Carly Phillips Reviews

Page Three

Added July 18, 2005

Summer Lovin'

Author: Carly Phillips
Publisher: HQN Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: August 2005
Genre: Romance: Contemporary
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 0373770197
Author Email/Website: www.carlyphillips.com
Reviewer: Cyndi Witkus
Rating: 7.75 Gargoyles

Zoe Costas knows trouble-- she grew up with it among her eccentric family. From cons to dressing up like the Adams family, the Costas proved they weren't the normal type of family that most people thought about having. Ryan Baldwin grew up in a strict, regulated blue blood home. The idea of doing anything eccentric was dismissed-- even to the point of causing Faith, Ryan's sister, to run away from home, only to die from a bullet meant for her drug-dealing boyfriend.

Ryan is on the search for what happened to his sister. What he finds is Sam, Faith's daughter. What he doesn't expect is the Costas or that when he arrives in time for Sam's birthday they think he's the replacement social worker dealing with the case allowing the Costas to adopt his niece. Only Zoe finds out and he wants Zoe to find out more about the real Ryan, not just that he's Sam's uncle.

Can laid back, running from love Zoe get along with the straight-laced Ryan? Can it ever be anything more than lust? When people start gunning for Sam, Zoe and Ryan must work together while treading gently with the teenager. Can love work between opposites? Can they both learn to let go with each other?

Carly Phillips has a fantastic light-hearted, fun-loving style that shines in this book. It's non-stop fun, action, and desire mixed with great emotional moments that hit home. Zoe is definitely a heroine that can not only hold her own, but also be very understanding to not only Ryan, but also to Sam. She's a realistic heroine with a touch more that we all strive to be in our lives. Ryan learns just how much he's stuck to the family way, even in his quiet rebellious behaviour, like going into law instead of the family business. Around Zoe, he learns to loosen up and relate to his niece in a way that wouldn't have happened in Boston where he's from.

This book really shines is dealing with family dynamics, especially differing ones and how a couple learns to bridge the differences. Ms. Phillips struck gold in this story. I read the story about Zoe's twin, Under the Boardwalk, and had hoped for Zoe's story, so this was a fantastic treat for me. If you're looking for a funny, loving, caring book about a relationship that survives the most unusual circumstances, even falling in love, then Summer Lovin' is the book for you.

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