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Worth the Wait #2
A Bolt from the Blue
True love, like lightning, never strikes twice-or does it?
As a free-spirited young woman, Hope Elliot was desperate to escape her snobbish high society family. So she ran off to Paris, where she lived for twenty-five years. Now widowed, she's come home to settle her family's massive lakefront estate. But before she can put her mother's house on the market, it needs a major renovation. Enter master electrician Mick McInnes, a traditional guy who's about to turn her life upside down . . .
Aside from the fact that Mick is hopelessly attracted to his latest client, Hope represents everything he doesn't want in a woman. She's ridiculously rich and adventurous, yet she doesn't seem to know much about the real world. Besides, his policy is to never get involved with clients. But he can't seem to resist the Chicago heiress's sizzling advances-and soon enough finds himself in her bed, feeling like a teenager once again. And like teenagers, the two of them will just have to convince their families that opposites can not only attract, but they can also make the perfect match . . .
As a free-spirited young woman, Hope Elliot was desperate to escape her snobbish high society family. So she ran off to Paris, where she lived for twenty-five years. Now widowed, she's come home to settle her family's massive lakefront estate. But before she can put her mother's house on the market, it needs a major renovation. Enter master electrician Mick McInnes, a traditional guy who's about to turn her life upside down . . .
Aside from the fact that Mick is hopelessly attracted to his latest client, Hope represents everything he doesn't want in a woman. She's ridiculously rich and adventurous, yet she doesn't seem to know much about the real world. Besides, his policy is to never get involved with clients. But he can't seem to resist the Chicago heiress's sizzling advances-and soon enough finds himself in her bed, feeling like a teenager once again. And like teenagers, the two of them will just have to convince their families that opposites can not only attract, but they can also make the perfect match . . .
- GenresRomance
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2017
2 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Wells
116 books425 followersSign up for Maggie's Reader Group here: http://bit.ly/maggiemail
By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets, but at night she pens tales of people tangling sheets or tangled up in intrigue. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, this mild-mannered married lady has a naughty streak a mile wide.
You can find her online at http://www.maggie-wells.com
Instagram @maggiewells1
Twitter https://twitter.com/Maggie_Wells1
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaggie...
Follow Maggie:
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amazon.com/author/maggiewells
By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets, but at night she pens tales of people tangling sheets or tangled up in intrigue. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, this mild-mannered married lady has a naughty streak a mile wide.
You can find her online at http://www.maggie-wells.com
Instagram @maggiewells1
Twitter https://twitter.com/Maggie_Wells1
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaggie...
Follow Maggie:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggi...
amazon.com/author/maggiewells
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 7, 2017
tl; dr: sweet and sexy romance that I'd love to see expanded
***
The story:
Even as a person merely in my early thirties, I've been noticing more and more than I'm older than most of the people in the novels I read. For some reason, it seems to be accepted as fact that 20-somethings are the only type of people that have interesting things happen to them, particularly in romance novels. Is that because it's too depressing to envision people in their 40s and 50s and still unattached? Rather than depressing, we should find it hopeful–it's never too late to find love.
A Bolt from the Blue is a 'second-chance' romance, since it is the second 'love of your life' for Hope Elliot. (See, even less depressing! Two true loves in one lifetime!) After nearly a lifetime away from the city she grew up in, Hope has to return to settle her late parents' estate and deal with the personality clash that happens to be her sister. Things heat up–literally–when lightning strikes the house and starts a small fire, causing some damage to the house's outdated electrical system. Hope is evidently a brazen old broad, because she wastes no time seducing Mick, the master electrician recommended to her by the first response unit. They embark on a sordid affair, one that Hope makes no secret is limited-time-only, since she fully intends to return to her home in France.
While I was definitely invested in the relationship between Hope and Mick, I was also interested in further development of the relationships between the various family members. Diana and Hope, especially, are at odds throughout the book and, while Diana usually comes across as a shrew, has subtle moments of weakness and vulnerability that made me want to peek into that story a little more. Even more backstory about Hope's relationship with her parents would have delivered another layer to this story. As far as Mick goes, we never even find out where he lives, what type of building he calls home, or what sort of hobbies he does on a regular basis (aside from the occasional boxing for exercise).
Like the other Maggie Wells titles I've read, this book is a middle: a delicious creme filling inside an Oreo cookie. In order to make the middle even sweeter, we need the bookend of exposition cookie to balance the whole thing out. The story could have easily started at Hope's parents' funeral, right before she finds out that she has been named executor. I've also heard some people moan over the uselessness of 'epilogues' in romance, but I find them a nice way to add a little pillow talk after the climax (pun intended). The ending tension is high-high-high, but then the story ends, the reader mentally scrabbling to fill in the blanks. The ending does not need to end with the couple in their old age, dying mere moments apart because they can't stand the thought of living without each other, but there needs to be some sort of new normal established for the ending to come to a slow (and complete) stop.
The smut is pretty hot. (You know you were wondering...) Hope is unabashed in her sexuality, which is entirely welcome. She draws Mick out of his usual patterns, and you can tell that he's partly uncomfortable with it and drawn to it all at once. But despite Hope's strong desire for sex, she doesn't climax immediately and often like many romance heroines, lending a bit of realism to an often unrealistic element in romance novels.
Technical elements:
Overall, the story is beautifully written. There were several passages that were poignant and striking. One minor thing that I noticed was a lack of variety in sentence length, which I realize is a super nitpicky point, but hear me out. Sometimes short sentences one after another work really well, but when used too frequently, remind me of middle-grade young reader books that purposely use shorter sentences for beginning readers. It's good to vary sentences length in order to get a rhythm that is true to the narrative. In some sections, the short staccato sentences worked beautifully, in others, they seemed like a succession of incomplete thoughts.
Final thoughts:
I've read a handful of Wells' romance titles, and I'll most likely continue to read them. She combines a satisfying mix of sweet and sexy to the couples that she writes about, and she never fails to make me laugh and cry in the span of a single book. My chief complaint is typically: MORE! I WANT MORE! These books could easily be stretched, encompassing more intricacies and detail, and, of course, more smut.
***
The story:
Even as a person merely in my early thirties, I've been noticing more and more than I'm older than most of the people in the novels I read. For some reason, it seems to be accepted as fact that 20-somethings are the only type of people that have interesting things happen to them, particularly in romance novels. Is that because it's too depressing to envision people in their 40s and 50s and still unattached? Rather than depressing, we should find it hopeful–it's never too late to find love.
A Bolt from the Blue is a 'second-chance' romance, since it is the second 'love of your life' for Hope Elliot. (See, even less depressing! Two true loves in one lifetime!) After nearly a lifetime away from the city she grew up in, Hope has to return to settle her late parents' estate and deal with the personality clash that happens to be her sister. Things heat up–literally–when lightning strikes the house and starts a small fire, causing some damage to the house's outdated electrical system. Hope is evidently a brazen old broad, because she wastes no time seducing Mick, the master electrician recommended to her by the first response unit. They embark on a sordid affair, one that Hope makes no secret is limited-time-only, since she fully intends to return to her home in France.
While I was definitely invested in the relationship between Hope and Mick, I was also interested in further development of the relationships between the various family members. Diana and Hope, especially, are at odds throughout the book and, while Diana usually comes across as a shrew, has subtle moments of weakness and vulnerability that made me want to peek into that story a little more. Even more backstory about Hope's relationship with her parents would have delivered another layer to this story. As far as Mick goes, we never even find out where he lives, what type of building he calls home, or what sort of hobbies he does on a regular basis (aside from the occasional boxing for exercise).
Like the other Maggie Wells titles I've read, this book is a middle: a delicious creme filling inside an Oreo cookie. In order to make the middle even sweeter, we need the bookend of exposition cookie to balance the whole thing out. The story could have easily started at Hope's parents' funeral, right before she finds out that she has been named executor. I've also heard some people moan over the uselessness of 'epilogues' in romance, but I find them a nice way to add a little pillow talk after the climax (pun intended). The ending tension is high-high-high, but then the story ends, the reader mentally scrabbling to fill in the blanks. The ending does not need to end with the couple in their old age, dying mere moments apart because they can't stand the thought of living without each other, but there needs to be some sort of new normal established for the ending to come to a slow (and complete) stop.
The smut is pretty hot. (You know you were wondering...) Hope is unabashed in her sexuality, which is entirely welcome. She draws Mick out of his usual patterns, and you can tell that he's partly uncomfortable with it and drawn to it all at once. But despite Hope's strong desire for sex, she doesn't climax immediately and often like many romance heroines, lending a bit of realism to an often unrealistic element in romance novels.
Technical elements:
Overall, the story is beautifully written. There were several passages that were poignant and striking. One minor thing that I noticed was a lack of variety in sentence length, which I realize is a super nitpicky point, but hear me out. Sometimes short sentences one after another work really well, but when used too frequently, remind me of middle-grade young reader books that purposely use shorter sentences for beginning readers. It's good to vary sentences length in order to get a rhythm that is true to the narrative. In some sections, the short staccato sentences worked beautifully, in others, they seemed like a succession of incomplete thoughts.
Final thoughts:
I've read a handful of Wells' romance titles, and I'll most likely continue to read them. She combines a satisfying mix of sweet and sexy to the couples that she writes about, and she never fails to make me laugh and cry in the span of a single book. My chief complaint is typically: MORE! I WANT MORE! These books could easily be stretched, encompassing more intricacies and detail, and, of course, more smut.
April 2, 2017
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
4.5*s
This is the second in the series - and the first I have read, but I will be going to find the first, as this is a well written book, which I read in one sitting.
Stories of second chances at love can become a little maudlin, or dismissive of the first relationship. That is avoided here by a few very subtle references and one scene which brilliantly gets into Hope's head and gives us her thoughts which are very much off topic at a crucial moment. So insightful, honest and very effective at bringing her feelings to the fore.
There are some painfully humorous moments when she re-engages with the society that she ran away to avoid, and her sister is pretty beastly too. But her interactions with Mick are at times funny, sexy and poignant. It would be difficult not to laugh at some of her adventures, but there is a lost quality to her life that only she can resolve - and Mick is both aware of that and fearful of what it will mean too.
I really enjoyed how this story developed and would definitely recommend it to you.
4.5*s
This is the second in the series - and the first I have read, but I will be going to find the first, as this is a well written book, which I read in one sitting.
Stories of second chances at love can become a little maudlin, or dismissive of the first relationship. That is avoided here by a few very subtle references and one scene which brilliantly gets into Hope's head and gives us her thoughts which are very much off topic at a crucial moment. So insightful, honest and very effective at bringing her feelings to the fore.
There are some painfully humorous moments when she re-engages with the society that she ran away to avoid, and her sister is pretty beastly too. But her interactions with Mick are at times funny, sexy and poignant. It would be difficult not to laugh at some of her adventures, but there is a lost quality to her life that only she can resolve - and Mick is both aware of that and fearful of what it will mean too.
I really enjoyed how this story developed and would definitely recommend it to you.
August 16, 2017
Maggie Wells never writes wishy-washy characters. Her characters always know who they are, even if sometimes they're not sure about what they want. The joy is always in reading about these strong characters finding their happy-ever-afters...sometimes even though they don't think that's what they're looking for. Realistic characters, spot-on banter, plots that pull you in from the first page - all reasons that I keep coming back to this author!
Also, since I've been a fan for a long, long time now, this story was especially fun because of all of the sort of secret messages hidden within it. My favorite scene definitely took place at O'Hare, and not just because I had been in the airport while reading the book. I think I can ALMOST picture the young woman doing the splits in front of the group of friends who wanted their picture taken! Excellent!
Also, since I've been a fan for a long, long time now, this story was especially fun because of all of the sort of secret messages hidden within it. My favorite scene definitely took place at O'Hare, and not just because I had been in the airport while reading the book. I think I can ALMOST picture the young woman doing the splits in front of the group of friends who wanted their picture taken! Excellent!
August 21, 2019
The hero is great - down to earth, funny, sexy... the heroine is utterly self-centred and acts more like a petulant teenager than a sophisticated 50 year old. And how many times does she mention the title that she supposedly doesn’t care about. Tried three books from this author but I think she just isn’t for me.
March 17, 2017
Hope returns to Chicago to help settle her parents estate. Her sister Diana is livid that Hope was next executor. Diana is a snob and jerk to the nth degree. I like Hope, she is an older well traveled widow who hasn't been in touch with her family in years. When master electrician Mick McInnes is hired to repair the house he breaks his first rule and gets involved with his client. This is a sweet, sexy romance that appeals to me but I found the sister very distracting.
July 12, 2017
A Bolt from the Blue is a seasoned romance novel at its finest. Hope Elliot and Mick McInnes were wonderful characters. I love that the characters were in their early 50’s as their conflicts were mature and more relatable to my age. Hope deals with widowhood, finances and whether or not to colour her hair. Mick has an adult daughter and proves that no matter how old our children get, we still carry around their well being on our minds. Regardless of Mick and Hope’s age, the steamy beginnings of a relationship are completely valid and super hot! Another relatable notion of mine :)
Mick of course has aged like fine wine but it is Hope that I adored the most. Her free-spirit, independence and her lust for life was so admirable. She didn’t cower or act shy and she is completely in tune with her personality as well as her body. Nothing is more appealing in a romance than to read about an awesome woman that I’d like to emulate.
I so enjoyed reading their story. I loved the writing. It was incredible. I highlighted a few spots on my Kindle but this one in particular was so outstanding for me, "No one was in control of their own destiny. Hand of God, fickle fate, or karma. Didn't matter where the buffeting blows came from, the only thing that counted was where you ended up when the reeling was over."
Mick of course has aged like fine wine but it is Hope that I adored the most. Her free-spirit, independence and her lust for life was so admirable. She didn’t cower or act shy and she is completely in tune with her personality as well as her body. Nothing is more appealing in a romance than to read about an awesome woman that I’d like to emulate.
I so enjoyed reading their story. I loved the writing. It was incredible. I highlighted a few spots on my Kindle but this one in particular was so outstanding for me, "No one was in control of their own destiny. Hand of God, fickle fate, or karma. Didn't matter where the buffeting blows came from, the only thing that counted was where you ended up when the reeling was over."
April 5, 2017
True love, like lightning, never strikes twice-or does it?
As a free-spirited young woman, Hope Elliot was desperate to escape her snobbish high society family. So she ran off to Paris, where she lived for twenty-five years. Now widowed, she's come home to settle her family's massive lakefront estate. But before she can put her mother's house on the market, it needs a major renovation. Enter master electrician Mick McInnes, a traditional guy who's about to turn her life upside down . . .
Aside from the fact that Mick is hopelessly attracted to his latest client, Hope represents everything he doesn't want in a woman. She's ridiculously rich and adventurous, yet she doesn't seem to know much about the real world. Besides, his policy is to never get involved with clients. But he can't seem to resist the Chicago heiress's sizzling advances-and soon enough finds himself in her bed, feeling like a teenager once again. And like teenagers, the two of them will just have to convince their families that opposites can not only attract, but they can also make the perfect match . . .
Review:
The thing I have to say that I appreciated most about this book is the mature characters, though I hate the word "mature". As being a person close in age to Mick and Hope it was so refreshing reading a romance about this age group. The sexy was so well done, and it showed them as still vital and sexual people. I found Hope's background interesting, loved her free spirit ways. I did want her to stick up for herself sooner with her sister. Mick tried to be the voice of reason, but soon gave over to the passion between the two of them. They do have some obstacles to overcome to have their happy ending.
I have not read this Author before and I enjoyed her writing, characters and story.
3.5Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*
As a free-spirited young woman, Hope Elliot was desperate to escape her snobbish high society family. So she ran off to Paris, where she lived for twenty-five years. Now widowed, she's come home to settle her family's massive lakefront estate. But before she can put her mother's house on the market, it needs a major renovation. Enter master electrician Mick McInnes, a traditional guy who's about to turn her life upside down . . .
Aside from the fact that Mick is hopelessly attracted to his latest client, Hope represents everything he doesn't want in a woman. She's ridiculously rich and adventurous, yet she doesn't seem to know much about the real world. Besides, his policy is to never get involved with clients. But he can't seem to resist the Chicago heiress's sizzling advances-and soon enough finds himself in her bed, feeling like a teenager once again. And like teenagers, the two of them will just have to convince their families that opposites can not only attract, but they can also make the perfect match . . .
Review:
The thing I have to say that I appreciated most about this book is the mature characters, though I hate the word "mature". As being a person close in age to Mick and Hope it was so refreshing reading a romance about this age group. The sexy was so well done, and it showed them as still vital and sexual people. I found Hope's background interesting, loved her free spirit ways. I did want her to stick up for herself sooner with her sister. Mick tried to be the voice of reason, but soon gave over to the passion between the two of them. They do have some obstacles to overcome to have their happy ending.
I have not read this Author before and I enjoyed her writing, characters and story.
3.5Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*
April 16, 2017
In this latest book from Maggie Wells, she proves that lightning really can strike twice…and so can true love.
Hope Elliot finds herself in a tug-of-war between freedom and family obligations when she’s forced to return home to settle her family’s estate. She expects it won’t take more than a month or two to wrap things up, then she can go back to the life she’s chosen to lead.
Except Mother Nature unleashes an electrical storm that makes a mockery of her plans, and inserts master electrician, Mick McInnes, squarely into her home…and her life. Two strangers from two different worlds, but their attraction is undeniable. Sparks sizzle.
The humor leaps off the page in this story, the dialogue is so cleverly-written, and the romance that surges throughout will leave you breathless. I was so drawn to Hope. She’s not your typical romance novel heroine. She’s feisty, wildly unabashed, sexually liberated, and confident to an enviable degree. A woman most men wouldn’t know how to handle, but Mick is hard-wired for her. He’s never met a woman quite like her, and he simply can’t resist her because of it.
I love the realness of Mick. He is who he is, genuine and good-hearted. And the man gives just as good as he gets in the boudoir. He isn’t intimidated by Hope. Instead, he challenges her. Makes her open up to him and reveal parts of herself she wouldn’t dare with any other man.
“You, Hope Winston Elliot, Lady Ashford, Queen of North Shore, and Supreme Seductress of Innocent Peasants, are singularly uncategorizical.” - And this is when I fell head over heels in love with Mick.
A Bolt from the Blue is brilliantly woven from beginning to end, filled with compelling characters who light up the pages with humor and honesty. I loved every minute of it!
Hope Elliot finds herself in a tug-of-war between freedom and family obligations when she’s forced to return home to settle her family’s estate. She expects it won’t take more than a month or two to wrap things up, then she can go back to the life she’s chosen to lead.
Except Mother Nature unleashes an electrical storm that makes a mockery of her plans, and inserts master electrician, Mick McInnes, squarely into her home…and her life. Two strangers from two different worlds, but their attraction is undeniable. Sparks sizzle.
The humor leaps off the page in this story, the dialogue is so cleverly-written, and the romance that surges throughout will leave you breathless. I was so drawn to Hope. She’s not your typical romance novel heroine. She’s feisty, wildly unabashed, sexually liberated, and confident to an enviable degree. A woman most men wouldn’t know how to handle, but Mick is hard-wired for her. He’s never met a woman quite like her, and he simply can’t resist her because of it.
I love the realness of Mick. He is who he is, genuine and good-hearted. And the man gives just as good as he gets in the boudoir. He isn’t intimidated by Hope. Instead, he challenges her. Makes her open up to him and reveal parts of herself she wouldn’t dare with any other man.
“You, Hope Winston Elliot, Lady Ashford, Queen of North Shore, and Supreme Seductress of Innocent Peasants, are singularly uncategorizical.” - And this is when I fell head over heels in love with Mick.
A Bolt from the Blue is brilliantly woven from beginning to end, filled with compelling characters who light up the pages with humor and honesty. I loved every minute of it!
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January 29, 2019Extra-spicy romance featuring a hero and heroine in their prime!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews