Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Ahh, It's Good to be Back!

As you know, I moved over the summer. That is the rather simplistic explanation for why I've been offline for months. Getting unpacked, settled in, getting my kids back to school, enjoying the peace and quiet offered in the mountains =) ...anyway, I've made the decision to jump back in with what I'm reading now. As I have time, I will blog about the MANY books I read over the summer, because I know you all WANT to know about what I've been reading. =) 

My current self challenge is to read at least one book by each of the independent authors who are part of the TFEiC Book Signing Event. I can't make it to either of the signings (*sniff*) but as I'd already read several of the authors involved in the event, I decided to check out them all. I can honestly say that I've been so impressed and I'm hoping to see much more recognition for these authors!

The author I just finished reading is Tina Reber...I read both books in her Love series and I LOVED them both! Love Unscripted is the first in the series. We meet Taryn Mitchell, a bar owner in a small Rhode Island town who has recently had her heart broken. Taryn is very satisfied to keep her friends close and men at a distance. We also meet Ryan Christensen, a super-hunky A-list actor, who only wanted to act but has been elevated to a status that includes paparazzi, rabid fans, and absolutely no privacy. Then one day, Ryan steps into Taryn's bar while being chased and man-handled (woman-handled?) by some fans and Taryn's world is turned upside-down. Love ensues, eventually, and both Taryn and Ryan have to figure out how to balance love with all the craziness a Hollywood life brings along. 

Love Unrehearsed continues Taryn and Ryan's story. They have more trials and tribulations to endure including crazy former girlfriends, a stalker-ish bodyguard, jealous friends, life changing secrets and  invasive press. Is their love strong enough to last a lifetime?!? Hell, yeah! 

I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Ms. Reber's style. She took the time to really bring to life such believable characters and portray how much celebrities endure just to do the job they love. And that they really would like to just live a "normal" life. I was so proud of Taryn and Ryan for coming through it all, growing stronger as individuals and as a couple. And the cast of secondary characters was awesome - even the "evil" ones! =) Oh, and the romance...well, I love how slowly Ms. Reber built up the tension between Taryn and Ryan and how tenderly and passionately their love could be displayed. The chemistry was explosive at times! Wowza!

These were extremely addicting reads (I binged on them both, one right after the other) and I highly recommend them.