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Passport to Love #1
McCall
Sara Brighton is a quickly rising culinary star in Savannah after Food & Wine magazine named her restaurant Best New Restaurant of the South, until it burns to the ground in an accident and she impulsively packs her truck and heads for McCall, Idaho, the last place she remembers being truly happy.
Sam Draper, head of the Lake Patrol division of the McCall PD, knows the last thing she needs is another entitled tourist making her life difficult on the water. However, after Sara surprises her by helping her avoid a near professional disaster, Sam teaches her to drive a boat. The chemistry between them is hot and instant, and as the summer heats up, Sam finds herself fall-ing in love until Sara buys her late father’s iconic diner and turns it into the newest hotspot for pretentious culinary tourists.
Can the love Sam and Sara found on the water survive the lingering ghosts waiting for them back on dry land?
Sam Draper, head of the Lake Patrol division of the McCall PD, knows the last thing she needs is another entitled tourist making her life difficult on the water. However, after Sara surprises her by helping her avoid a near professional disaster, Sam teaches her to drive a boat. The chemistry between them is hot and instant, and as the summer heats up, Sam finds herself fall-ing in love until Sara buys her late father’s iconic diner and turns it into the newest hotspot for pretentious culinary tourists.
Can the love Sam and Sara found on the water survive the lingering ghosts waiting for them back on dry land?
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2018
26 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Evans Jordan
8 books29 followersThis author also writes under the pen name Patricia Evans Cox.
(Note, I recently got married, so my first two books, McCall and London, were written under Patricia Evans Jordan.
My new married name going forward is Patricia Evans Cox.
Check out my newest release... Last First Kiss! Available now at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!
https://www.amazon.com/Innis-Harbor-P...
I've been slinging ink and falling in love with my own characters since my boarding school days, and now write in both my hometown of Eureka Springs, AR and at home with my wife, Suzie Cox.
I've lived in Ireland and England and return there frequently, as well as to a much loved tiny island off the coast of Glasgow, where the owner of the local pub saves me the red velvet chair by the fire.
More of my writing can be seen at my website, www.tomboyinkslinger.com
And feel free to email me at patricia@tomboyinkslinger.com, I love to connect with readers!
(Note, I recently got married, so my first two books, McCall and London, were written under Patricia Evans Jordan.
My new married name going forward is Patricia Evans Cox.
Check out my newest release... Last First Kiss! Available now at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!
https://www.amazon.com/Innis-Harbor-P...
I've been slinging ink and falling in love with my own characters since my boarding school days, and now write in both my hometown of Eureka Springs, AR and at home with my wife, Suzie Cox.
I've lived in Ireland and England and return there frequently, as well as to a much loved tiny island off the coast of Glasgow, where the owner of the local pub saves me the red velvet chair by the fire.
More of my writing can be seen at my website, www.tomboyinkslinger.com
And feel free to email me at patricia@tomboyinkslinger.com, I love to connect with readers!
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 1, 2018
3.75 Stars. I ended up liking this more than I expected. I knew this was a debut by Jordan so I went in cautiously optimistic. When in reality I had nothing to worry about as this was a good romance. I did not find many of the problems I associate with debut lesfic romance authors. The book flowed well for me and I really enjoyed it.
Sara is a renowned chef, who owns a restaurant in Savannah. After an accident causes her to lose everything, Sara drives across the country to a lake side town in Idaho. Sara spent her summers on this lake as a child so she feels it’s a safe place to start over. Can Sara start a new restaurant to be proud of in such a small town, and maybe even find love along the way?
I loved the setting of this book. The whole cabin on a lake with speed boats just brought back such good memories for me. This story reminded me of one of my favorite places in the world and because of that it hooked me in right away. The writing was good enough to make me feel like I was actually there.
I loved the whole cast of characters. At first I did not like one of the mains Sam. This is a classic butch/femme romance and Sam was way too arrogant for me. Luckily, you got to learn who she really was and she actually had a backstory that gave her character some depth. The other main Sara was very likeable and easy to root for. One mini complaint, having the mains names be Sara and Sam drove me a bit nuts. Two short S names were hard to keep track of in the beginning. Anyway back to the other characters, the secondary characters like Sara’s sister were all done well too.
I found myself really enjoying the romance. It went at a nice pace that didn’t feel like insta-love, which I always appreciate. There is a little bit of angst, but I think the book needed some conflict. The chemistry is absolutely there and the sex scenes were good and steamy. Although there was part of one scene that I could not quite see the configuring of body parts in my head. I don’t know if that is on Jordan or me, but the rest were well done.
If you like small town romances, I would easily recommend this one. I enjoyed this more than I expected and am now looking forward to Jordan’s next book. It comes out in a few months and if it’s as good as this one, I’ll be a happy camper.
An ARC was given to me by Sapphire Books for a honest review
Sara is a renowned chef, who owns a restaurant in Savannah. After an accident causes her to lose everything, Sara drives across the country to a lake side town in Idaho. Sara spent her summers on this lake as a child so she feels it’s a safe place to start over. Can Sara start a new restaurant to be proud of in such a small town, and maybe even find love along the way?
I loved the setting of this book. The whole cabin on a lake with speed boats just brought back such good memories for me. This story reminded me of one of my favorite places in the world and because of that it hooked me in right away. The writing was good enough to make me feel like I was actually there.
I loved the whole cast of characters. At first I did not like one of the mains Sam. This is a classic butch/femme romance and Sam was way too arrogant for me. Luckily, you got to learn who she really was and she actually had a backstory that gave her character some depth. The other main Sara was very likeable and easy to root for. One mini complaint, having the mains names be Sara and Sam drove me a bit nuts. Two short S names were hard to keep track of in the beginning. Anyway back to the other characters, the secondary characters like Sara’s sister were all done well too.
I found myself really enjoying the romance. It went at a nice pace that didn’t feel like insta-love, which I always appreciate. There is a little bit of angst, but I think the book needed some conflict. The chemistry is absolutely there and the sex scenes were good and steamy. Although there was part of one scene that I could not quite see the configuring of body parts in my head. I don’t know if that is on Jordan or me, but the rest were well done.
If you like small town romances, I would easily recommend this one. I enjoyed this more than I expected and am now looking forward to Jordan’s next book. It comes out in a few months and if it’s as good as this one, I’ll be a happy camper.
An ARC was given to me by Sapphire Books for a honest review
September 7, 2018
This is a debut novel by Patricia Evans Jordan, book one of her 'Passport to love' series. Sara Brighton is a chef based in Savannah, Georgia. After her restaurant is destroyed by a fire, she decides to start again in the small town of McCall, Idaho. There she meets Captain Sam Draper, the Lake Patrol chief. Their attraction is undeniable but Sara is planning to build a modern restaurant in Sam's late father's traditional diner which brings her up sad memories and unresolved issues. Will they be able to go past their conflict and build a strong relationship?
This is a slow-burn romance set in a small town with a stunning landscape which the author describes beautifully. 'McCall' follows a stereotypical butch-femme dynamic, knight in shining armour and damsel in distress couple; a dark, tall and handsome masculine woman with a blonde feminine southern-belle. This sharp distinction in the characters contrasts with the choice of their names. A rule of naming characters in fiction says that the names should be dissimilar. Unfortunately, in this case, I often found myself backtracking trying to tell apart the too similar names of Sara and Sam which was distracting.
The main characters' relationship revolves a great deal around food. This romance is a culinary journey in which Sam and Sara build their identities through food and find each other in the process. There is a tension between modern and traditional cuisine that Ms. Jordan describes well. In my opinion, this is where the characters' chemistry is strong and the book thrives. Having said that, I found that some scenes were a bit unrealistic and parts of the subplot - specially the planning of Sara's restaurant - seemed delivered in a rush and as an afterthought near the end. Additionally, the main conflict didn't have enough strength to build proper tension. However, the romance itself, the leads' chemistry and the intimate scenes were convincing.
Overall, a good debut novel for those who enjoy a butch-femme romance and lots of food references. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
This is a slow-burn romance set in a small town with a stunning landscape which the author describes beautifully. 'McCall' follows a stereotypical butch-femme dynamic, knight in shining armour and damsel in distress couple; a dark, tall and handsome masculine woman with a blonde feminine southern-belle. This sharp distinction in the characters contrasts with the choice of their names. A rule of naming characters in fiction says that the names should be dissimilar. Unfortunately, in this case, I often found myself backtracking trying to tell apart the too similar names of Sara and Sam which was distracting.
The main characters' relationship revolves a great deal around food. This romance is a culinary journey in which Sam and Sara build their identities through food and find each other in the process. There is a tension between modern and traditional cuisine that Ms. Jordan describes well. In my opinion, this is where the characters' chemistry is strong and the book thrives. Having said that, I found that some scenes were a bit unrealistic and parts of the subplot - specially the planning of Sara's restaurant - seemed delivered in a rush and as an afterthought near the end. Additionally, the main conflict didn't have enough strength to build proper tension. However, the romance itself, the leads' chemistry and the intimate scenes were convincing.
Overall, a good debut novel for those who enjoy a butch-femme romance and lots of food references. 3.5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com
September 15, 2018
Impressive debut. I enjoyed this enemies to friends romance. Sara tries to open a diner in the resort town of McCall, Idaho with the insurance money from her burned out business back in Savannah. She has fond memories of summers spent by the lake and hopes to get her life back on track. Her lack of knowledge (and a boating license) on the water means she falls on the wrong side of wary lake patrol officer, Captain Sam Draper.
I loved the lively dialogue between Sara and Sam. I loved the Idaho lakeside setting and enjoyed the humour and hot scenes between Sara and Sam. I liked the slow relationship build as Sam takes Sara around to various diners and food trucks sampling some of the local cuisine and I loved the butch/femme dynamic, a favourite pairing of mine.
My only challenge was in the name choices for the mains. I found them too similar and had to keep reminding myself who was who especially during the sex scenes.
There is a small amount of angst, but this overall feel-good story left me happy and satisfied. Witty dialogue, great settings and a tiny bit of conflict? I gobbled this one up in one afternoon.
This is an author I've added to my must read list. She’s got all kinds of potential.
4.5 stars
ARC received with thanks from Sapphire Books for an honest review.
I loved the lively dialogue between Sara and Sam. I loved the Idaho lakeside setting and enjoyed the humour and hot scenes between Sara and Sam. I liked the slow relationship build as Sam takes Sara around to various diners and food trucks sampling some of the local cuisine and I loved the butch/femme dynamic, a favourite pairing of mine.
My only challenge was in the name choices for the mains. I found them too similar and had to keep reminding myself who was who especially during the sex scenes.
There is a small amount of angst, but this overall feel-good story left me happy and satisfied. Witty dialogue, great settings and a tiny bit of conflict? I gobbled this one up in one afternoon.
This is an author I've added to my must read list. She’s got all kinds of potential.
4.5 stars
ARC received with thanks from Sapphire Books for an honest review.
June 16, 2024
This is a story about Sarah Brighton who moves to McCall Idaho to start life over after her restaurant in Savanah burns down. Sarah used to go to summer camp in McCall and it’s her happy place. Sam Drapper is the town water patrol chief.
The story centers around the town and the nearby lake and the closed diner. The diner was owned by Sam’s dad Gus, until he died.. Sarah buys it and plans to turn into an upscale pub.
I liked everything about this book , the setting on the lake was great to read about since I grew up on a lake too. Both main characters had wonderful chemistry with each other and tons of witty snark. And lots of hotness to boot. Overall this was a feel good book.
And for my cheese loving book friends who might read this review, -there is spray cheese in a can. I hope you check it out. This one is highly recommended.
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
The story centers around the town and the nearby lake and the closed diner. The diner was owned by Sam’s dad Gus, until he died.. Sarah buys it and plans to turn into an upscale pub.
I liked everything about this book , the setting on the lake was great to read about since I grew up on a lake too. Both main characters had wonderful chemistry with each other and tons of witty snark. And lots of hotness to boot. Overall this was a feel good book.
And for my cheese loving book friends who might read this review, -there is spray cheese in a can. I hope you check it out. This one is highly recommended.
Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
September 2, 2018
Just under 4 stars.
I enjoyed this read, more so the beginning than the ending. At first i felt the two characters had a good amount of tension between them but as the book progressed, that tension turned a little more into attraction and a little more into nothing. Obstacles were overcome way too easily which didnt fit with the beginning well enough for me. Regardless, i did enjoy it and I look forward to the next one in the series.
I enjoyed this read, more so the beginning than the ending. At first i felt the two characters had a good amount of tension between them but as the book progressed, that tension turned a little more into attraction and a little more into nothing. Obstacles were overcome way too easily which didnt fit with the beginning well enough for me. Regardless, i did enjoy it and I look forward to the next one in the series.
November 10, 2020
I was impressed by this authors book Last First Kiss so I knew I wanted to try others by them.
The main characters involve Sam who is 41 and described as a tall Tom Cruise. She defines herself as butch with more masculine features, ripped with muscles and loves to swim. She's the Captain of the local PD's Lake Patrol. But she's quite arrogant and cocky. But at the same time knows how to be chivalrous and treat a lady. Well respect in the area and grew up there with her adopted parents who have now passed on.
Sara is 33 and a definite sassy femme with attitude, that Sam simply assumes is some straight, rich spoiled holiday-maker with a trust fund when she arrives newly in the area. But she is anything but those things. She's struggled with her parents acceptance, and a career in restaurants. Her sister is now also struggling with their parents expectations, people's judgements and body issues. Sam really helps her, too.
The townfolk are delightful, especially Mary. There's a real nice wholesome small town community feel to the story. Sara is trying to set up an eatery in the town, in the place where Sam's father's Diner used to be. But Sara soon realizes her overly ambitious 'fancy' gastro alchemy meals are not what people in this downhome town are really looking for. Sam assists her in figuring this out with a bit of a road trip. However she still keeps herself at arms length from the Diner that was her dads, finding it hard to let go and see it change. (She has abandonment issues that are explained in the story.)
There was one part that had me a bit uncomfortable and I'll pop it under a spoiler:
Sam also comes off as bit of a stone butch. She does let Sara reciprocate to a degree, but it's most always her giving to the pillow queens. Which eh, I can see the appeal to a point, but I guess I like more reciprocal sex. But in saying that, the scenes featured were indeed dang hot! (There is a strap-on scene if that's a trigger for anyone.)
The two together are steamy as heck, and I like that the drama is not hugely angsty. It's quite slice of life stuff. There's a definite butch/femme stereotype here, with Sam being the constant top, who takes charge and control in the bedroom, and Sara is shown to be more than happy being more submissive in this scenario, there's good communication and checking in during such scenes, so it didn't feel like an imbalance of power.
All in all I thought it was a good story with intense emotion and sex, that added a lot more into a storyline that could have been very straightforward and boring, and was far more than a cliche rom-com.
The main characters involve Sam who is 41 and described as a tall Tom Cruise. She defines herself as butch with more masculine features, ripped with muscles and loves to swim. She's the Captain of the local PD's Lake Patrol. But she's quite arrogant and cocky. But at the same time knows how to be chivalrous and treat a lady. Well respect in the area and grew up there with her adopted parents who have now passed on.
Sara is 33 and a definite sassy femme with attitude, that Sam simply assumes is some straight, rich spoiled holiday-maker with a trust fund when she arrives newly in the area. But she is anything but those things. She's struggled with her parents acceptance, and a career in restaurants. Her sister is now also struggling with their parents expectations, people's judgements and body issues. Sam really helps her, too.
The townfolk are delightful, especially Mary. There's a real nice wholesome small town community feel to the story. Sara is trying to set up an eatery in the town, in the place where Sam's father's Diner used to be. But Sara soon realizes her overly ambitious 'fancy' gastro alchemy meals are not what people in this downhome town are really looking for. Sam assists her in figuring this out with a bit of a road trip. However she still keeps herself at arms length from the Diner that was her dads, finding it hard to let go and see it change. (She has abandonment issues that are explained in the story.)
There was one part that had me a bit uncomfortable and I'll pop it under a spoiler:
Sam also comes off as bit of a stone butch. She does let Sara reciprocate to a degree, but it's most always her giving to the pillow queens. Which eh, I can see the appeal to a point, but I guess I like more reciprocal sex. But in saying that, the scenes featured were indeed dang hot! (There is a strap-on scene if that's a trigger for anyone.)
The two together are steamy as heck, and I like that the drama is not hugely angsty. It's quite slice of life stuff. There's a definite butch/femme stereotype here, with Sam being the constant top, who takes charge and control in the bedroom, and Sara is shown to be more than happy being more submissive in this scenario, there's good communication and checking in during such scenes, so it didn't feel like an imbalance of power.
All in all I thought it was a good story with intense emotion and sex, that added a lot more into a storyline that could have been very straightforward and boring, and was far more than a cliche rom-com.
Want to read
September 29, 2020This book is a sweet tender romance. The characters are very well developed and the book well written. The main protagonists and secondary characters are complex and fun and the story was really touching. I was captivated right from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down. There are a couple of hot erotic scenes, especially the last one in the book. This is her debut book but you could never tell that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I look forward to more books from this author! It was my first book by this author but definitely won't be the last! I highly recommend this book.
October 31, 2019
Still Waters Run Deep
Sara is a chef whose restaurant burned down. Lost and adrift, she decides to up and move to the one place that truly made her happy, the town of McCall Idaho. After an accident on her boat, she meets the charming and stunning Sam who is the head of the police’s lake department. Stoic and tough, she is still feeling the pain of losing her father a few years prior. Smitten from the start, things aren’t exactly smooth sailing as these two stubborn women learn how to relate to each other and find their way back to happiness.
OMG, this book is so sweet!!! It was just about everything a perfect romance novel can be! There is drama, excitement, a bit of angst, LOVELY sexy bits, wonderful romance and a great story line!!! I enjoyed every single sentence and read it cover to cover without stopping, I couldn’t bear the thought of putting it down and so I didn’t. Even though it meant reading well into the night, it was so worth the lack of sleep. I actually want to read it again already… Ms Jordan is a new to me author and one I am so glad to have discovered!!! Even better, since I am late to find her, there are two other books in her catalogue for me to read right away, so I think I will go do that. Do yourself a favour and read this book!
Sara is a chef whose restaurant burned down. Lost and adrift, she decides to up and move to the one place that truly made her happy, the town of McCall Idaho. After an accident on her boat, she meets the charming and stunning Sam who is the head of the police’s lake department. Stoic and tough, she is still feeling the pain of losing her father a few years prior. Smitten from the start, things aren’t exactly smooth sailing as these two stubborn women learn how to relate to each other and find their way back to happiness.
OMG, this book is so sweet!!! It was just about everything a perfect romance novel can be! There is drama, excitement, a bit of angst, LOVELY sexy bits, wonderful romance and a great story line!!! I enjoyed every single sentence and read it cover to cover without stopping, I couldn’t bear the thought of putting it down and so I didn’t. Even though it meant reading well into the night, it was so worth the lack of sleep. I actually want to read it again already… Ms Jordan is a new to me author and one I am so glad to have discovered!!! Even better, since I am late to find her, there are two other books in her catalogue for me to read right away, so I think I will go do that. Do yourself a favour and read this book!
October 14, 2018
This is a wonderful debut novel that will tickle every one of your senses. Ms Jordan has a wonderful lyrical way of describing things and I especially loved the love scenes which she does extremely well. Another area of particular note is the food and wine descriptors. I absolutely adore an author who can make my foodie tendencies sing. I am so impressed with this new author I had to get her other novel, London which I am sure to love. You will fall in love the the characters and the satisfying ending is perfect. Highly recommended!
July 31, 2018
When Sara Brighton’s Savannah restaurant burns to the ground, she needs to figure out what she wants to do next. She’s been working night and day to make her restaurant successful and has had no life, no friends, and no girlfriend. When she decides to return to the place she was happiest – the town where she attended camp when she was a child—McCall, Idaho. Once there, she buys a small house and, impulsively, a boat. When she needs to be rescued while on the lake, it’s Sam Draper, Captain, of the Lake Patrol division of the McCall Police Department, who comes to her rescue. Next Sara buys the empty diner, from Sam’s grandfather’s estate in mid-town to turn it into a Savannah-like restaurant.
This is a well written book with interesting, likable characters, and a story that has a unique setting and storyline. The dialogue is witty and true to the characters. The ending is not rushed and is satisfyingly romantic.
There are a few issues that may bother some readers, but not all. There are continuity issues that has the readers backing up to see if she’s missed something. But in the overall scheme of things, they are minor.
This is a well written book with interesting, likable characters, and a story that has a unique setting and storyline. The dialogue is witty and true to the characters. The ending is not rushed and is satisfyingly romantic.
There are a few issues that may bother some readers, but not all. There are continuity issues that has the readers backing up to see if she’s missed something. But in the overall scheme of things, they are minor.
November 5, 2018
So much to love!
More than an excellent lovestory! A gorgeous setting, a sexy butch, a hot femme, great supporting characters, steamy moments of passion and humor. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. Highly recommended!
More than an excellent lovestory! A gorgeous setting, a sexy butch, a hot femme, great supporting characters, steamy moments of passion and humor. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. Highly recommended!
February 18, 2019
Really enjoyed this one - helped I'd just finished a complicated & thought provoking book so this lovely light read was just what I needed. Good fun and well recommended.
June 11, 2019
There was too much testosterone in this book for me to stand reading any more. Abandoned at 23%
June 23, 2022
I listened to this audiobook some time ago and forgot to leave a review. I did like the characters and they had a lot of heat between them. It’s a story worth listening to over again
Currently reading
October 5, 2018The only bad thing about this book is that ive finished it. By the end of the first page i was hooked. Now that its over i feel like im missing some good friends ive just made. Is it possible that the writer could be talked in to a sequel?? Patricia Evans Jordan
The only bad thing about this book is that ive finished it. By the end of the first page i was hooked. Now that its over i feel like im missing some good friends ive just made. Is it possible that the writer could be talked in to a sequel?? Patricia Evans Jordan
The only bad thing about this book is that ive finished it. By the end of the first page i was hooked. Now that its over i feel like im missing some good friends ive just made. Is it possible that the writer could be talked in to a sequel?? Patricia Evans Jordan
July 1, 2018
The setting description in this book was amazing but it was the characters that really made this story. The main characters of Sara and Sam were well developed and the secondary characters added life to the small community. The way the relationship developed had a good flow. I really look forward toreading more books by Patricia Evans Jordan.
June 7, 2024
Chef falls for the local lake cop in a tiny mountain town. It’s cute and definitely has some spice!
I received an advance copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sara Brighton’s future lies instantly wide open when her restaurant burns down. She packs up everything and travels to the one place she remembers she has ever been truly happy. McCall is the tiny lake town where Sara and her sister Jennifer have spent ten years at summer camp. With insurance money in her pocket, Sara rents a tiny cabin at the shore and has her eyes set on an old closed up diner in town. Oh, and she buys a boat. Driving it can’t be that hard right?
Sam Draper is a cop for the McCall lake patrol. Out on her rounds on the water she comes across a drifting boat. The sole occupant is a gorgeous topless woman with a head wound. Sara annoys the hell out of Sam with her feisty comebacks. But Sam is seemingly unable to ignore Sara is the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. To make things worse the aggravating woman wants to buy the diner that belonged to Sam’s dad. After his death Sam never stepped foot in there, not able to cope with the grief and memories. Now Chef Sara wants to turn it into a gastro pub. Really? Here? In tiny town McCall?
It took me a while to get emotionally invested in the story. The first chapter describes the fire that burns down the restaurant but there are minimal emotions and descriptive imagery involved. It was like, her life’s work burned to the ground, so what?! After she arrives in McCall it gets better.
Sara’s feistiness, Sam’s tough-butch-with-a-tiny-heart attitude are sweet and hilarious. Their banter is seriously funny. I love a couple that can tease and laugh with each other. Oh, and did I mention the hotness of this book? There is some serious chemistry going on in the many spicy scenes!
A lot happens in this story, but I feel like none of the subjects are completely used for what they could be. Like the mention of Sara’s dyslexia. I feel like that could be explored more because it caused a lot of problems in her past, but it is just glossed over. The same goes for Sam’s reluctance to set foot in the diner and share her history with Sara. It seems like Sara has to get the knowledge from everyone else in town.
McCall is a fun and steamy story to lose a couple of hours in. I mean, who wouldn’t want to take a boat trip on a gorgeous lake with two beautiful women?
I received an advance copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sara Brighton’s future lies instantly wide open when her restaurant burns down. She packs up everything and travels to the one place she remembers she has ever been truly happy. McCall is the tiny lake town where Sara and her sister Jennifer have spent ten years at summer camp. With insurance money in her pocket, Sara rents a tiny cabin at the shore and has her eyes set on an old closed up diner in town. Oh, and she buys a boat. Driving it can’t be that hard right?
Sam Draper is a cop for the McCall lake patrol. Out on her rounds on the water she comes across a drifting boat. The sole occupant is a gorgeous topless woman with a head wound. Sara annoys the hell out of Sam with her feisty comebacks. But Sam is seemingly unable to ignore Sara is the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. To make things worse the aggravating woman wants to buy the diner that belonged to Sam’s dad. After his death Sam never stepped foot in there, not able to cope with the grief and memories. Now Chef Sara wants to turn it into a gastro pub. Really? Here? In tiny town McCall?
It took me a while to get emotionally invested in the story. The first chapter describes the fire that burns down the restaurant but there are minimal emotions and descriptive imagery involved. It was like, her life’s work burned to the ground, so what?! After she arrives in McCall it gets better.
Sara’s feistiness, Sam’s tough-butch-with-a-tiny-heart attitude are sweet and hilarious. Their banter is seriously funny. I love a couple that can tease and laugh with each other. Oh, and did I mention the hotness of this book? There is some serious chemistry going on in the many spicy scenes!
A lot happens in this story, but I feel like none of the subjects are completely used for what they could be. Like the mention of Sara’s dyslexia. I feel like that could be explored more because it caused a lot of problems in her past, but it is just glossed over. The same goes for Sam’s reluctance to set foot in the diner and share her history with Sara. It seems like Sara has to get the knowledge from everyone else in town.
McCall is a fun and steamy story to lose a couple of hours in. I mean, who wouldn’t want to take a boat trip on a gorgeous lake with two beautiful women?
November 2, 2019
I rec'd a copy from Sapphire Books for review.
Ms. Jordan has written a charming romance with leads Sara and Sam. A clever storyline, some sex and plausible characters make me rate this debut book 4 stars. I look forward to more of her work.
Ms. Jordan has written a charming romance with leads Sara and Sam. A clever storyline, some sex and plausible characters make me rate this debut book 4 stars. I look forward to more of her work.
October 23, 2018
Excellent!
I loved McCall: Passport to Love. Loved Sam and Sara as the main characters. Their friends, co workers, towns people and Sara’s sister round out the story beautifully. Hopefully we will see them all again.
I loved McCall: Passport to Love. Loved Sam and Sara as the main characters. Their friends, co workers, towns people and Sara’s sister round out the story beautifully. Hopefully we will see them all again.
September 28, 2019
This book is a sweet tender romance. The characters are very well developed and the book well written. The main protagonists and secondary characters are complex and fun and the story was really touching. I was captivated right from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down. There are a couple of hot erotic scenes, especially the last one in the book. This is her debut book but you could never tell that. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I look forward to more books from this author! It was my first book by this author but definitely won't be the last! I highly recommend those book.
no-thank-you
September 7, 2018I wish I'd realized before buying this that the author was going to use "head hopping" - meaning switching back and forth between the main characters' POVs during scenes where they're interacting. It's just not for me to have each paragraph start and I don't know which character is going to be narrating. Before that started, I was enjoying the characters and the way the plot was being set up.
May 27, 2019
Found this book on Kobo Plus. And it is a great read that hooks you right from the start. A brilliant cast of characters, with a good story and some really funny and steamy moments. Who doesn’t wants to live in McCall, just for the brilliant writen scenery looking out at the water.
October 25, 2018
A great read
I enjoyed this romantic novel very much. Thank you for showing me that the one is really out there. Great book looking forward t reading other novels by you.
I enjoyed this romantic novel very much. Thank you for showing me that the one is really out there. Great book looking forward t reading other novels by you.
June 4, 2024
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There were things I liked about this book and a few things I didn't. For one, I really enjoyed how Sam and Jen had interactions and spent time together without Sara. It's rare especially in a romance to see one of the two MC's spend time with the other MC's family without them being present. So I really liked that relationship between Jen and Sam. I didn't really like the dynamic between Sam and Lily, however. I think that even though it was only an internship for Lily that Sam was still her superior in some capacity and the fact they both completely dismissed that seemed off. As well, when Sam tells Sara she's not seeing "anyone she can think of", I think that was kind of demeaning to Lily. It was the perfect opportunity for Sam to tell Sara about Lily and explain how they were over and she's only interested in Sara now. Instead she brushed it off and acted like Lily didn't exist which rubbed me the wrong way. However, Sara and Sam's handling of the situation later down the road was excellent. I thought it was a mature response from both parties and especially liked that Lily and Sara could get along. Overall, this book was a pretty well written and a sweet romance, 4/5.
There were things I liked about this book and a few things I didn't. For one, I really enjoyed how Sam and Jen had interactions and spent time together without Sara. It's rare especially in a romance to see one of the two MC's spend time with the other MC's family without them being present. So I really liked that relationship between Jen and Sam. I didn't really like the dynamic between Sam and Lily, however. I think that even though it was only an internship for Lily that Sam was still her superior in some capacity and the fact they both completely dismissed that seemed off. As well, when Sam tells Sara she's not seeing "anyone she can think of", I think that was kind of demeaning to Lily. It was the perfect opportunity for Sam to tell Sara about Lily and explain how they were over and she's only interested in Sara now. Instead she brushed it off and acted like Lily didn't exist which rubbed me the wrong way. However, Sara and Sam's handling of the situation later down the road was excellent. I thought it was a mature response from both parties and especially liked that Lily and Sara could get along. Overall, this book was a pretty well written and a sweet romance, 4/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2024
Sara Brighton, chef, looking for a fresh start after her restaurant is destroyed by fire. She decides to return to McCall, Idaho because she has good memories. Captain Sam Draper, head of the Lake Patrol division. Their meet cute is pretty entertaining as Sam finds Sara in need of help. After several misunderstandings, they find a common ground. This debut read is sexy with several nice story lines. Sara's sister Jennifer is in need of sisterly love and a sense of purpose. There are other secondary characters that are very important to the story especially since this is the first read in the series. I really liked the romance between Sara and Sam. And boy does Sam know how to romance. I look forward to reading another book by this author.
ARC provided by Sapphire Books Publishing via NetGalley
ARC provided by Sapphire Books Publishing via NetGalley
November 26, 2024
Initially, I was enjoying this slice of life small town tale. The banter between the mains at the onset was on point and had that just right amount of tension. That sadly got dropped about half way through and we had a situation with a side chick that IMO didn’t resolve realistically at all. Also this story is on some insane timetable (barely a summer) to get to from enemies to lovers to forever.
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