on flipping the house as part of her dealing with her heartbreak. The estate has memories for Avalon. Her younger self worshiped the rich son Mac Coltrane until he broke her heart. After his father was convicted of fraud, the family fell apart. Mac has returned and when Avalon snaps up the house under his nose, he is determined to convince her to change her mind.
OPINION: I can hardly express how much I love the Hellcat Canyon series. Each of the books has such a different romance. This book is a second chance at love story. Avalon and Mac had a chance together when they were younger, but Mac was spoiled and insecure and unable to recognize the value of what he had.
But he has recognized it in the intervening years.
"It took him a long time to adjust to her absence. He hadn't realized that she was the lens he'd begun to see nearly everything through. That even though she was kind of a secret, she was also, in a way, his center of gravity. And when it was clear he was just never going to see her again, life had taken on a peculiar, almost dreamlike quality. What he did had ceased to matter because nothing had consequences in a dream."
Both Avalon and Mac in this story have lived a non-consequential "dream" world in the intervening years. Life has happened to them. When they reunite, it is like they wake up and rediscover a life of meaning and value.
The story really revolves around the idea of living a life of active participation. Avalon sees her "perfect" world fall apart and finds herself yearning for a life that reflects what decisions she makes -- what she actually decides she wants rather than what happens to her.
Mac, too, has had to confront the absence of meaning in life. Growing up privileged, Mac accepted everything that his privilege entailed and tossed away those things that could bring meaning. Losing everything has forced him to figure out how to start from the bottom and create a life that he wants. He has done this in the financial world and in his business life, but it takes the reappearance of Avalon for him to find out what actually has meaning in life.
I loved these characters and I loved their interaction. A book that is almost entirely centered on the estate, the "claustrophobia" of Mac and Avalon's interaction allows them to have some of the funniest banter and one-ups-man-ship that I have read. These two are completely competitive with one another and they know one another so well (and yet they have so many secrets and mysteries from the intervening years), that they can needle one another. I laughed and snickered at Avalon and Mac's antics.
In a wonderful manner, the humor and lightness turns into deeply emotional and revealing events. Mac and Avalon not only know one another, but they have hurts which can only be healed by one another.
As the title itself expresses, this book is about finding meaning. As we learn, Mac has mocked Avalon's dream of dancing on Devil's Leap seeing it as hokey and silly. One might guess that through his examination and refocusing on his life and encountering true relationship with Avalon, he invests Avalon's dream with intense meaning and significance on a personal level between them.
The worst part of this series is having to wait to read the next book.
WORTH MENTIONING: I really missed the Eternity Oak in this story along with the quirky town characters since this book is really focused on the Coltrane estate.
CONNECTED BOOKS: DIRTY DANCING AT DEVIL'S LEAP is the third book in the Hellcat Canyon series. The series has continuing characters, but this romance is completely self contained. In fact, this book is only tangentially related to the rest of the series and most of the continuing characters don't make any appearances so this book can be read completely on its own. (But this series is so good, go ahead and read the others as well).
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.
UPDATE: I re-read this book and I liked it even more. The book is funny and it almost disguised for me the sheer sweetness and gentleness of the romance between Avalon and Mac. I enjoyed the book before but I would tip it more towards 5 stars on the second read.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
September 17, 2017
I liked the humor and Avalon, the female lead. The big reveal of why they split up when they were young that we finally got at the end of the story made me dislike Mac, the male lead.
August 17, 2017
I'm always looking for new sorbet and I like the premise of this one, so I took a chance.
I liked Avalon and Mac well enough. She's loyal and hard working and he's a little cocky and stubborn. They have some decent chemistry and banter and I did enjoy how they pushed each other's buttons. Avalon's family was adorable and her niece easily stole every scene she was in.
Plot wise, it was a bit slow moving, but it did make sense. I kept getting tripped up on repeat phrases and some scenes felt repetitive. By the end of the story, there was a good amount of growth for both of them and the grand gesture was fabulous.
Overall, it was a cute and fairly quick read. I might look into other books in the series.
**Huge thanks Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I liked Avalon and Mac well enough. She's loyal and hard working and he's a little cocky and stubborn. They have some decent chemistry and banter and I did enjoy how they pushed each other's buttons. Avalon's family was adorable and her niece easily stole every scene she was in.
Plot wise, it was a bit slow moving, but it did make sense. I kept getting tripped up on repeat phrases and some scenes felt repetitive. By the end of the story, there was a good amount of growth for both of them and the grand gesture was fabulous.
Overall, it was a cute and fairly quick read. I might look into other books in the series.
**Huge thanks Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
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