Category Archives: Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Series

March 30, 2014 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Day He Kissed Her by Juliana Stone

kissedTitle: The Day He Kissed Her by Juliana Stone
Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Book Three
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

He can’t wait to leave

Mac Draper finally has everything he’s always wanted: An amazing career. A New York City apartment. He’s this close to being free of his past forever. But a mind-blowing encounter with the sexy yet tough-as-nails Lily St. Clare has him delaying his plans to put Crystal Lake in his rearview mirror for good.

She’s finally found a place to stay

For Lily St. Clare the charming small town of Crystal Lake is her haven—a place she can hide from her famous, back-stabbing family. It’s as close to happy as she’s ever been. Until an unforgettable night with tall, dark and tortured Mac Draper gives her a glimpse of what true happiness feels like.

Lily can’t help but melt a little under the sizzling heat of Mac’s touch. But Mac’s scars run deep, and Lily’s afraid she may be falling for the one man who can never return her feelings…

The Review:

The Day He Kissed Her is the third installment of the Juliana Stone’s captivating Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series. In this outing, the last of the bad boys finds love and in the process, he finally makes peace with his turbulent and dysfunctional past.

There is absolutely nothing that can bring Mac Draper back to Crystal Lake for more than a fleeting visit. Or so he thinks until a scorching one night stand with Lily St. Clare. Months after their anonymous New Year’s Eve hook up, Mac and Lily are reunited but with Mac’s feet firmly planted in New York and Lily entrenched in Crystal Lake, is there any future for this emotionally damaged couple?

Lily and Mac are both carrying some heavy emotional baggage but Mac is, by far, the one with the most serious issues. Mac left Crystal Lake and his troubled childhood behind years earlier but the scars from his past certainly influence his present. He has a successful career and although he shies away long term commitments, he has a very active social life. Mac is confused (and dismayed) by his all consuming desire for Lily, who is NOTHING like the women he usually dates.

Lily’s family is wealthy but that has not shielded her from the pain of loss and betrayal. With the her friend Jake’s help, she has finally recovered from the death of her brother and she has distanced herself from her troubled family. Lily loves the tranquility she has found in Crystal Lake and in fact, she is on the verge of making her stay permanent when she unexpectedly runs into Mac.

Mac is almost relentless in his pursuit of Lily and while she is determined to resist him, their attraction is too powerful to ignore. They agree to a no strings summer fling and they are soon involved in a blistering hot and delectably steamy love affair. It does not take long for their relationship to become quite messy with emotions that neither one expected but it is Mac’s unanticipated encounter with his past that threatens their future.

The Day He Kissed Her is an emotional and passionate novel that is fast-paced and compelling. Mac and Lily are vibrant and richly developed protagonists with believable flaws and imperfections. Juliana Stone does not gloss over Mac’s demons and the resolution of his part of the storyline is realistic. Another enchanting installment in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series that old and new fans are sure to love.

Please click HERE to read my reviews of the other novels in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.

3 Comments

Filed under Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Series, Contemporary, Juliana Stone, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks Casablanca, The Day He Kissed Her

October 3, 2013 · 3:59 am

Review: The Christmas He Loved Her by Juliana Stone

Title: The Christmas He Loved Her by Juliana Stone
Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Book Two
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

All he wants this Christmas is her…

In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face the music. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.

Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Or maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.

The Review:

The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake are back and Oh. My. Goodness. Juliana Stone pretty much ripped my heart to shreds with Jake and Raine’s story. There is so much raw emotion and anguish in The Christmas He Loved Me, it is positively gut wrenching. This deeply emotional read will make you laugh, cry and ultimately rejoice as Jake and Raine finally break free of their haunting pasts and find their much deserved happily ever after.

A year and a half after he left town following his brother Jesse’s funeral, Jake Edwards returns home just in time for the holidays. Waiting for him are all of the problems he left behind and topping the list of things he would give anything to avoid? His childhood friend and Jesse’s widow, Raine. Running a pretty close second? His overwhelming (and somewhat misplaced) guilt. Guilt over Jesse’s death. Guilt over his feelings for Raine. And underneath it all? The never ending grief he feels for the brother he has lost.

Grief is an emotion that Raine knows all too well. She is deeply depressed, barely able to function and spends most of her days with her head buried under the covers. Jake’s homecoming is just the catalyst Raine needs to begin emerging from her sorrow.

Neither Jake nor Raine are prepared for the irresistible attraction they feel for one another. Nor are they ready for the emotions that surface after they give in to their passion. Both are haunted by an incident that precipitated Jake’s departure and neither knows how to bring it up without destroying their fragile new relationship. But it is long buried secrets that threaten to destroy them as they try to plan their future together.

Jake and Raine are also facing some difficult family issues. Raine’s mother, Gloria, essentially abandoned Raine as a child to work as a missionary. Gloria has recently returned to try to salvage their relationship, but Raine’s hurt and anger make it difficult for her to give Gloria a chance. Jake has an easier time repairing the damage to his relationship with his parents but the secret Jake is keeping from them keeps him mired in the past. Their tight bond is strong enough to withstand anything, but it takes almost of the entire novel before Jake fully believes this.

The Christmas He Loved Her begins around Thanksgiving and continues through the Christmas season. It is not a light and fluffy holiday read, but it is a beautiful story of love and forgiveness. Jake and Raine are dealing with realistic and incredibly painful issues but Juliana Stone makes all of the heartbreak (and tears) worthwhile with a touching and uplifting ending that perfectly sets up the next novel in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.

Please click HERE to read my reviews of the other novels in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.

5 Comments

Filed under Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Series, Contemporary, Juliana Stone, Rated A, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks, Sourcebooks Casablanca, The Christmas He Loved Her

April 2, 2013 · 3:58 am

Review: The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone

Title: The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone
Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

The Review:

Juliana Stone’s The Summer He Came Home is an emotional, sweet and steamy romance that had me in tears in the first chapter. I fell completely and totally in love the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake and I cannot wait for the next book in this captivating series.

Cain Black’s personal and professional lives are in transition when a tragic loss brings him back to his hometown of Crystal Lake. Despite a ten year separation, he instantly reconnects with his close friends Mac Draper and Jake Edwards and the three men support one another in the wake of tragedy. But it is his immediate attraction to Maggie O’Rourke that prompts Cain to rethink his future.

Cain Black is a tattooed rocker with a hell raising past that continues to haunt him despite his best efforts to prove he is not the man who left Crystal Lake all those years ago. Cain is not sure what to expect when he returns, but he is pleasantly surprised when he is welcomed back with open arms. But what he finds most surprising is the peace and comfort he discovers in his small hometown. Taking advantage of the lull in his career, Cain decides to extend his stay in Crystal Lake to contemplate his future and explore his attraction to Maggie O’Rourke.

A relative newcomer to Crystal Lake, single mom Maggie has carved out a low key life for herself and her young son Michael. An enigma with a mysterious past, Maggie is quite prickly and her defenses are firmly in place. But Cain reawakens long dormant feelings and Maggie cautiously relaxes her guard and tentatively lets Cain into her life.

Maggie is not the type of woman Cain usually dates and he is refreshingly honest with her and admits he does not know where their relationship is going to lead. Despite the intense sexual attraction he feels for her, Cain resists rushing Maggie into bed. Instead, he romances her and the sexual tension between them builds to a fever pitch.

The Summer He Came Home is a beautifully written novel of love and friendship. The characters are vibrant and life-like and the storyline is realistic and engaging. Juliana Stone provides readers with tantalizing glimpses of the characters and possible storylines for the upcoming books in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series. Secondary characters Mac Draper and Jake Edwards are tortured heroes who are battling some pretty intense demons. It is pretty clear who Jake’s love interest is going to be and I am dying to see exactly how their romance is going to play out.

1 Comment

Filed under Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Series, Contemporary, Juliana Stone, Rated B, Review, Romance, Sourcebooks, Sourcebooks Casablanca, The Summer He Came Home