She's the One

She's the One by Kim Boykin

Melissa Bliss has a strange and wonderful gift.  Aside from being a top notch Realtor and Property Manager, she is also a Matchmaker.  She has the ability to see whether or not someone is compatible, and once in a while she finds a couple whose auras are so blinding they can't be anything but Soul Mates.  She currently stands at forty-nine matches and is in hot pursuit of number fifty.  For some reason, however, she begins to question her gift, and the stipulations put on it by her great-aunt and grandmother all of those years ago.  Would falling in love really cost her everything?  And is Isle of Palm's sexiest contractor worth the risk?

Shane Carver has been in love with Melissa since the moment he moved to Isle of Palm.  Tired of waiting for her to shows signs of interest he is determined to win her heart before someone else steals it out from under his nose.  Unfortunately, just as he is making progress, fate has decided to mess with his plans.  His ex-fiancee arrives on the Island and now Melissa is convinced that the two of them are Soul Mates.  Can he convince her that she is wrong?  And can he keep her out of the arms of a passionate musician who is determined to mend her broken heart?

I am 100% in love with this book.  Kim Boykin hit this one so far out of the park I couldn't help but read it all in one sitting.  The characters are marvelous, the story is pleasantly winsome, and the details applied leave you drooling despite the lack of an actually steamy scene.  The best part, though, was that there wasn't the need for a steamy scene.  The kissing scenes are so sweet and full of passion that you feel drawn in and worked up with them alone.

There are two actual love stories told in this book.  Both are presented with such tongue and cheek that you laugh yourself silly at some points realizing that the situations are so REAL!  If you were to discover that your ex was living next door to you, and you weren't yet over them, I dare you not to act exactly as these characters do.  And Shane's anger and animosity toward his ex messing up his plans leads to some great dialogue (both actual and inner).

Overall, this story shines bright as one of the best Kim Boykin books I have ever read!

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 4 

Characters – 5

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5

Flirting with Forever

Flirting with Forever by Kim Boykin

Tara Jordan has worked on her writing career just as long as she has worked on her marriage.  So when she finally hits a gold mine with a marriage self-help book, her life takes an ironic turn:  her husband of fifteen years leaves her, taking all of their money with him.  Forced to promote the book in order to pay her mounting mortgage debts, Tara lives in fear that she will be seen as a hypocrite if the world learns of her crumbling marriage, or her growing attraction for her new publicist.

Jake Randall needs a vacation.  He is done catering to divas and so-called celebrity authors without an ounce of writing talent in them.  When a senior publicist gets her foot crushed by a drunken client she calls Jake to take over for her and handle a month-long book tour with said train-wreck.  Little does he know that his first impression of Tara Jordan will be anything but disdainful.  Now his problem isn't controlling an unruly client, but keeping a professional distance from a lovely temptation.

While the subject matter of this book is heavy and complicated (abandonment vs. adultery), the tone was not so much.  This was a surprisingly easy read with an uplifting message all the way through it.  I usually try to stay away from cheating/cruel spouse stories, but this one really played with my perceptions.  I have to say I actually reserved judgement on Jim until the very end, then even after that I couldn't really hate him.

Character-wise, this was such a great build-up to a new series.  Melissa and Marsha are a riot, and I would love to see Erin get a story of her own.  My feelings are mixed on Lou, though.  I actually want to challenge Kim Boykin to make me like her.  I see potential, but right now, I just don't like her.

Overall, this is a fun and flirty story with an uplifting outlook of some pretty messed up circumstances.  It is such an odd combination that it is truly appealing.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 5 

Characters – 4

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5

Steal Me, Cowboy

Steal Me, Cowboy By Kim Boykin

After four years of putting up with her boyfriend's hectic baseball schedule and constant marriage-avoidance, hairstylist Rainey Brown is has decided to be drastic.  She is going to drive from South Carolina to Montana with an ultimatum :  marry me or we are done.  It seemed like a good idea until her car broke down in the middle of nowhere, and the hunky cowboy saving her brought to mind many other ideas.

It doesn't take long for restaurateur Beck Hartnett to figure out what he wants, and right now, he wants Rainey.  Knowing that as soon as her car is fixed she is gone, gives him the drive to step up his game and change her mind.  Can he steal her from her baseball player in five days?  Or will he strike out?

As I have mentioned before with Ms. Boykin, she is fond of the "first person" voice for her heroines.  This was my introduction to her writing, so it took me a bit longer to acclimate than with the others I have read.

While I really like the hero of this story (who isn't going to like a sexy cowboy who can cook and keeps his hair long enough to run your fingers through), I wasn't a fan of Rainey.  She whined, took too long to make up her mind, got way too worked up over nothing (and not worked up enough over other things).  In the end, when she finally did make up her mind, she sat on it for days!

As always, the supporting characters saved the book for me.  Nell, Dillion, and Antwan are exactly what supporting characters should be.  Colorful and noticeable without completely stealing the show.

Overall, this book was a nice quick read.  It didn't strike me as a "must-read", but it is definitely a good read.

  Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 3

Sex – 3 

Language – 3

Storyline – 4

Overall – 3

Sweet Home Carolina

Sweet Home Carolina by Kim Boykin

Darcy Vance has sunk just about everything she has into buying and renovating a former brothel in order to open her very own Bed and Breakfast.  Unfortunately, Mimosa House comes with an embarrassing history to the Bloom Family, who just happens to run the Historical Society Board, and control the Historical Home Tours.  Without being on the Home Tour Mimosa House has virtually no chance of attracting customers...or making money.

Trent Mauldin has just lost his PGA Tour card after failing to recover from a second shoulder surgery.  Coming home to work for his father wasn't his preference, but he soon realizes that it's a lot more complicated than he ever could have thought.  Big Jack's new resort and golf course might be outside of Magnolia Bay, but the entrance isn't.  Now Trent's loyalties are being torn in three: the Bloom Family, to whom he belongs on his mother's side; his father, for whom he works; and the cute redheaded B&B owner, whom he might actually be falling in love with.

This book was a gut punching, emotional roller coaster that I wanted to get off one minute, and ride it out the next.  At one point I wanted to laugh, cry, cheer, and throw-up all at once.  I swear that the author was looking for ways to torture Darcy over and over again.  I wasn't sure a happy ever after was even possible toward the end.  The fact that the ending was pulled off was so impressive I actually did cry...with relief.

Overall, this story was so extraordinarily told I will recommend it to everyone I see.

Warning: the author writes in "first person perspective" for the heroine.  It takes a bit to switch back and forth, but it doesn't take away from the story.  There are a few typos that are noticeable, but again, unless you are a grammar Nazi, it doesn't take away from the story.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 4 

Language – 3

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5