After a childhood spent in hospitals and foster homes, Myla’s freelance adventure writing suits her perfectly. A couple of weeks trying out new things then move on. Now, if she can only get her guide to all things winter interested in helping her lose her V-card.
Sawyer’s lost his parents, his SEAL team, and his legendary Spidey senses. Now he’s faced with a sexy, secretive woman who makes him want things he has no business wanting.
When someone starts butchering the wolves Sawyer is trying to reintegrate, he ends up in the bush with Sexy City Girl whose titanium attitude is more than enough to compensate for her weak leg.
If Sawyer and Myla can’t learn to trust each other and themselves, they might not make it out alive.
Jemi Fraser writes small-town romance filled with hope, heart, humour, and a touch of danger. Her stories combine her love of mystery with the satisfaction of a Happy Ever After. Love is always worth the risk!
Myla is always looking for her next adventure to write about, but she has a weak leg. She over-compensates by making sure she’s super independent. She won’t even stay in one place for long, and that suits her just fine.
Sawyer is an ex-navy SEAL. He’s seen a lot of dark stuff in his past and prefers the blissful solitude of the mountains.
When they meet, sparks fly, and I loved it! And when trouble comes to the mountains, I loved that too!
The character of Myla is great. I enjoyed her determined, yet positive, approach to life. She is the perfect foil to Sawyer, the loner woodsman who needs someone like Myla, but doesn’t know it yet. I also liked her quirky sense of humor. It had me smiling throughout the story. She is the kind of person I’d love to be friends with in real life. Thoroughly relatable, real and fun.
I soaked up the chemistry between the two and loved the high tension moments. Even the reveal at the end about who was behind the trouble was great.
I feel like I absorbed the book, I loved it so much.
Reaching for Normal: A Bloo Moose Romance by Jemi Fraser was the first book in the series that I read. I was immediately hooked on blogging sensation Myla Esperanza, who believes that the bigger the adventure, the better. She's not afraid of anything, but when a moody Sawyer Banks rescues her from a snow-filled ditch, she's determined to prove she is more than capable. However, for some reason in his presence, Myla is entirely discombobulated. Despite that, she makes her desires known and insists on no ties attached. Let's just have some fun, they decide.
Sawyer finds her insistence on doing everything herself irritating but admirable. A little disability isn't going to stop her from her goals, and he's intrigued. Add a mystery - who's killing the wolves, some danger - shots ringing out deep in the woods, and a frigid night in the wilderness, and well, romance just might be the spark that keeps them alive?
You'll fall in love with Myla. While surly Sawyer may take a moment or two, his background will melt your heart. You'll find yourself cheering for these two 'misfits' all the way through to the surprising conclusion!
I really enjoyed this book a lot. Sawyer, former SEAL and Myla a blog writer met when he pulls her and her car out of a ditch. She also writes articles about her gentle adventures. She is in Vermont to experience winter and hires Sawyer to teach her to snowshoe and ski. They have an instant attraction that he tries to ignore, but not successfully. While out in the wilderness someone takes a shot them and the real adventure begins. There is quite a lot of humor in this and the sex scenes are mostly mild, but still hot. Someone is after them and the author did a great job of keeping me in suspense until near the end. I highly recommend this book.
It’s good. I enjoyed Myla and Sawyer’s story, how they grow and how they complement each other. The scenery is gorgeous. And I love the dogs – too bad they didn’t have more page-time. I liked the danger element and the obvious (if you read a lot of romance) culprit. That person is crazy!
The hashtag titles without chapter numbers didn’t work for me – I need chapter numbers to know where I am and where I’m heading. Also, Sawyer using the Lord’s name as an expletive didn’t sit well with me.
As for the title, cover and blurb: it all works for the genre. I just think the author’s name should stand out a bit more.
Trigger warnings: flashbacks to war, mutilation and slaughter of wild animals by a crazy person.
A fun, steamy story set in the middle of a small town Vermont winter.
A great read for summer, well anytime you want to enjoy a good laugh, some exciting woodsy adventure, and a lot of sexy romance. Myla is an interesting character with her so called disability, which doesn't hold back her adventurous and eager- to-try spirt in the least. Sawyer is the ultimate hunk who comes with some serious past issues. Together they make a perfect couple if only they can overcome their resistance to love and attachment.
There was so much to love about this book from the action-packed suspense, the sweet little town of Bloo Moose, the focus on winter outdoors activities, to the sizzling romance between Myla and Sawyer! I loved how both characters bring different baggage to the relationship and, how through their growing attraction to each other, they both realize that they're capable and worthy of love. This is a fantastic start to a new romance series and I can't wait to read the next book!
Good story. This was a good story. Sawyer and Myla were meant to help each other through their problems and come out on the other side stronger together.
I love Bloo Moose! A small town in snowy Vermont. Enter a clumsy adventure blogger who has come from Florida to figure out winter and write about it. What she doesn’t expect to do is get chased by a crazy man in the woods or to fall in love with a SEAL. A great story about accepting yourself as well as believing in yourself. And of course, the healing power of love.
This is an enduring story in many ways but especially in the fact the main female character isn’t perfect. The story is filled with determination, courage, and hope, along with laughs, romance, mystery, and a dash of suspense.
The author draws the reader into the characters’ world with a vivid description of the town and the surrounding area. You feel the elements of winter as the author takes you along on Myla and Sawyer’s trek into the wilderness. The characters come alive with their quirky ways making them feel like old friends. The chemistry between the two main characters works realistically and can be felt through their actions.
The story flows smoothly and at a good pace. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and hoping as the story unfolds. From the first page to the last, it’s hard to put the story down until all your questions and hopes are answered. Only then can you leave Bloo Moose with a smile and eagerness to return for the next heartfelt romance.
REACHING FOR NORMAL is the start of a fascinating series that will draw readers back to Bloo Moose time and time again.
I stopped reading at 30%. The heroine stole the hero’s snowmobile when she has never driven one only rode one once and only been outside in a north country winter 3 times and only been to where he was going once. The stupidness of that act makes her the dumbest character ever or the most unbelievable. And I’m supposed to believe the hero will fall for her? Nope. Just nope. She was offended for being called a ”liability” when he refused to take her to the backcountry chasing after a poacher. Any inexperienced person chasing poachers especially in the snow is a liability. The book is too dumb. The heroine is a criminal. Stealing a snowmobile is a crime. Stories like this annoy me. Hiking in winter and snowmobiling with no experience is dangerous.
Cute! If you're looking for clean - this isn't it. I typically only read clean reads but by the time I realized it wasn't (my fault for missing what the author plainly had written on the book page), I couldn't stop.
It was a sweet story. Parts were a little far fetched but it was cute. And sadly, if a book gets me laughing, I'll usually stick it out. And this was pretty funny in parts.
This was a very good romantic suspense novel. This review is my honest opinion. The author and I do know each other online and share several of the same cyber social circles.
What I found most interesting, and relatable, about the book was a main character who is out of the ordinary. Myla's foster past and leg set her apart from typical romance heroines. Sawyer was a lot like other romance-book guys, but his love of wolves is what drew me in. (Without him actually shifting into one, because this isn't a paranormal romance.) I got this book on Amazon a few months ago, and cracked it open this month because of the IWSG book club. I would recommend it to readers who like both romance and suspense. It felt like every chapter had equal parts of a suspenseful story and a budding romance (or potential lusty fling, could have gone either way for a bit). I don't read a ton of romance books, but I did like this one. I like that Freddy is named. Huskies Loco and Gunner are fantastic additions, but it kills me that they're on page 94 (#aloneagain chapter) and then vanish until page 248 (#finallymaybe chapter).
My heart ached for Myla when she felt like a liability, when the term ripped into her. But later there's a great line, "Not only how to get up when I fall, but to believe I can get up."
"People only fall in love this quickly in books and movies." - That line is funny because, of course, we are reading a book. Which is even better later when Myla starts writing a steamy romance.
Sawyer has dark, curly hair and dark chocolate eyes, and is age 30 (and apparently has a great behind 🍑). Hazel eyes and deep-brown curls with dusky skin for 28-year-old Myla, and though her last name could hint at ethnic diversity, it's actually not a birthparent's name. Lots of first for her in this book, including what is potentially her first comforting hug from someone (Darby).
I read the whole book because I wanted to see who the villain was (I was guessing between two people, I was right about the one I thought was more likely.) I also wanted to see if they'd make a go as a couple, or just change a status of hers, or something else. I might go back to Bloo Moose again for another story from Jemi. Gage LaChance has my interest, so perhaps book 4.
This book is a comedy if you find someone being clumsy (mostly due to a physical condition) to be funny (Myla self-identifies as clumsy and aims for it to be funny). Though the better humor is moose-related. It all felt plausibly realistic. The characters are the best reasons to read this book. There's a happily-ever-after (or for now) ending to this romance. A good amount of action and it's entertaining. It could be informative if, like Myla, you don't know much about snow and winter excursions in the forest.
Sawyer has PTSD, which includes a war flashback. There's also an animal brutally killed, and while the audience is spared the action sequence, several painful details are cringe-worthy. I'll be in nightmare-town with Sawyer on that one.
As to editing, 19% in, Myla's name is Myna. "...equipment he had for keeping them warm had blown up with the shed"-- I'm pretty sure that should be sleds, as I don't believe the shed is blown up. Both are minor errors a lot of editors might miss. I'm not used to snowmobiles being called snow machines, but they sometimes are in some areas, so it's not wrong. I hadn't encountered "packsack" before either. Guess I need to spend more time with my thesaurus! Green branches are both difficult to burn and cause a lot of smoke, so why Sawyer grabbed them along with wood is beyond me, unless that's what's mentioned later to "sweep" tracks.
Redemption, courage, and love are all themes in this book. The setting is well-done and feels like a small town in Vermont (especially upstate). The goals in this book weren't easy. Both characters had to evolve a bit to get to the end. Myla especially had to overcome a lot of obstacles. Myla and Darby are two women who talk to each other about winter expeditions, so this book may pass the Bechdel test.
This is one of those books I expected to like simply because I was somewhat familiar with the author as a blogger, but I was not expecting to like it so much. This is not a genre I tend to gravitate to, so I'm always delighted when the IWSG Book Club gives me a chance to step out of my comfort zone, and it pays off.
Before I get into what I loved about this book, I'll briefly mention the one nagging thing that kept me from giving it a solid 5-star rating, knowing that this will likely not be an issue for most readers.
The main character experiences a lot of "firsts" in this book. There was one first, in particular, that didn't really do much for me. I didn't understand why it had to be part of her character arc. It didn't feel to me that that "big thing" would have changed anything about how the narrative of this story played out. I felt that the main character was already well developed, strong, and had interesting characteristics that kept her from being generic in any way. This "big thing" was just something extra. Perhaps, this is a popular trope in the genre that I'm not familiar with. In any case, I want to be clear that it did not take away from the story in any way, I just didn't feel that it was necessary.
Sooooo, here's what I loved!
The steam level for this story is very adult, but not vulgar in any way. It's nice to read mature scenes that don't turn into exploitive expositions of acts a reader can imagine for themselves if the writer knows what they are doing. Plus, I don't always feel the chemistry between fictional characters comes off as genuine, but I enjoyed seeing these two characters come together.
The characters. The leading man was a typical romantic lead, so no major revelations there. He was handsome and brooding. I did like that the author used some of that trope to introduce hard subject matter such as mental health and PTSD. He's also our connection to nature and the message of animal conservation that is present. He's a good character. Back to our main female character, Myla. I really like Myla. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a main female character like this that wasn't a person of color. She's a writer, a blogger, and a clumsy girl who likes to have adventures and tries new things. She uses the word "clumsy" to downplay the fact that she has a physical disability, an ability that hasn't slowed her down or defined her in any way. I want to be friends with Myla.
I really enjoyed reading about the town of Bloo Moose, but don't think I'd want to visit unless it's as fun and beautiful in the summer as it is in the winter. Just too cold for me, but perfect for the setting of this story.
I also liked the villain in the sense that you love to hate a villain. I figured out who it was early on, but had no idea the level of crazy this character was going to present. It was thrilling reading about how it came together in the end.
Trigger warning- animal cruelty depicted without being glorified in any way.
Overall, highly recommended to fans of romantic suspense, characters with varying abilities, and lovers of nature.
I like this book, but, oof. It's riddled with errors. The most egregious is a misspelling of the hero's name - as if this book was never even run through a spell checker! The most frequent is missing commas that make it hard to read. There's also other problems with punctuation, and weird dialogue tags. I had to re-read a lot of pages because of these things throwing me off constantly. It's seriously bad. I couldn't believe the thanks at the end that indicated it had ever been read by anyone, ever, before publishing.
Despite all this, it's a really great story - at least until the final twist, which I felt veered into nonsense territory. It doesn't interfere with the happily ever after (which makes it even more odd a choice... there is this really ridiculous high-stakes-but-not melodramatic nonsense playing out at the same time as the conclusion to the love story... it's really weird, but I don't know how to describe it without spoilers).
The story itself is about two tough, wounded, independent people who can never love again - or CAN they? (Yes.) In the snow. Moose and wolves and lots of snow. It's great! Just wish someone had given it a once over before publishing and maybe nixed the silly, unbelievable twist. The actual relationship between the hero and heroine is great. I was really rooting for them.
The story does rely a lot on misunderstandings, if that's something that bothers you, but they're totally believable for the (sad & messed up) characters. I liked the book so much that the obvious sequel hooks sprinkled throughout intrigued more than infuriated me and that's not something that happens often. Still, I'm not inclined to pay for another book of this "quality" - I got this one for free in a promotion, and that's probably part of why I could enjoy it with all its flaws. 3.5 stars if I could but I can't - and I think I have to round down because of the poor quality.
Me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba. Myla es un personaje que llama la atención, ha aprendido a valerse por sí misma y ha dedicado su vida a superarse cada día. Ahora es escritora de aventuras en situaciones más o menos difíciles. Es por uno de esos encargos que va hasta Vermont para aprender deportes de nieve, aunque más bien pasa de aprender a andar con raquetas de nieve, manejar una moto de nieve y sus primeros pasos de esquí. Sawyer es un ex Seal que se dedica a enseñar y guiar turistas en las nevadas montañas de Vermont. A través de su hermana, que dirige el B&B del pueblo, impartirá varias clases a una joven. El primer encuentro de ellos ya es peculiar, no se conocen pero Sawyer la ayuda a sacar su coche que había derrapado al esquivar un alce que estaba en la carretera. Myla no gana para sustos pero su modo de vivir la vida y su optimismo constante conseguirán ir derrumbando el muro que el huraño Seal había construido alrededor de su corazón. La pacífica existencia del pueblo se verá interrumpida cuando aparezca muerto uno de los lobos del programa de reintroducción que impulsó el padre de Sawyer. Ahora los objetivos parecen ser él y Myla. Tensión en las montañas y un loco suelto que no dudará en intentar darles caza. Sawyer deberá poner a prueba todas sus habilidades como Seal para mantener a salvo a esa joven que parece no ser consciente del peligro que los acecha. La historia de amor entre los dos me ha parecido muy bonita. El toque que le da los dos perros es estupendo, me hubiera gustado que salieran más, pero, en general, es una novela estupenda para una tórrida tarde de verano.
Myla is an adventure blogger from Florida who arrives in the small town of Bloo Moose to experience winter. Despite having a disability, she intends to take lessons in snowshoeing and skiing. Her instructor, an ex-navy SEAL, Sawyer, wants nothing more than to spend his days alone in the mountains with his dogs. However, someone is killing wolves in the area, and Sawyer and Myla are thrown into a mystery that endangers both their lives.
I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the town of Bloo Moose and its surroundings, so that I felt I was there, experiencing the winter with Myla. I really enjoyed the location, and the author’s descriptions of the wolves, as well as survival skills under such conditions. I also really liked Sawyer’s dogs and I would have liked to have seen more of them. The author also does a good job at balancing slaughter and war flashbacks with humour and sex scenes, so that the reader is not overwhelmed with such gruesome details.
Despite their differences, both Myla and Sawyer are fiercely independent, who work well together to help solve the mystery. Their romance builds as they are thrown together through both need and circumstance. This is a great start to a new romance series.
Myla was bold to go to places she had never been before and push her damaged body to experience adventures so she could write about them. I love that she's self deprecating, showing how despite her mobility issues she still has plenty of interesting things to blog about. Sawyer tarred all reporters with the same brush and was extremely distrustful of Myla when he found out. But after meeting his ex in the book Sawyer has to admit she's not like any other. He even wondering about Myla's ulterior motives when they are stranded in the wilderness with an unstable wolf killer running around. She was foolish going after him to bring him a message, but she was worried about him. She's been made to feel lacking often and is incredibly headshakingly stubborn to where she puts her needs way below others.
I would even push this to a 4.5 🌟 rating if possible. It's simply a pleasure when an audiobook flows without glitches, glaring errors, gaps in the story, or a far-reaching storyline. It was simply enjoyable.
Great humor from the very start is what hooked me. Followed by simple fun, a solid & simple story, and very strong-willed main characters. The story flowed easily, there was no extra unnecessary fluff added, and even though I'm not much for a romance novel,... this was done in taste and I found myself laughing at parts and eventually hoping they'd find each other. That's huge for me to say in a book so kudos to the author and I will have to give this a yes for a recommendation. 👍
Myla was literally thrown away when she was born with a withered leg. She’s had to fight hard her entire life. Trying not to let her weakness define her, her stubborn refusal to be held back by physical restrictions has instead become her strength. Now she’s taking a chance on emotional vulnerability with a psychologically damaged Navy SEAL she hired to teach her all about winter sports. To make matters a little more interesting, someone is taking shots at them whenever they head out into the woods. They have to learn to trust each other with both their physical and emotional safety. It’s a hard leap to take, but they’re both strong enough to make it.
This is the first book of Jemi Fraser, but it won't be my last. I love the story of Myla’s and Sawyer. She's a freelance adventure writer who comes to Bloo Moose to experience some new adventures in the snow, write about it and move on. But when she gets grumpy Sawyer an ex- Seal, who's dealing with his past, as her guide, things heat up. Myla is a strong, woman who doesn't like when people think she's weak.
The clumpsy moments of Myla and the affects this had on Sawyer made me laugh. The love between them develops in a beautiful, funny way, and made me keep reading. The mystery element was well build and made this a delicous read.
Welcome to Bloo Moose, VT. Ms. Fraser put a pair of opposites into both forced proximity and shared danger to test each of them to their core. Creator of the popular Clumsy Girl blog, Myla Esperanza is assigned by a Miami based magazine to write about winter experiences. She’s been on adventures before, but they didn’t start with a moose on a snowy road causing her to spin into a ditch. Sawyer Banks, an emotionally wounded ex-SEAL dislikes guiding novices in the outdoors. He’s really ticked off when the girl in the small, bright green car shows up for multiple lessons. He’d rather track the wolves being re-introduced to the area.
Oh Wow, what a refreshing love story, enjoyed the twist which was unexpected. Loved Clumsy City Girl, her quiet braveness and independence left me admiring this strong "pixie" lady. I also loved the story about how her name came about "Mayla Esperanza" - a lovely touch to her personal journey. As for the rescuer, I giggled often at his dry character and his "aloof" chivalry was appreciated as a reader. The intimate moments were gentle and tastefully worded, and I enjoyed every word. I read this book in less than a day.
Favorite phrases : Its just a leg. Pixie Definitely not a traditional beauty
Glad I discovered another great author - thank you Jemi Fraser.
Didn’t finish after chapter 2. It’s just not my thing. It reads like many other romance novels I’ve read so there’s nothing unique or different it’s bringing to the table. It feels like a story for older/middle aged women. Which is what I am but I don’t like that style book haha. I don’t like when I have to read the inner monologues of both the female mc and the make mc giving me a detailed list of all the perfect physical characteristics of the other upon meeting. It’s just been done to death and I’d like the story to be told in a more interesting way.
I enjoyed fiesty Myla's wit and guarded Sawyer's grumpy but responsible help to a newbie at winter sports. Their inner struggles with their pasts complicate the growth of their personal relationship. How they navigate their past traumas and new challenges (the potential relationship, the mystery) is both interesting and believable. This is a story with heart, depth, and a happy end.
This story was filled with surprises. The main characters, Myla and Sawyer, provided many of them with their constantly changing personalities and outlooks on life. An then there were the situational surprises! Wow! I never knew what to expect from the next chapter except no resolution to what seemed like a blooming romance and eventually love. So if you like a book that doesn't give away where it is really, truly headed, you should enjoy this one.